Seating layout/arrangements
The 777 was in a typical 2-3-2 layout while the A380 had a very interested staggered layout of 1-2-1. Some rows had window seats with a small walkway to the aisle and others had an aisle with no seat in the window. The middle section either had two seats next to each other or two sitting on the aisle separated. The seats then rotate their position, giving each customer access to the aisle. This was a very nice feature as the A380 gives customers much more overall “area” for their individual seat, whereas the 777 you still had a neighbor – and the privacy screen really didn’t block much.

I could still watch my neighbor’s TV for most of my flight. I did select the bulkhead on the 777 and I had more wiggle room to get in and out, but the A380 still wins hands down. The 777′s “traditional” layout is much better if you are traveling with a group of friends or family, as the A380 seems to be designed more for the solo traveler. The other downside to BOTH aircraft is the aisle seats – there is still traffic up and down the aisle, so there’s a risk of getting interrupted while trying to sleep.

Service
One problem Emirates faces with the A380 is that there are a LOT of flight attendants . . . 26 to be exact. The Business Class galley is located in the back of the cabin, so you get a lot of foot traffic. While that can be nice (always someone going by that can you something) it did take time to do a full service for the 55 passengers (out of 76) in my cabin. I also can’t tell you the name of the flight attendant assigned to my section. The 777 provided excellent service as only 2 or 3 flight attendants worked my side of the airplane and I can remember their names. Overall, the 777 service seemed much more efficient.

Boarding/Deplaning
One would think boarding 500 people on an A380 would take awhile, but Emirates seemed to have this one down pat. Most of us in Business Class were in the lounge up until about 30 minutes before departure and found a short line for the premium cabins versus economy. In the A380, I didn’t see a single economy class customer. On the 777, while we had separate lines, we boarded through the same jet bridge. There was a lot of foot traffic through the 777 cabin while boarding, but the flight attendants kept the economy customers moving through, and were able to serve a pre-departure champagne service without any issues. Deplaning was equally fast, as Emirates holds back each respective cabin until those passengers are clear, and in New York we deplaned by the 2nd level. Its hard to pick the 777 or the A380 has both were very efficient.

Sleep
The A380 has a fully flat bed while it’s an angled lie flat bed on the 777. Both seats appear to be the same design and configuration except for the footrest on the A380. On the 777, your seat drops then extends out, and at 6’1″ I slept like a baby. I also really enjoyed the storage space/cut outs in the seat that also meant I had shoulder room. The A380 had a cubby hole for feet which probably helped keep rusty-sock smell from the cabin. But on the 777, it was hard to tell you weren’t lying completely flat. I’d also like to point out that I departed San Francisco at 5p and arrived in Dubai at 7p (next day) and did not feel jetlagged. I only preferred the A380 seat over the 777 because I didn’t have someone directly beside me.

Economy Class
Here’s where it can get painful.

The 777 was originally designed for 9 seats across the cabin, but Emirates has 10. So your butt and shoulders may be making contact with your seatmate for the next 13 hours. At least your knees and feet will be comfortable, as Emirates provides a few more inches of legroom. The A380 has standard seat width, but the legroom isn’t nearly as good as on the 777. In the row I tried out on the A380, the window felt a little more cramped. Both Economy cabins offer in seat video and universal and USB power ports, so even if you are stuck in the 777 in coach, you will still have plenty to keep you busy.

Here are some more pieces for comparison.

The Winner
Interestingly enough, I really enjoyed the 777 flight over the A380 flight. The A380 bar really stands out, but the service was much more consistent on the 777. The foot traffic on the A380 can (and does) stand out, so if you want to avoid it, then try to sit in the forward section of business class. Anyone who pays for Business Class (or upgrades) will not be disappointed. This airline does an amazing job and if I had the budget, I’d gladly fork out $12,000 for this type of service.

–
When Americans think of island paradises, thoughts generally drift to the Pacific and the Caribbean because those are the islands on which we tend to vacation — either Hawaii (or occasionally further south, to Tahiti or Fiji, or west, to Micronesia) or places like Aruba, Jamaica, St Barts (if you’re stinking rich), Dominican Republic and so forth.

But if you’re European or Asian, the natural geographic choices are different. In particular, they include the Indian Ocean, in between Africa and Australia, and places like Mauritius, the Maldives, the French Indian Ocean territories like Reunion and Mayotte (these islands are actually part of France, similar to how Hawaii is part of the United States), or the Seychelles.

