To London and Barcelona via DXB on EK/QF A380 Y

[Guitarsingapore]

Very cool report. Thanks for sharing all the pictures.

As a sidenote, I brought the family to Europe last year and we flew with Emirates, in Economy.

Here are some flight report videos I made.

Emirates A380 Singapore to Dubai to London, with a Shake Shack burger in between.
http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogsp...-dubai-to.html

Emirates Rome to Dubai to Colombo to Singapore, plus a short overnight at the Dubai airport transit hotel. Yeah, Colombo for the re-fuelling stop.
http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogsp...singapore.html

[yflyer]

Thanks for the report.

I was just in the QF lounge earlier this month. I prefer the food in the EK lounge, but I think the QF lounge has fabulous service.

Thanks, dfs24! I quite like the food in the EK lounge too...very broad selection. Too bad they don't have a full bar like the QF lounge.

Interesting plateless concept. Somehow it makes the breakfast look more high class.

I like the plateless concept too. I think their Y main courses are now bigger because of the added space available, after moving to this plateless concept.

I've never liked Emirates in Y because of the 3-4-3 config. I don't like the A380 simply because it is too big.

I avoid EK's 777's but I find the A380's fine...lots of people to move in and out of the plane, but the cabin itself is usually pretty comfortable, even when full. But if all else was equal, between a 10-abreast A380 and an 8-abreast 787 (Looks like it is only JAL that does it 2-4-2 now), I agree that the smaller 787 would be preferable.

[dfs24]

Thanks for the report.

I was just in the QF lounge earlier this month. I prefer the food in the EK lounge, but I think the QF lounge has fabulous service.

Interesting plateless concept. Somehow it makes the breakfast look more high class.

I've never liked Emirates in Y because of the 3-4-3 config. I don't like the A380 simply because it is too big.

[yflyer]

Nice TR as always!

Thanks, SQGamespeed!

As you went via DXB, I am reminded of the comparison I keep making between the W Barcelona and the Burj al Arab. Both being sail-shaped hotels located next to a beach (although the W is far more affordable for me).

Yes, I did notice the similarity between the two buildings as well. I've always treated the W as the mid point of my runs (I usually run from wherever I am along the beach to the W, then loop round from there). I've never gone inside though, not even to the lobby.

I am sure it is a great place to stay. I've only stayed at one W property, in Kowloon, which blew me away (The rooms are amazing there).

And it was good you avoided EK432. Not only is it a 777, it may have been more crowded as it continues to BNE from SIN.

I am still mildly traumatized from my flight in a middle seat on a 10-abreast EK 777 between Dubai and Kuwait. Just a 1 hour 20 min hop, but uncomfortable enough for me to make a resolution never to fly this equipment again if I can help it. And to think EK uses this equipment on some long haul routes, like SFO-DXB

[SQGamespeed]

Nice TR as always!

As you went via DXB, I am reminded of the comparison I keep making between the W Barcelona and the Burj al Arab. Both being sail-shaped hotels located next to a beach (although the W is far more affordable for me).

And it was good you avoided EK432. Not only is it a 777, it may have been more crowded as it continues to BNE from SIN.

[yflyer]

Very nice report as usual, yflyer!

Thanks, schumaster!

[schumaster]

Very nice report as usual, yflyer!

[yflyer]

Overall experience on EK (and one sector on QF)? A perfectly feasible way to travel to Europe, with the transit stop in DXB adding a little time to the trip, but not drastically impacting rest or sleep schedules.

Would I do this one-stop journey again, compared to non-stop on SQ or BA (Or LH to FRA)?

Certainly a non-stop journey has it's advantages, and it is hard to beat the overall experience on SQ whether on the A380 or 77WN.

Emirates hard product was very good, and service was fine as well, if not quite at the same level as SQ. Just as an anecdote to illustrate the variations in levels of service, on one of my EK sectors, I asked a cabin crew member with a beverage trolley if I could have a whisky. She replied "I don't have whisky", and left it at that. I had to request that she bring it to me later (Which she did...). Whereas on SQ, I am certain that if I had made that request to one of SQ's cabin crew in Y, and the beverage was not on hand, he/she would have responded "I'll come back to you" and he/she would have been back with my preferred drink in minutes (if not seconds...). SQ remains the leader as far as cabin service is concerned, and the new hard product on the 77WN is as good as any I have flown.

But if the price and schedule were all right, and if there were no sardine can sectors (i.e. 10-abreast 777's) involved, and if I had access to the DXB lounge, I would happily do this again on EK (Or QF).

