My sincerest thanks to the very kind FTers who’ve taken the time to respond and offer advice. Seeing the enthusiasm for 23A/K among the experienced travellers is making reconsider. :)

My main concern with sitting so far back is not getting my first meal choice - is this common when seated towards rear of the cabin with EK?

The other issues of increased traffic etc are probably balanced by the improved privacy and more ‘intimate’ (oo-err missus) cabin.

Struggling to decide - talk about first-world problems!

As I think was already mentioned the service does not start from the front of the cabin but rather is staggered, so being at 23A might in fact be better than being at 18A, because you may be served earlier, your order will be taken on a phone and EK rarely runs out of first choices so you can probably have whatever you want

Also worth mentioning that EK J meal service is not trolley based. Orders are taken via electronic handset and the orders are taken at the same time in a staggered way, with 4 crew taking orders and 2 crew preparing drinks, the other 2 getting food started. It is a well oiled machine and I have never had a bad A388 service in J. (Although I've had some crew who were frosty and could not be bothered being there).

In 8 years of flying J, I've never had my meal choice denied on an A388.

I scored the famous 23A on 3 of my 4 legs, however my night flight DXB - BKK is a 2 class A380 and someone had already been occupying my rightful seat (equivalent) of 20A/K. I had been assigned to 22A but that one seems to be on the very rear of the BC cabin. Its a night flight, and I am pondering if I should give up my direct window seat and move forwards in the cabin to not be disturbed in the case I want to sleep.

Is the bar noticable in the back of the BC cabin should it be filled with joyeous people?

I have flown DXB-BKK several times in the last few months and would say it is hard to predict whether the bar will be busy or not but I rarely hear noise coming from it. On the other hand you have to weigh up the privacy of an A/K seat compared to the aisle seats B/J.

Its indeed a tough nut to crack for me, exactly for the reason you describe it. Such first world problems :D.

I do know that I will be bothered MUCH more IF the bar will be busy (and noticable) than with the loss of privacy of sitting directly at the aisle. However I absolutely love the feeling of the A/K seats because of how private they are, and 22A is the only one left. It would not even have been an 'issue' if it was the day flight instead, because I would be in the bar myself for a good portion of the flight ;). So its basically a gamble of more privacy feeling and the chance of disturbing from the bar.

Get the best of both worlds. A bellyful of beer and you'll sleep like a baby anywhere. ;)

A380 2 class
 

What are the good seats on a 380 2 class in business class?
I reserved 20A from BKK to HKG
Usually it is loud in the back on a plane (behind the engines). But if it so on this plane.....why they have the business class back there?

The A380 will be one of the quietest planes you've probably come across regarding engine noise, no matter where you sit. The original 3 Class layout was exclusively First and Business upstairs so the cheap seats (Business) were at the back, and the 2 Class layout remained the same there. 20A and 20K are widely regarded as the best on board.

Thanks
I am very pleased to hear that!
So I did nothing wrong.

" 20A and 20K are widely regarded as the best on board. "
I beg to disagree. I always prefer the forward J cabin-rows 9 or 10.
SS