Review of Emirates flight Melbourne Singapore in Business

Airline Emirates
Flight EK405
Class Business
Seat 8J
Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
Flight time 07:35
Take-off 04 Dec 14, 19:00
Arrival at 04 Dec 14, 23:35
EK   #1 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 632 reviews
tn92
By 6694
Published on 24th May 2015
photo 1431867128-1600998938_n



Note: This report is long, I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as I could so as to provide an overall flying experience on this aircraft’s Business class product. I hope you’ll enjoy it! I took a few days to complete this report and have not got the time to vet through it for any spelling / typo errors, do let me know if you spot any!


It’s been about a year since I started writing flight reports. To commemorate this special personal milestone, I have decided to share my first Business class flight report! This report covers a flight from Melbourne to Singapore an Emirates B777-300ER. It was the return flight that brought me home after I spent more than four months in Australia as a university exchange student. I was so reluctant about going home because life was just so great in Australia. However, Emirates made my day when they upgraded both my girlfriend and I to Business class on our return flight! Here’s the experience in detail!


Emirates EK405
Aircraft Registration: A6-EBQ
Origin: Australia Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport (MEL)
Destination: Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN)
Date: Thursday, 4 December 2014
Boarding Time: 1800h (UTC+11:00)
STD/STA: 1900h (UTC+11:00) to 2335h (UTC+08:00)
ATD/ATA: 1901h (UTC+11:00) to 2325h (UTC+08:00)
Estimated Duration: 07 hours 35 minutes
Actual Duration: 07 hours 28 minutes
Flight Distance: About 3,754 miles / 6,041 km


photo Timeline 01


EK405 is a flight that I am extremely familiar with, having flown on it for many times since April 2013. On the day of the flight, we planned to arrive at the airport just in time for the flight and hence we boarded the airport bus only at 4pm – three hours before the scheduled departure.

photo 1431867129-1777578059_l

While there’s quite a bit of distance from my girlfriend’s place to Melbourne airport, the airport bus was still an extremely convenient way to get to the airport. In about slightly more than an hour, we were transferred directly to the airport – it was about 90 minutes prior to departure. A little rush, but there were still a bit of time before the counters close.

photo Timeline 02


At this time, one would expect the counters to be almost empty most passengers would logically have completed check-in. Nevertheless, I was not surprise to see that a long queue was still present in front of the Economy class counters.

I felt extremely fortunate to hold a Qantas Silver card, which allowed us to breeze through the entire process by utilizing the Business class counters.

After handing both our passports to the agent, we immediately began to load our four check-in bags onto the conveyer belt.

With four months worth of belongings, my check-in luggage earned itself a “Heavy” tag as it weighed up to 29kg. I hope the luggage handler didn’t curse at my luggage; my sincere appreciation to them for delivering all our bags back to Singapore safely!

photo 1431867130-1613850533_n

After we were done with our luggage, I expected to collect back our passports with two boarding passes immediately; and then off we go to pass through immigration.

What happened, however, was that the agent was still frantically working on her keyboard and she did not look up at us until almost thirty seconds later. And then, here was the conversation:

“We didn't know the two of you are travelling together, so they upgraded you (pointing at me) to Business, but she (pointing at my girlfriend) is still in Economy.

Do you want to keep it this way? Or do you both want to sit together in Economy?

At this moment, she must have been expecting that I will most likely reply in an affirmative manner – agreeing with the arrangements made by the airline. But, no. I did not.

I asked that we be seated together and assured that even if it was going to be in Economy, it’s fine. (Well, of course I was hoping that they will instead upgrade both of us! But I thought that was asking for too much.)

The agent seemed a little bit shocked at first, but quickly regained her professionalism and explained that she will first handle our luggage and then inform her manager to handle and conclude our case.

With 42kg (Silver) + 30kg (Economy Class) of baggage allowance, our check-in bags did not cause any further trouble and they were very soon making their way to the aircraft.

The next person we met was the Emirates Duty Manager. The moment we walked to his counter, he took our passports and began working on his computer again. Moments later, he looked up, smiled and said “Both Business!”

photo 1431867131-3040555444_l

Those two magical words concluded the rather extended check-in process. But at that point in time, the wait was definitely worth it!

At about 5.30pm, we went through passport controls with an extremely good mood!

photo 1431867132-1987942878_n

Did you see the two Christmas trees in the picture above? Maybe Emirates decided to give us an early Christmas present that day. We were 100% satisfied with the early Christmas gift!

photo Timeline 03


As we were operationally upgraded only at the counters, we could only begin enjoying most of the Business class experience after boarding the aircraft. Prior to that, everything was as per normal – no fast track for security screening, no lounge access; but there was of course priority boarding.

Seriously, it didn’t matter as boarding was going to commence in a few minutes. During the short period of time just before boarding commenced, I raced to the other end of the terminal for a little plane spotting. My girlfriend just took a seat in the boarding lounge.

photo 1431867135-455892802_l

The first aircraft that caught my eye was B-5938, a China Eastern A330-200. This aircraft flew back to Shanghai-Pudong as MU740 that night.

photo 1431867135-3464610132_l

Being a frequent flyer onboard EK405, I have observed that Gate 11 is the gate used by this flight most of the time. It is impossible to take any decent photographs of the aircraft near the gate… The best angle that one can obtain is probably this:

photo 1431867137-1201998795_l

But, after flying so many times with EK405, I have already found out long ago the correct spot in the terminal to take a good picture of the aircraft parked at that gate. Here you go!

photo 1431867137-2269159918_l

These are two different photographs, by the way.

Anyway, the aircraft that brought us back to Singapore that evening was A6-EBQ. Its first flight took place on 14 July 2006.

On the day of our flight, A6-EBQ arrived in Melbourne early in the morning as EK405 after a long journey from Dubai via Singapore. The aircraft was then parked at a remote bay in Melbourne Airport before its flight back home to Dubai at night.

photo 1431867138-1488222107_l

On the way back to my boarding gate, two more aircrafts caught my attention. The first was B-5951, another widebody from China. B-5951 is an extremely young aircraft and its first flight took place only in June 2014. Even as of now, it’s not even one year old.

photo 1431867140-3740752019_l

This China Southern A330-300 was scheduled to return to Guanzhou-Baiyun as CZ322 that night.

photo 1431867141-2882037197_l

The boarding lounge in this area is always deserted in the late afternoons. No one will be there, and most of the time, there will not be any aircrafts as well.

photo 1431867143-743551622_lphoto 1431867144-2839804363_l

Looking at this FIDS, you can see that there won’t be a single international departure from 7.30pm to 10.10pm that night. It seems to be the case most of the time (?)

photo 1431867146-3520262822_l

And after a long walk, I was back at my flight’s boarding gate. (I am sorry for the bright background; this was my first few times using a new Sony camera and thus I wasn’t exactly sure of its functions yet.)

photo 1431867148-763786296_l

Here’s the second aircraft that I mentioned. Another flight bound for Singapore, scheduled to depart 30 minutes after us. This Singapore Airlines A330-300 will head back to Singapore Changi Airport as SQ208.

photo 1431867149-2278452069_l

Alright, time to board my aircraft!

photo Timeline 04


We missed the priority boarding call. So, after I returned to the boarding lounge, we immediately headed downstairs to board the aircraft. EK405 was a full flight that day. And I mean, literally full, with not a single empty seat.

photo 1431867151-2560502596_l

Boarding alone took quite some time!

photo 1431867152-2063764502_l

Oh well, even though it was the super-familiar-Emirates-B77W again…

photo 1431867154-3063785574_l

We were assigned seats that were very unfamiliar to both of us!

photo 1431867154-2325381502_l

You can probably imagine how hard I made my new camera work upon settling at my seat. (: The cabin photographs shall be consolidated in a section of this report – you will see them soon!