Map via the Great Circle Mapper

The Seychelles are a beautiful group of islands about 900 miles east of Africa and north of Madagascar (that’s the big-*ss island off the east coast of Africa). The people are a melange of African, Indian, Chinese and Caucasian, reflecting the history of the islands, which were originally grabbed by France, and then transferred to British control after Napoleon was defeated. The country’s economy was once plantation-based, but now it’s all about tourism — not unlike many island paradises closer to the US.

OK, beautiful islands but, for most Americans, terribly remote. Why’s Cranky spending pixels on Air Seychelles, the national carrier?

Air Seychelles has done something quite extraordinary. Despite a national economy dependent on tourism, Air Seychelles is getting out of the long-haul business — the business of carrying tourists from Europe to the Seychelles.

On the face of it, it sounds suicidal for the Seychelles economy. But the Seychelles are in no danger of losing tourists. Instead, Air Seychelles has essentially been driven out of this business by the fast expanding Persian Gulf carriers — Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. Older carriers in Europe (and to a lesser extent, Asia) have been screaming for years about the pressure they’ve been put under by these fast-growing behemoths. In that respect, Air Seychelles amounts to a canary in a coalmine — this little carrier has been driven off its former main routes. Going forward, it will maintain only some smaller aircraft to serve the local neighborhood — other Indian Ocean islands and Africa.

What’s happened is that the amount of service to the Seychelles has exploded. From Dec 03 to Dec 11, the number of seats on flights over 2000 miles (which includes Europe, the Persian Gulf and South Africa — i.e. where most tourists come from) to the Seychelles has almost doubled, from a little more than 16,000 in Dec 03 to a little less than 30,000 in Dec 11 (source: mi.diio.net).

In 2003, none of Emirates, Etihad or Qatar flew to the Seychelles. In Dec 2011, between the three, they accounted for over 18,000 seats. Yes, these three carriers flew more long-haul seats in Dec 2011 than there were total in the market in Dec 2003 — when none of them were present.

For the Seychelles as a whole, this is good news. It depends on tourists, the Gulf carriers are delivering a ton of them. For Air Seychelles, not such great news. At some level, one has to applaud the Seychelles for recognizing their national carrier is a service, not a reflection of national virility, and simply getting out of the way. If this was France or Italy, the national government would be throwing bales of money at the carrier to keep the phallic symbol, I mean the flag, flying.

Is there a danger to the Seychelles here? Not really. Air Seychelles won’t cease to exist, and if, one day, the Gulf carriers get into trouble, it’s only a matter of Air Seychelles acquiring long-haul aircraft again. That’s the great thing about aircraft — you can move them around to where they’re needed.

But the wider significance is that Air Seychelles is somewhat of a canary in a coalmine. For many years, European carriers have been screaming about the danger posed to them by Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. Each of these carriers is big and getting bigger fast. In the past 25 years, Emirates has grown from zero to one of the largest international carriers in the world, with a penchant for spectacularly large orders (including a record order just recently for Boeing 777-300ERs and by far the largest outstanding order for A380s — it accounts for a stunning 90 out of 243 total orders and deliveries). Etihad and Qatar have been built in straightforward imitation of Emirates.

The size and growth of these carriers is greatly at odds with the size of their home countries. Emirates and Etihad both hail from the United Arab Emirates, population 8 million, while Qatar Airways is from Qatar, population 1.7 million. Tiny countries, massive airlines.

What they do have going for them is location — smack between Asia and Europe. Essentially, each of these airlines is operating a wayport — a hub with a heavy predominance of connecting traffic.

Each of them has costs that are far below those of European carriers. European carriers routinely complain that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are subsidized.

Ever since Emirates started ordering A380s by the score (roughly a decade ago), it’s been clear the Gulf carriers would have a substantial impact on European, Asian and African airlines (US carriers are half a world away, so are, for once, spared this particular scourge). The major airlines of Europe are not about to be driven from key markets like Asia, even given the massive capacity increase in the Gulf. But without a doubt, the nature of this business is changing for Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways.

Lufty, AF and BA have costs that are much higher than Emirates, et al. There is simply no way to compete with these guys on price. One thing the Europeans have done is appeal to their national governments to restrict access of the Gulf carriers to Europe — and not only to Europe. Air Canada’s stout opposition to allowing expansion of Gulf carrier landing rights in Canada was almost certainly a favor to its Star Alliance partner Lufthansa (although the Gulf carriers pose almost zero threat to Air Canada, the Canadian government is unfortunately doing what AC wants).

