EK016 LGW-MAA 5 Jun 2006 (J) return 8 Jun (F)

Following Lynnewob's excellent review of EK business class I thought I'd add to that with some comments on EK first class.

Another trip to Chennai for me, to host a customer group, my itinerary was as follows:

5 Jun EK016 LGW-DXB in business (plane was a 773)
6 Jun EK544 DXB-MAA in business (773)
8 Jun EK545 MAA-DXB in first (773)
8 Jun EK008 DXB-LHR in first (772)

I won't dwell on the outward leg but to make some additional comments to Lynnewob's.

From London to Dubai I was in the B zone of business on the 773, I've never seen it so empty with just 7 out of 28 seats occupied, strangely the EK Web site showed it much fuller and wouldn't give me a window seat, on board of course I had a selection. Pre-take-off champers or two and a little delay, during which the crew interrupted the safety video with an announcement - is this proper?

IFE was ICE, which is great, and features:

50 first run movies
25 film classics like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Citizen Kane
25 Disney classics for the young folk
10 Arabic films
35 world cinema films from Japan, India and the like
20 comedy shows
10 documentaries
10 sports shows
10 drama programmes / series
every chart no. 1 from 1952 and about 400 music channels

I watched Casino Royale and noticed that theyd edited the scene where JB comes out of the sea, you see his chest but not his trunks (not only BA that snips the films!). On EK ICE is usually on from the outset so you can watch the films starting pre-take-off to stopping at the arrival gate.

Now I know people like this sort of thing, so the wine choice was:

Perrier Jouet
Sancerre Domaine Henry Natter - I gave this 4*
La Crema Sonoma Coast
Sarget de Gruaud Larose St Julien
Columbia Winery Syrah - another 4* and really fruity and delish
Barros Porto Colheita

EK offer lots of bar drinks and the cocktail of the day, but in my experience they dont know how to make a Martini and the G&T served to me after take off had no ice which would have been nice. So I switched back to champagne after lunch.

Seats on this 777 were the standard EK biz class, at least with the 60 pitch variety not the sometimes 48 you can get on other 777s, they are very comfortable even if covered in a fabric that would look right on Coronation Street

Now for lunch, which came about 45 minutes after take-off, no doubt down to the low load (although it was full in Y), the menu was:

Selection of cold canap_s

Arabic mezze
Smoked corn-fed chicken

Seasonal salad

Sauteed prawns
Organic chicken breast
Grilled fillet of veal
Poached salmon

Chocolate orange truffle
Sticky toffee pudding and caramel sauce

Cheese selection five types, cut from a board in front of you

I had mezze, always like a change but I find its often served to cold on EK, then the prawns which were excellent, four big juicy tiger prawns on rice that was more like tasty risotto, followed by cheese and celery (which comes on a board allowing you to choose as much of the selection as you want), followed by an ace sticky t p.

On 777s EK seems to serve front to back on the LHS then front to back on the RHS, so if you want to be first go for AB seats which are also better going East because the sun is to the south!

Arrived into DXB at 1205 am - these flights that arrive at midnight or after are necessary for connex to India, most of which leave between 2 and 4 am which makes it hard to get proper rest before a days work.

I noticed that on this trip we strangely but noticeably steered around Iraqs border sometimes we overfly, sometimes we go over Iran, but today we clearly followed the border with Iran just to the East wonder why?

The flight on to Chennai is nondescript, EK drop their standards noticeably on these flights from the London route but I slept all the way anyway.

EK545 MAA-DXB First, 0915 departure and a 3 1/4 hr flight.

I booked into first because I could but also because the EK Web site, when you do a >1 leg journey, 1 leg of which is not available in business, automatically selects first for each leg. If you do a multi stop journey selection you can choose the class of each leg, but if you go for the easy version this is how it does it. Oh well, mustn't complain.

For those who travel to India you know that your bags are scanned then tagged (with a seal around them) before check in at check in for some reason my bag had the wrong seal but instead of sending me back the staff took it away, sent someone to the correct scanner and did it all quickly while I checked in I love this element of service in India, most of the time nothing is too much trouble!

