Airline Review: Dubai to London on Emirates
DXB-LHR Emirates #1; Boeing 777-300ER Business Class (3 class configuration)
April 2008; depart 7:45am arrive 12:45pm
Duration 7hrs 30minutes (3 hour time gain)

*Dubai airport is chaotic *Hope you like lines *Emirates IS all that it’s cracked up to be

BEFORE
The only way I can describe the Dubai airport is: a zoo without the cages. I started by trying to enter the Emirates business class lounge (there is a separate lounge for first class) where I found a line out the door, even though there were 5 attendants at the desk checking passes. Upon entering, I saw people sprawled out everywhere, some occupying up to as many as four chairs to form a makeshift bed for sleeping; in fact 50% of the people were sleeping. I walked all around the lounge, almost getting caught in a stampede that was headed to the enormous spread of food, but the food was hardly accessible because of the crowd. I walked up to an attendant and asked if there had been major flight delays or cancellations, to which she replied no and she inquired why I had asked. I let her know, as politely as I could, that there was not a seat to be had, at which point she expressed her desire to start waking some of the passengers up. As I stood in awe of the utter chaos, the lounge attendant told me she had found me a seat (next to a Mom and her there toddlers) and if I did not like the seat, to try the other Emirates Business Class lounge at the opposite end of the terminal (at gate 22) which was larger than the one we were in (even though the one we were in was as big I had ever seen). Knowing the crowd for food was too dangerous for my liking and without a place to sit, I grabbed a bottle of water and was on my way to the other lounge. The other lounge was incrementally better, due to the additional space in the 2nd floor smoking section, and I was able to wash my face and change my shirt. This lounge offered all the same amenities, but was just as crowded. I headed to general population to have a look around and wait for my flight. I passed the Emirates First class lounge which appeared orderly and not nearly as crowded.If you have more than a four hour layover in Dubai (which, thankfully, I did not) Emirates issues you a voucher for a complimentary meal in a sit down restaurant; I believe the restaurant is dedicated to this meal service-quite a nice gesture indeed. I had forgotten about this service, until I saw (you guessed it) a giant line at the hostess stand. As I approached the gate, I realized the main source of chaos at the Dubai airport; the gate areas do not open until 1 hour before the flight, which is fine, except foe the fact that all the seating is in the gate area!!!! Hence, all the people laying and sitting on the floors all over the terminal. When the gate areas do open, a giant line is formed (no separate line for business or 1st class) and attendants check passports and boarding passes. I asked the gate attendant if there was a separate line for business class, he said no and suggest that I go sit in the Emirates business Class lounge until it was closer to boarding time. Not a chance!Business and 1st class passengers enjoyed priority boarding after a second check of boarding passes. I may have been the first one on the plane in an effort to escape the zoo that was the Dubai airport.

DURING
When I boarded the plane, I knew all the chaos I endured was well worth it. If cabin interiors are your hot button; book a trip on an Emirates 777 immediately. I would be surprised if there is a better business class. The plane’s interior was immaculate and the 2-3-2 pod seat configuration allowed passengers to enjoy their space because the seats in front of you do not move towards you when someone reclines. The entertainment system was most impressive, with a jumbo flat screen television and touch screen remote. One could spend two days on this plane and not experience all of the movies, video games and music offered. All one had to do was pick their favorite artist and a whole library of the artist’s music came up. You could even create your own play lists. Early in the flight, my entertainment system stopped working, but the attendant graciously reset it and it was working within 10 minutes. Passengers in business class were served a light breakfast of yogurt, fruit, pastries and rolls. After a nap, the flight attendant had no problem serving me lunch, even though the actual lunch service was winding down. The fist course was a choice of Arabic mezze or grilled scallops followed by a salad. For the main course, I had a choice of seafood ragout, chicken mughlai (chicken in a creamy spicy sauce), grilled lamb cutlet or turkey escalope. I chose the chicken and was quite pleased; flavorful, juicy and filling.

AFTER
Customs at Heathrow was seamless, although a long walk and lots of turns, all one needs to do is just follow the signs. Emirates provided me with a “fast track” pass which allows you to use the fast track lane at customs, however, there was not much of a line in the regular lane anyway. Most of the hotels have shuttles running to/from the airport which cost 4pounds; be sure to exchange your money inside the airport.

FINAL THOUGHT
Despite the over crowding at the Emirates lounges in Dubai, Emirates provides an exceptional business class product that I will definitely use again.

