Emirates A380-800 first class
Published: 15/07/2009 - Filed under: Tried & Tested » Airlines » Archive » 2009 » September 2009 » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Airlines » Emirates »
Check-in I was transferring from another flight and so was in the first class lounge at Dubai airport a few hours before the scheduled 0745 departure for London Heathrow.
The lounge Arriving just after 0430 the lounge was quite quiet but got busier during the next few hours. To pass the time I had a shower and then a 25-minute foot massage in the spa (both complimentary for first class passengers), then did some work. It was announced the flight was slightly delayed, so I went to the bar and asked for an espresso martini. These are made with either gin or Baileys. I went for the latter, and the drink arrived in a tall cocktail glass and was delicious, brightening my morning considerably.
Boarding From the lounge to Gate 30 you turn right and the take the lift down. There were three air bridges over to the aircraft, two on the lower deck, one just behind the cockpit and another only a few yards further along, and one for the upper deck where first and business are situated in this configuration. Once on board I was shown to my set and offered juice or champagne, though the flight attendant (FA) told me it wasn’t the Dom Perignon, which would only be opened after take-off, which was very open of her.
The seat This is the grandest of all the first class seats on Emirates, and is properly a suite, since it has sliding doors for privacy, high walls and a huge amount of room. There is a table in front of the giant TV screen, a further table to one side, and then the dining table which appears to the push of a button. The colour scheme is pale grey and varnished wood, with a pale grey wave pattern on the aircraft interior walls.
There is a bright little spring of flowers tucked into a wall mount and a basket of goodies (Pringles crisps, chocolates, Walkers shortbread and Smints amongst it) on the table in front of the TV screen. There is also a selection of soft drinks on the side table. Your jacket is hung in a wardrobe built into one of these walls (though rather disconcertingly, the tail end of your jacket appears by your feet).
The configuration is 1-2-1 (to view a seat plan of this aircraft click here) though once you sit down you can’t see anyone else unless you are in the centre seats and lower the divider between them. I was in seat 3E, which was far enough away from the front showers and also the galley behind. The seat has three windows, each of which had a button below that allowed you to electronically lower first a blind, and then a black out blind. This could also be controlled by a switch by the side of the seat.
There was a large glossy instruction booklet for the seat, and there were so many controls around that I passed many happy minutes working out what each one did. One to eject the huge table from the side, another to cause a selection of soft drinks to rise, another to bring out out a kind of vanity table with a mirror and Bulgari amenities, while small vents could be twisted to control the passage of cool air either at my face or body. As well as a desk lamp with its own shade (controlled by a “Bright or Dim” switch beneath the large handset for the IFE system) and a wall light which could be moved and directed by hand, there was a light on the wall behind one shoulder for reading.
The seat moves forward for when you dine, and there is a pre-set position for this, though I felt it was a little uncomfortable since my feet didn’t touch the floor and were left hanging. Instead I pressed the pre-set for take-off and landing, which was more comfortable. Working is easy because the table is huge and rock solid – no bouncing as you type, and there is a power socket in the ledge beneath the TV screen. I was determined not to watch films, so instead alternated between the three different external cameras on board and the flight map. The flight map is truly amazing, allowing you to play around with the perspective and view, either in full screen or with a side bar giving information on everything from the routing, tail wind, ground speed, air speed (Mach 0.85), aircraft ID and altitude.
Food and drink Shortly after take-off I had my main meal, wanting to catch up on sleep later in the flight. The a la carte menu is daunting in length, but cometh the hour, cometh the man. It included everything from a Continental breakfast and canapés through to a main meal. The choices for breakfast were: fruit juices, fresh smoothies, breakfast fruits, citrus cocktail, assorted cereals, yoghurt, cheese selection and bread basket. There was also a choice of canapes which sounded delicious (grilled scallop glazed with chilli sauce or mini duck shepherd’s pie, to name just two).
The main meal started with a choice of appetisers: Iranian caviar, Arabic mezze selection or smoked salmon tranche, sesame rolled tuna loin and a salad collection. Two soups were on offer: corn and capsicum and curried parsnip. The main courses were peppered beef fillet, chicken shakshouka, seafood cannelloni, wild mushroom crumble, pasta bar (a lot of different choices there), poached sea bass fillet, a la carte vegetables (a choice to go with the main course), all accompanied with the bread basket. Puddings were mini desserts, mixed fruit cobbler, fresh strawberries and cream, selection of fruits and chocolates.
The drinks selection was the best yet, clearly a step up not only from the two business class sectors I had flown with Emirates that week, but also the previous first class flight only hours before from Hong Kong (click here for a review), appropriate not only for the A380, the flagship of the Emirates fleet, but also the flight number of EK001. They were champagne: Dom Perignon 2000, whites: Baron de Ladouchette 2003, Pouilly Fume or Cakebread Cellars, Chardonnay 2005, Napa Valley California; reds: Chateau Gruaud Larose 1989, Cru Classe St Julien; Silverado Vineyards, Merlot 2004, Napa Valley and Le Cheval Fou, 2006, Hermitage. The desert wine was Chateau Filhot 1998 2eme Grand Cru Classe Sauternes and the Port Croft 1994 Vintage Port.
There was also an extensive tea menu. The range from Dilmah came with a separate menu and descriptions of each tea: Camomile Flowers, Cardoman Spice, Ginger Spice, Green Tea, Green Tea with Jasmine, Mandarin, Naturally Spicy Berry, Vanilla, Ceylon Supreme, Darjeeling, Earl Grey and Decaffeinated.