Let’s take a look at the pre-departure Business class service. After most passengers boarded the aircraft, the FAs began to provide us with pre-departure drinks.

photo 1431867156-1619403464_l

We were not in the mood to get any alcoholic drinks yet, so it was juices first for both of us!

photo 1431867156-2416877582_l

After taking a sip, my girlfriend commented that even the juices in Business class taste better. Is it true that fruit juices provided in Business differ from those we get in Economy? It definitely tasted nicer!

Up next – the Wine List!

photo 1431867157-1000787940_l

You can see from the meticulous design of this booklet that Emirates has indeed put in quite a lot of effort in this area of their service. I am not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to alcoholic beverages; please do take a look at the choices on offer!

photo 1431867374-3885442468_lphoto 1431867376-366013639_lphoto 1431867379-2978006645_l

When boarding was completed, the captain came onto the PA system to make a welcome announcement. Here’s the video, and the contents in case you find the video too soft:

- Welcome onboard EK405 bound for Dubai via Singapore
- Introduction of the first officer, purser, and senior flight attendants
- Push back will happen in about 10 minutes
- An estimated flying time of about 7 hours and 5 minutes
- Cruising altitude will first be 32,000ft, and this will be increased to 36,000ft later on
- Estimated arrival time in Singapore is 11.35pm, with a ground temperature of 28 deg c
- Flight will mostly be smooth after we clear Melbourne’s airspace



photo Timeline 05


We pushed back just a minute after schedule. From all my past experiences flying EK405, it has always been a very punctual flight, and it seems to also be the case this time round. Conversely, my experiences on EK404 were a little more varied. Nonetheless, to be fair to Emirates, they have always been professional even in handling delays – be it a delay of 30 minutes to one of 2 hours plus.

On the other hand, many other major airlines from the similar part of the world as Emirates do not seem to be as well prepared when their flights get delayed. (This is an impression I get from reading flight reports of those airlines; I have not had an opportunity to really experience any other middle-eastern airline before.)

photo 1431867384-2059374715

While taxiing to the gate, FAs also distributed oshibori to every passenger. Do note that these hot towels are also distributed in Economy on Emirates flights. Apart from Emirates, I only know that Singapore Airlines does the same. Are there any other carriers that provide oshibori for all passengers?

photo 1431867385-595106961_l

At about 7.13pm, the crew members were also seated for takeoff.

photo 1431867386-4219644693_l

One major disadvantage of being seated on the front row window seats is that our personal screens have to be stowed for takeoff and landing. You feel that it’s a little unfair when all other fellow passengers were already enjoying their movies.

At least I could look up at the screen on the ceiling to see the aircraft’s nose camera! But I couldn’t maintain in that posture for long, otherwise my neck would probably have started aching.

photo 1431867388-3065632926_l

photo Timeline 06


Boarding was conducted really efficiently. Push back was also considered punctual. However, the queue for take off took quite a while. I am guessing this should be because of the fact that domestic operations get rather busy at Melbourne Airport, despite it having a relatively small number of international flights.

We finally took off from Runway 16 at 7.21pm.

photo 1431867390-2644046282

The view of Melbourne after takeoff was quite astonishing! It must have been great to sit at the window seats on the right. I wouldn't be surprise if many people were snapping away on their cameras or smartphones.

photo 1431867391-2577439372_l

The aircraft made a sharp right turn soon after departure, and we passed 10,000ft about five minutes after takeoff.

photo 1431867393-1270539666

After taking off, it is typical for an Emirates corporate video to be played throughout the cabin. The length of this video isn’t exactly short; it will be first played in Arabic and then repeated in English. After taking so many Emirates flights, the video does get a little annoying.

photo 1431867578-2818235354_l

photo Timeline 07


Now we are into the Cabin Introduction part of this flight report. As I took many photos of the cabin throughout the flight, I will be compiling them together in this section of the report so as to better describe and introduce the Business class cabin.

First of all, do note that this is an older version of Emirates’ B77W aircrafts. This means that the individual screens in Economy weren’t widescreens and the in-flight entertainment system, i.e. the famous ICE system, wasn’t the most updated version as well.

Let’s begin by looking at two cabin photographs. Many of us are aware that the Business class cabin on Emirates’ B77W are aligned in a 2-3-2 manner. In that sense, not all of the Business class seats have aisle-access, and that makes this product much less competitive as compared to many other Business class products offered by competitors. (Say… Cathay Pacific?)

Just try to imagine that you are travelling in Economy alone today, on a Malaysia Airlines B772 aircraft. At the check-in counter, you found out that you are assigned the center seat in the Economy cabin with the 2-5-2 layout. Terrible, isn’t it?

Now, what if we tweak the situation slightly, and you are now travelling in Business alone on Emirates’ B77W? It probably will just feel a little bit better to know that you are assigned the center seat. Right?

photo 1431867567-3265844578_l
This is the back view of the seats.

photo 1431867609-1988568175_l

And now we shall take a closer look at the seat.

photo 1431867615-1227378023_l

The padding of the headrest was very thick. The softness of it also made it really comfortable to lie on – definitely a great plus for the relatively narrow business class seat.

photo 1431867566-3616088783_l

The seat pitch was incredible. Just look at how far was the seat pocket. It almost caused me to forget to take a look at the in flight magazines. Being seated on the first row, the seat pitch that we enjoyed was even slightly better than the other seats in Business.

photo 1431867564-441267505_l

However, in the upright position, I do not like the leg rest at all as it was totally getting in my way. If I extended it fully, I wouldn’t be able to rest my feet and legs properly; but if I folded it away, it will be bulging out and when I rested my legs on the footrests that were folded away, it got a little uncomfortable.

photo 1431867589-1324134298_l

These were the buttons to adjust the seat recline. They were located on the left arm rest and were extremely intuitive to use.

photo 1431867565-1679693622_l

Holding onto the left button will slowly turn your seat into one with an extremely relaxed position. In this position, the footrest wasn’t a nuisance any more. You can also see the pillow provided in Business class in the following picture – not really a huge one but big enough to allow for a comfortable sleep during your journey.

photo 1431867603-3633828001_l

Here’s a photo of the seat in the lie flat position. My apologies for taking such a “crooked” photo – I am still learning how to take better pictures of these seats yeah (still used to Economy) xD

photo 1431867607-137011241_l

After the seats, we take a look at the mini touchscreen panel located beside the seats.

photo 1431867569-2619728896_l

For a screen of such a small size, it was actually quite heavy to hold.

photo 1431867570-3781745950_l

After a single tap on the screen, it will light up and then we could start using it. The only downside was that the screen wasn’t as responsive as we would’ve expected. But that’s probably just a small issue.

photo 1431867570-4036430636_l

Apart from using the three buttons to adjust the seat recline, one can also utilize the small touchscreen panel to make more specific adjustments of the seats.