But there’s an issue — the Gulf carriers are some of the best Airbus customers in the world. So, for instance, should the German govt protect Lufthansa, it could end up doing so at the expense of future Airbus business. Tricky, since while the German govt loves it some Lufthansa, it probably loves it some Airbus even more.

The other way for European carriers to compete is by offering the one thing the Gulf carriers can’t — a nonstop flight. Provide a nonstop flight from Frankfurt, Paris or London to a secondary Asian city — travelers prefer nonstop flights, and are generally willing to pay more for them. Of course that means buying smaller long-range aircraft. So, ironically, the sale of mass quantities of A380s to the Gulf carriers may mean sales of fewer of them to European carriers.

***********

Air Seychelles’ exit from long-haul flying is therefore a signal event. The Gulf carriers have collected a pelt. If they continue to execute their massive growth plans, it won’t be the last pelt they collect. Is that fair?

It’s fair to the extent Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are not subsidized. Emirates has routinely denied it’s subsidized (and it routinely reports profits), though a lot of that comes down to what you count as subsidy. If the crews don’t have to pay income tax because no one pays income tax in the United Arab Emirates, is that a subsidy? It presumably reduces the wages Emirates needs to pay its employees, but so what? Countries have the right to decide how to run their national finances. Europe, for instance, has a large Value-Added Tax (a type of sales tax) system that is not present in the US, but that’s not viewed as a trade issue.

Qatar Airways posted a profit in its most recent fiscal year, but again, you’d likely find severe skepticism in the executive suites of most European airlines as to how real that is. Etihad has yet to report a profit.

But significant sanctions against Emirates, Etihad and Qatar don’t seem likely anytime soon. They’re simply too important to the health of Airbus. In which case, watch to see which is the next domino to fall.

–
The Cardinal is an occasional anonymous contributor to The Cranky Flier. A long-time airline geek, The Cardinal is currently a [redacted] at [redacted].

—
After getting wrapped up in Dubai Airport, I realized it was 8a and it was time to board. Since I was on the A380, I could board from the lounge level rather than the main concourse level. The gate was 201, directly outside the business class lounge.

I was expecting a massive line, so I was stunned to see only 5 people in the queue. After a few folks checked my boarding pass and ID (I should have just left it on my forehead), I was directed to an elevator that would take me down a level to board the aircraft. Everything was glass encased, so I could see the line for coach, and it was moving quite fast. I was the only one in the jet bridge, which was also glass encased, providing for some great views of my airplane and the A380 at the adjacent gate.

I was greeted by three flight attendants and was pointed toward the rear business class cabin to take my seat, 23A. After reading FlyerTalk and some of the comments on SeatGuru, people seem to give this seat high marks. The cabin was bustling with activities as FA’s were passing out champagne or juice as passengers were getting settled in. I was surprised to find out we were two-thirds full in Business.

When I got to my seat, the first thing that struck me was the level of privacy it provided. Since the seats have a mini-bar and are fully flat, there is no one sitting next to you. My seat was inwards near the window with my bar/storage area/tv remote jutting out towards the aisle.

My seat had the customary pillow, blanket, and noise-cancelling headsets. The eye shades and socks were in a small pouch above the bar. I also had 2 storage units between my seat and the window – which could fit a nicely-loaded backpack (I would later notice the aging on this airplane as it was difficult to keep them closed) or the pillow and blanket when not in use.

As I sat down, I was disappointed to not see electronic window shades, but this massive window pane. The window was almost 8 inches or so from the inner plastic window which made viewing a bit, well, unusual. I was then offered champagne and some dates by the flight crew before departure, and had a short chat with Hetzel, the business class purser.

My mini-bar was well stocked with a variety of sodas and juices. There weren’t many announcements. Most of them were in Arabic and perfect English. The lengthy safety video was done on the TVs – first in Arabic then again in English.

I was still a bit euphoric about flying in the A380 when we pushed back – at 845a. During the engine start-up, I could not hear a thing. I wasn’t even sure the engines were running until I noticed us taxiing towards the runway. After about 15 minutes we were in queue.

