I have just booked my third, consecutive long haul ticket with Emirates Airline. After two trips to Bangkok, this time I'm off to Kuala Lumpur with hubby.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the other airlines. On the contrary, I have flown with many excellent airlines including BA, Cathay Pacific, Thai and KLM. However, the main plus point for me with Emirates is the fact that it flies from Birmingham, my local airport, which is only a fifteen minute drive away from home. For someone who loves travelling to the Far East, this is extremely significant. Flying Emirates means no more smelly airport coaches to London (try sitting next to the loo for up to five hours), getting stuck on the M40 and nearly missing a flight and no more huge queues in LHR. Flying Emirates also means the long flight to Asia is broken after seven or so hours in Dubai, which surely has the most glittery airport in the world. This gives me a good chance to stretch the old legs, some retail therapy and trying out the local
McDonald's specialities - McArab Burger anyone? Although the stopover in Dubai does mean the total journey time is lengthened by some three hours, a bit of a downside on the return journey when all you want to do is get home, it does mean you get a nice clean plane to sit in for the second leg.
So Emirates is convenient for regional travellers (they fly from Manchester, London and recently Glasgow, I believe). What about all the other important things travellers expect from an airline? Well, they haven't disappointed me yet in my six trips with them - let's see...
Comfort and general environment - this is an important factor if travelling for any significant amount of time. I usually fly economy class and find the seating as comfortable as you can expect in "steerage". Blankets (pale yellow, a bit synthetic and static-y) and mini-pillows (clearly for people with mini-heads) are provided but I prefer to bring a fleece with me. Emirates have been flying since 1985 so it's no surprise that some planes in the fleet are a bit old with dated decor and creaky seats. However, it has recently announced plans to update the fleet with new super-duper double-decker Airbuses. When it comes to safety, I feel completely safe as Emirates has not had one "fatal passenger event" since it started operation.
Service - checking in at BHX is pain free as there are rarely big queues. I tend to get a cab to the airport and start my holiday with some magazines and a muffin from Starbucks. As for service on the plane, Emirates has won numerous awards and it's easy to see why. The crew are always helpful and friendly. The entertainment system on-board (films, documentaries, comedy and music in multiple languages) reduces boredom. Emirates was one of the first airlines to provide individual screens with multiple channels although most other airlines have caught up now. There is always a good choice of movies to watch but I always end up watching those "chickflicks" I missed in the cinema due my other half's refusal to see them (Britney's Crossroads and Maid in Manhattan are too examples!) One good tip to ensure a better choice of films is to say fly out at the end of April and return in May as the choice changes monthly. I also have to mention the interactive games that you can play with other passengers - the last time I flew, I battled hard to come top in the general knowledge quiz. This helps immensely in whiling away the hours and allows you to make friends/enemies with other passengers. For those plane-spotters amongst you, there are cameras mounted outside of the aircraft and the view (usually clouds or ground control!) can be seen on the screen too. The view when we landed in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was fantastic! One negative point is that on older aircraft, some screens don't work properly and the sound quality from the headsets can be variable
Punctuality - this has never been a problem for me. If there is a delay with take off, the time is usually made up during the journey. One of my flights landed an hour late in BHX but I think that is just about acceptable. Besides, I am used to travelling on Virgin Trains so an hour is nothing!
Food - I am not a fan of airline food but Emirates grub is definitely above average. There is a full bar (no champagne though) and the crew come round fairly regularly. The food seems to reflect where the flight is going to (usually oriental food in my case) but can be quite varied. The flight from BHX to Dubai is my favourite as they don't stop feeding you - for a seven hour flight, there is a main meal, several drinks rounds, Loseley ice cream (a bit random but yummy) and tea and cakes before landing!
Skywards - I am a member of the frequent flyer programme and have just collected enough points for a one way upgrade. I can't really comment on whether it is a good scheme as I haven't flown enough to enjoy many benefits. However, I think it can't hurt to join these programmes.
Dubai airport - shiny, awash with gold, rolexes and sport cars (which you can win if you buy a $100 draw ticket), exotic toilet signs, what else can I say? You can pay for things in sterling so there is no need to change money. Exciting the first time, a bit dull after numerous trips! Bring a book for waiting in transit.
Costs - Emirates is not the cheapest airline. There are cheaper ways to fly, especially from London airports. That said, there are still bargains to be had if you are lucky enough to catch them. I typically pay £500-550 for a ticket to Asia in the summer. However, my KL ticket cost £426 which is pretty good! You can book online too although fares tend to be more expensive but you can collect extra Skyward points. I prefer to use online travel agencies and shop around as prices do vary. For example, my flight cost the same on Opodo and Expedia but Opodo charges an extra £15-ish (on 2 tickets) for credit card payments.
Business class - I was lucky enough to be upgraded once from Colombo to Birmingham. Not sure why - just lucky I guess. It was great! Much bigger seats, choice of videos which they bring to you on a tray, Godiva chocolates, champagne, Cognac, proper cutlery and crockery, priority luggage... if I had the money, I would travel this way all the time. But I don't. Unfortunately.
One way to get lots of space without paying for it is to travel when there is a health scare! Last year, I flew to Bangkok in the middle of the SARS epidemic (after cancelling my trip to Hong Kong). The flight was 20% full and I had three seats to myself. That's better than business class!
Last word - I find long haul air travel an necessary pain if you want to get to exotic parts of the world. Flying with Emirates definitely eases it.
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Brilliant review! Your are right about the airport. A bit corny really. I always try to fly emirates, but unfortunately flying KLM. I much prefer emirates. Anyway couldnt have described it better, so heres an E! Rating. And, oh, Welcome to my COT. Ant
Elem3ntal 30.04.2004 12:34
Having flown with emirates on many occasions i found her review to be entirely accurate and if i hadnt allready flown with them i would know exactly what to expect
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Advantages: Award winning Airline of 2001, efficient service, excellent in-flight entertainment with live on-board cameras showing front views, comfortable flight, plenty of Emirates stop-over offers Disadvantages: none really…hope it expands its fleet faster and adds the US sector sooner!
Connoisseur_Haggler 18.01.2002 (25.01.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Emirates Airlines - UAE
Apr 23rd, 2004
exceptional by (11%):
very helpful by (89%):