I am now thinking that for my next trip to Europe, I should plan to do this on Qatar Airways, to check out their A350 (and 787...)...

Thanks for reading!

[yflyer]

Boarding of EK354 took place directly from the lounge.



I am now of the view that this feature, direct boarding from the lounge, is one of the unique selling points of transit in DXB: Once off your inbound flight and past security screening upon arrival in DXB, you can head straight to the lounge to relax before boarding your flight directly from the lounge. This really maximizes time in the lounge and avoids having to contend with crowds and queues at the boarding gate. This is a service innovation masterstroke that greatly improves the customer experience when on transit in DXB -- and something that will be impossible to replicate in Changi, or almost any other airport, for that matter.



This was the menu for EK354...snack service followed by breakfast (with noodles in between if you were hungry).



No pictures of the catering. After take-off, I just asked for cup noodles and a whisky, and slept right through the entire flight on my "flat bed" of 3 Y seats.

It was a cloudy afternoon in Singapore as we landed...









Not a lot to say about my DXB-SIN sector, except that there is something to be said for a lightly-loaded A380 on an overnight flight. I am quite sure the experience would have been quite different if I had flown on the earlier 777 service.

As it was, I felt very well rested after sleeping for a good part of the 7 hour flight.

[yflyer]

There were several areas to rest in the lounge, with recliners, blankets and amenity kits (containing eye shades and sockettes). However, there weren't too many of them, and I would not be surprised if all the recliners were occupied at peak periods.



That said, when I was there, between 00:30 and 02:45, the lounge was not very busy, and there was ample space to rest. Perhaps it was because this was a Friday evening / Saturday morning. The work week in Dubai is Sun-Thu, so this was the middle of the weekend.





A few screened-off rest areas were available as well.



A recliner behind each wooden partition...

[yflyer]

Desserts were inexplicably placed out of reach (and almost out of sight) behind the counter.



I had a fruit salad for dessert...

[yflyer]

Bakery items...



And Arabic flat bread...



...which went very well with the various dips and mezze available.



Leek and asparagus soup...



Salmon fish cake...



Pasta and vegetables...



The pasta was a little soft, and not al dente, but why eat pasta in Dubai, when you could have delicious chicken biryani...





Grilled chicken and beef stroganoff, with a very tasty creamy garlic sauce...



And if you really wanted comfort food, hot dogs were also available...

[yflyer]

Wooden presentation boxes of high-end Bateel dates were available throughout the lounge...



Some of the wines and beverages on offer that evening...







I had a glass of the Chateau Du Tertre (Margaux, 2005), which was excellent.





Fairly good selection of liquor...

[yflyer]

I began by walking the length of the Business Lounge, which occupies the entire level of Concourse A.



There is ample seating in a variety of layouts, as well as F&B, showers, business centre, rest area and children's play areas. The entrance to the lounge is in the middle, with the layout mirrored on each side.







Business Centre...



One of several bar/refreshment areas...



One of the dining areas where hot and cold selections were served.





Unlike the EK F Lounge, and the J lounge in one of the other DXB terminals, this lounge surprisingly did not have tables and chairs for proper dining. Instead, you brought your plates to the sofas, with low tables, and dined there.

[Update: On my next visit to this lounge, I did manage to locate a separate dining area, with proper tables and chairs, where you could consume food from the buffet.]

[yflyer]

It was just past midnight as we began our final approach into DXB.



A smooth landing...



And a far more seamless transit experience in DXB, with none of the crowds and chaos of my outbound sector.

Within minutes, I was back in the Emirates Business Class Lounge in the A Concourse of the dedicated A380 terminal, for a short transit stop before my DXB-SIN sector.



I arrived in DXB around 12.40am. On the EK booking system, the preferred connecting flight would be EK432 departing at 2.45am for a 2.05pm arrival into Singapore. There would be ample time to connect. However, that flight was operated by the dreaded EK 10-abreast 777. Not a plane I would fly on willingly! Fortunately, EK354, an A380 service, departs 45 minutes later, at 3.30am, and gets into Singapore at 3pm. I chose that flight. Not only is the A380 far more comfortable, the difference in timing was minimal, and would also give me more time in the lounge (not to mention additional buffer time in case of delays).

It was a no brainer to connect onto EK354 and not EK432. And as a bonus, the later flight was also quite lightly loaded. When I got to the business class lounge entrance, I asked the lady manning the counter to check if the seat next to mine was empty. "You don't just have the row to yourself, you have the entire section of the cabin to yourself!" she said, and smiled. I would sleep well in Y on that flight!

But first, I would spend some time in the EK lounge...