The best function would probably be the ability to “save” your favourite seat posture. That way, even after you have adjusted your seat to the upright postion for your meals, you can immediately return to your lazing posture after finishing the meals.

photo 1431867572-3405702236_l

I also find it quite cool that the panel could even adjust my headrest. In fact, I think that was the only way we could adjust them.

photo 1431867573-4170171402_l

The reading lights (which will be shown later) could also be switched on / off using the panel.

photo 1431867574-4231356374_l

The following screen actually controls the cursor on your personal IFE screen (the larger screen in front of you). However, it was actually rather hard to use. My touchscreen panel was particularly unresponsive that day and thus I requested for an FA to assist. To my surprise, she actually tried to adjust the cursor on the actual IFE screen by touching and dragging it. Nonetheless, that screen was unfortunately not a touchscreen and I was just surprised that she wasn’t aware. (Well, I didn't know too.)

photo 1431867571-447179075_l

Given the unresponsiveness of the mini touchscreen panel, the keyboard was really difficult to use and one would probably just give up after a while.

photo 1431867576-2418107002_l

Apart from the touchscreen panel, a traditional remote control was also available on the seat. This remote control was much easier to use and I recall using it for the entire journey eventually.

photo 1431867565-346480089_l

The position of the reading light was good. Apart from switching it on using the touchscreen panel as mentioned above, one can also control it using the traditional remote control.

photo 1431867599-3042937074_l

The privacy screen that you use in the picture above can be operated using the following two buttons. Really intuitive too! (The guy seated in the middle seat of the three-seats section definitely needs this if he’s travelling alone.)

photo 1431867577-2016770295_l

This small table here was for placing the drinks and nuts.

photo 1431867568-421733304_l

And in the next picture, we see the half-folded table. This is already much bigger than the tables you find on budget airlines. (But I know it’s unfair to compare like this)

photo 1431867613-618485247_l

At full size, the table was really wide, making it extremely suitable for work on it apart from dining.

photo 1431867601-3240103374_l

In Business class, almost everything is semi-automated, i.e. you need control everything with buttons. The illuminated blue buttons in the following picture were used to control the window shades.

photo 1431867605-2559904018_l

Every single cabin window in Business class was well decorated too. They look extremely gorgeous, but some people may think that Emirates has been overdoing it.

photo 1431867590-2434729193_l

Since the IFE screen has appeared, let’s now move on to the personal IFE screens! This is probably what most travellers care about anyway!

On the main screen, it seemed like the languages available were only English, Arabic and Japanese. I wonder why weren’t there other languages?

photo 1431867591-3889573259_l

The noise-cancelling headphones were already placed on each seat prior to boarding.

photo 1431867594-3839124354_l

It had an almost perfect quality, and that was probably why I used it to watch two movies, one documentary, and listen to several songs.

photo 1431867597-2216405833_l

For readers who are not as familiar with Emirates, you may have been wondering why Emirates calls its in-flight entertainment “ICE” and not IFE. Actually, its quite a smart acronym that stands for Information, Communications, and Entertainment.

photo 1431867611-2618188243_l

In the “information” section, there’s the airshow, introduction to Skywards (Emirates’ frequent flyer programme), introduction of Emirates, and introduction of the airline’s base city Dubai.

photo 1431867627-679652192_l

Emirates actually has a really good airshow channel on its aircrafts fitted with the new version of ICE. However, the airshow on this aircraft was just a really normal one.

photo 1431867629-1260111792_l

To be fair, the resolution of the screen still makes the airshow channel really pleasant ot watch while listening to some music.

photo 1431867593-1243932281_l

We now turn our attention to the amazing fleet of aircrafts that Emirates has. At that point in time, they had almost 60 A380s. Now, the number of A380s in the fleet is 61.

Also, the combined number of B773 and B77W is 116 now, up from 114 at that time. Do you know that, apart from these wide-body aircrafts, Emirates actually does have a mini A319 in its fleet? Nevertheless, I am quite sure I will never get the chance to step into it. (See for yourself and you will know why: Emirates A319 Corporate Private Jet)

photo 1431867631-2102548604_l

Then, we have the “communications” section that offers phone, email, and seat-to-seat messaging services.

photo 1431867633-2666275404_l

Finally, the most important “entertainment” section – the part of the IFE that most passengers will be concerned about.

photo 1431867617-1421307315_l

In comparison to the new system, the old version probably looks much less appealing. Nonetheless, even the layout isn’t as glorious, the number of entertainment choices that Emirates has loaded into the AVOD system is still highly impressive! Apart from radio channels and CDs, there are also short television programmes and live TV broadcast from BBC, CNN, CNBC etc.

photo 1431867619-1554367321_lphoto 1431867621-3989382164_lphoto 1431867625-4102089829_l

For the movies, even though there were probably more than hundred choices, I found it a little hard to search for the movie I on the movie listing that looked rather boring. I would recommend that you flip through the IFE guide before deciding on the shows that you would like to watch. Otherwise, it’d get a little troublesome to click on every choice in the movie listing on the screen; just to decide what you want to watch.

photo 1431867623-539928055_l

Nonetheless, I am sure many of us will agree the in-flight entertainment in Emirates’ flights is already one level ahead of many other major airlines in the world.

Back in cabin, I have a few more photos to show you. Here, you can see that screens for the three seats in the front row are mounted on the walls. In contrast, for the two pairs of front row seats on both sides of the cabins, personal screens are stowed by the side of our seats and must remain stowed during takeoff and landing.

photo 1431867569-679579737_l

Just like I have mentioned previously, the overhead screen that was above me was showing the flight map all the way during the flight. Even when I was watching a movie, I just had to glance quickly at this screen to know the aircraft’s location.

photo 1431867568-3447005305_l

Apart from watching movies to kill time, various magazines of different genres were also available in the cabin. However, if I remembered correctly, nobody actually took a magazine to read on that evening’s flight.

photo 1431867567-736214598_l

The last part of the short cabin tour will bring you to the lavatory of this aircraft. The first thing I realized upon stepping into the washroom was the colour of the toilet bowl. This colour actually reminded me of Etihad’s black toilet bowl.

photo 1431867579-3912192267_lphoto 1431867581-3582073713_l

Amenities such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and combs were also well stocked.

photo 1431867581-631093129_l

Nice addition to the lavatory!

photo 1431867583-2594511500_l

What catches your eye in the picture below? (Hint: Not the “return to seat” sign – while the seatbelt signs were on, everyone was already walking around in the cabin.)

photo 1431867585-1287683911_l

Here’s the answer! Cosmetic towels are provided on top of paper towels! I wonder if this is a norm in Business class? I don’t recall seeing it on Cathay Pacific actually.

photo 1431867586-1104964765_lphoto 1431867588-2461639785_l

That’s all I have for the cabin introduction portion of this report. While I already began to use my new camera on this flight, I didn’t think of going to Economy class for any photographs at all. I think I just wanted to enjoy my time fully on this lucky flight, furthermore, the flight was fully packed that day and I probably wouldn’t be able to get any decent photos either.

