#1 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
633 reviews
Hello everyone.
Here we are for this journey's final flight. A flight from Dubai, United Arabian Emirates (UAE) to Nice, France aboard EK's flagship, The Airbus A380.
French version:
English version
Previously, after a wonderful flight on EK 317 coming from KIX to DXB, I left you here.
We landed at Concourse B. And from Concourse B to Concourse C, we need approximatively 20 minutes to go.
The transit security passed quickly. We are presently in transit area.
During check-in back in KIX, I asked the check-in agent if I could have an upgrade in Business class only for this route. They answered me they couldn't do it here, so I had to do it during my transit in Dubai.
As I arrived to the connections desk, the agents were busier chatting than working. I turned around and I saw an agent, who was eating sweets but was willing to inform me. As a matter of fact, the upgrade in Business was possible only if I paid the fare difference, which was 2100€. For such a price, I'd rather keep my current seat.
Let's go to the boarding gate.
A stroller stand for family with infants.
DXB airport looks really nice despite renovation works…
We're passing by BA's former lounge and Concourse C Emirates's First and Business Class lounges. Maybe next time for the last one.
This is A6-EUM, our aircraft, getting ready for its flight. I had a few doubts about the aircraft that will bring me back home. Back then, it could have been replaced by another A380.
Pre-boarding started. DXB wants to be a silent airport, there will be no announcement, including the start of the boarding.
BP on my smartphone.
While waiting for the authorization to board, I'm spotting our aircraft's neighbor heading towards Tehran (IKA) Islamic Republic of Iran. a BA's 777 coming from London Heathrow (LHR), Great Britain and a FZ's 737. I'll also meet an old colleague, who, just like me, also did his first flight aboard the A380.
We can now board inside the aircraft. Boarding staff will however strictly control the boarding area. Because I'm seated in front of the main deck in area F, I'll board among the last passengers, which doesn't really matter… We're boarding in a jetbridge with dirty glasses.
Door and playstation moment.
Our aircraft's neighbor in front of us, A6-EWI going to Basra (BSR), Republic of Iraq.
No mistake about it. Although it's still a baby, it travels alone like an adult (UM for Unaccompanied Minor)
the stairs that lead to the upper deck. Maybe next time.
Cockpit shot.
I just sat, I'm already looking for the tail camera, which I admire for the first time (and probably not the last one :D). The screen is very clear and quick reacting, unlike the previous flight.
The pitch. Like the previous flight, the middle seat will remain vacant for the entire flight.
clean test… ok.
The A380's safety card double sided.
View from the cabin, the window and motors 3 and 4 from my seat before we push-back. I'll receive a poor quality headset. I'll pick-up my own once inflight and the seatbelt sign off.
Time to go ! The A380's safety video started first in Arabic and in English. (No French, neither for the safety video, nor the ICE) followed by an ICE announcement.
A330 CX.
Bye bye superjumbo-land. It's incredible to see all those wonderful machines in only one place. Especially QF's. :)
The 100th EK's A380, which one day, replaced ours for the same destination during the year.
Rotate !!
A few views to the outside.
For this flight, we'll have 2 meals.
From UAE to France, EK flies from Dubai to Paris CDG three times a day with its A380, five times a week for Lyon (LYS) in a 777-300ER and finally, Nice daily first in 77W before they pass to the superjumbo the same year. According to the DXB-CDG reviews (all in French), EK doesn't always include the second service in its flights going to the capital city although the distance is longer than ours. Besides, our aircraft was one of the most recent one compared to those that go to Paris back then.
That's why, as I replied to Guillbcn's comment on my previous FR that it's a bit difficult to consider that EK back then, started a "cost-cutting policy".
Meanwhile, I start to watch Cars 3.
Breakfast will be served approximatively 1 hour after take-off. It will be excellent once again. Like the previous flight's meals, cutlery will be in stainless steel and with EK's logo.
Soon after, the cabin crew ordered all passengers in the front to lower their windows, including mine without any explanation. And when I looked behind me, windows were still up !!
Lunch is served while we're flying over Egypt. The chicken on the previous flight wasn't that good. But because I'd rather eat chicken than lamb, I gave chicken a second chance with a tomato juice.
