THE flight: Emirates’ inaugural A380-800 flight EK001 from Dubai to London Heathrow on December 1, 2008. Flight departure was at 07.45 (Dubai time) arriving in LHR at 11.35 local time. There were 27 crew on board.
The check-in: With six self-service check-ins for passengers with one bag and 15 normal blue-carpeted check-in desks – just for business class – in Emirates’ new dedicated terminal, check-in was always going to be a breeze, and so it was. Immediate, efficient and friendly.
The lounge: It may or may not be the largest business class lounge in the world, but, either way, it is huge. There's lots of individual seating – some 1,500 seats – and eating areas. No fewer than eight staff were at the lounge check-in.
The boarding process: The new terminal in Dubai allows two-tier boarding with the upper level dedicated for first and business class. It was a short walk from the lounge to the gate, and another through the 14-seat first class cabin – and a peak at the two 'shower spas' for first class passengers’ sole use – which took me into the bright and spacious 76-seat business cabin. My 17B window pod was set slightly away from the window to allow space for the seat in front.
The seat: Business class is configured 1x2x1. Seats have a pitch of 39 or 48 inches which extend to 70- and 79-inch fully-flat beds respectively. Housed in a pod, built-in amenities include non-alcoholic mini-bar, large table, separate electrically-operated foot-rest extension, laptop stowage, dual USB ports and noise cancellation headsets. There’s a 17-inch LCD screen linked to Emirates’ award-winning ICE inflight entertainment system which includes more than 1,100 channels covering audio, TV, movies and games, plus SMS messaging and e-mail facilities, updated BBC news, personal picture viewing and inflight phone. Three exterior cameras also allow the flight to be tracked.
The service: Given the crew were adapting to a seven-hour flight rather than the 12-hour New York routing, service was superb – both efficient and cheerful – with the main crew member introducing himself by name. Juice or champagne was offered immediately after boarding and this was followed by hot towels, breakfast and a lunch (with three choices per course).
The arrival: On time at 11.35. Exactly 35 minutes later I was boarding the Under-ground from Heathrow, having got to the baggage carousel to find luggage already going round.
The verdict: Outstanding. The A380 is genuinely quieter than other aircraft, certainly on the upper deck, and apparently, has an environmental edge too. The new aircraft’s spacious and bright interior is bound to attract many passengers to the lunchtime departure from Heathrow. Emirates is not charging a premium for flights on the A380.
The details: Emirates flies five times daily from Heathrow, plus three times daily from London Gatwick, twice-daily from Manchester and Birmingham, and once daily from Glasgow and Newcastle. Business class fares are from £2,655 (first class from £3,652 and economy from £530). See www.emirates.com/uk Alan Orbell