————————-

Back to the flight. The picture of the GE90 engine was taken at about 8pm Australian time, but because it was summer, the sun stays up high until later in the evening. Frankly speaking, I am really not used to having such a bright sky after 8pm. I am used to seeing the sky turn dark at about 7pm!

photo 1431867714-3104663137_l

photo Timeline 08


(All times will be recorded according to the destination’s time zone of UTC+08:00 from now on.) At about 4.39pm, we reached our first cruising altitude of 32,000ft.

photo 1431867716-78047784

The first movie we watched on that flight was “The Hundred-Foot Journey”. This is quite a nice story about an Indian family migrating to France and then opening an Indian restaurant in a small town. What made it interesting was that the Indian restaurant was situated directly opposite of a Michelin star fine-dining French restaurant.

photo 1431867718-1243433701_l

Subtitles were only available in Arabic.

photo 1431867718-730524877_l

I also enjoyed eating the plate of nuts served by the FAs soon after we started watching our movie. This was accompanied with a glass of red wine and champage.

photo 1431867720-3030908569_lphoto 1431867720-1610133847_l

The footrest wasn’t much of a nuisance now and thus it was really comfortable sitting like that!

photo 1431867721-3599395708_l

The seat belt signs were only extinguished very long after takeoff that day. I wonder why it was left switched on for so long because there weren’t any turbulence at all.

photo 1431867722-2991439180_l

Looking out of the window again, the sky was finally becoming darker when the time was approaching 9pm in Australia. It was a pity that I still have not mastered the techniques of taking decent photographs with my camera yet; otherwise, the effects for the photograph below should’ve been quite good with my Sony RX100M3.

photo 1431867723-4185823907_l

photo Timeline 09


The meal was definitely what I’ve been looking forward to the most throughout my flight that evening. Being a frequent traveller who’s always stuck at the back in Economy, I guess it will be long before I start to tell the FAs in Business that “I am not eating my meals, please just let me sleep in and don’t wake me up”. xD

The reason is simple: we love food! How can we ever resist any kinds of foods? Let’s now take a quick look at the full Business class menu for dinner.

photo 1431867634-3472400782_l

I will soon answer you if I think that Emirates’ catering deserves to be called “award-winning”.

photo 1431867640-493532087_l

For the drinks, there are lots of choices of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, which was great!

photo 1431867644-3009995620_lphoto 1431867646-1409468326_lphoto 1431867648-1566061920_l

For dinner, there were two choices of appetizer and three choices for main course. We thought that the soup would be served after the appetizer, but it didn’t appear eventually until we asked for it.

photo 1431867650-483806750_l

After the mains were served, we were also provided with two choices of dessert. But the cheese board and fruit selection never appeared.

photo 1431867652-4070381585_l

The menu was quite thick, and it was because half of it was written in Arabic.

photo 1431867655-1911544559_l

Let’s look at the food for real now. The breads and salad were unimpressive; I unfortunately do not have any impression of them at all.

photo 1431867726-695438797_l

Both of us chose the salmon choice for our appetizer. It was probably the best part of the meal service. Isn’t that a sad thing?

photo 1431867728-1374919311_lphoto 1431867729-3472214720_l

Two pairs of fork and knife were provided. There was also a spoon but really, what’s the use of it if they didn’t serve the soup at all. (I didn’t see many people being served the soup, unless probably if they asked for it.)

photo 1431867730-2493804931_l

I chose the Prawn Biryani choice for my main course. The prawns were supposed to be marinated in “aromatic spices” and then slow cooked with rice etc… But no matter how nice it seemed to be described, all I can say is I was disappointed with it. Really. Disappointed. If I recall correctly, I didn’t even finish my rice – which is something that do not happen often because I usually finish all my food.

photo 1431867730-1292001939_l

My girlfriend chose Butter Chicken for her main course. It was much better as the chicken meat was tender and tasty enough to make the entire dish appetizing. However, the rice was akin to those instant rice that you can find in Australia’s supermarket…

photo 1431867731-2263943377_l

How about the mushroom soup that we asked for? It tasted a little like those instant soup we find in the supermarkets too…

photo 1431867733-3273235736_n

After a series of disappointments, Emirates’ catering managed to redeem it self a little with the dessert choices. While I found the Coffee and Vanilla Mousse a little too sweet for my liking, I believe that it’s a problem of personal choice and I wouldn’t fault the airline’s catering service regarding this.

photo 1431867734-1981174168_l

The Macadamia Nut Tart, on the other hand, was great!

photo 1431867735-661216274_l

Maybe we should have asked for two of this as we were actually trying to snatch it from each other. =P (Just kidding~ But it was really not bad.)

photo 1431867736-3129598329_l

The tea served after our meal just managed at least taste like tea. That’s all the comments I’ll give to it.

photo 1431867737-4163887288_l

One other thing that I wish to comment about is the speed and timing of meal service. When meal service commenced, it was already close to 10pm at our origin (Melbourne). For people like us who did not eat anything for dinner before the flight, we were really starving by then.

After dinner, we began watching a second movie. This was a real-life story about a handicapped dolphin that was sent to Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, United States.

photo 1431867737-3533386745_l

As we started on our movie, FAs distributed GODIVA chocolate boxes to every Business class passenger.

photo 1431867740-1338166260_l

At about 7.23pm (Singapore time), our cruising altitude increased slightly by 2,000ft to 34,000ft, and we were just about to fly out of Australian airspace. The route taken by our flight that evening was really very direct – seems to always be the case for air traffic over Australian airspace. (Thumbs up!)

photo 1431867742-2560464298

Anyway, the second movie we watched was really a very meaningful one. I do recommend it to everyone and maybe you can watch it on your next flight?

photo 1431867744-3838362651_l

Cabin lights were turned off at about 7.30pm. Most people, including me, did not go to sleep on this late evening flight. However, I am actually regretting not testing out the angle lie flat bed on this flight.

photo 1431867744-1763617008_l

At about 9.02pm, we left Australia. I definitely look forward to returning there again!

photo 1431867745-3934842584

I am sure those of us who have flown with Emirates before would be very familiar with the starry ceiling in its aircraft!

photo 1431867745-2508080449_l

As we entered Indonesia’s airspace, our cruising altitude increased by yet another 2,000ft. We continued the final leg of our journey towards Singapore at FL360.

photo 1431867748-2154903921

There was not much time left for another movie, so we switched finish up our flight on a documentary. I still regret not sleeping for a while, just to test out the product.

photo 1431867750-971957823_l

photo Timeline 10


We now move on to look at more food onboard flight EK405’s Business class that evening. In many previous Business class Flight Reports that I’ve read, it is common that one of the main focus is always on the meals provided on these flights. This time, even though my girlfriend and I got lucky and were both upgraded to Business class at zero additional cost, the meals and services provided by FAs were actually rather disappointing in my opinion.

