An Emirates A380-800. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Stephanie Holmes flies Emirates EK006 London Heathrow to Dubai.
Plane: A380-800
Class: Business Class.
Price: Auckland to London return, in Business Class starts from $7439. Economy Class starts at $1709.
Luggage: Business Class passengers can take up to 40kg of checked luggage.
Check-in: Almost too easy. I used the Emirates smartphone app, dropped off my bag at the dedicated Business Class check-in desk at London Heathrow, then breezed through security. At Heathrow's Terminal 3, you no longer scan your passport, only your boarding pass, which made me feel I was forgetting to do something.
Airport experience: London Heathrow was surprisingly great. An easy Tube ride on the Picadilly Line to get there. No queues, quick processing through security, and great shops to browse. Emirates' Business Class lounge conveniently has direct access to a number of gates. So I could drink an aperitif, nibble some canapes and relax, then walk approximately 50 steps to board the plane.
Flight time: Six hours 30 minutes.
On time: Departing, yes. But at Dubai we sat on the tarmac for about 45 minutes waiting for a gate to become available. This delay added stress to an already tight connection.
Seat: 19D, a Business Class suite which turns into a comfortable lie-flat bed. There's a mini-bar stocked with water and soft drinks, a wide-screen TV, plus a touch-screen tablet. Luxurious.
Service: Excellent. The impeccably groomed crew were from 16 countries and spoke 14 languages.
How full: The Business Class cabin was mostly full.
Entertainment: Emirates' ICE system, with 2500 channels to choose from. It was a 10.30pm departure, but I was flying all the way back to NZ, so tried to stay awake as long as possible in order to adjust to my home time zone. I failed miserably ... the lie-flat bed is just too good to waste.
Food and drink: Delicious. After take off, I had a dinner of smoked salmon with beetroot, labneh and mustard dressing, followed by chicken with roasted yellow pepper sauce, blanched carrots, broccoli and steamed potatoes. The wine selection was great. Before take-off, I knocked back a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, then with dinner I thoroughly enjoyed a Napa Valley Kapcsandy Endre 2010 from a winery that has on multiple occasions received a perfect 100 points from critic Robert Parker. Fellow passengers: Mostly business people travelling back to Dubai for work.
Toilets: Always well stocked, clean and tidy.
Would I fly again: Of course, it was a great flight experience.
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