"Potato salad with green beans, Grilled chicken with tomatoes and peppercorn sauce, green beans and mashed potatoes and Chocolate mousse topped with Oreo crumbs".
Cheers !
The lunch was good all in all, but the chicken had too much pepper for me. A hot oshibori will be given after the meal.
If, during the Online Check-In (OLCI) I chose to have a window seat, it's for taking photos and watch from the sky our homeplanet. And when I saw the windows behind me still up, I opened my window. But my neighbor ordered me to lower it down again. Difficult to satisfy my whim and his.
We are now approaching Italian's coasts.
We're approaching our final destination. I hope we'll land in direction of Cannes…
Meanwhile, I tried to take shots from the sky. And It was easier since the crew wasn't around.
Wrong guess! We'll land in the opposite direction which is Ventimiglia's direction. Last moments inflight under a rainy sky. We'll fly above the cap d'Antibes.
Like the AF flight to NRT, the landing will be done with zigzags.
A few aircrafts we can spot in NCE airport.
Our parking, the only one in this airport for such an aircraft as ours.
Last meters.
This picture shows how wide this aircraft is for a regional airport like NCE.
Our neighbors. Another similarity with the flight to NRT, we'll park next to a KLM aircraft.
If Nice Côte d'Azur airport has a special parking for wide-body aircrafts, it only has 2 jetbridges. In our case, one gateway is docked on the 1UL door and the other to 2L door.
Bye bye A6-EUM! You did a great job. I hope we'll fly together once again.
First and Business class passengers can use the fast track to reach borders while economy class passengers must take an escalator on the left.
The Schengen immigration counters started to be very crowded, so I went to the non Schengen immigration counters, where formalities will be done very quickly. I'll receive my suitcase 15 minutes later.
Our flight's replay.
The Akihabara district, the district of trends.
An "owl" café is quite an original idea! Owww :)
The cosplay, unlike carnival in occidental culture, is part of the Japanese's futurist culture. If some people just put their favorite videogame or anime character's clothes, other people go super deep into it! (No banana peels or shells on the road! Sorry…)
Seiki Kuroda's memorial, Seiki Kuroda is a Japanese painter who previously studied law school in France and then became very famous as he moved to art in 1900's Paris universal exhibition. A French street also bears his name in Grez-sur-Loing city where he lived.
The Tokyo Museum. Its name could refer to the British Museum, which is almost a coincidence because, in 1865, Machida Hisanari, the museum's first director, and it's creator, came to visit London and took inspiration by it. A memorial stele at his name is set on the museum's park.
Osaka's Dotonbori District by night, is often very animated with its colorful streets
And that's the end of my trip in Japan. It was wonderful and I shall go back again. I thank you for reading my review and I hope you enjoyed it too. If so, don't forget to leave a like and subscribe. As for me, I'll say bye bye and have safe flights.
To conclude this flight, there are good points and bad points :
Cabin very clean and very well-lit. The aircarft's silence and comfort aboard are very significant. Of course, we were on the front. We could also see the airplane was still recent.
Cabin crew correctly did their job but I didn't appreciate to be forced to lower my window for most of the time especially when I chose a window to watch outside. Besides, I noticed they strolled in the alleys less frequently than in the previous flight.
Entertainment: the offer is slightly richer on A380 than 777. Almost perfect but I'm removing 0.5 point due to no French version.
Meals: all good except the chicken with too much pepper.
DXB: calm airport despite chipyards. For a 2-hour and more connection, we can have a very relaxing transit. However, I had the feeling that I disturbed the connection desk's staff about my upgrade request, which was far too much expensive.
NCE: immigration fast but it took time for the baggage delivery. Having said that, we flew aboard an A380, so I considered that it was okay, especially for a regional airport.
If from Osaka to Nice, this solution is longer than the original flight on AF, (21h versus around 15h), I have no regrets experimenting this airline and more importantly to fly the superjumbo, especially when carriers started to withdraw it from their fleets :(
2 Comments
Actually, I already planned my next trip. Which is soon... :)
I saw your FR about your journey in Japan and Republic of Korea and I hope you enjoyed your stay in Seoul.
Login to post a comment.