EK_Flyer

Hi All

Which would be a better F experience between DXB-AKL in First. The 1 stop A345 EK406 via MEL or the 2 stop B77W EK432 via SIN & BNE.

Can anyone point out which experience would be better and why ?

Not sure about F on EK418 as it doesnt have the mini-suites but if it is better in any way than the others please let me know your thoughts as well

Thanks !

roadwarriorafrica

The A345 has the suites that close off, while the 777w has the Sky Cruiser seats. I prefer the A345 as it is much more private, and feels special.

Both will give dine on demand options, PJ's etc.

A345 you get a basket of chocolate, a writing set (with a nice EK pen), a vanity case (in addition to the toiletry bag), your personal closet, & a seperate thin mattress for when you go to sleep.

Also the 345 journery is quicker - less stops, so if you decide to sleep, yo do not waste 3 hours in landing, re-fuelling and take off.

I would take the A345.

kataka

EK432 should also be equipped wth private suites acoording to EK website

EK_Flyer

Thanks for your replies guys

EK432 does have suites now and I'm trying to get a feel for the suites in both planes - is there any difference in the size or quality of the suites ?

The A345 suites have been in use for some time now while the B77W are new ... just got introduced in July - which is why i was leaning towards the 2 stop EK432 but i am just wondering if i'll miss out on the service in anyway because of the journey being broken in 2 stops as opposed to 1 on EK407 ...

Will they ask F pax to de-plane on the stops ?

And i guess since EK432 has the suites i will get all of the above except with a longer journey with stops eh ? Do BNE & SIN have separate F & J lounges ?

roadwarriorafrica

BNE and SIN have EK lounges that are shared by J, F and Skyward Gold Passengers.

The newer suites will probably have less broken / malfunctioning parts in them. I have noticed a few times on the A345 F has 2-3 suites that have been closed off as non-functioning, hence passengers have not been able to occupy them.

Either way you will enjoy your flightss/s

ecanem22

Hi,
I'm flying 433 through to Dubai from Auckland next week on a 7773ER, was wondering which suite is the pick of the bunch? Are there 6 or nine suites available, the website seating is not working again.
Thanks

EK_Flyer

Cool thanks ! EK433 is looking better than EK407 , so no other benefit other than shorter flying time then ?
Do F pax have to get off the plane at the stops ? Reason i ask is, the last time i flew EK433 in J i noticed the curtain was closed and none of the F pax came out while J & Y to leave



EK433 has 2 rows of 1-2-1 and depending on situation either could be better .... 2A/K is good if you're alone or the middle 2 if you're a couple, as row 1 is close to F galley but row 2 is close to J , so if there are babies in the first row of J row 1 in F might be better

Could you please let us know what your experience was as that would help me out in my decision as well , Thanks in advance

ecanem22

Thanks for the info, still can't decide, other than a window. Hopefully the suites will be new and fully functional, as they should only be a few months old. I'm flying through to Malta F after Dubai, but its a 772, so no suite. I think the lounges in Melbourne and Singapore are F/J, I'll wait until Dubai for a shower. Unless the cabin is empty, I doubt that you can remain onboard in Singapore and Melbourne. With 2 7 hour trips, won't make for the longest sleep. I'm flying on the 27th, so I'll let you know how the flight goes after then.

EK_Flyer

Thanks mate ,look forward to your post ^ and btw, you have no cause for concern .... the suites are real good on EK433 i had a quick peek and got to try one but only for 15 mins when i flew J in July


True about the less shut-eye time on EK433 .... BUT ... DXB-AKL is kinda like a day flight for me, as we leave in the morning from DXB and arrive in the afternoon in AKL. I didnt really sleep much on the flight and THAT's why i want to have a good F experience

ecanem22

Thanks EK Flyer. A couple more questions for you. What cars are they using for the CD service in AKL? Is it still the corporate cabs, for First as well? Is the AKL lounge combined F/J? What is the Emirates F checkin process like at AKL? Thanks!

EK_Flyer

Sure mate ,


It's Corp Cabs in NZ i'm afraid , and i got the expected Holden statesman/caprice .... kinda disappointing for me as we use CorpCabs for our work commutes as well

AKL lounge is both F/J & EK Gold/silver.