We were only half an hour into the flight when we hit some quite severe turbulence, which surprised me on an aircraft of the A380’s size just out of Dubai, but from then on the flight was amazingly smooth and we cruised at 40,000 feet most of the way to London.
The shower As is well known, this is the only scheduled aircraft in the world with a shower on board, two of them in fact, one on either side of the front staircase. Shortly before take-off I could hear the flight attendant (FA) asking each passenger in turn if they were planning to take a shower and if so, when. I was surprised that many said they would like to, and can only assume it was the novelty factor, since there were showers in the lounges at Dubai, and if passengers were originating in Dubai, presumably they had the chance to shower before going to the airport. In any case, despite not needing one, I felt I should try it out, as a once in a lifetime experience and having never been tempted – or been tempting enough – to join the mile high club. The FA said I could eat whenever I wanted, shower whenever I wanted, and to keep pressing the FA call button whenever I wanted anything.
At first I intended to jump straight in the however after take-off, but then I saw the menu, so it was about three hours into the flight before I ventured forward. There is a full time attendant dedicated to the two shower / toilet areas which are far larger than I had realised, though I think she is also there to stop people from the lower deck coming up the stairs to have a look in first class. As well as the shower cubicle there is a good-sized basin next to it and then a long grey bench either side of the toilet, which reaches to a full-length mirror which runs down one side.
After a quick tour and an explanation of time limits (30 minutes in total, five minutes in the shower), I was left alone. The shower starts with a simple on and off button, and there is a normal temperature control. It felt very strange to be showering at first, but within a few seconds you forget where you are and just get on with it. I only needed 10 minutes in the cubicle and then returned to my seat.
Arrival We made up much of the lost time and landed about 20 minutes late. IRIS immigration was working at T3 and my bags were among the first to arrive on the carousel. I walked through to the Emirates chauffeur desk and within a few minutes was relaxing back in the chauffer-driven Volvo.
Verdict A superb service, my main regret being that since this was a once in a lifetime experience of Emirates’ first class on the A380, the flight wasn’t longer. The showers onboard are a gimmick, but they are a gimmick that works, and at this price point, mark Emirates as a truly world class carrier, and one still focussed on providing first class service, when, once again, there are rumours of several carriers reviewing whether they continue to offer first class.
Contact emirates.com
Tom Otley
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COMMENTS »
AmandipAtwal - 14/05/2011 18:47
I have recently travelled Emirates first to Sydney. Outbound A380 and inbound 777ER.
Although the bar and shower are great on the A380 I must say that the first class suite cabin itself has a better feeling on the 777 than the A380.
As it is not on 2 levels the roof/ceiling is higher on the 777 and has an interesting/soothing stars display all over. It gives a more open and less congested feeling.
However over all I would say the A380 is slightly better.
SwissExPat - 05/06/2011 02:50
Agree that in the 777, the First Cabin is better given the height of the ceiling. However you give up the shower facility and also the private First Bar which is located in the front of the First Cabin beside the showers.
Schaible - 15/12/2011 10:16
I do only partly agree with the article written above. Here is my Emirates A380 First Class experience:
New Emirates First Class Lounge opposite gate 125 in Dubai was disappointing, despite only two other guests have been there during my visit. The male receptionist did his job but was keeping the conversation very short and formal without the “frills” a First Class guest might expect (no nice words, dates/candies on the counter…). The only staff who greeted me properly was a cleaner. The Nepali looked like a contracted staff but still showed me a good attitude and the way to the dining area.
Unlike in the regular First Class Lounge there was no a-la-carte service. The buffet offered actually less in variety and quality than a regular Emirates Business Class Lounge. I was not really attracted by the food but took a salad from the buffet. When I found no oil and vinegar, neither on the tables nor on the buffet I approached a waiter. He told me: “Sorry. I will get it in two minutes” and disappeared into the kitchen. Five minutes later he came out again but without oil and vinegar. Finally I was tired to wait and left.
All in all, this lounge is worlds behind Emirates First Class standard and not to compare with the regular First Class Lounge. When I found out that my departure gate has changed from 123 to 221 I was upset to myself for walking such a long way forth and back for this disappointment.
Flight EK306: boarding was according to standard. I was placed in 4K. I was offered a drink shortly after seating and the purser introduced himself. On the table there was a small metal basket with chocolate and crisps. The flight attendant took it away mentioning that she will bring it back after take-off - this never happened.
Half of the seven-hours-trip I slept before entering the shower which I ordered before. When I tried to turn on the water it did not work. I had to wash my hair in the sink. When I left the shower I addressed the problem to the flight attendant and she also tried without success. After about 10 minutes she came to my seat and offered me to try the shower again. This time it worked.
About 45 minutes before landing I ordered a salad from the menu. The food came promptly to my seat with the according mise-en-place, including bread plate and butter. But no bread was offered. Another issue which should not necessarily happen in First Class. Everything else was fine.
Unfortunately - as always in Beijing - the door on the upper deck for First and Business passengers was opened far after the one on the main deck. As a consequence you will find hundreds of economy passengers from the same flight lined up in immigration in front of you.
Comparing this trip with my last Emirates First Class experience in August on the same flight (EK306) and aircraft (A6-EDJ) this time was a remarkable difference. It was a nice experience but definitely not First Class from top to bottom.
I have written an email to Emirates with the issues mentioned above and asked for a reply. This has not happened until now. (5 weeks before posting this comment).
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