Hi,
I am a new EK flyer and am in the process of booking flights for my partner and I for a XMAS/New Years trip.
Need some friendly seat advice and any other guidence you can provide.

Unfortunatly, the two of us be stuck in Y, -eek (because J is too expensive for our budget).

Flying out 22/12/09 either LAX-DXB or SFO-DXB.
27/12/09 DXB-JNB
6/1/10 CPT-DXB-LAX (or CPT-DXB-SFO). (we do have a 3 hour layover to stretch, is there a smoking lounge DXB?).

777�s thoughout entire trip. Any thoughts on which seats best for viewing upon landing, and MORE IMPORTANTLY--not getting stuck with a 3rd flyer next to us? Any thoughts on services from LAX vs. SFO?

I just registered for Skyward Blue, so I will be reserving seats�hopefully.

THOUGHTS? SUGGESTIONS?

Instead of booking on line through EK's website, try going through a travel agent or consolidator who may have access to better fares and with other airlines instead of just EK.

There are plenty of smoking-cubicles in DXB. However, there are non in CPT or JNB.

At the very back of the 777-300 you'll find some two-seaters, the rest of the plane is 3-4-3 - and believe me the flights from and to SA will be fully booked (overbooked) for this period.

Fly to CPT regularly from the UK and I've never found a smoking area there. However a fortnight ago flying back via DXB, as I was in F there is a smoking area in the SAA lounge, but walking through immigration I noticed a smoking room just before you go up the escalators to departures - never noticed it before and always thought CPT was non smoking!

As for JNB, flew out of there at the end of May and there were smoking areas signed. It turned out to be an old lounge with TV's everywhere and decent seating just reserved for smokers - you kust walk in regardless of class travelled!

Never flown Emirates, but can comment on LAX v. SFO. Do you live in either the LA or SF area? If so, just choose your home airport. Otherwise, the clear winner is SFO. The international departure experience (and 90% of the time the arrival experience) is FAR more plesant at SFO.

Regarding sitting next to each other wo anyone else:

1. The 777 has in the back rows with only 2 seats.
2. Or for the 3 seats in a row, book only the window and aisle seat, hoping that empty middle seats will be allocated last (chances are higher in the back). And even then when flight is full, whoever passenger taking the middle seat will be happy to switch the aisle seat so that you two can sit together.

When you select your seats chose them very far apart from each other.
At check in you might have a slightly hire chance of being upgraded to Business up as it would be near impossible to find 2 seats throughout.

i just did DXB-LAX in Y on the 777-200LR. Y is not bad at all, quite comfortable actually . BUT--make sure, if you are reserving seats beforehand, to pick an aisle and center seat if are sitting window side. DO NOT take the window seat...it will be uncomfortable, especially for your legs. Best option is to take 2 seats in the back 2 rows..those are 2 seats only or the bulkhead.

never heard of this tactic before. but as OP mentioned, this will be their first EK flights and with that said, i think it would be highly unlikely for upgrades.

Or if I were the check in agent, absolutly no chance of an upgrade, as you booked the seats yourself - far apart, I would change them for sure, but even further apart and shove the little old lady going home for Christmas for the first time in Business!

Interesting, does the 777-200LR on DXB-LAX have the media box under A & K ?
Am sure this question has been asked a million times here... got stuck in a K a while back, lost my shoe, while sleeping. The media box ate it and shat it out in to the row in front of me

OP if its confirmed that A & K have the media box, avoid those seats.

I do not think this will work as I suspect that if both persons were on the same ticket purchase the first thing any check-in assistant will do is investigate why two persons flying together were seated so far apart, it will almost certainly show on the booking system the you selected the seats yourselves.

What if they simply don't get upgraded? Then they are really screwed...

Worst case scenario is have them back with each other after getting the crew onboard exchange seats with someone else.
I don't think this could be that dramatic.

Don't know what to say because I have only flown F with EK.

When I spoke with some FA's who work in Y they said that they tend to spray some air freshener to the cabin once in a while to make it more bearable for them to work.