Before addressing the second meal service, I would like to comment about the services provided on this flight. In Business class, I felt that the services provided were really sloppy and undetailed. Many FAs were just doing their duties in a relatively slip-shot manner and it makes me wonder if the extremely full flight was making them frustrated. The Asian FA on our aisle did not smile at all throughout the flight, in fact, she was even a little irritated and annoyed when passengers responded slower to her questions. There was this instance when a lady seated across the aisle was watching a movie using the noise-cancelling headsets; the FA approached her and began asking her for her meal or drink choices, and she completed her question before the lady could even remove her headset. When the lady requested politely for the FA to repeat her question, she really looked pissed off, and I found that to be a little unprofessional.

While I am really thankful that Emirates took such good care of my girlfriend and I (this being the second time we received an operational upgrade from this airline), I seriously ponder if I will be willing to spend any extra money to travel on EK’s Business class in future.

Okay, enough of me ranting. The second meal service consisted of a variety of light snacks. The variety provided was definitely good!

photo 1431867654-2362218160_l

I again chose the choice of salmon for supper. Both of us love eating salmon, but after dinner, my girlfriend was reluctant to try more food. Therefore, it is unfortunate that I can only show everyone pictures of one out of the many choices available for supper.

For supper, my choice was good. This dish named “Salmon en Croute” was prepared well – the fish wasn’t too hard and the texture was awesome. The crust was also well prepared and it was not overwhelmed with the taste of butter. As for the sauce, it tasted delicious as well and wasn’t overly creamy. Overall, I was satisfied with this dish. I was happy that the catering service on Emirates managed to redeem itself further prior to the end of the flight.

photo 1431867752-940728096_l

Up to this point, you probably will realize that the two of us do not exactly drink alcoholic beverages much. xD Nonetheless, the juices provided by Emirates on this flight were great too! And I choose to believe that fruit juices served in Business were of a higher quality!

photo 1431867753-1660355879_l

Landing preparation began with this short message from the crew. I support the usage of such messages as opposed to announcements over the PA system, especially for less urgent issues such as this (the closure of inflight duty free services). Otherwise, it’s really a little frustrating if a passenger is trying to complete his TV programme / movie before arrival and the crew still “wastes” his time making announcements that probably do not matter at all to him.

photo 1431867753-1947689889_l

What I liked about the flight that night wasn’t actually the starry ceilings; what I actually enjoyed was the fact that the flight map was left playing on the overhead screen throughout the flight. In some other airlines, these screens may even be used for playing advertisements.

photo 1431867755-3750096193_l

As the flight was about to come to an end, I spent the last portion of it listening to some beautiful K-pop music.

photo 1431867756-2767506093_l

I have also not forgotten to snap pictures of the seat pocket contents! These photographs were taken using my old iPhone 5 and I apologize that they look a little “grainy”. First of all, the safety instructions card.

photo 1431867757-692020306_lphoto 1431867758-2366601842_l

The magazine that Emirates had prepared specially for its First and Business class passengers, titled Portfolio. It’s a pity I did not have the time flip through it that evening.

photo 1431867759-3460478990_l

The duty free catalogue.

photo 1431867761-1373256329_l

And the main in-flight magazine for December 2014.

photo 1431867764-534014141_l

I spent some time taking photographs of the “important” sections in this magazine. First, the fleet details that we’ve already saw on the IFE screen previously.

photo 1431867765-1874453042_lphoto 1431867768-805878076_l

And the impressive network maps that this airline has! This picture shows the Emirates destinations around Dubai and in East Asia.

photo 1431867769-2160559076_l

Ever since partnering with Qantas, Emirates have been adding so many more flights to Australian and New Zealand cities. One cool fact that I can think of is the three Emirates A380 that arrive in Auckland airport every afternoon around 12.45pm to 1.30pm. You can take a look at this interesting photograph! The three flights arrive in Auckland from Melbourne (EK406), Sydney (EK412) and Brisbane (EK434).

photo 1431867769-2573411327_l

Here are all the long distance flights from Dubai to North American cities.

photo 1431867770-4211303170_l

And the shorter flights to Middle-Eastern cities.

photo 1431867771-2941571229_l

Emirates is also extremely well-known for its super comprehensive European network. I am sure most people in European countries have heard of “Emirates” even if they don’t fly.

photo 1431867772-4241061696_l

Emirates also has several destinations located in India.

photo 1431867772-2050708164_l

And finally we have the network map for Africa.

photo 1431867774-3417550246_l

It’s probably only in South America that Emirates has a lower level of existence with just three destinations.

While I am not particularly found of flying with Emirates, we got to agree that this is really an impressive airline when we discuss about its network coverage. No wonder many people enjoy flying with them because they really can bring you to most major cities in the world.

Regarding the seat pocket contents, finally we have the waste bag, and information cards regarding in-flight wifi connectivity and duty-free shopping on the IFE system. These items are kept neatly in a plastic folder.

photo 1431867775-278839745_lphoto 1431867775-2668581790_l

I didn’t know where to place this photo when I was sorting out the photographs for this report. Basically, I just want to mention that bottled water was also distributed in Business. But I don’t recall the same thing in Economy.

photo 1431867776-4134717769_l

photo Timeline 11


Another announcement from the cockpit was made prior to landing:

- Aircraft will be descending towards Singapore Changi Airport in ten minutes
- ETA is 11.20pm, it’s about 15 minutes to landing now
- Weather at destination is good and ground temperature is 26 degree Celsius
- Thank you for flying with Emirates
- Have a nice stay in Singapore and a safe journey for transit passengers



This is the approach route that evening. We began our descend into Singapore at about 10.52pm.

photo 1431867777-633875509

Oshibori was distributed once more before landing so that we could freshen up before arriving at our destination.

photo 1431867778-3024040914_l

The cabin lights were switched on briefly for landing preparations.

photo 1431867779-636947288_lphoto 1431867779-2649559357_l

Before we were being asked to stow our screens, I spent the time listening to my albums in the IFE and watching the airshow’s cockpit view.

photo 1431867781-2767370351_lphoto 1431867783-4152254221_l

Finally, just before final approach, we were informed that we have to stow our screens.

photo 1431867785-2560097650_l

Again, the lights were dimmed for landing. And Singapore was just round the corner.

photo 1431867790-4250098518_l

Final approach! Returning home after spending four months overseas.

photo 1431867792-1295221407

photo Timeline 12


At about 11.19pm, our aircraft touched down on Changi Airport’s Runway 02L.

photo 1431867796-2538729596

The arrival announcement was then made after landing.



photo Timeline 13


We took only a few minutes to taxi from the runway to our gate at Terminal 1. There were many passengers on transit to Dubai, and I could see that they were eager to leave the aircraft to stretch a little in the terminal before another red-eye flight onwards to Dubai.

