KeenKiwiFlyer

Hi there,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am based in NZ and fly Air NZ quite a lot domestically. Not enough to gain an increase in tier (normally I am a couple of flights away but I then don't travel for a couple of months and lose points).

Later this year I will be flying to Europe Business Class - this time via Emirates as Air NZ does not fly to Spain.

I just created a Skywards membership but noticed I will only get 49,500 tier points. Now this leaves me 500 points away from gold. Based from your experience, if I email Emirates, do you think they will be lenient and gift me the extra 500 tier points so I can upgrade to Gold?

I am likely to be traveling quite a bit in the next three years (overseas on business - one trip to Europe and 1 trip to South East Asia - all business class).

Also, I have quickly googled the different benefits Emirates offer. I believe one of these is a chauffeur driver? Would I be applicable for this as a business class traveler, or is it for first class only?

I will be stopping in Melbourne and Dubai for approx 1.5 hours. What happens during this time? Am I allowed to go to the lounge, or do I have to go through security, customs etc again?

Apologies for the newbie questions.

Thanks

ft101

EK do give some leeway if you're just short of a tier, but 500 miles might be stretching it a bit. If you're future travel with them is likely to be in Business, there aren't many benefits that Gold would bring that you don't get in Business Class anyway.

Chauffeur drive in Business as well as First, although there are some "odd" rules within Australia from what I've read. Hopefully someone can clarify.

Lounges available to you wherever EK have them. Partner Lounges elsewhere. Transit security in DXB - no customs - not sure about MEL.

kuroko

You are entitled for chauffeur drive in your case in NZ and AU if the routing is going afterwards to Spain (you can book the service also in BCN and DXB).

m3red

Anyone know how the HKT flight is doing?

Do these go full all the time?

eternaltransit

High leisure demand - so full August for ex-EU holidaymakers and Nov-early Jan. Usually easier to take one of the BKK flights and have an internal connection on PG.

EDIT: full in Y. I don't think you'll have a problem finding F space to HKT apart from end of December.

m3red

Prob book F out J back. Tempted to book J given the high chance of opup if its alwyas over but looking at Mid Oct so not peak season.

eternaltransit

I'd probably book via BKK - EK has a lounge there and you can choose from any of the 6 daily departures to/from DXB that might fit your schedule better. There's over 50 flights a day between BKK-HKT (if you include the other airport DMK) - 8 alone on PG, the preferred EK interline carrier, to HKT from BKK, so you have a much more flexible itinerary for the cost of 1hr on a pretty decent domestic carrier. Also lots of 380s for the F/J product to BKK, only a 777 to HKT.

Can't use the lounge going DXB-BKK-HKT, but you can on the way back - but PG have a lounge for all customers in the domestic area of the airport which is pretty decent given it's a 1hr domestic hop.

m3red

But for 4 nights going direct might be easier - J/f is certainly cheaper to hkt than BKK too.

eternaltransit

Depends on your schedule sure, but DXB-HKT leaves at 1000 and arrives 2000, return is 0015 arr. 0315.

You could leave on say, EK374 at 2200 the night before, arriving BKK at 0800, which drops you in HKT at around 1000 giving you an extra day, and on the return take the direct HKT-DXB option (or if you want an evening in BKK, you can leave HKT at say, 1800, be in BKK for 1915, dinner in the city and take EK385 at 0135 arriving back at 0445 DXB time).

KeenKiwiFlyer

Work wise the travel would most likely be Business - but personally it would be on economy and it would be nice to be able to visit the lounges while with my partner.

I think I'll book a quick trip to Melbourne (economy) before the Madrid trip and this should get me to 50k miles and Gold.

Hopefully I will then be able to get Air NZ to status match.

773ER

Not sure this deserved a new topic so thought this would be the best place to post.

I'm flying on EK405 MEL-SIN-DXB on Saturday (01/08) in Y. I've had an aisle seat selected since I can remember, having booked this flight back in January /February. However, logging in to MMB today I have noticed that not only has my seat selection been removed but that the flight is showing as full and there is no seats to choose from in Y. Why would EK do this? Should I call them to try and confirm an aisle seat? There's no way I can deal with two 7+ hour flights stuck in a middle seat!
Could I possibly be in line for an upgrade? J is showing as wide open on MEL-SIN and there's seats available for SIN-DXB as well. I'm only blue at the moment so I'd be surprised! If so i'm thinking I should just wait until I get to the airport to see what's happening.

Any thoughts?

eternaltransit

Would give them a call to see if anything has changed - sometimes they do things like substitute a plane on a sector, then quickly substitute it back, but that resets all the seat assignments. EK IT at work

pduck01

Hi - flying NYC-DXB-SEZ. Dubai flight lands early afternoon and onward flight leaves at 10am. Will I be able to check my luggage the whole way through?

Thank you.

eternaltransit

Your luggage will be checked through as a matter of course, no need to worry

HGHUA

First time on EK F. Quite excited as Emirates is known for their extravagance. As I was reading a sample menu off their site I was thinking to myself, yum that sounds good, oh hey that sounds good too! and on and on and on.

Got me thinking, since its technically order anything you want at any time, has anyone ever tried to order every item on the menu? Could be at once or spaced over the course of the flight (not to waste, but to honestly try everything and get your money's worth)

There seem to be 3 others with me in F on the first flight but I'm all alone on my second, both on an A380. Surely they just trash the food if no one eats it. Do the FAs or the Pilots get to nosh on whats left?