Greetings Flight-Report Community. Thanks for stopping by and having a look at this report, the second in the series.
For this report series I will be sharing a delightful and frivolous RTW journey that is highlighted by my first trips on Emirates and Japan Airlines. Spoiler alert: I was positively floored by both experiences.
Here's an image of the entire route courtesy of Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com)
We pick up the journey at the immigration area of DXB at around +/- 20:00 on November 12th. I bid farewell to my new Emirati friends Ali and his Wife who's name escapes me.
My plan was to utilize the Emirates car service to get into town and see some sights. It was Thursday night so some attractions would still be open and bustling. With help of the lovely flight attendant on the previous sector, Melinda, I had set ambitious goals of to see the Dubai Mall and then Old Dubai and the various Souks. Anyhow, I won't bore you with all of the details but due to my spending the night on the airplane partying rather than sleeping I didn't make it the whole way.
I did manage to locate the Car Service that was to the far right side of the terminal that I arrived in. I think we parked at a B gate.
I sheepishly presented myself at the First Class counter. I was hesitant because passengers on mileage tickets are not technically entitled to use this service but many report that they seem to allow it for journeys leaving DXB. They won't however pick you up in your city of origin, etc.
I informed the disinterested man staffing the counter that I wished to see Burj Khalifa and the fountain/water show. Without any words he produced this paper for me.
And with that I located door number 4 and was quickly placed in a vehicle.
The driver was a chatty Indian fellow and we had a somewhat comical encounter upon arrival at Burj Khalifa. Apparently he tried to drop me at the resident's area so we encountered a security guard. We were denied access as, surprise, neither of us reside at Burj Khalifa. Anyhow, he thought his car with Emirates First written on the side should get him in and he chalked up the denial to the guard being from Pakistan. Ahhh international relations. In a city as diverse as Dubai it made me chuckle.
The building, difficult to photograph.
The fountains, very cool and set to music, similar, but more grand than the Las Vegas version.
I lasted a couple of hours milling about. It was very crowded and had a great energy of people from all over the world.
After a taxi ride back to DXB I made the loooong trek to the First Class Lounge in terminal 3 concourse A.
I was welcomed into the lounge by the agent who pointed out that there was another First Class Lounge nearer to my departure gate. I let her know I was aware and that I'm sure to visit that lounge too! I was also given information about the Timeless Spa and to proceed there to arrange a complimentary treatment.
This lounge (or is it a terminal) is a mysterious and marvelous place. The configuration is unique, taking up the entire floor of the concourse. I'll try to show you around using the path I took.
First hallway after entering. The duty free store would be on your right.
Some signage that can help make sense of the place.
I decided a shower might perk me up so that was my first order of business. There was no waiting, as you will see, is a theme because there are no passengers in this lounge. The shower attendant has large 1L bottles of Voss water to provide a cup of water. I asked to take the whole bottle with me and was permitted.
Hallway with shower suites on either side.
Shower amenities.
Shower stall.
The shower was fine except, as is often the case for me, the temperature in the shower room was too high. I rushed to get out to some cooler air.
The next item on the agenda was to sample some of the cuisine on offer. It appears there are 2 restaurants (dining areas). One appears more casual with seating near a buffet and the other appears more formal. The formal dining was completely devoid of human life so I went to the buffet side and was shown to a seat. This is the only space where I encountered more than one or two other passengers. I would estimate there were about 7 people in the dining room. Mind you this was around 01:00 but EK has a departure bank between 02:00 and 04:00 so it's not totally off peak.
The menu.
The following is brought to the table with bread upon seating.
I request the champagne. Moet was served.
Here's a look at the food on offer from the buffet in addition to the a la carte menu.
A very nice array of hot and cold dishes to suit many palates and levels of hunger.
From the buffet I selected the balik salmon. It was delightful.
From the menu I sampled the warm quail salad. Quail filed with foie, winner.
I also sampled the Bresse duck breast. Perhaps cooked a touch longer than I would have preferred.
Thoroughly satisfied from the food offerings I decided to make a lap around this huge space and see what else was going on. Turns out, not much.
Here's a look at what I am calling the formal dining area. No reservations needed.
Some recliner seating near the dinning room.
Down at the far end of the terminal/lounge is a large seating area. I want to say it's the west end of the concourse.
This area contains one of many light food and beverage areas. And I saw two living souls here!
These shots can give you an idea of the long sections of the lounge and the boarding gates that are accesses from them.
It seemed like there was a food or beverage station for every couple of gates. I would walk along and encounter cheese…for example. Which I had to stop for, naturally. There were also staffed beverage areas along the way with table service.
Here's a peak at the rather pitiful sleep area.