photo 1431867799-1057585372_lphoto 1431867801-2994331474_l

photo Timeline 14


This time round, we could disembark earlier it felt great to be the first few leaving the aircraft.

photo 1431867803-1958978993_l

After 4.5 months, I was back to the airport I am the most familiar with! It didn’t take us too long to pass the arrival immigration since we were able to make use of the automated clearance machines. We went on to the baggage carousel to collect our four checked baggage; and we waited for quite a while because as op-up passengers, our baggage do not qualify for priority delivery. Haha!

photo 1431867804-1219461756_l

photo Timeline 15


The arrival experience at Changi Airport has always been good. Apart from losing my luggage once (which technically wasn’t the airport’s fault as the bag was stranded in Hanoi), the arrival procedure has always been quick and easy.

photo 1431867806-224784913_l

In less than half an hour’s time after disembarking, I was already on my way home!

photo 1431867806-112965944_l

I appreciate that you’ve managed to complete the entire report, which probably is considered an extremely long one, yeah? I hope I wasn’t too detailed and the intention to provide everyone with a report as comprehensive as I could has been met, so that you can experience for yourself how it’s like to fly Emirates’ B77W Business class.

My Taiwanese friend took screenshots of my flight’s progress on FR24, thank you very much too!

photo 1431867806-3735423_lphoto 1431867807-3359542756_l

I am adding on four more photos of the accessories bag distributed on this flight. I took these photos only after returning home.



Thank you for reading! Do leave a comment if there’s anything you’d like to discuss about, and also if you’ve spotted any grammatical or spelling errors in my report. (:
See more

Verdict

Emirates

7.5/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew6.0
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Meal/catering7.0

Melbourne - MEL

8.6/10
Efficiency9.0
Access8.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness10.0

Singapore - SIN

8.8/10
Efficiency9.5
Access7.5
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

[Airline]
Despite the 2-3-2 cabin layout, the seat in general has been rather comfortable. I was only a little irritated by the footrest when the seat was in the upright position, but that was solved once I reclined the seat. Nothing much to fault for the seat other than that, but this would probably be different if I was travelling alone and was assigned the middle seat.. Haha!

As mentioned in the report, the crew on this flight was a little disappointing. Nonetheless, they did their job well enough and was (most of the time) professional. I just didn't like it that they get irritated sometimes when passengers didn't understand what they said on the first time, I mean... People from different parts of the world definitely possess different accents, so I would have expected the Emirates crew to be trained in this aspect and be more patient when speaking to passengers, especially since this is an airline that serves so many different countries in the world, isn't it? The main course was disappointing, but the dessert and supper was generally okay! Not amazing but not bad too.

I believe I do not need to elaborate further about the ICE system, which provided a good variety of entertainment choices. On-time performance couldn't be faulted as well.

[Melbourne Airport]
Melbourne airport was okay this time round. We got there efficiently via the airport bus. Immigration was a breeze. Generally, our experience this time was better because of the upgrade. xD From my experience, departing from Melbourne Airport has always been much more pleasant than arriving at Melbourne Airport.

[Singapore Changi Airport]
It's an airport that I am so familiar with. This time round, it has performed well in terms of immigration and baggage claim efficiency. I am cutting away some points for the accessibility because the pick-up point at Terminal 1 has been relocated and it was a little far as compared to previously. The carpark at Terminal 1 is also now closed for further developments, and this makes Terminal 1 a little less accessible for people who drive to the airport.

Information on the route Melbourne (MEL) Singapore (SIN)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 14 avis concernant 3 compagnies sur la ligne Melbourne (MEL) → Singapore (SIN).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Singapore Airlines avec 8.7/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 8 heures et 0 minutes.

  More information

20 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 137366 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10410 Comments
    Thanks for sharing another great and detailed FR.

    You both were lucky to get an op-up on such a long flight ! Kudos to the Duty Manager.

    But ouch ! This fake-wooden old Business cabin looks a bit too much to my eyes…

    The wine list is okay for a J cabin but the menu is disappointing, and you confirm that fact.

    Sadly the FAs working in Business class had not exactly the behaviour we could expect in such a cabin.

    No wonder many people enjoy flying with them because they really can bring you to most major cities in the world.

    At least the amenity kit content is quite interesting ! lol

    Thanks again and see you for another contribution. ^^
    • Comment 317688 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Thanks for sharing another great and detailed FR.
      My pleasure, absolutely! I truly enjoy sharing my flying experiences on this great website. Just that, it always will take up a lot of time. Really want to clear the backlogs I have now, shall try my best!

      You both were lucky to get an op-up on such a long flight ! Kudos to the Duty Manager.
      I found it to be super lucky too, not just one but two! The manager certainly knew how to make regular customers happy, even though I don't fly that frequently on EK!

      But ouch ! This fake-wooden old Business cabin looks a bit too much to my eyes…
      Hahaha, it still manages to gather lots of woahhhhh during the boarding phase when everyone walks pass the business cabin.

      The wine list is okay for a J cabin but the menu is disappointing, and you confirm that fact.
      Sadly the FAs working in Business class had not exactly the behaviour we could expect in such a cabin.
      At least the amenity kit content is quite interesting ! lol
      Sadly I am not that knowledgeable when it comes wines. I just had another Emirates flight recently and the menu in Economy was even more disappointing.. The food and ingredients were definitely edible, and maybe just slightly below average in terms of the standard, but the taste was so bland. As for FAs, I think many flight reporters here are right to point out that the standards of EK crews vary A LOT. On many of my Emirates flight, I met really friendly and professional crew members too. This particular flight that I had in Business just so happened to be served by an FA that wasn't that interested in her job...

      Thanks again and see you for another contribution. ^^
      Thanks a lot for your comment, see you in Singapore soon!
  • Comment 137381 by
    byromania 38 Comments
    If you think your experience on Emirates was lackluster, try flying United Airlines. That will really make you appreciate Emirates. Thank you for posting this very interesting report!
    • Comment 317690 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      If you think your experience on Emirates was lackluster, try flying United Airlines. That will really make you appreciate Emirates. Thank you for posting this very interesting report!
      You are welcome! Thank you for reading my report! And, yeahhhhhh even though I've had zero experience on an American carrier, this website has educated me a lot about what to expect should I fly on one of them. That said, I do appreciate Emirates to a large extent actually! (: Because, as I have mentioned in the previous comment, there are really friendly crews on Emirates flights too!
  • Comment 137430 by
    flywunala 155 Comments
    Well done, this is a very comprehensive FR, and I do like the details given about the flight path. Does that seat go fully flat ? Is it angled when flat ?
    Product consistency is airline biggest headache. It is very difficult to retrofit the whole fleet at once, when airline upgrade their hard product. It is then all about managing passengers expectation. Emirates have managed to create that imagine of comfortable business product, but it is only available on their flagship A380s. The J product on their 777 fleet is pretty standard and the 2-3-2 configuration seems now from another era, whereas most airlines now are adopting the 1 x 2 x 1 configuration.
    Thanks again, I had pleasure reading your report, although it is a little long :-)
    • Comment 317691 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Well done, this is a very comprehensive FR, and I do like the details given about the flight path.
      Thank you for the compliments! I enjoy recalling the flight path whenever I write a flight report too. =P

      Does that seat go fully flat ? Is it angled when flat ?
      Not fully flat actually, as pointed out by Kevin. My mistake in the original version of the report, has since corrected it!

