Petra, Cairo and Mileage Running for... BA Gold?!? Have I finally lost my mind?
Feb 25, 2018, 4:30 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Wow, great report as usual, SFO777! Emirates F looks amazing; windows for the inside seats to simulate the outside? Amazing. Emirates spares no expense. Beautiful photos from Petra, I'd love to go sometime.
Looking forward to the rest of your trip!
Looking forward to the rest of your trip!
Feb 25, 2018, 5:35 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
Fabulous report @SFO777 ^ You do travel in some style 
^
Thank you 757. Much appreciated.
Feb 26, 2018, 3:39 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
!The LH F burger looks a treat. Great to see the Za'atar manakish/bread on the Jordan roadtrip too.
Looking forward to see how BA J compares to EK
.
Feb 27, 2018, 8:40 pm
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
Emirates First Class Lounge A Gates
Once inside the terminal, you quickly realize that just after midnight is prime time at DXB as thousands of pax arrive and move to their connecting flights.
Our DXB-AMM was still more that 7 hours away and did not have a posted gate. We decided to take the train to the A concourse and the massive First Class Lounge.
I'd forgotten how massive the lounge is spanning the entire length of the concourse, perhaps a mile long with multiple lounge areas, restaurants, bars, work areas and retails outlets.
My office for the night.
Around 2am, we decided that it was time for dinner or lunch or whatever meal our body tells us it is, and headed for the nearest fine dining restaurant.
Loads of serve yourself options.
But we opted for proper sit down order from the menu service.
batmandds started with the Tuna Carpaccio.
I had the excellent Oriental Wrap.
We both had the Chicken Pahadi Kebab which was fabulous.
For dessert, my Sticky Date Pudding was delicious.
And even better with the creme anglaise.
Just over the railing by our table, a creative way to spend the night...
Back to the office at 3:30am or so and good news, our gate is posted and it is an A gate... although a bus gate, but still in the same concourse we're in.
Once inside the terminal, you quickly realize that just after midnight is prime time at DXB as thousands of pax arrive and move to their connecting flights.
Our DXB-AMM was still more that 7 hours away and did not have a posted gate. We decided to take the train to the A concourse and the massive First Class Lounge.
I'd forgotten how massive the lounge is spanning the entire length of the concourse, perhaps a mile long with multiple lounge areas, restaurants, bars, work areas and retails outlets.
My office for the night.
Around 2am, we decided that it was time for dinner or lunch or whatever meal our body tells us it is, and headed for the nearest fine dining restaurant.
Loads of serve yourself options.
But we opted for proper sit down order from the menu service.
batmandds started with the Tuna Carpaccio.
I had the excellent Oriental Wrap.
We both had the Chicken Pahadi Kebab which was fabulous.
For dessert, my Sticky Date Pudding was delicious.
And even better with the creme anglaise.
Just over the railing by our table, a creative way to spend the night...
Back to the office at 3:30am or so and good news, our gate is posted and it is an A gate... although a bus gate, but still in the same concourse we're in.
Feb 27, 2018, 8:41 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
At around T-50, we headed out for Gate A18.
And then it dawned on us... oh yeah, A18. Bus Gate.
Dubai DXB to Amman AMM
Emirates EK 901
777-300ER
8:00am-9:40am
February 19, 2018
Departed 3/8
Suite 2A
Downstairs, a pleasant EK agent check our boarding passes and passports.
And the Bus Gate holding pen where we were asked to wait for the First Class bus.
Yeah, if you have to bus it to your plane, this will work.
We boarded thru 2L.
Passing thru the mini-J cabin on our way to First.
Very nice, but it's no New First. OK, how quickly do we get spoiled.
Nevertheless, service today was flawless, as I settled in for our 3 hour flight.
And decided to watch Indiana Jones and the The Crusade, mostly for the Petra scenes at the end of the movie.
Nice pics of Dubai with the usual haze.
Since it was morning in Dubai, I started with a Bloody Mary.
And showtime, Emirates style.
My Koussa mfarakeh was very good.
Our descent and approach to AMM.
The old plane graveyard right at the airport.
We paid $30 for VIP Arrival services and it was well worth it as first timers here. Our amiable Meet & Greeter guided us thru visa purchase and passport control.
And then handed us off to our funny and borderline crazy driver for the day, Maher.
And then it dawned on us... oh yeah, A18. Bus Gate.
Dubai DXB to Amman AMM
Emirates EK 901
777-300ER
8:00am-9:40am
February 19, 2018
Departed 3/8
Suite 2A
Downstairs, a pleasant EK agent check our boarding passes and passports.
And the Bus Gate holding pen where we were asked to wait for the First Class bus.
Yeah, if you have to bus it to your plane, this will work.
We boarded thru 2L.
Passing thru the mini-J cabin on our way to First.
Very nice, but it's no New First. OK, how quickly do we get spoiled.
Nevertheless, service today was flawless, as I settled in for our 3 hour flight.
And decided to watch Indiana Jones and the The Crusade, mostly for the Petra scenes at the end of the movie.
Nice pics of Dubai with the usual haze.
Since it was morning in Dubai, I started with a Bloody Mary.
And showtime, Emirates style.
My Koussa mfarakeh was very good.
Our descent and approach to AMM.
The old plane graveyard right at the airport.
We paid $30 for VIP Arrival services and it was well worth it as first timers here. Our amiable Meet & Greeter guided us thru visa purchase and passport control.
And then handed us off to our funny and borderline crazy driver for the day, Maher.
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 1, 2018 at 9:10 pm
Feb 27, 2018, 8:57 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
Thank you IlikeBowling.
Feb 28, 2018, 1:35 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
As to crazy - maybe like a fox. After all, you can never have too many miles!
Feb 28, 2018, 8:57 pm
#45
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Programs: Priority Club (Platinum)
Posts: 166
It's great what some research and careful spending can get you enough miles to burn for great products like this. I'm looking forward to the LHR-LAX on the A380 in J - I've got a trip like that coming up, interested to see what their J product is like.