Emirates A380 Flight Review

Purva and I took a memorable holiday to One&Only Le Saint Geran last month. And we had the privilege of flying Emirates by invitation from the airline. Last week I told you about my experience at the luxurious Emirates Business Class Lounge at the Dubai Airport. In continuation to that, today I am writing about the flight experience.

The special experience at the lounge merges seamlessly onto the flight as well. The Emirates boasts of an impressive fleet consisting mostly of Boeing 777s and A380s. The grand airplanes remind one of the excitement one experienced as a child whenever one saw an airplane. Not only are the planes grand but extremely comfortable as well. Emirates has applied science when it comes to ensuring comfort for their patrons. Not only are the seats placed 33 inches apart, but can even recline as much as six degrees. The seat bottom pan also moves forward when one reclines; adding further to the comfortable experience. The extra-large cushions measuring over 18 inches in width give the illusion of sitting in one’s living room. But what really stands out is the 13.3 inch LCD screen which will prove to be your best friend perhaps on whatever happy journey you are pursuing.

In-flight Entertainment

The in-flight entertainment system is so cool, it’s ice. Yes, ice which stands for information, communication and entertainment. The Emirates in-flight entertainment system can put any set top box cable network to shame. No wonder the entertainment system has been honoured with the Skytrax “Best Entertainment System in the World” award for an amazing 11th time in a row.

The ice Digital widescreen which is available on the Airbus A380, Boeing 777-200LR and select Boeing 777-300ER has some amazing features. The system includes more than 500 movies both regional and international, more than a 1000 hours of your favourite television series and if you just want to give your eyes a rest, then you have over a 1000 music and podcast channels all playing your favourite songs. The kids can enjoy from a selection of over 100 video games. And in an unlikely situation of being unable to find something that you like, you can always plug-in your own USB drive using the “My USB” option. The flight is absolutely tech-savvy compliant and offers an in-seat telephone system with SMS and email facilities, live news, sport and business headlines which are updated via a satellite connection as well as in-seat laptop and phone charging options.

Another very interesting feature of ice is the Airshow display which not only provides live information about the flights progress but even has various camera angles of the cameras mounted on the airplanes body. The feature proves exceptional at the time of take-off and landing.

The ice available on the Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-300 and select Boeing 777-300ER has fewer options compared to those mentioned above but proves equally entertaining. The flights also offer Wi-Fi facilities for those who wish being connected at all times.

Food and Drink:

And if the in-flight entertainment is the metaphorical cake then the food on the flight has to be the icing on top. The food menus are printed in regional languages, indicating how much Emirates cares for its customers.

The food is sourced locally and prepared beautifully by Emirates’ master chefs. The five course meal included chicken salmis, creole fish or chicken kalia, paneer haryali, mutton biryani or paneer salan. The sweet dish included carrot halwa and fruit trifle. The ood is flavoursome. I, for one, have made it a point that whenever I board an Emirates in the future, I’ll always board on an empty stomach. The food goes very well with the large selection of complimentary wines, spirits, beers and soft drinks.

The service on this route was, however, not impeccable. A cringing staff member before take off, a frowning steward refusing a cup of water saying “I’ll get it but I am too busy right now” without a smile on his face, and so on are just a few examples of hitches in hospitality we experienced. I get it that the size of the plane and hence the number of passengers is huge. Service can take time but a smile wouldn’t hurt, no?

The missing smiles apart, everything was smooth and comfortable for our journey. I am looking forward to our next journey with Emirates.

Facts About Emirates Airlines:

In 1992 Emirates was the first airline to introduce individual television screens in Economy Class.

Emirates operates over 3,000 flights every week across its network of over 160 destinations in over 70 countries across six continents from its hub in Dubai