      Product consistency is airline biggest headache. It is very difficult to retrofit the whole fleet at once, when airline upgrade their hard product. It is then all about managing passengers expectation. Emirates have managed to create that imagine of comfortable business product, but it is only available on their flagship A380s. The J product on their 777 fleet is pretty standard and the 2-3-2 configuration seems now from another era, whereas most airlines now are adopting the 1 x 2 x 1 configuration.
      Yeah I agree. But if the airline can fine-tune the service standards provided by their FAs, it may help alleviate the problem of product inconsistency actually. That said, it is never ever easy to manage service standards. To be fair, I must say that Emirates' management probably is trying hard to achieve that. I guess?

      Thanks again, I had pleasure reading your report, although it is a little long :-)
      I am so sorry for the lengthy report...! Thanks a lot of bracing through it! I hope I didn't include too many irrelevant details.
  • Comment 137511 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this extremely well documented report, it took 30 minutes, but I finally made it through it!

    Emirates made my day when they upgraded both my girlfriend and I to Business class on our return flight!
    - Always a great way to start the day :)

    I asked that we be seated together and assured that even if it was going to be in Economy, it’s fine.
    - And they say chivalry is dead. Although, if they declined upgrading you both, it would have been interesting to see who would have taken that J-ticket ;)

    Is there an EK Lounge at MEL? As an op-up you weren't eligible, but just curious.

    On the other hand, many other major airlines from the similar part of the world as Emirates do not seem to be as well prepared when their flights get delayed.
    - EK has had it's fair share of bad reports resulting from aircraft maintenance issues.

    One major disadvantage of being seated on the front row window seats is that our personal screens have to be stowed for takeoff and landing.
    - Yes, bulkhead in J is not really an advantage since most are flat-beds nowadays so seat pitch won't vary much from row-to-row, but the location of IFE in bulkhead seats will vary so it's not a general disadvantage of all bulkhead seats.

    These were the buttons to adjust the seat recline. They were located on the left arm rest and were extremely intuitive to use.
    - Minimalist :)

    but some people may think that Emirates has been overdoing it.
    - I find these cabins to be very gaudy with all the faux-wood accents. That's completely a personal preference and part of the reason I put EK comfortable at the bottom of my list of ME3 carriers, that and the inconsistent products they seem to offer across their fleet (flywunala also pointed out this problem with EK, as well as QR). EY is the only ME3 carrier with a consistent hard-product throughout it's fleet since the new J-cabin is almost the same as the old J-cabin (which is probably not a good thing, but at least it's consistent :) ).

    In many previous Business class Flight Reports that I’ve read, it is common that one of the main focus is always on the meals provided on these flights.
    - That and sleeping, but it's hard to take pictures of sleeping :) I don't really fly for the food, but the catering looks pretty average. The salmon starter looked like the only visually compelling thing offered. The main doesn't look good, I didn't even see prawns in the picture... Also, the offerings are poor, a very standard: beef, chicken, or seafood offering that doesn't really have any exotic products. It looks like catering is taking the hit with EK's cost-cutting measures. A couple of other recent EK J-reports have shared this sentiment.

    because they really can bring you to most major cities in the world.
    - Not NGO ;)

    I am adding on four more photos of the accessories bag distributed on this flight.
    - They do have one of the most complete amenity kits, but still lack a pen!

    You didn't pay for this product, so you really can't complain too much (a bad J experience is still better than a good Y experience). Overall, it sounds like you had a good experience and enjoyed the hard-product (seat, ICE, etc.) so that's what's important. For me, I value service, and it sounds like your FAs were not good, that's what I would have the biggest problem with. It's easier for me to forget a bad meal, than for me to forget a crappy FA.
    • Comment 317692 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Thank you for sharing this extremely well documented report, it took 30 minutes, but I finally made it through it!
      I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks a lot for reading!

      Although, if they declined upgrading you both, it would have been interesting to see who would have taken that J-ticket ;)
      Actually, I was quite surprised that they upgraded me as I was just a Silver member. And I am still a QF Silver member (aiming for Gold this year). I was sure that there must have been higher tier members booked on that B777, but this was actually the second time BOTH OF US got upgraded because of my Silver status.

      Is there an EK Lounge at MEL? As an op-up you weren't eligible, but just curious.
      Yup there is! I am looking forward to try it once I get my QF Gold. =P (http://melbourneairport.com.au/flight-passenger-info/preparing-to-fly/airline-lounges.html)

      Yes, bulkhead in J is not really an advantage since most are flat-beds nowadays so seat pitch won't vary much from row-to-row, but the location of IFE in bulkhead seats will vary so it's not a general disadvantage of all bulkhead seats.
      Thanks for pointing that out!

      I find these cabins to be very gaudy with all the faux-wood accents. That's completely a personal preference and part of the reason I put EK comfortable at the bottom of my list of ME3 carriers, that and the inconsistent products they seem to offer across their fleet (flywunala also pointed out this problem with EK, as well as QR). EY is the only ME3 carrier with a consistent hard-product throughout it's fleet since the new J-cabin is almost the same as the old J-cabin (which is probably not a good thing, but at least it's consistent :) ).
      Yeah, whenever I see news of an airline introducing new premium products, I'd wonder how they will be justifying the further inconsistencies created as a result. Personally, I think CX does have some issues regarding its business class products on medium-haul regional routes, say... SIN-HKG?

      That and sleeping, but it's hard to take pictures of sleeping :) I don't really fly for the food, but the catering looks pretty average. The salmon starter looked like the only visually compelling thing offered. The main doesn't look good, I didn't even see prawns in the picture... Also, the offerings are poor, a very standard: beef, chicken, or seafood offering that doesn't really have any exotic products. It looks like catering is taking the hit with EK's cost-cutting measures. A couple of other recent EK J-reports have shared this sentiment.
      But you always have good photos of the in-flight meals you had!!

      Not NGO ;)
      Oh yah! NGO has Etihad~

      You didn't pay for this product, so you really can't complain too much (a bad J experience is still better than a good Y experience). Overall, it sounds like you had a good experience and enjoyed the hard-product (seat, ICE, etc.) so that's what's important. For me, I value service, and it sounds like your FAs were not good, that's what I would have the biggest problem with. It's easier for me to forget a bad meal, than for me to forget a crappy FA.
      Agreed. I knew that Emirates' FAs do have the ability to provide excellent services, too bad I didn't manage to experience that on this flight. However, I do want to take this opportunity to stress that this sole experience should not be generalised. I am sure many flight reporters here have got excellent experiences on EK's flight in Business class or even Economy class.

      Thanks for your comments!!
  • Comment 137517 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6658 Comments
    A very very detailed report. The new camera takes very nice pictures!

    How lucky to have gotten two operational upgrades. Definitely a nice Christmas present. The cabin looks nice, but the 2-3-2 configuration looks dense.

