Airbus A380
A380 experience: Do we have to land?
As a very frequent traveler, I don’t experience much excitement about flying anymore. I have flown in business, coach, and first class on many of the international airlines, and let me tell you, a flatbed is still not a comfortable way to fly. And those so-called, first-class seats I have experienced on my flights from the US mainland back home to Hawaii do not deserve to fall into the category of being called first class.
First, the domestic airlines took away the 5-course dinner, and then the choices went down to 2 with ice cream cookies for dessert. Does anyone remember the bar that Continental Airlines had for passengers in the late 80s? All these niceties that made air travel not only tolerable but often times enjoyable are gone.
But not so with Emirates - they bring the fun back to flying. Strategically headquartered in Dubai and, therefore, a perfect gateway to Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and now North and South America, Emirates is definitely the way to fly.
When approaching the airport in Dubai, you may not detect that you are pulling up to an airport terminal. A Skycap wielding golden baggage carts, along with a team of people, opens your limousine door, which is included in your airfare if you are traveling in business or first class, and personally escorts you to a special check-in counter. There are no lines at security and no lines at immigration because of their special fast-track service, and this is just the beginning of how Emirates takes the experience of flying to a whole new realm.
You then take an elevator to the Emirates lounge – a lounge that can only be described as luxurious; no bottles of water and little bags of snack crackers here. There are several buffets offering food from every corner of the globe, showers, the opportunity to get a quick 20- or 40-minute massage, relaxation rooms, a hotel, and a business center, all in an area about as big as most airport terminals. You will not dread having to arrive hours ahead of your flight, because you surely will want to enjoy these wonderful amenities.
The business center, despite its enormous size, is so popular that it may take you awhile to find a chair to sit on. I have been there twice – once at 5:00 am and another at 11:00 am – and both times it was a hub of activity. With a fast connection to the Internet seemingly impossible, don’t even bother. Just enjoy the food and get a massage.
With an hour still left before departure, I decided it was time to experience the new Dubai airport terminal shopping mall, which rivals most city shopping malls in size. If shopping is your thing or if you forgot to pick up a gift for Aunt Betty, you are sure to find what you are looking for here.
Before you know it, it was time to head off to gate 36 where one of the new flagship Emirates airplanes was waiting - the new Airbus A380. Even though there were 500 passengers on this flight, boarding was completed in no time at all. I was flying in business class, so I was directed to the upper deck of the A380 where the business- and first-class seats are located.
When I saw my suite, I had to check my seat assignment again to make sure this was indeed a business-class seat. It looked like a premium first-class seat. I stepped into my suite, which was divided from my neighbor by a movable wall. I took stock of my personal space on the aircraft – a personal mini-bar; a 17-inch, high-resolution screen; the new ICE entertainment system to enjoy hundreds of movies on demand and thousands of sound tracks including every top 10 hit ever played in the UK; and a second smaller screen on a side table so you can play games while you are watching a movie or simply if you feel like adjusting your seat to write an email or make a phone call.
The take off was smooth, and 3 outside cameras broadcasted different views from outside the plane to your 17-inch, high-resolution screen so you could watch your take off in a way not experienced before.
The flight attendants spoke 14 different languages so communicating with them was a breeze. I enjoyed the smoothie I ordered after take off and then the 5-course dinner was about to begin. And what a dinner it was. Was I in an airplane or at an upscale restaurant?
Hours later, I went to experience the business-class bathroom. Unlike the typical airplane bathroom, this one was spacious with bright lights and even had a window in it so you could take a look outside. Every amenity you could think of, like in a 5-star hotel, was there just waiting for you to use – a toothbrush, name-brand toiletries, and the ability to adjust the water temperature. Unfortunately I did not see the showers offered in the front of the first-class cabin otherwise I would have happily taken advantage of cleansing 35,000 miles up.
The back of the upper deck is a world unto itself. There is a complete bar with every snack, sweet, and drink you can imagine. The airline staff and passengers chatted or watched the big-screen HD TV. This area was all about fun and socializing.
Unexpectedly, because it seemed so sudden, a flight attendant informed me that we were getting ready to land. But how can that be? It all seemed so quick. This flight was so enjoyable, I momentarily toyed with the idea of turning right around and flying back out again.
