Have snagged a companion fare on the A380 to DXB & have seats 11K & 14k on EK2 & 9K & 11K on EK1. Are these good seats?

Point to note re seating - Expertflyer shows 9A,11A,14A,16A all available on EK2 & EK1 for 13/5/09 & 18/5/09 but they are not available when you try to select via emirates.com. EK tell me they are blocked out for unaccompanied minors & only released at the airport if none on the flight.

Am now wondering if I should sit further back.

You know the drill? Window seats and the middle pair in the centre block all have substantially more leg room. This is because all aisle seats have been shortened to allow the window / middle pax to get to the aisle without jumping over the person in the aisle seat (which is the problem BA has).

For space, your best bet is a centre pair in the middle block. You still have aisle access without climbing over the person in the aisle seat. If its a day flight and you want to look out then one of you has to compromise on the aisle seat with reduced legroom.

Apart from that (and my own first A380 flight is not for 2 weeks) I'd say use your common sense - not too near the bar in case it gets noisy and not too near the bassinet seats in case they get noisy!

I have taken the A380 a few times now (only JFK, not the LHR route as yet) in both F and J, so I would say I have "some experience" .The wife and I flew back last week in J, and we chose the middle seats in the first cabin, so the noise from the bar was negligible. DO NOT take the aisle seats.