Take off was very smooth – couldn’t even hear the engines spool up. After what seemed to be a long take-off roll, we finally lifted off and proceeded to do a slow climb towards Iran. It was a very stable departure thanks to the design of the A380 control surfaces. Our flight attendants then did a greeting in Arabic, then English, alerting the passengers to the many languages spoken by the flight crew (14). You can hear the entire announcement on the takeoff video towards the end of this video:

Thirty minutes after takeoff, service began with a glass of champagne and warm nuts. I was then given a tray with fresh fruit and yogurt in advance of breakfast, which I unfortunately never got to taste.

I was given a tour by the purser, ‘Apple’. She would not let me in any other cabin, citing TSA regulations (which isn’t an actual regulation at all). We sat at the full-size bar in back and she showed me many highlights of the A380, including the couches (2), large screen TV, bar food and options, and a new feature – pub tables that are placed over the doors, so people can stand and talk.

She then showed me the First Class galley and everything provided – including formal high-tea service, special beverages for passengers after they are done with the spa/shower, and the catering. I also met the spa attendant, who is NOT a flight attendant, and her sole role on the airplane is to assist passengers in the spa/shower and do a thorough clean after each use.

Emirates makes it a high priority to over-cater First Class to ensure every customer gets their first pick of food. I also found out they stock 3 bottles of Dom Perignon on the aircraft, 9 types of teas, and an espresso/cappuccino machine. First class passengers are given a large Emirates hand bag to take any items with them – slippers, pajamas, spa lotions, or just as a souvenir.

One interesting feature was the purser controls. She said there are cameras near each flight attendant station so she can observe and manage her crew of 26. Apple said there have been flights where entire families have purchased every open seat in First to ensure privacy. With the new flights to America, they added cranberry juice and bagels with cream cheese (water served with ice should be on their list).

As our interview wound down, I headed back to my seat and noticed the makeup of our cabin. We had a significant number of people dressed up and couples occupying the middle seats that adjoin. For such a long flight not many passengers were dressed casually. I was only one of four Caucasian Americans in Business, and I’d later find out that 2 of them were from Atlanta but they purposely fly Emirates to India/Middle East via New York, despite Delta providing service from their hometown.

I noticed my tray was gone, but I was able to get some munchies at the bar, where I met another flight attendant who asked me for any criticisms about Emirates (apparently everyone knew who I was by now). I told her my main issue is that I haven’t seen a water service every 30/60 minutes, which is customary on U.S. long haul flights. She said “well, just use the call button.. we are here to serve you”.

The Atlanta passengers started to join in our conversation, and I told the flight attendant that as Americans, we are “trained” to never touch the call button. The Atlanta frequent fliers agreed, “yeah, even in Delta BusinessElite, they bark at you.” The Emirates flight attendant looked at us in horror.

After a very relaxing 3-hour nap, I woke up and watched a movie. I had to call a flight attendant over to ask for my “Lite Bites” (2nd meal) option. I really wish Emirates would put something in the menus alerting passengers that the 2nd meal is “on demand”. I ended up getting the Emirates club sandwich, and it was served warm. But they did have “hot bites” in the bar area at this point, in case a passenger didn’t like what was on the menu.

After a few movies and restful naps it was time for the dinner service. I opted for the Arab kabob meal, which included large chicken and beef chunks and served with rice and beans. It was amazingly tasty, and the salad was still fresh despite being 10 hours into the flight. The flight attendants told me that the galleys are packed 2 carts deep and everything is frozen and then thawed to ensure its safe to serve.

I also noticed the flight attendant shook 22D awake for his meal, and he didn’t seem like a happy camper. I think Emirates needs to work on this, or come up with a way to communicate to passengers the meal service expectations and if they want to sleep or be woken up.

I asked the purser for access to coach earlier in the flight so I could at least get a photo of the coach meal service, but I was told TSA didn’t allow switching cabins. So I was taken aback when I saw a passenger from economy in the upstairs galley who even went down the stairs. One would think it would have been beneficial to show someone writing a story the main deck during the flight, but no.

The landing was very smooth and we didn’t seem to use up much of the runway. As we taxied by the Delta terminal, I noticed how close our wingtip was to the smaller Delta CRJs and hoped we didn’t want to play “tag” with one of them, like the Air France A380 did this past summer. We eventually docked at the International terminal and deplaning was very fast.