I made a quick purchase at the duty free shop. NOT!
I received a lovely complimentary foot message in the Timeless Spa but only managed one picture.
It was nearing departure time so I hit the rails and went over to concourse B to have a quick look at that lounge and board the airplane to Singapore.
Deja vu.
My stay here was brief but it appeared that there all of the same amenities of teh concourse A lounge could be found here in B. This lounge was just as sparsely populated as the A lounge.
I really liked this fountain area.
A bar and dining room.
I took a seat in the bar area and was promply offered a beverage. I requested an espresso and water.
Soon it was time to advance to the gate for boarding.
The boarding process was without a separate path for premium passengers. Or I was unable to locate it so I was relegated to a long and slow moving queue to board.
Once on board to was shown to seat 1A by the very chipper Egyptian Flight Attendant.
Departing DXB meant that Dom was offered (and accepted!)on the ground.
I still get a kick out of the placards indicating showers.
A look at the cabin for this early morning departure.
I changed into the pajamas as sson as they were distributed so I snapped this picture of the amenities in the shower suite/lav.
The waterfall was in effect where the first class drink area is setup later in flight.
Boarding seemed to wrap up promptly. I have no idea how many seats were filled in First. Coffee and dates were offered prior to push.
Our taxi and wait for takeoff was over in a matter of minutes and the crew sprung into action offering beverages and canapes. Again I neglected to photograph the menu. This being an overnight flight the offerings were dramatically less. It was a rather disappointing selection for an international First Class flight.
I started with a fantastic treat in the 2003 Dom Perignon Rose.
With the canapes on offer.
I then opted to taste some of the items from the Lite Bites menu.
Selection of Savouries: hoisin'marinated chicken wings, prawn dumplings and Thai'style chicken skewers.
Lamb and Rosemary Pie served with caramelized onion marmalade.
I also selected the assorted pastries for dessert.
The Paradis to finish.
The food was all boring and borderline bad. The wine and cognac certainly carried the day. Why can't they have a caviar service? The best compliment I can pay is the service was very prompt and completed with plenty of time for sleep. And sleep I did until I was awakened for my shower appointment.
The shower commenced somewhere over the Strait of Malacca.
The shower suite was impeccably outfitted for the occasion.
I returned to my seat giddy and refreshed. What a luxury the shower time is.
I declined any additional food service and opted for some water and cappuccino.
Soon I'm glued to the window to take in the familiar sites of the approach to Changi.
We touched down on time and began a long taxi. I was excited to spot a special aircraft basking in the South East Asian humidity.
I was the first passenger to deplane and lingered to bid this airplane and airline goodbye. I do hope we meet again.
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Verdict
Emirates
8.1/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Meal/catering7.0
Emirates Lounge - First (Gates A)
8.5/10
Comfort8.5
Meal/catering8.5
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Services8.5
Dubai - DXB
8.5/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.5
Services8.5
Cleanliness8.5
Singapore - SIN
9.0/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0
Conclusion
This flight was different from the first leg given the early morning departure time and the state of fatigue I was experiencing. I didn't stay awake long and never even made to the bar. So out of character!
The DXB lounge is massive and has the important amenities but it also feels very strange and impersonal. Perhaps the overnight time of my visit contributed to this perception.
The service was a notch below that of the LAX-DXB leg but I also attribute this to the departure hour. I'm asleep most of the flight so personal interaction with the crew is limited.
The menu/catering is disappointing. The items I sampled mostly tasted like frozen reheated food you can buy ina convience store. A full breakfast with several choices was on offer but I didn't partake. I think the caviar service should be on offer for this segment. Airlines like JAL and Cathay offer it on their overnight/supper flights.
The bed was comfortable and the shower is epic.
My thoughts of the time I spent with Emirates Airline are overwhelmingly positive.
Thank you for reading and happy flying!
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Another great report in this series! Thanks for the extensive review of the lounge, looks top notch. Also, I have to compliment you on your mileage use for this trip. Two long haul flight in first on Emirates for 100,000 miles is a great deal. The KUL-LAX portion of your trip also looks like an outstanding deal at 67,500 miles. How far out did you book? Did you make the AAdvantage booking online or over the phone?
Thanks for the extensive review of the lounge, looks top notch. -I think it is. It's just so strange how deserted it is.
How far out did you book? -For Emirates using Alaska miles I booked in May for the November flight. For the American Advantage travel on Cathay and JAL I booked in September.
Did you make the AAdvantage booking online or over the phone? -Phone is required for most partner airlines. The $40.00 booking fee is waived as the award is not bookable online.