HKG-DXB Emirates #381 Airbus A330-200Business Class (3 class configuration)
April 2008; depart 12:35am – arrive 5:20am
Duration: 8hrs 45min (4 hour time gain)

*get your vaccinations *Emirates has old planes too *lowest fare available

BEFORE
Terminal 2 at Hong Kong’s airport is immaculate and modern with plenty of space to spread out. In addition, it was not terribly crowded at 7 in the evening. As I entered the Emirates business class lounge, both attendants stood up from the desk to greet me. Most of the lounges in this terminal are suspended above the 1st floor, enabling passengers an open air view of the inside of Terminal 2, while seated at the lounge. It appeared as though this lounge was brand new; even the bathrooms (very small) were spotless and had their own attendant. One of the lounge attendants graciously added my United Airlines frequent flier number to my itinerary (I could have used Continental also) in order to earn the miles with United. The first thing that caught my eye was the spread of food and drinks; everything you could possibly want or expect was available: a variety of cheeses (labeled accordingly). several types of breads, nuts, figs, olives, hummus and traditional, hot middle eastern cuisine. Beer, liquor and champagne were self service and plentiful. Unfortunately, I happened to be in the bathroom with one of the kitchen attendants who merely splashed some water on his hands after using the restroom, before returning to service! It was then that I recalled that my hepatitis vaccinations were up to date and I was damn glad they were!

DURING
The first thing I noticed is how old this Airbus was, but I have seen worse. The business class cabin is in a 2-3-2 configuration and the seats have a ton of legroom and plenty of recline, but not completely flat. The personal video screens are in the seat back in front of you, which puts the TV at your knees when the person in front of you is reclined; in one instance, my feet got crushed because the guy in front of me reclined and I was in full recline position. Aside from this issue, the seats are very comfortable, given their age. The entertainment was streaming (as opposed to on-demand) and the entertainment guide did not correspond to the channels on the TV, so it was any body’s guess as to what was available for viewing. In addition, the music channels were nothing short of terrible; it seemed the only choices were sound effects, classical and some form of music in Arabic (which sounded more like chanting). I found the cameras mounted on the front and bottom of the plane and then projected to our personal televisions, to be the most entertaining channels (and it was dark for 90% of the flight!) The cabin crew were friendly and courteous, always approaching passengers with a smile. After warm, gourmet nuts were distributed, the flight attendants wheeled around a cart with open faced sandwiches; choices included beef pastrami, curried shrimp and duck. I passed on the shrimp, but the duck and pastrami were of the finest quality. About two hours before landing, his and hers amenity kits were distributed. A leather case with a zipper contained razors, shaving cream Bvlgari skin products, kleenex, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, comb and brush. I headed to the bathroom to utilize my new toiletries and found more lotions and cloth towels there; an unexpected touch. Breakfast (served with a fresh flower) consisted of yogurt, fresh fruit, rolls and croissants. In addition, a choice of mushroom omelet with veal sausage (it looked just like a hot dog), Chinese rice with white fish, prawns and scallops or Chinese noodles with chili sauce. I opted for the omelet which was quite satisfying.

AFTER
All connecting passengers in Dubai are required to pass through a security screening area on the level above departures. The problem was that this process was somewhat a of a free for all, in fact “process” is probably too generous of a description. It was just a bunch of people trying to squeeze through 3 metal detectors without much direction or control from the security personnel. Leave plenty of time to attend this circus.
FINAL THOUGHT
This particular plane’s older interior is not the product that Emirates is famous for, however the service was still impressive, the seats very comfortable and although the entertainment system needs an upgrade, the food was delectable.

LHR-JFK Delta #4; Boeing 767-300ERBusiness Elite Class (2 class configuration)
April 2008; Departs 8:30am – Arrives 11:45 amDuration: 7hrs 45 minutes (5 hour time gain)

*not your domestic Delta*limited entertainment*good food, clean plane, attentive service

BEFORE
“Hotel Hoppa” buses run to/from all terminals to/from the airport hotels, EXCEPT terminal 4, for a fee of 4 pounds. If you want to get to Terminal 4 take a cab or leave yourself extra time to transfer from another terminal. Terminal 4 at Heathrow is under massive construction; so much so, that I debated whether there was actually a terminal there. Upon entering the sliding doors, my internal debate was settled. Security at London’s Heathrow, Terminal 4, does not open until 5:30am, but if you get there before 5:30am (I arrived at 4:30) there is a coffee shop open that has fresh pastries and plenty of seating. Security was a breeze with plenty of lanes open and not much of a crowd. A Delta Business Elite boarding pass gets you entry into “Holideck”, a 3 story lounge shared by the major airlines in Terminal 4 (British Airways has their own lounge). The 1st and 2nd floors are divided into sections depending on how loud (or quiet) you want to be. Both floors have coffee, water, beer, wine (champagne is available for purchase) and a wide variety cookies, crackers, chips and cheeses. In addition, Play station consoles can be found against a wall on the 1st floor. The 3rd floor is an all glass observation deck that provides a spectacular view looking out over the airfield. I fully expected Delta to bring their “A” game on this ultra-competitive route; it is a new route for Delta, brought on by the US-EU Open Skies agreement.

