After the success of my wonderful trip in April/May I had suffered dreadful withdrawal symptoms on my return home; I simply hadn’t seen enough or done enough, I really needed more time in the wonderful OZ.
When you get to my age, 64, you really have to get on and do these things – apart from anything else, if you don’t there is a good chance that you will not remember what you were thinking about today when tomorrow comes.
As those who read my earlier TRs know I was very impressed with the Emirates product on my last trip. However price is always a factor so it was with some relief I noted that EK had the advantage again. I had been thinking about flying to Sydney but even with EK the J prices, for timings which suited me, were, at the time I booked, higher than heading to Brisbane. I had no intention of paying an extra circa £1000 when a domestic from BNE to SYD can be had for £100. The difference represents a lot of B&Bs never mind delicious OZ cabernet sauvignons.
So the same flight numbers as before. The 20.40 Wednesday EK004 down to Dubai, arriving early Thursday morning, 4 hours in the Business Lounge at DXB ( I opted for the smaller one near gate 122 rather than the main aircraft hangar sized one, more about that later) then the EK434 non-stop to BNE, arriving 6.40 am Friday morning.
So did Emirates deliver?
Oh yes, indeed. And I apologise in advance for any information repeated from my earlier EK TRs.
The courtesy car, available to all F and J passengers, collected me about 4 hours before my flight. I like the Emirates lounge in terminal 3 at Heathrow, the food is excellent and the house fizz is Veuve Clicquot. It might not have the buzz of the VS clubhouse but it is a nice place to be and has great views of the airport.
So I checked in without pain and then settled down in the lounge where I had a delicious mushroom fricassee and did my best to diminish their stocks of the aforementioned Veuve. I boarded the A380 direct from the lounge.
I like the 380s and not just because vintage Veuve is the champagne served. The aircraft in the Emirates fleet are all pretty new so the “fixtures and fittings” all look pretty good and work!! The ICE widescreen entertainment system wins prizes apparently and it is difficult to know how it could be improved upon. And all the EK380s have wifi enabled so David can play!! Once again, I had one of the mini suites (14K) next to a window. The plane was full.
I have read that Emirates onboard service can be a bit variable but I have no complaint to make from either of my OZ trips. I tend to be in smiley mode when coming or going on my adventures so I guess that helps. Basically, keep my glass topped up and I remain in a happy place.
The food has been exceptional on all my flights, I have left not a bit. Those of you who “know” me on Facebook will have seen the pictures, all with the omnipresent glass of Veuve. I do not know whether it is fair to call the food restaurant quality but it is certainly as good as anything I have ever eaten on any plane. In fact, the scallops I had on this flight were better than I have eaten in many restaurants!
So well fed and “watered” (or should that be “fizzed”) and Facebooked out I also managed to get some sleep. In converted mode the seat makes quite a comfy bed. We got into Dubai early, leaving me just over 4 hours until my BNE connection on the EK434.
Apologies if I get the following numbers wrong but EK and the Dubai airport authorities have renumbered all their terminals and gates at the airport between my outbound and inbound flights.
As some know, there is a huge J lounge in Terminal 3 (now called B I think). I don’t like it that much as, although the food is great, the booze high quality and plentiful (vintage Moet in the Bucks Fizz!), it is a tad impersonal and can get very crowded and the wifi can be non-existent.
There is a smaller lounge about a twenty minute walk away in Terminal 1 (now C I think) by gate 122 (now C23). This was much nicer, much smaller and not as crowded, the wifi worked and the food and booze were as before. I spent a couple of hours there. Since my visit this lounge has shut for refurbishment (nothing to do with me, your honour!!) but, as I discovered on my return, there is an even nicer lounge, the Emirates First Lounge, directly opposite. This is available to J passengers.
My gate for the Brisbane flight was originally shown as 228 which meant I did the twenty minute walk back from the lounge only to notice, when I got to the gate, that it had changed to 119, yes indeed, directly by the lounge I had left twenty minutes ago!! Note to self, CHECK in future. Whatever, I am sure that the exercise did me good.
The 14 hour non-stop to Brisbane was on an Emirates 777ER.
Once again the food and drink offerings were excellent and I also managed to get a few hours sleep. My next seat neighbour was an 80 year old travelling down to OZ to spend her annual couple of months with family and charming and interesting she was too.
A couple of hours out of Brisbane breakfast was served and, as is my want, I asked for a glass of champagne. The CC returned and uttered my new most favourite words in the English language, “we have run out of the Moet, might I bring you a bottle of Dom Perignon from First”. “Oh, go on then, if you must” said I. That was quite a special breakfast.....poached eggs on a plane FFS (how do they do that?) accompanied by my own bottle of Dom.
From what I remember (!) we landed in Brisbane early. Immigration and security were a breeze and I was off to start the latest instalment of my Adventure before Dementia well under an hour after landing.
So once again EK delivered. I particularly like the 380s which will soon be appearing on more of the OZ routes. Assuming the price remains competitive I shall use EK again for Part 3 of my adventure in January/February.
Last edited by HWVlover on 11 Oct 2012, 15:39, edited 1 time in total.