Emirates use the Royal Meridien lounge at MAA and although its small and has limited facilities, I always find it quiet and comfortable and the staff charming. They do have a bar which is more than BA has here (don't expect a G&T in the lounge on BA).

18 seats in first, 3 occupied. An absolute haven of peace and quiet and 1 crew per person. Now peace, quite, space and a little extra luxury are what first should be about - albeit that a small and very noisy child from business decided that running into first then screaming for her brother was such a fun thing to do, until the crew pointedly stopped her! A great breakfast of yoghurt, fruit, freshly cooked omelette, wonderful breads and champagne Dom Ruinart on this leg (poops I consumed a whole bottle before arrival at 1230 pm!).

Cabin crew fantastic, chatty, polite, attentive, jolly. Purser introduced himself personally which doesnt always happen (again, similar to VS). Older tape IFE but of course EK has the in seat cartridge system as well so a selection of about 40 films to choose. Went for the X-Men Last Stand and still enjoy it.

Managed to do my expenses inbetween the film and the champagne and thought that for the leg to London Id call it me time, because I know its a reconfigged 777 with the mini suites in first, massaging chairs, mini bar and Dom Perignon and caviar to look forward to.

A note about the EK first lounge in Dubai its tired, the floor is littered with cigarette burns, d_cor a bit brown, wide food and drink selection but nothing as tasty as the VS Club House in London. I hear it's due for an overhaul.

EK003 DXB-LHR First

A slight departure delay meant a little extra time in the lounge, and a quick trip to duty free where I've performed a number of price comparisons now and have reached the view that cigarettes, alcohol and perfurme are competitive, everything else not (especially with the current Dollar rate) ... then a short walk to gate 23 and boarding.

Here was indeed a newly configured 772 with the mini suites in first (not the fabulous ones on the EK 345s, with the sliding doors though ...). I'd only flown these once and that was a 3 hr flight from Bangalore to DXB and I slept and didn't really notice what was what. So today I had a good old rummage. The seat reclines flat, or half way at the touch of a button, and many options in between. It also has upper and lower back, bum, thigh and calf massaging with different pulses/waves to choose. There is a large and retractable privacy screen between you and the next passenger (seats are 6 across), a very large TV screen set into the rear of the next seat forward, which is very glossy and reflective until the lights are turned down, a mini bar (yes! but only soft drinks) which I think very odd, after all if you pay for first you don't really want to open your own bottles do you [:o)], and a few cubby holes and drinks holders.

Most of the controls are found on a retractable mini control panel that is touch sensitive but a bit bulky. The table folds out from the arm rest and is substantially sized ...

I did have a good play and ended up thinking it was all a bit gimmicky, the mini bar is silly, the storage spaces small and oddly shaped, the drinks tray just to far to reach when comfortable, the massage ineffective, the seat a bit hard and lumpy in the part way down position but perfectly decent when flat ...

... but they do serve DP so that was consumed with gusto! As was the caviar (served up on a plate rather than the usual trolly), some lamb (delish) and cheese and then I get a bit hazy ...

IFE was ICE again, and I can't remember what I watched! Crew were polite but not the best (just like VS, crews on EK can vary hugely) and an on time arrival with no stacking!

Then chaos with the car service, Tristar totally messed up and no cars for anyone until they put me in a black cab back to Putney.

Overall, one of my better trips on EK, apart from the CDC on arrival at Heathrow.

My ratings to compare with VS are as follows:

EK then VS
Seat/bed 3* 4*
Food quality 5* 3*
Food availability 3* 4* EK have no Freedom menu
Drinks 5* 3*
IFE 5* 5*
Service 4* 4*
Lounges 4* 5*


Apologies for the length but I hope that's informative for some - I personally find the TRs highly useful when thinking about future travel, so I hope this adds some worthwhile stuff if you're doing the same.