DURING
Business Elite fliers enjoy priority boarding and when I entered the plane, I knew Delta had come to compete at Heathrow. The 2-2-2 business class configuration was very clean with an over sized pillow and over sized, down blanket at each seat. The seats were comfy with plenty of leg room and recline and although not completely lie flat, they did not stop me from catching 90 minutes of shut eye. The seats also have a personal AC outlet for a laptop or I pod. Be aware, however, that when the passenger in front of you reclines it does take away from your space and can be tricky trying to get out of your seat to use the bathroom. At each seat there was an amenity kit containing various hygiene products as well as socks and an eye mask. Champagne, mimosas, water and orange juice were offered upon seating. Breakfast menus were handed out and orders take before take off. There was a choice of bagel with smoked salmon or fresh fruit and yogurt; impressive in itself, but these were only the starters. The main course was a choice of a torta with bangers, grilled fillet of beef with an omelet, roasted chicken or penne pasta in vegetable bolognese. The bagel was stale (my guess is that there are not many bagel shops in London) but the salmon was fresh and excellent. The fillet was impressive and the eggs were real. The meal left me impressed and satisfied. Equally impressive was the attentive service, particularly the fact that no flight attendant let my water (or cocktail) go empty. The entertainment system pulls out of the center console and the screen is a bit small. The movie and music choices were few, however, the saving grace is that the noise canceling headphones (provided before take off) worked well and many HBO shows (The Sopranos) and specials (stand up comedians) were available on demand.The second meal service was a choice of hamburger or chicken cesar salad. The salad was presented perfectly and although there was not an ounce of fat on the chicken, the cesar dressing did come in a sealed plastic cup as an individual portion. Following the meal, warm chocolate chip cookies were distributed.

AFTER
Customs at Delta’s JFK terminal was a breeze, despite the fact that the terminal is under construction (I had to walk outside and come back in another door to use the restroom) The security check point for any connecting flights was closed (even there were two TSA agents there telling me this) and I had to go upstairs and back through regular security to get to my gate.On a side note, Delta’s Business Elite lounges are closed until the afternoon in terminal 3 (I was there at 1pm and they were still closed); only the Crown Rooms are open. One exception, the combination Business Elite/Crown Room lounge in terminal 2 across from gate 26.An American Express Platinum Card or Crown Room Club Membership, gets you into Crown Rooms only (including this combo lounge) but NOT Business Elite lounges.

FINAL THOUGHT
Don’t assume Delta’s Business Elite International product is similar to its Domestic First Class-its a whole diffirent ball game…..

NRT-HKG Cathay Pacific #549; Airbus A330-300Business Class (2 class configuration)
April 2008; depart 3:55pm arrive 7:45pm
Duration: 4hrs 50min (1 hour time gain)
*plenty to see and do at Narita *great service *dated plane

BEFORE
I arrived at Narita airport (Terminal 2) 5 hours before my flight, thinking I could kill some time in an airline lounge. Much to my dismay, the security guard at Cathay Pacific’s ticketing desk (there is a security guard in front of each airline’s desk) informed me that I could not approach the desk until 1pm; about 3 hours before my flight. On the 4th floor of Narita’s Terminal 2, before security, there are many retail shops and restaurants; reminiscent of some type of bazaar, as there are so many and they all seemed to be bustling. I spent 45 minuted at “La Vista” restaurant, where many airline and airport employees were dining, so I assumed it had some redeeming qualities, however I simply had two Asahis at the bar, served in frosted, glass mugs, none the less… After passing through a passport check and security, I proceeded to the Cathay Pacific 1st and Business Class lounge, accessed by elevator. There was nothing special here, but there was plenty of space and the lounge was clean and well-appointed. The staff were quite gracious and roamed around attending to needs. There were several desktop computers and printers available for use, free of charge.

DURING
This Airbus had a 2-2-2 seating configuration and the staff were pleasant as could be, despite a very dated plane. I found the plane’s decor to be old and worn out. The seats had a slight recline with a foot rest and adjustable head rest. Shortly after take off, menus were passed out with a choice of 4 appetizers and 2 entrées, however, only the drink and entrée orders were taken. As it turned out, passengers in business class were served a small portion of all the appetizers from the menu on one plate; quite a tasty treat of chilled steak, Asian noodles, a crab claw and some raw fish. The fillet entrée was as much as could be expected on an airplane, cooked at a perfect “medium rare”, a little less that I desired; delicious none-the-less. There was plenty of streaming (as opposed to on-demand) entertainment, but my monitor that pulled out of the arm rest was not 100%, grainy picture with occasional lines running through it.All in, Cathay provided outstanding service, delicious food, but, on a dated plane with worn out seats.