I opted to stay and talk to the pilots and take a look at the coach cabin downstairs, and I was again rushed. I am still trying to figure out why Emirates flight crews didn’t want me to see or experience the economy cabin. Both times I had to wait until we were on the ground and the seats actually felt fairly comfortable, but I didn’t get to spend enough time to decide if they were really good or bad.

The window seats felt cramped due to the curvature of the plane, but each seat had the customary ICE system, universal powerports, and only industry-standard legroom.

Customs was very efficient, and I was able to recheck my bag with Emirates so they’d get put on my Delta flights. I opened my duffel to make sure everything was in there and repacked some items to prevent anything breaking and I was off to Delta. At some point between there and my arrival in Kansas City, my bag was ripped open and half my items were gone.

Emirates’s PR firm offered to replace all of my items, which I declined and said I’d rather pay for them. Within a week of filing my claim, Delta agreed to pay for my items.

Overall, my A380 experience was a memorable one. This was a big airplane that had a tremendous amount of amenities to keep passengers occupied for the entire journey. The one downside – lack of personalized service. I can’t tell you the name of the flight attendant assigned to my section, unlike on my San Francisco to Dubai flight).

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You can see more of Nate’s photos here.

—
After spending a very long and exhausting day in Dubai, I wasn’t looking forward to getting up at 3a for my return trip so I could check-in early and maximize my time in the airport, board a 13 hour flight, then fly 4.5 more hours on 2 additional flights followed by a 3.5 hour drive. In one day. My past life travels would have made Ryan Bingham jealous, so I was ready for the challenge. And it started off with an incredible Dubai airport experience.

I left the hotel at 4a in a Lexus sedan, courtesy of the hotel, and arrived a few minutes later at the “exclusive” First/Business Class terminal for Emirates. An employee and a porter promptly greeted me, and they walked me to the Business Class check-in.

At first glance, the terminal was like customs when I arrived – very open and airy, with tall columns and decorative tile. There weren’t many people up this early, so I walked to an agent who alerted me that I couldn’t check-in for another 15 minutes. Fortunately there were some comfortable chairs nearby as I sat and waited (according to Flyertalk, I should have been able to check-in and check my bags up to 24 hours). When I was able, I took my bags to the same gentleman who checked me in.

I did the “hike” to security and was glad to see there wasn’t a line. My Acer Tablet caught the interest of the security guards. They asked about it and turned it on. At first I thought it was for security, but it was actually because they hadn’t seen one before and wanted to buy one! One good thing about this checkpoint – it is ONLY for First Class & Business Class customers, there is no mixing with economy customers, at all. After 10 minutes, I took the elevators up to the departure level, expecting an empty concourse.

Boy was I wrong.

I could barely walk. This place felt like it housed the entire world population. Of the 115 or so airports I have visited, I don’t think I’ve been on a concourse this busy, EVER.

The airport boasts a massive shopping system, run by Dubai Duty Free, which will sell you everything from Tums to a car (well, there was at least a “lottery” for it). I was very impressed with all of the shopping options, and the food choices (which even included a Burger King) could satisfy every taste bud. Every single restaurant was open, and it was barely 5a – something unheard of in the US. The zen garden was even quite busy, which is touted as a “quiet oasis” in the airport. Sure. Quieter, maybe.

I did discover that each side of the concourse has a corridor behind the shops, which was MUCH quieter and easier to navigate if you knew where you were going. The signs at the airport also showed you how far, in minutes, the gates were – which was a very handy thing to know. I must admit, the airport provides plenty of places to sit, so I never had to walk too far if I wanted to take a break.

Free wifi seemed to be available all over the airport.I It wasn’t very fast, but I was able to check my cranky e-mail and Facebook without a hitch and without having to sign up to Boingo or another annoying service. It was quite slow in the lounges, though, maybe due to high use?

After walking around the zoo concourse for a while, I opted to head upstairs to the First Class lounge. The clubs are accessible by 1 set of escalators or stairs in the middle of the concourse, with the First Class lounge on one side, Business Class on the other, and a hotel/spa above the lounges. Upon entry, I came across the largest floral arrangement I have ever seen and enjoyed the smell. (I’d later find out this cost over $900 and is replaced every 3 days with fresh flowers).

Friendly staff checked my reservation and allowed me in (I was told that Emirates will soon be limiting which lounges passengers can access once the new concourse is built, making things a bit more “exclusive”). To the left was a very nice and quaint water feature/pond with small cushions around it. There was sporadic seating spread about with numerous bars/food stations served by waitresses eager to please. I continued down the hallway and noticed it wasn’t very noisy, despite being able to look down and see the concourse below.