Thank you for sharing this amazing experience. Taking a shower at 35,000 feet above is one of those milestones that gives you bragging rights. ;)
Your tour of the EK F lounge is very comprehensive and the place is just vast judging from your pictures. Catering is very nice as expected from an airline and club of this caliber.
Too bad that you were not able to sit at the bar onboard. Perhaps on another trip in the near future. What a great use of miles!
Too bad that you were not able to sit at the bar onboard. - I sat at the bar too much on the way to DXB so I was too pooped to make it back there on this flight. It is a great feature to have place to go stretch your legs and chat with fellow travelers.
The immense EK First class lounges at DXB are truly wonders of the airline world! The fact that they are so huge allows a feeling of space and exclusivity since, as you mention, you don't run into too many people.
The boarding process was without a separate path for premium passengers. Or I was unable to locate it so I was relegated to a long and slow moving queue to board. - I thought EK did boarding directly from the First class lounges?
Oooh Dom Pérignon Rosé. Nice!
Hmmm...seems to be a big difference in catering with the previous flight. Maybe it's because you chose the little bite, but chicken wings in First class? Doesn't really go with the Dom! Haha. So no caviar on this flight huh?
Glad you finally got some sleep! How long is this flight, like 8-9 hours?
Hello KevinDC and thanks for commenting on the report.
I thought EK did boarding directly from the First class lounges? -Flights leaving from the A gates do, however this flight, for unknown reasons, left from the B gates. As you see in the report it's not like the A gates were full given the empty lounge.
Oooh Dom Pérignon Rosé. Nice! -Such a lovely treat.
So no caviar on this flight huh? -Don't know if it was the 03:15 departure time or what but no, the caviar was absent. To me it would seem easy to offer a caviar service as they are in individual tins they could be used on other flights if not consumed. I realize they offer wise and varied dining in the lunge so maybe that's their reasoning for such limited offerings on board.
How long is this flight, like 8-9 hours? -It's more like 6-7 hours. Long enough for a nap and a shower!
Don't know if it was the 03:15 departure time or what but no, the caviar was absent. - That's a shame! It makes for an inconsistent First class offering.
Flight's even shorter than I thought! It's like a typical East Coast to Europe TATL--too short to fully enjoy if you want to get some sleep. But yes, still enough time for a short nap and a shower!
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7 Comments
Thanks for the extensive review of the lounge, looks top notch.
-I think it is. It's just so strange how deserted it is.
How far out did you book?
-For Emirates using Alaska miles I booked in May for the November flight. For the American Advantage travel on Cathay and JAL I booked in September.
Did you make the AAdvantage booking online or over the phone?
-Phone is required for most partner airlines. The $40.00 booking fee is waived as the award is not bookable online.
Thanks again and happy flying.
Your tour of the EK F lounge is very comprehensive and the place is just vast judging from your pictures. Catering is very nice as expected from an airline and club of this caliber.
Too bad that you were not able to sit at the bar onboard. Perhaps on another trip in the near future. What a great use of miles!
Too bad that you were not able to sit at the bar onboard.
- I sat at the bar too much on the way to DXB so I was too pooped to make it back there on this flight. It is a great feature to have place to go stretch your legs and chat with fellow travelers.
Thanks again and happy flying.
The boarding process was without a separate path for premium passengers. Or I was unable to locate it so I was relegated to a long and slow moving queue to board.
- I thought EK did boarding directly from the First class lounges?
Oooh Dom Pérignon Rosé. Nice!
Hmmm...seems to be a big difference in catering with the previous flight. Maybe it's because you chose the little bite, but chicken wings in First class? Doesn't really go with the Dom! Haha. So no caviar on this flight huh?
Glad you finally got some sleep! How long is this flight, like 8-9 hours?
Thanks for a great report!
I thought EK did boarding directly from the First class lounges?
-Flights leaving from the A gates do, however this flight, for unknown reasons, left from the B gates. As you see in the report it's not like the A gates were full given the empty lounge.
Oooh Dom Pérignon Rosé. Nice!
-Such a lovely treat.
So no caviar on this flight huh?
-Don't know if it was the 03:15 departure time or what but no, the caviar was absent. To me it would seem easy to offer a caviar service as they are in individual tins they could be used on other flights if not consumed. I realize they offer wise and varied dining in the lunge so maybe that's their reasoning for such limited offerings on board.
How long is this flight, like 8-9 hours?
-It's more like 6-7 hours. Long enough for a nap and a shower!
Thanks again and happy flying.
- That's a shame! It makes for an inconsistent First class offering.
Flight's even shorter than I thought! It's like a typical East Coast to Europe TATL--too short to fully enjoy if you want to get some sleep. But yes, still enough time for a short nap and a shower!
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