F/J check in is VERY QUICK .... hardly any pax at either F/J counters .... i checked in online anyway so just got my Boarding passes and the Express Customs desk is right at the EK Check-in counter so no hassles then just a breeze through regular customs using the Express lane and 2 mins to the EK lounge .... which again is quite empty even though EK407 433 and 418 leave roughly within a couple of hours of each other .

It has showers and had a small but nice selection of both hot and cold food when i was there ^ .. Although, Sorry I dont mean to sound like a prick, but they had a rather mature woman at the front desk... but then, as she handed me the lounge invitation back a much younger and charming staff member entered and helped her with the process as she was new

EK_Flyer

Does anyone know if the F suite in the B77W is the same size as the A345 ? I'm guessing it's a bit bigger bcos of the plane but can anyone confirm this ?

I notice there are 3 rows in the A345 as opposed to 2 in B77W ... does this indicate a smaller size in the A345 to accommodate the 3rd row ?

Thanks !

safari_7

Flew in the new suites on the 777 from NY last week. Yes, a bit more storage space in the front of the suite for your carry-on. The new suite on the 777 is the exact same as the one in the A380. Seat itself - in terms of width etc etc., and the flat bed didn't seem too different to me from the old version as in the 340-500.

Yes, I can confirm that we had two rows of 1-2-1 configuration making it a total of 8 seats in F.

ecanem22

Hi EK Flyer,
some follow up to my 433 from Auckland to Dubai. The suites were in pretty good condition, a few scratches, but did look new (reg EEC). I had a problem with 2A, the wireless controller kept crashing, and the doors were faulty. I moved to 2K and had no problems. The ICE system on the 773 seemed to be a newer upgraded version than what I experienced on the 772 on a later flight, and was fantastic. Not sure if the A345 has the same or not. There are nice big duvets instead of blankets now which makes for a much better sleep. I was worried about space for my carry on, but the 773 suite has lots of room for any size carry on, and uses a seatbelt type restraint, and not a moulded compartment. I would go for a row 2 suite, as there is some galley noise in row 1, and a bit of light that seeps in the door gratings from the forward area. The window suites are slightly larger by a couple of inches, but not noticeable at all. However, the inside suites do have full height ceilings full width, which may make it appear to be a bit bigger. I prefered the isolation of the window suite, with no neighbour. Both 7 hour segments were treated as a long haul, and all the amenities were handed out for both sectors. Forget about anything on the Brisbane Auckland leg, the purser didnt even enter the cabin, and seemed far too busy with her paper work! Deplaning in Brisbane is mandatory, however singapore is optional. If you are flying during the day, I would pick the 432 option, as it seems to break the flight up a bit. For the Auckland Dubai route, I would still pick 433, as the 773 seems newer, and a bit more exclusive with only 8 suites. If you are a sleeper, then the A345 gives you a longer sleep. The lounge in Singapore is indeed shared with business and gold, but wasn't too busy. The Brisbane lounge was shared aswell, and is a fantastic lounge, with dedicated boarding from the lounge. The Dubai F lounge was a huuuge dissapointment, worst lounge I have been in for a long time! Who would have thought a 40 minute wait for a nasty shower at 630 on a sunday morning.
Please let me know if you have any more questions.

EK_Flyer

Excellent post ecanem22 thanks heaps for posting back mate ! ^

I will be sticking to EK 432/3 for my trip for sure now as i'm not a sleeper plus 8 suites as opposed to 12 is much better for the better service i guess

Sad to hear about DXB's disappointing F lounge ... I was actually looking forward to giving it a try and i would've expected more since it's exclusively for F pax unlike the Business lounge

And quite odd behavior for the FA on BNE-AKL leg , paperwork is not a good enough a reason not to neglect the F pax

Thanks for your offer as I do have a few questions :

1. Did you alert anyone about the problem in 2A ..... as that's the seat i've selected for my flight in Dec08
2. Can you please comment on the F load and the service you got on the longer legs ?
3. What were the dinning options like (I haven't been in EK F yet) and was the food good ?
4. Did you think it was worth getting off in SIN ?
5. Can you confirm the BNE lounge boarding was only for F or J as well ? .... Glad to know this is in use, as on my previous flight they had issues with the air-bridge !
6. How was your check-in and lounge experience? Did you get Corp Cabs as well ?


A General question - Since i'll be traveling in F in Dec which terminal will i get ? On my eticket it says T1 but i'm hoping for the new T3 and the T1 is just because T3 isn't officially open ?

Thanks for your responses !!!