This trip was booked late, partly because we had aimed to combine it with a visit to the company's offices in Delhi as well, however my colleague's India visa took too long to process (now the consulate has outsourced it) and with my looming holiday to California on Saturday time got compressed, Manila was more important, so that's what we booked.
There are a number of ways to reach Manila, Singapore Airlines would have been more appropriate for a V-Flyer, but their flights from MNL back to SIA on Thursday and Friday were full, Cathay Pacific another option although I loathe their business class, but again flights were full. So with notice of one week it was Emirates. When I realised I could do this with flying the EK1/2 LHR-DXB on the A380 I knew that was the one! Of note is that BA used to fly to Manila direct I think (?), certainly, at the international terminal there's still a sign for the BA lounge! I believe the ubiquitous LH and KLM and Air France have flights to Manila, so another one that our world's former favourite airline has dropped.
So, back to Emirates. I hadn't flown with EK since a trip to Hyderabad last year - my Skywards status has slipped to Silver as a result and I was interested to see how they were doing. First up, the Tristar car arrived on time. EK business and first passengers all get the chuaffeur car service although with no private ramp at T3 you get dropped off in the general unloading area. EK use the poky old areas of T3 for check in, but that was smooth and quickly I was up to the lounge - which for EK is between gates 7 and 9, up one floor from departures and has fantastic floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gates of the new wing and the south runway. EK also board directly from this lounge, which is great.
Consequently, you can see some good views of your waiting A380, such as these:
Our Airbus, being cleaned, loaded and fuelled
Our A380 with a VS346 behind it - simply huge!
Another view of the A380 at the gate - what you get a glimpse of here is the massive curve of the wing
EK's lounge is pretty standard for them, clean, bright and comfortable with a good food and drink self service selection, aka no patch on the clubhouse but still pretty good. I was booked in business class but chanced on arrival a miles upgrade to first and therefore the suites! This came through just before boarding, so with new red BP and suite 3F to look forward to I traipsed on to the top deck with a smile on my face.
On EK the top deck is all first and business, with a lounge / bar at the back. First impressions consolidate the size of the airplane, just ginormous! Secondly the newness, quality and fit of everything. Here's a quick look at the layout of the first class cabin, which you can't really see with the suite doors intruding:
And one of the suite TV screen (digital widescreen and very good) and amenties:
You get a drawer with stationery, another with cosmetics, a mini bar, a bowl of fruit, chocolates etc. - there's a mini wardrobe for jackets, acres of storage for bags and you are provided with pyjamas, socks, slippers and a very good amenity kits but full of Bulgari scent which I dislike. They even give you a hessian bag to cart it all off with!
The seat itself is huge and supremely comfortable.
ICE (information, communication and entertainment system) on EK is fantastic, the options staggering and I watched The Quantam of Solace, Bride Wars, Vicky Christina Barcelona and A Life Less Ordinary on this outbound journey (both legs) on the very high quality screen. ICE also allows you to view the forward, downward and tail mounted cameras. I like the tail cam mostly, here we are at the end of the Heathrow runway (see how big the plane is!!!):
And another just after take off roll:
Take off itself is astounding, the noise levels are so low yet you feel the mighty thrust and momentum of the plane building up. The take off roll seems short, perhaps because of the size of the plane and it climbs quickly and smoothly. Very impressive [y].
So, in flight and the service starts, in first it's basically anything, anytime, anyhow. The pre-take-off Henriot champagne was replaced with Dom Perignon 2000, very acceptable, but when the wine list was handed out I knew I was in for a few treats:
Pouilly Fume - Baron de la Douchette 2003: a beautiful grand cuvee from an excellent year
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay - 2005: one of my favourite Napa chardonnays
Chateau Gruaud Larose - St Julien 1989: perhaps over the peak of its maturity, but still very good, I gave it 7/10 but only after it had opened up and my tasting notes gave it characteristic St Julien cedary, blackcurranty flavours
Silverado Vineyards Merlot - 2004: just yummy but it started closed and grew on me through the flight though still very fruity and perhaps too young
Le Cheval Fou - Hermitage 2006: a new one to me and what a superstar, I gave it 8.5/10, it was utterly lovely, earthy with liquorice and violet flavours - everytime I picked up the glass the aromas where superb!
I discovered Tapanappa on an EK flight in first, and now have discovered another so a message to Wayne (Wines of the World, Clapham if anyone needs a good merchant in this part of town) to hunt some down for me [:w].
Tasting the wines was my undoing on this flight:
Well, someone had to [:X].
And with all this liquid a trip to the lav. was necessary, here are two views because it's so spacious and yes, in the second, that is a view of the shower (not tested by me!):
Well, all that wine made the trip shorted than it might have been (cue slumped, dribbling, forget the time lump of a slinky for a little while!) and we were landing in Dubai for a two hour wait for the next flight to Manila all too soon. My summary of this was:
- incredibly impressive plane, just superb and I do wish VS gets some (but fear not), so glad I've know flown on it
- first suite and amenities, food and drink all excellent and if anything a tad too much
- crew, overall great with a few niggles (the pursur was not that familiar with how things operated for example)
- lounges, OK at LHR but the new business lounge in DXB is awful and like a bus station
The next leg to Manila was on a two class 777-300ER, not a patch of course but for the 8 1/2 hr flight I slept for 6 of them, so it can't have been too bad. The food was terrible however. I'll do a separate post on the return from DXB-LHR in business on the A380, my seat was great, but there are variations in J on this aircraft so it pays to pick wisely.
Hope you enjoyed this and the pics?
There's a plane at JFK, to fly you back from far away
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
