This flight, which was just about 13 hours, was operated by an Airbus-A380-800, Emirates’ signature aircraft. Before boarding, I had a stay in Dubai airport, which was magnificent, with seemingly endless shopping and food availability.
Comfort: The seat came with a generous recline and good legroom. A pillow and blanket were provided, as was a face mask( which was also offered towards the end of the flight for freshness), and a tube of sanitizer. Amenity kits were also given on the longer flight, which contained a toothbrush/paste kit, socks, an eyeshade, and a bookmark. With both full meals, packaged refreshing napkins were given, while hot towels were distributed shortly before the pre-landing light meal. Individually-packaged sanitary wipes could also be found in the amenity drawer in the lavatory.
Food: Three services took place in total, including full breakfasts and lunches, followed by a light meal before landing. For breakfast, which commenced shortly after takeoff from Dubai, many items were given to accompany the main course, including fresh fruit, a tasty Mango/Coconut mousse, and bread (croissant/Raisin Brioche). The main course that I chose was a South Indian-style Upma dish, served with a tasty sambar and soft idlis. For lunch, the starter was a pasta salad, the main course was a tasty vegetable kofta dish, served alongside rice and North Indian-style tomato sauce, and the dessert was a very good chocolate-cherry mousse, which the FA gladly offered to bring another of. Alongside the meal, a bun and cheese and crackers were served. Before landing, mini vegetarian pizzas were distributed, which proved good for a light meal. Along with all services, and constantly throughout the flight, drinks, both hot and cold, were offered, while chocolates were available between mealtimes. I should note that, in all meals, the cutlery was real, which added another touch to the service.
Entertainment: The entertainment on this flight was through Emirates’ ICE entertainment system, one of the best in the world, filled with movies from all corners of the world and of all genres, television shows of a similar reach, music and audio, detailed information about Dubai, games, and a top-notch interactive route map. Live TV was also available and had a selection of international news channels. However, an even larger array of television shows were offered on this long flight, in addition to inflight external cameras and other perks of the longer flight. Noise-reducing headphones were also provided, which certainly elevated the experience.
Crew: The crew on this flight was again, extraordinary, especially Kristi, who was the FA that served my cabin. Again, she was eager to make conversation throughout the flight, brought us snacks and extra desserts before we could even ask, and offered us the unique Emirates polaroid service at the end of the flight. I don’t know how they do it, but Emirates manages to have the best flight attendants…
*Note: JFK airport is suboptimal for international-domestic transfers, because of how much of a process it is to re-check your bags, which sometimes don't even make it onto your next flight, and how much you have to walk/ride to get from the international to domestic terminals.