There were very few passengers in the lounge and at every turn an employee asked if I needed anything. “My pleasure to assist” was said more frequently than at a Four Seasons or Ritz. I came across the restaurant where I sat down and was offered a 3-course breakfast along with buffet. I opted for the buffet as I didn’t want to overeat.

The buffet offered a large variety of hot and cold foods, including eggs, chicken sausage (white, by the way), baked beans (really? for breakfast?), and pastries. Anything I wanted, the server would get or make for me. Behind me was the smoking area/lounge, and I kept smelling the smoke as I ate. As soon as I was done, I discovered the shower room, which had about 8-10 private showers and shower attendant waiting for you, along with the La Croc wine shop, Spa/hair salon, and more sitting areas. What I appreciated was the fact they had real sofas and chairs, not just office furniture, and TVs in most of the sitting areas – perfect if you are traveling with friends and want to watch TV or chat.

First Class passengers are given express treatments, free of charge – they include de-stress back massage, reflexive therapy (leg/feet – this one struck me odd as I thought Islamic law forbade touching or exposing one’s feet?), refresh manicure, hair shaping, and blow dry. Other treatments were available for US$21 to $55 and full spa treatments start around $100 and go up to $200.

The lounge was very spacious and had ample places to charge any electronics. The business center was very nice, with fairly large work stations, nice chairs, and a TV in an enclosed room. The lounge provided many magazines and newspapers from around the world (was surprised to see the Charlotte and Houston papers available!) and the vibe was very relaxing. Someone mentioned I had just missed Kim Kardashian (oh darn), who was in town to launch her overly expensive milkshake store at the Dubai Mall. Apparently her soon-to-be-ex-hubby wasn’t with her.

My next stop was to check the Business Class lounge. Entry was much more chaotic, with twice the welcome staff at the door,. My initial view of the lounge showed that it was very crowded. Like the First Class lounge, it had ample places to sit in a variety of areas that all had different layouts. I didn’t notice a restaurant but found numerous eating areas – the food wasn’t quite the same as found in the First Class lounge.

I noticed a long line for the showers (as noted on FlyerTalk) and the bathrooms were quite busy. The Business Class lounge also had a Timeless Spa, and there didn’t appear to be a wait had I chosen to get a massage or manicure before the flight. Like the First Class lounge, there was an enclosed business center with computers, TV, and leather chairs (not the lazy boy kind, but the nicer office-type chairs). The children’s lounge was also enclosed, keeping screaming kids separated.

Overall, the lounges were very nice. To Emirates’s credit, both lounges were very clean, which was surprising considering the time of day was at their peak use.

Next stop was to see if I could go for a swim. . . . I went up one level and saw the pool in a glass-enclosed room behind the elevators and no one using it. I followed the signs to the Timeless Spa, but found the doors to be closed, and wasn’t even sure if this was the correct entrance. I continued walking down the corridor and was in the hotel. The airport has a 60-some room hotel above the lounges in the concourse.

I tried to research the hotel and came up with almost nothing on the Emirates or Dubai airport websites, including how to make a reservation and rates – nada. I found the staff very welcoming and willing to show me a room, which seemed to be very “acceptable” for $50 an hour or $160 for 4-6 hours. The rates are slightly higher if you occupy a room between 6p and 6a, and the agent showing me the room said that you can get lower rates online (great, but where online?).

24 hours in a room would easily cost you $350, even though you could leave the airport and get a room at Le Meridien for $150 and have the use of 3 outdoor pools and 18 restaurants. The hotel is about as “full service” as you can get, and amazingly you don’t hear any noise at all from inside the rooms.

Considering that Emirates is using the “original” U.S. airline model of hub-and-spoke, they have done a great job of controlling their product offered inflight, on the ground, and in the airport. The airline is using super jumbos like the A380 and larger Boeing 777 models to link the world – connecting big planes to other big planes – as their business model. While at the airport, I saw every nationality and gender represented.

I felt more like I was in the Pittsburgh Airport in the ‘90s (when USAirways had a mega-hub there) than I did in an Arabic country. . . and I think that’s what the UAE is trying to do. They did a great job of it. The airport is already overcrowded, and Concourse 3 is almost completed, which will be exclusive for the A380. Hopefully this will give passengers a bit more breathing room as it was quite crowded.