AFTER
Upon arrival in Hong Kong, I anticipated a long line at customs, but much to my surprise, there was a “transfer desk” in front of our arrival area and they issued me a boarding pass for my next flight. I did have to pass through security again (this only took 5 minutes) and then take an escalator to the departure concourse. This was all a very orderly and seamless process.

FINAL THOUGHT
My sense is, that because this is a shorter route for Cathay Pacific, older planes are used. The service was still excellent and I would not hesitate to fly with them again.

LAX-NRT Singapore Airlines #11; Boeing 747-400Business Class

(3 class configuration)

depart Monday 2:40pm – arrive Tuesday 6pm

Duration: 11hr 20min; (+1 day)

*accommodating service*outstanding food*not all planes created equal

BEFORE:
There are separate check in lines for first, business and coach classes at the Singapore counter. Even though I had checked in on-line and printed my boarding pass before-hand, I still needed to check in at the counter, however, this only took a total of five minutes. After the cheerful attendant issued me my “real” boarding pass, she gave me a pass to the Star Alliance business class lounge (there was also a first class lounge attached), which entailed a walk up three flights of stairs. The decor was a bit drab, but there was a wide variety of champagne, beer, wine, sushi and sandwiches, available for self-service. Each bathroom was its own individual room (like in your own home) complete with a shower and fresh cut flowers. When boarding time was approaching, an attendant walked around with a sign and called out the particular flight that was about to begin boarding. There were separate boarding lines for coach and upper class passengers, but the gate attendants did such a great job, all was orderly and there really were no lines to speak of. I was greeted on the jet way by a flight attendant who escorted me up the stairs and showed me my seat. Another gracious flight attendant asked me if I would like to be seated downstairs, where I would have an empty seat next to me; I declined as I looked over my exit row business class seat on the top deck of the 747. I suggested that she offer the same option to whomever would be seated next to me and she assured me she would. As it turned out, I wound up spilling my champagne on the seat, blanket and pillow next to me and nobody wanted to sit there!

DURING:
Champagne, juice, water and a variety of newspapers were offered before take off. Our drink orders, for after take off, were also taken. Take off was fifteen minutes behind schedule, after which noise canceling headphones, eye masks and socks were handed out; there were no amenity kits in business class, only the aforementioned items. Immediately after that, our drinks and gourmet nuts were served. The food and drink menus were located in the literature bin with the in-flight entertainment guide and duty free catalog. The appetizer was a plate of delicious Asian seared scallops served chilled, while lunch consisted of three choices: beef, chicken or a fish dish; all prepared in elaborate fashion. In addition to the main entrees, “snacks” were available throughout the flight on-demand, including candy, sandwiches and crackers. Following lunch, a gourmet cheese plate and chocolate ice cream were offered; both were of the quality you would expect in a successful restaurant; not at 38,000 feet. After lunch, and after the attendants made sure all their business class passengers were fat and happy, the lights were dimmed and the flight attendants disappeared, but I am sure they were only a call button away. Throughout the night, the attendants sporadically, silently walked through the cabin to ensure their customers were comfortable. The business class seat on this plane is, good, not great. I do not believe it is Singapore’s newest seat (there was no power outlet); it lies almost flat but not at 180 degrees; as you recline the seat lowers closer to the floor of the plane and it is not quite wide enough for someone with broad shoulders, like myself. If be chance, you sleep on your side, as I do, the seat is quite comfortable and offers plenty of privacy with ample room in front of your seat (exit row). About two hours before landing, a “light” meal service commenced. Passengers had a choice of spaghetti with chorizo, braised beef noodles or traditional Japanese fare. In addition, the snack menu was still available; so, wanting a true light meal, I ordered the roast beef sandwich, which was fresh and tasty, but I have no need to eat another.Due to wind and traffic, we circled Tokyo’s Narita airport for 30 minutes, which the flight attendant told me was quite uncommon.

AFTER:
There was a large sign at customs that implied that anyone staying in Japan for less than 72 hours (shore pass for people in transit; like people connecting on a flight the next day) needed a special stamp on their passport, located at another desk, before reaching the customs official. I elected not to get that stamp (even though I was in transit) because I did not see the sign until after I had already waited in the main line for 15 minutes. Needless, to say, the agent did not mention this special stamp and he let me pass. The entire customs process took roughly 25 minutes. With nothing to declare, I was headed out into the cold, wind driven rain of Tokyo.The pick up location for airport hotels is at post #16 in front of terminal one arrivals and post #26 in front of terminal 2 arrivals.

FINAL THOUGHT:
Although this particular aircraft did not have the most up to date business class seats, Singapore Airline’s service provides an outstanding experience when crossing the Pacific.