Arrived at Dubai airport and was dropped off at the dedicated First / Business class check in area. Nothing to say really – those who have been to DXB will know what it’s like, i.e. smart, efficient and spotlessly clean. Bag dropped, through security, duty free and up to the lounge.
Had time for a couple of beers before the wander down to B31 where boarding was just starting into the gate lounge. After about 5mins in there actual boarding started. Onboard and into 11K – a seat with a misplaced window.
I was making notes on my iPad about the flight and by the time we landed in MAN, the notes had been entitled “Lazy Uninterested Crew”.
Hot towels before takeoff – the crew member handing them out missed about 8 seats in Business Class – mine included. When a different crew member came round to collect the used towels, she asked where we had put ours. We advised her we’d not been given them and it took another crew member a few minutes to produce them.
After takeoff there was one drinks run before lunch was served. No top-ups or refills offered at any time.
The food element of lunch was one of the few good things about the flight. Had the Seared Tuna to start, which was excellent. Followed this up with the Chicken Biryani, which was also good, but way too much for me. One drink was offered with your lunch, again with no top-ups or refills on offer.
I then had the cheese, which as always on Emirates was very good. When I had finished with the cheese, I advised the crew member as she was delivering a coffee to the passenger next to me. 55mins later the cheese was still on my table, so I pressed the call button to get it removed. No apology of any kind from the crew.
The crew must have been worn out from the service they had just delivered, i.e. the absolute minimum, so they all cleared off to the galley between L2 / R2 and shut the curtains.
Just over 3hrs out of MAN, the seatbelt sign went on. No crew member entered the rear [larger] Business Class cabin to check passengers had complied with the sign. At one point, a bloke came forward from Economy and stood / sat in the aisle having a work meeting of sorts with the guy in 11F – all while the seatbelt sign was on. (I took a few pictures of this on my iPhone… may come in handy, as you can see the illuminated seatbelt sign in them).
A few children from Economy were roaming quite freely up and down the aisles in Business Class too – well, with no cabin crew around to stop them, why not?!
At no point in the flight were any other drinks of any kind offered. The crew clearly thought that 2 drinks + the bottle of water you get on the seat (+ the glass of water on your meal tray) was enough for a 7 hour flight… in Business Class.
About 2hrs out of Manchester the crew came round to offer the light bites – they only took food orders though, no “anything to drink with that?” A few people, myself included had some food. I had the Prawns in black bean sauce – as with most food on Emirates, it was very good.
Only at this stage (1hr out of Manchester) did the crew clear away service items from the cabin. Some people had empty glasses in the drinks holder on their seat that had been there since just after lunch had been served, as they had not finished the drink before the service was cleared from their seat.
Here is where is gets really good… the 2 toilets in the Business class cabin were both occupied for the best part of 10mins (I kid you not) and a queue was building up. One passenger asked a crew member if he could use the toilets in First. This got a firm “no” answer, as “passengers are not allowed to pass through a higher cabin”. Now a passenger asked why the crew had done nothing about the children from Economy in Business class? “No-one told us” was the answer. I mentioned the business meeting by 11F when the seatbelt sign was on and suggested this was a definite no-no. Someone also said something along the lines of “surely it is your job to monitor what goes on in the cabin?” Credit to the crew member, she kept her cool and stuck to her guns about no use of the First toilets (which I agree with). She did have her name taken by a few pax though. I told her I would be writing to Emirates about the flight, but not her.
Eventually the 2 people who had been blocking up the toilets emerged (one from each toilet I hasten to add… no mile high club here) and the queue moved. Not long after that the seatbelt sign went on for landing – and the crew did come round to check people were obeying this time / secure the cabin for landing.
Also worth mentioning that there was only one hot towel run (the one before departure - which they could not even get right) in the entire flight.
Landed about half an hour early at Manchester. Took them 10mins to get an airbridge attached, but off soon after that. Brisk walk to immigration & baggage claim, as I walked down the steps to the carousel I clocked by bag, so was straight out, through customs & to the Chauffeur Drive pickup area.
So I am sure you can guess how I will summarize this flight! Dubai Airport = excellent. Flight itself = good (smooth & arrived early). Cabin Crew = lazy and uninterested. Manchester Airport = acceptable.