For a raw video of the interior of the A380, click on the link below.
Comments
It was a nice experience flying the A 380. The wait on the vestibules due to the increased numbers boarding, needs to be better managed. The rest area for the cabin crew at the back of the plane is so luxurious that most have got accustomed to sleep. A self service bar for economy, in its place would reduce both staff numbers and increase efficiency.
Greg: When you say "The truth is we {the US]", are you telling the truth? In the sentence before, you spelled "favour" in a very non-American way. It's fine to criticize UA, but don't also suggest that you're a Yank doing so. EM
I have flown Emirates and while I can not speak for the other stories or impressions that some folks have experience I can say this: I fly economy class on an A330 and found the experience quite remarkable. I found Emirates to be quite a remarkable airline with great customer service. The staff was young and attractive, service was super and friendly and I did not feel like I was in Economy class. Try flying any US flag carrier internationally in economy and you will be singing the blues. I find that Asian and Middle Eastern based airlines provide the best in everything all around compared to the typical flight on say United. The flight attendants are typically a few years from retirement, feel like that are doing you a favour (rather than their JOB) when you ask for anything and the aircrafts are just as antique sometimes. The truth is we {the US] have a while before we can catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to flying in style. Granted while most people never get to fly business class, it should be an experience to remember. And I think the publisher of this article summed it up quite well. So rather than the negative comments, why not try flying business class on an Emirates A380 then post your criticism.
Just curious, in the interest of full disclosure, did you pay for the flight in Biz Class, or was the flight or the upgrade a comp??
Try Flying cattle class on Emitates ! I have done the A380 twice from Dubai to Sydney return in economy , twice from Dubai to London and one return in Business on the A340 this year. Its no different to any other painful economy experience. The crew are rude and have no cohesion being poached from many different airlines. Nothing to rave about in economy and a waste of money in business on the A340 (no lay flat beds - just seats)
I have also used the business lounge in the new airport. If the writer was not paid he must have been given something in return for the words. Both times I have been there the showers have been "out of order" . There are FAR too few toilets not just in the lounge but in the whole airport with que's outside into the lounge to use them . No where to sit (always full) and in general not a patch on QF / BA / SQ relaxed lounges . This article is just a load of bull . The shopping mall is atrocious. There is far too little space between the two sides of the mall and with thousands of people trying to get through to get to their gates (or queing for toilets !) its like the first day of the post christmas sales. Dubai airport is something to actively avoided if at all possible and I now fly Emirates as a last choice after giving them plenty of oportunity. I expect the writer of this article will be working for EK within the year .
This definitely is a sponsored ad by Emirates. Whilst I agree that Emirates in-flight service is superb, I still notice that the crew can be considered racist. They simply dont like brown clored people. The same goes with security and Immigration officials at Dubai who treat some custtomers like animals.
I agree that this reads like an ad. Perhaps their service was extraordinary out of Dubai on this flight but there are many, many complaints from past travelers online.
A publication I write for invited Emirates to participate in an unbiased review feature and the airline representative refused without explanation, date options or other alternatives. That is usually the behavior of someone who has something to hide.
FYI- eTN did not get paid for this article. We do not accept payment for articles, except for media releases and articles posted on our sponsored and media release section
Juergen Thomas Steinmetz
publisher
Impressive but I am not moved. My idea of the joy of flying ended after the hysteria of the 9/11 event and the manipulations made by Bush, Blair and Bisgniani. The FAA had been trying for years to force foriegn carriers to close their cockpit doors to flight enthusiasts, children and guests of the flight deck.
They finally succeeded. No bed can make up for the many years of joyful flying that so many of us experienced before this period. Once in a great while every couple of years I am able to find a sympathetic pilot, but after almost 9 years of this misery and hysteria perhaps it is time to revisit this policy and once again allow the captain some discretion in this venue. While I would never expect this to happen in the US and now lamentably in the UK I would expect other countries might be more resonable. That for me was and remains the real joy of flying, (along with the return of quality caviar)
This article sounds like an ad for Emirates. Heard ILFC and Thai are mulling to cancel the A380 order and Qantas is thinking to cancel some orders. Looks like A380 didn't work out.
Quite an advert for Emirates!!! Try flying first on a SQ A380 and then write this article!!!
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