DXB seems a lot busier than the last time I was there two years ago, so the additional space afforded by the new terminal will be welcome once it opens. After negotiating the crowds and purchasing some Duty Free, we went to the Emirates First lounge where we were told that there was an hour delay to our flight due to a late incoming flight from Mumbai. After finding seats in the busy lounge, I took a very welcome shower and changed my clothes.
The Emirates First lounge has a very good array of food all in a buffet style, including a full hot breakfast selection. The Wifi in the lounge was neither free nor very high speed, but it remembered my laptop's account automatically when I re-used it. I tried one of the massage chairs in there which really was pretty wicked, but it's never as good as the real thing.
The flight showed 'Boarding' so we wondered off to the gate where there was a huge queue outside the gate, so we returned to the lounge. Twenty minutes later, it went to 'Final Call'. The queue had died down, although we then had to wait standing up for half an hour in a busy holding area before anybody actually boarded. Once they started boarding, despite indicating that the flight would be boarded in order there was no control at all: it was everyone for themselves, complete chaos.
Once on the jetway, it split into two: First/Business and Economy. At the aeroplane door we were greeted and shown directly to our seats.
On board, this was an old 777-300 with three rows of seats in 2-2-2 configuration. These seats don't recline flat, they're about 160-170 degrees, and although dreading them after being used to flat beds, I found them remarkably comfortable. The seating did make me think I was stepping back ten years! These seats also had privacy hoods that help reduce noise.
After my suit carrier was stored for me, we were offered Dom Perignon, orange juice or water. Of course, I took the Champagne. After this, Arabic coffee and figs were also offered.
We pushed back about 90 minutes late.
There was an American lady I'd noticed in the lounge who was waving to her husband on the tarmac who was the Captain. Onboard, she sat behind me, and started to chat in such a way that the entire cabin could not avoid knowing that the Captain was her husband, and proceeded to tell her unfortunate new travelling companion (and the rest of the cabin) her life story of how she was a flight attendant and how she was now an ex-pat and how her husband now earned the money in the household. Not even the privacy hood plus the noise cancelling headphones would fix the drone. Now I wished I'd brought some earplugs with me.
We were offered slippers and eyeshades, but no amenity kit as this wasn't a night flight.
The IFE on board consists of eight movie channels, eight TV and the sky map, downward and front camera. The IFE is shown on individual traditional 9' screen that ping out of the seat. The safety briefing and the sky map are shown on the main cabin screen. The IFE's not available during takeoff and landing although the front camera is displayed on the main cabin screen on landing.
As well as the IFE, in First and Business you can choose from a selection of forty different video-8 format tapes. These slide into a hole in the side of the seat, and there's a knack to doing it right. The benefit of the tapes is that you have can stop and start your movies as required. There's also an option for your seating companion to watch the movie you're playing. Sounds a bit old fashioned, but it works.
Breakfast was of the continental variety. I had fruit and fresh mint tea, although yoghurt, cereal and cheese were also available. Cutlery was all metal on the segment, including knives, and was full sized cutlery rather than the politically correct tiny metal knives BA are using.
The wine list had changed on this flight but the selection was still superb quality. Thankfully the Dom Perignon '98 remained.
After a couple of movies, a few more Dom Perignon and a short doze, lunch was served. After warm canap_s, starters were served including caviar, the Arabic mezze and roasted Chinese duck. Again I took the caviar.
I missed the soup and salad course and went straight to the main where options were miso glazed salmon, stir-fried beef, chicken piccata and potato gnocchi. While waiting I tried a glass of the 2003 Ch La Loviere Pessac Leognan which was superb - it really kept its full flavoured taste, to be expected from an oak aged semillon saivignon blanc.
I took the stir-fried beef which was pretty tasty and an easy dish to prepare well on board, albeit not very exciting. I tried a Penfolds Bin 389 2002 Cab Shiraz and then switched back to Bordeaux with a 1996 Ch Lynch Bages Pauillac.
Back to desserts that included Pandant Chilli Fondant, Strewberry Rembrandt, and Almond Raspberry Torte) but I was a good boy again and missed that and the cheese and took the selection of fruit and a nice cuppa with some choccies. I managed to polish off a fairly acceptable six glasses of Dom Perignon on this seven hour segment.
On landing at Changi about an hour and a half late, it wasn't clear which door the jetway was going to come to, but the Captain's wife behind me seemed to think she knew everything that the crew didn't. She seemed determined to barge in front of me as she thought that the jetway was going to door A, although it was far from clear at this point. In a further attempt at barging in front she yelped in a demanding manner 'they're going to open that door' pointing to door A. I felt like saying 'Why don't you go and organise the crew for us?' Well shortly after, door B opened, so she had to wait for a couple of rows of business pax to deplane before her. Poor love. A simple 'excuse me, I'd like to go and see my husband' might have worked far better.
After this, Changi lived up to all expectations. Immigration was very close to our arrival gate and clearance was almost immediate. Baggage claim was even closer and came onto the belt just as we arrived. Our driver was waiting for us right outside baggage claim to rush us to our first destination.
The plusses again are the personal attention, the quality and selection of the wines and the food, in particular the caviar. The downsides were the Captain's wife, boarding chaos, no in-seat laptop power and no amenity kit is supplied, although bits and pieces like toothbrushes, toothpaste etc are available in the loos. The seats, although rather dated by today's standards, were much more comfy than I anticipated, and the IFE, although more limited than the newer ICE system was fine for me.
DP Consumption so far this trip: 2 1/6 bottles.
