The Emirates Airline Experience

We are currently in Bangkok, having arrived after a seven and a half hour flight from Malta via Larnaca (Cyprus) to Dubai and 6 hours from Dubai to Bangkok.

This was our first time flying with Emirates Airline, and it was a very pleasant experience. Not only was it the first time with this airline, but it was also our debut on such a big aircraft (airbus A 340-500).

We had 30 J and 30 K seats. All seats have excellent legroom, even for a tall person. Jean appreciated the extra legroom when compared to the aircraft used for shorter destinations within Europe. The only little minus we found in our seat (30 K) next to the window, is the fact that there is a small box beneath the seat in front of us. This box houses the electronics for the in-seat entertainment system. I was sitting in this seat and it didn’t really bother me.

A few rows ahead of us, we came across row 27, which is the one with most legroom. It’s the emergency exit row, so you always get a few extra centimeters of legroom. On the downside however, it is located just behind the toilets, so you have the slight annoyance of people going in and out of the toilets during the flight.

Though we had quite a long flights, it was not that tiring. The comfort of seats makes a difference. We were also very pleased with the entertainment services offered on board Emirates flights. The TV had many channels with movies, tv shows, programmes and cartoons. You can also play video games and listen to music. It’s a really good addition for the passengers who didn’t get their laptops, books etc.

Service was very good, upon boarding you are given a warm moist towel for sanitization – a little thing, but a very pleasant one. The in-flight food service was excellent as well. We had 2 meals, a savoury snack and a dinner. The food was tasty and filling enough.  We could also have any drink: good quality wines, spirits, beers, liqueurs and soft drinks. Only champagne is charged extra.

In Dubai airport we got a voucher for a free meal. You can get it if the transfer time to your next flight is more than 4 hours (we have 8 hours and a half of waiting time).  The meal voucher offers a choice of 6 restaurants of different cuisine. You can use this voucher one time only.

When we booked our flight tickets we had a choice between Egypt Air and Emirates Airlines. We are very glad we chose Emirates. The price was just a little bit higher than of Egypt Air, but the quality of this airline makes it worthwhile!

Which Airlines do you prefer for long distance flights? Let us know about your experience!