Emirates First Class Overload: A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

• Introduction 
• Losing my A380 Virginity - KUL - DXB 
• DXB to KUL
• KUL to MEL
• MEL to DXB via SIN
• Dubai Layover
• A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

___________________________________________________________________________________

Truth be told, after hopping around the world in the last couple of weeks and having not enough sleep with a slight hangover, I was not that looking forward to this last flight of the trip. Yea, it was the A380 but I just wanted to get home and sleep in my own bed. I had to get up at 1.30am for my super early 4am flight! The complimentary Emirates car to the airport was already waiting for me when I got down to the lobby.

As expected, going through the formalities when traveling in first was painless. I was in the first class lounge a quick ten minutes after arriving at the airport. I wasn't particularly hungry but decided to pig out since I probably wasn't going to fly through Dubai especially on Emirates First Class for a while.

Salmon tartar

Beef Dumpling Soup

Buffet Selection

Cheese Selection from the Buffet

Brulee

The flight departed from a A380 gate right by the lounge with an aerobridge straight to the upper deck. A friendly stewardess welcomed me on board and showed me to my seat. I decided to on seat 4A for this flight just to try seating in different places. I would not recommend this seat as the sound from the galley did end up somewhat bothering me later during the flight. Minutes later, I was served the pre-departure Dom. Amenity kits and pajamas was also promptly distributed and this was the only flight that they gave me a pretty nice Emirates bag to put all the goodies in.

Seat 4A

Emirates First Class Overload: Dubai Layover

• Introduction 
• Losing my A380 Virginity - KUL - DXB 
• DXB to KUL
• KUL to MEL
• MEL to DXB via SIN
• Dubai Layover
• A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

___________________________________________________________________________________

Instead of heading straight back to Kuala Lumpur on the earliest available flight a couple of hours after arriving in Dubai, I decided to spend close to 24 hours in Dubai. The main motivation was to go on a desert safari. Despite flying having visited Dubai many times before, we have always gave the desert safari a skip since Lydia gets car sick easily. What better chance to do it now since I'm in Dubai all by myself!

Many companies offer the dessert safari tour - just do a google for it. Most packages include pick up from hotels. Pick up usually happens around four in the afternoon and an hour drive later, the take the 4WD into the desert for some fun sand bashing. This is followed up with a pit stop in the middle of desert for drinks, shi-sha, BBQ dinner and a show that's inclusive of the ticket price.

I booked my trip from desertsafaridubai.com and was very pleased with the services. Responses to questions via email were prompt and they manage to re-book me after I realized on the actual day off that I had booked the wrong dates.

Emirates First Class Overload: MEL to DXB via SIN

• Introduction 
• Losing my A380 Virginity - KUL - DXB 
• DXB to KUL
• KUL to MEL
• MEL to DXB via SIN
• Dubai Layover
• A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

___________________________________________________________________________________

On arrival to the first class check-in desk at Melbourne airport, I tried to change my flight to the later non-stop flight to Dubai instead of my current one stop flight via Singapore. It did take the station manager a couple of minutes to check with the ticketing office before I was told that there would be a ~$150USD change fee on my fare. I declined figuring I could use the money on something better.

Thanks to the fast pass access for business and first class passengers, I was at the lounge a quick ten minutes later. Again, the Emirates lounge just looks and feel the same as their other lounges around the world.

The 77W taking us to SIN & DXB

Dining Area

Since I was still full from lunch and wanted to save space for the meal on board, I limited myself to a couple of glasses of champagne and a made-to-order small salmon plate.

I headed to the plane after the boarding announcement was made in the lounge. As usual, most of the other passengers had already boarded and I walked straight into the plane. There were 3 other passengers in first today but I didn't see them in the lounge. Guess they gave the lounge a skip?

I decided the switch it up a bit on this flight and chose seat 1A on the left side instead of the right side of the plane that I had been chosen on the earlier two flights. Yea, people do argue on which are the best seat on the plane but for me, once I'm in first, all the seats are the best. Since the suite next to mine was empty, the pursuer who showed me to my seat insisted I store my hand luggage in that suite to give me more space (not that I need more of it ;))

Emirates First Class Overload: KUL to MEL

• Introduction 
• Losing my A380 Virginity - KUL - DXB 
• DXB to KUL
• KUL to MEL
• MEL to DXB via SIN
• Dubai Layover
• A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

__________________________________________________________________________________

I was the first off the plane feeling pretty refreshed after a couple of hours of good sleep on the flight. The only thing I needed now was a shower which I promptly got to once I got to the lounge. I tried to keep to myself and not give eye contact with the lounge staff after I got some weird stares and looks figuring they just saw me in the lounge yesterday. Was too lazy to answer a bunch of questions if asked.

I felt slightly peckish and decided to nibble on some of the lounge food while catching up on email and giving the wife a call. Overall, the food didn't taste as good as it looked.

As usual, I was the last to board with the pursuer warmly welcoming me on-board and and showing me to my seat. We made some small talk and she was curious on my flight routing via Dubai to Melbourne which I made up some BS on needing to fly to Dubai for some business meetings. Lol.

Front camera already turned on

There was only another passenger in first on this flight with her seating on the opposite side. With the partitions up from the middle row, the flight was really private as we had both a side of the first class to ourselves.

I delayed the main meal until a a couple of hours before arrival into Melbourne. In the meantime, I continue to load up on the Dom while snacking on some soup, nuts, cheeses and chips from the snack basket. I don't know why but this bottle of Dom 2003 was the best tasting bottle throughout the whole trip. Maybe it was just chilled enough?

Emirates First Class Overload: DXB to KUL

• Introduction 
• Losing my A380 Virginity - KUL - DXB 
• DXB to KUL
• KUL to MEL
• MEL to DXB via SIN
• Dubai Layover
• A380 round 2 - DXB to KUL

__________________________________________________________________________________

Emirates operates three daily flights to Melbourne from Dubai with one non-stop flight, one via Singapore an one via Kuala Lumpur. Although I would normally have gone with the non-stop, I opted for the option via Kuala Lumpur as it would get me into Melbourne just in time for the wedding I needed to attend.

I spent my ~4 hour layover in Dubai with first, a nap on one of the sofas before a shower followed by the complimentary fifteen minute back massage and a light late night supper/snack in the sit down restaurant in the first class lounge.

First Class Lounge Restaurant

Bread Basket

Started off with some foie gras

Selection from the buffet

It was way past bed time when I got to the plane. After another couple of pre-departure Doms, all I wanted after take off was to hit the sack. My seat was promptly made into a bed right after changing into the pajamas. It did take a while to go to sleep as I struggled to find a comfortable position while some of the passengers in first class decided to get a bite.