As said above, a letter will be going to Emirates about this flight. The crew onboard today need a good kick up the backside, as the service was not Business Class standard.
Had time for a couple of beers before the wander down to B31 where boarding was just starting into the gate lounge. After about 5mins in there actual boarding started. Onboard and into 11K – a seat with a misplaced window.
I was making notes on my iPad about the flight and by the time we landed in MAN, the notes had been entitled “Lazy Uninterested Crew”.
Hot towels before takeoff – the crew member handing them out missed about 8 seats in Business Class – mine included. When a different crew member came round to collect the used towels, she asked where we had put ours. We advised her we’d not been given them and it took another crew member a few minutes to produce them.
After takeoff there was one drinks run before lunch was served. No top-ups or refills offered at any time.
The food element of lunch was one of the few good things about the flight. Had the Seared Tuna to start, which was excellent. Followed this up with the Chicken Biryani, which was also good, but way too much for me. One drink was offered with your lunch, again with no top-ups or refills on offer.
I then had the cheese, which as always on Emirates was very good. When I had finished with the cheese, I advised the crew member as she was delivering a coffee to the passenger next to me. 55mins later the cheese was still on my table, so I pressed the call button to get it removed. No apology of any kind from the crew.
The crew must have been worn out from the service they had just delivered, i.e. the absolute minimum, so they all cleared off to the galley between L2 / R2 and shut the curtains.
Just over 3hrs out of MAN, the seatbelt sign went on. No crew member entered the rear [larger] Business Class cabin to check passengers had complied with the sign. At one point, a bloke came forward from Economy and stood / sat in the aisle having a work meeting of sorts with the guy in 11F – all while the seatbelt sign was on. (I took a few pictures of this on my iPhone… may come in handy, as you can see the illuminated seatbelt sign in them).
A few children from Economy were roaming quite freely up and down the aisles in Business Class too – well, with no cabin crew around to stop them, why not?!
At no point in the flight were any other drinks of any kind offered. The crew clearly thought that 2 drinks + the bottle of water you get on the seat (+ the glass of water on your meal tray) was enough for a 7 hour flight… in Business Class.
About 2hrs out of Manchester the crew came round to offer the light bites – they only took food orders though, no “anything to drink with that?” A few people, myself included had some food. I had the Prawns in black bean sauce – as with most food on Emirates, it was very good.
Only at this stage (1hr out of Manchester) did the crew clear away service items from the cabin. Some people had empty glasses in the drinks holder on their seat that had been there since just after lunch had been served, as they had not finished the drink before the service was cleared from their seat.
Here is where is gets really good… the 2 toilets in the Business class cabin were both occupied for the best part of 10mins (I kid you not) and a queue was building up. One passenger asked a crew member if he could use the toilets in First. This got a firm “no” answer, as “passengers are not allowed to pass through a higher cabin”. Now a passenger asked why the crew had done nothing about the children from Economy in Business class? “No-one told us” was the answer. I mentioned the business meeting by 11F when the seatbelt sign was on and suggested this was a definite no-no. Someone also said something along the lines of “surely it is your job to monitor what goes on in the cabin?” Credit to the crew member, she kept her cool and stuck to her guns about no use of the First toilets (which I agree with). She did have her name taken by a few pax though. I told her I would be writing to Emirates about the flight, but not her.
Eventually the 2 people who had been blocking up the toilets emerged (one from each toilet I hasten to add… no mile high club here) and the queue moved. Not long after that the seatbelt sign went on for landing – and the crew did come round to check people were obeying this time / secure the cabin for landing.
Also worth mentioning that there was only one hot towel run (the one before departure - which they could not even get right) in the entire flight.
Landed about half an hour early at Manchester. Took them 10mins to get an airbridge attached, but off soon after that. Brisk walk to immigration & baggage claim, as I walked down the steps to the carousel I clocked by bag, so was straight out, through customs & to the Chauffeur Drive pickup area.
So I am sure you can guess how I will summarize this flight! Dubai Airport = excellent. Flight itself = good (smooth & arrived early). Cabin Crew = lazy and uninterested. Manchester Airport = acceptable.
As said above, a letter will be going to Emirates about this flight. The crew onboard today need a good kick up the backside, as the service was not Business Class standard.