    Too bad the catering was disappointing. You wouldn't know it from the photos as it looks visually appealing.

    I am actually regretting not testing out the full-flat bed on this flight. -- These seats on EK's 77Ws are actually Angled-flat, not full-flat, though it's close to being full-flat.

    Interesting about the FA looking pissed off for having to repeat her question. I've seen that a few times on different airlines. I know it can be frustrating to FA's to be ignored, but with IFE and noise cancelling headphones etc it is easy not to pay attention to what is going on around you. They just have to understand that. I usually try to be aware and pause my movie and take off my headset if an FA is approaching. You can usually see them making their way towards you taking meal orders. Nevertheless, FA's need to stay professional at all times. Reports on EK seem to show a lot of inconsistency with the crews.

    Thanks for sharing this great report!
    • Comment 317694 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      A very very detailed report. The new camera takes very nice pictures!
      Thank you for your compliments!

      How lucky to have gotten two operational upgrades. Definitely a nice Christmas present. The cabin looks nice, but the 2-3-2 configuration looks dense.
      I was nevertheless very happy with this Christmas present!

      Too bad the catering was disappointing. You wouldn't know it from the photos as it looks visually appealing.
      The appetiser was okay! The mains were the disappointing ones.. =X

      These seats on EK's 77Ws are actually Angled-flat, not full-flat, though it's close to being full-flat.
      Thank you for pointing that out! I have amended the relevant portions in my report.

      Interesting about the FA looking pissed off for having to repeat her question. I've seen that a few times on different airlines. I know it can be frustrating to FA's to be ignored, but with IFE and noise cancelling headphones etc it is easy not to pay attention to what is going on around you. They just have to understand that. I usually try to be aware and pause my movie and take off my headset if an FA is approaching. You can usually see them making their way towards you taking meal orders. Nevertheless, FA's need to stay professional at all times. Reports on EK seem to show a lot of inconsistency with the crews.
      Sincerely hope that EK can work on this aspect, it will probably make EK much better.

      Thanks for sharing this great report!
      You are welcomed!! (:
  • Comment 137521 by
    airtraveladdict 117 Comments
    Thanks for a very detailed report and congratulations on your upgrade!

    Even with the upgraded ticket, it is good to read a unbiased report :) Not that I don't mind reading reports about good services but every EK trip review I read, particularly in the travel magazines and newpspapers (because the airline fly the journalist for free) its like fanboys or fangirls write them oh lalala I love this I love that and then you get onboard and you are like... WTH...

    EK's fleet is inconsistent, the 77W angled bed and the 300ER and A380 are flat bed? I would hate to be paying the fare and flying on 77W. The 77W ticket price is not any cheaper than 300ER or A380, so if I was a fare paying passenger, I would check the flight number to make sure I get the full bed or A380 which has that nice bar :)

    Maybe EK should change their Melbourne catering company... because that food looks very bland.

    Hmm I think the juice they serve in business taste better because its from a glass? lol Actually I've never checked. Some airlines say its freshly squeezed but... I dunno. I think you are right though, it might be a better brand of orange juice they serve, just like better brand alcohol.

    Speaking of alcohol, I think when you fly business, it doesn't matter if you drink or not, but you must at least have champagne to start the flight! :) next time then!

    Anyway EK crew is like EY crew, I find them inconsistent. They go from being Amazing to Meh... Maybe its their training, who knows.
    • Comment 317697 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      To Flywunala: I am happy to be able to contribute to the collections of reports on this website too!
    • Comment 317524 by
      flywunala 155 Comments
      Completely concur about your comments regarding professional flight reporters. Their experience is always fabulous... This is why Flight-Report is such a reliable source of information. Actually Flight-Report is the only reliable reference....
      I particularly enjoy the not so frequent travelers relating their flight experience with candid eyes (This comment does not pertain to this very flight-report)
    • Comment 317695 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Thanks for a very detailed report and congratulations on your upgrade!
      Thank you for taking your time to read through my report!

      Even with the upgraded ticket, it is good to read a unbiased report :) Not that I don't mind reading reports about good services but every EK trip review I read, particularly in the travel magazines and newpspapers (because the airline fly the journalist for free) its like fanboys or fangirls write them oh lalala I love this I love that and then you get onboard and you are like... WTH...
      =P

      EK's fleet is inconsistent, the 77W angled bed and the 300ER and A380 are flat bed? I would hate to be paying the fare and flying on 77W. The 77W ticket price is not any cheaper than 300ER or A380, so if I was a fare paying passenger, I would check the flight number to make sure I get the full bed or A380 which has that nice bar :)
      I definitely want to try EK's A380 one day. But I can only afford a ride in Economy, and that's provided I manage to find a reason to fly to Dubai/Europe.

      Maybe EK should change their Melbourne catering company... because that food looks very bland.
      But I don't think they have many choices!

      Hmm I think the juice they serve in business taste better because its from a glass? lol Actually I've never checked. Some airlines say its freshly squeezed but... I dunno. I think you are right though, it might be a better brand of orange juice they serve, just like better brand alcohol.
      It might help asking the FAs, they definitely know! Hehe...

      Speaking of alcohol, I think when you fly business, it doesn't matter if you drink or not, but you must at least have champagne to start the flight! :) next time then!
      I will definitely remember that!

      Anyway EK crew is like EY crew, I find them inconsistent. They go from being Amazing to Meh... Maybe its their training, who knows.
      Agreed~

      Thanks for reading and commenting! (:
  • Comment 137525 by
    eminere™ 271 Comments
    What a fantastic, comprehensive report. Thumbs up!
  • Comment 137607 by
    socalnow 976 Comments
    Thank you for this detailed and thoughtful report. Congrats on the op-up!!!

    I still think the seating is not competitive for business class these days but the seat design itself is very thoughtful with lots of shelves and attention to detail. I'm sure it beat the 10 abreast in the back ;)
    • Comment 317699 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Thank you very much! And yeah, the seat design actually was good and even though the whole cabin was fitted in a 2-3-2 layout, it didn't feel too bad also! Regarding the 10 abreast in the back... Hehe, well I guess I have to be used to that nonetheless. I still have so many more flights in those cabins.
  • Comment 137860 by
    lammified 14 Comments
    Ah, my old milk run...

    When I was based in Melbourne from 2011-2013, getting op-ups on EK was a common thing on EK405, especially during the peak travel periods. I must agree that EK crew are woefully inconsistent in the service standards, and it is not suprising that you felt this way. The menus on the route are rotated, so I've seen this food selection before.

    Anyway, congratulations on a year of flight reports!
    • Comment 317700 by
      tn92 AUTHOR 173 Comments
      Hi there! I definitely remember reading your report about the double upgrade to First class! In fact this is my second time getting an op-up on EK405 too. In the next 1.5 year I will have lots of travel scheduled on EK404/405 because of its competitive pricing and timing, even though I really will prefer to try some new airlines, routes, or just new flights. Hoping for more of such experiences(?!) hahaha. Fingers crossed!

      Thank you for reading and commenting! (:

Login to post a comment.