—
You can see more of Nate’s photos on Flickr

I’ll let Nate take it from here. . . .
——
When asked if I’d be willing to fly to Dubai and experience Emirates, it was almost immediately followed by “when can I go?”. Never in my life did I think of Dubai as a destination, nor did I think of flying Emirates. Being an American, I’m addicted to my frequent flyer loyalty and would have never considered Emirates.

The booking process was completed by Emirates Corporate Communications staff, but I did the research to make sure I picked the ideal seat. I chose 9K on the 777-300 on the way out, but after seeing how I’d be almost “locked” in at the window, I moved to 8K – bulkhead window despite SeatGuru giving it a low score (which it should not have, and as of today, the site still hasn’t updated the seatmap to reflect the inaccuracies there).

Emirates provides premium cabin passengers a complimentary chauffeur service to the airport. I was able to enter my pick-up point online along with my contact number, and select how many hours prior to departure to be picked up. Unfortunately Emirates doesn’t provide an e-mail confirmation, so there was no way to confirm everything, and I was a little nervous. I was relieved when I found the car waiting at my pick-up point in San Francisco. At 1:45PM we were set to go, with a chilled bottle of water and wet-wipes.

After a 35 minute drive, we arrived at SFO. I had previously arrived on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle and dropped my bags off at the Travel Agency – they will watch your bags for $20 per bag (higher for larger bags). At the Emirates counter, I found a long line for coach but no line for Business/First Class. At check-in, my bags were tagged with priority tags, and all carry-ons were also tagged and weighed. A pass for the United Club (the lounge Emirates is using until its own opens up) was given to me, along with my checked luggage tag and boarding pass.

I passed through security and then went to the club, which seemed “bare” to me. I was expecting a full service bar with televisions all over. There were lots of chairs and powerports, along with a self-service beverage bar and munchies, but the bathroom was not very clean and the overall club just felt very “sterile”. After 45 minutes, I went down to duty free then went to board my flight.

Boarding was done through 2 doors but it was really just 1 jet bridge that divided into two. There was a massive line for economy while the first/business line was very quick. As I walked down the jetway, I found an employee at the split, separating the passengers. I found my seat, stowed my luggage in the largely empty bins, and found a large pillow, blanket, and noise cancelling headsets waiting for me.

Within moments, Susan, who would be my flight attendant, came by offering champagne, orange juice, or water in a glass (something I haven’t seen on a US carrier in a long time). As boarding continued, I started playing with the ICE system, which has over 1500 channels and hundreds upon hundreds of movies on demand. The TV is controlled by two remotes – one is a phone and another is a touch-screen monitor that is about the size of a small tablet. The main tv screen is also a touch screen, but mine was on the bulkhead nearly 3 feet in front of me. There was a universal power port and 2 USB ports as well.

One annoyance was 8J’s tv. . . it was built into a partition between our seats and was much closer to me than my own screen. Emirates does have a cool feature that allows you to watch what your seatmate is watching as well (but I didn’t use it, no offense to Babs fans, but I’ve seen Funny Girl a few too many times).

Announcements were in Arabic and English, and after the closing of the door the purser greeted me and advised she would show me around the plane after the service, which never happened. (Emirates had apparently alerted her that I would be onboard.) We pushed back on time, and I was able to watch us slowly taxi to the runway. Climbout was nice and smooth, and visibility was perfect.

Service began 30 minutes after departure with warm nuts and my drink, the flight attendant was still shocked I only wanted water (which was delivered with no ice). Sleeping pads and amenities kits were then handed out (and it was by far the best amenity kit I’d ever received). Many passengers immediately went to sleep, but I opted to play with ICE and watch a movie.

The flight attendant came to pull out my tray table, but the linen and personalized service isn’t what impressed me the most; it was the fact the tray table pulled up then slid forward at least a foot.

The presentation was done very well, but I opted for sweet tomato soup and immediately noticed it was cold. I figured it was just the Arabic way of serving it, only to be advised by the galley flight attendant he should have served it warm. He asked if I wanted a new one, but I passed as I was already halfway done. Once done, Susan took it away and brought my steak with garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, turnips, and a garlic spinach flan. (And yes, mom, I ate the turnips!)

I opted for some red wine – the Sarget de Gruaud Larose – and I was impressed that Emirates flight attendants used a wine carrier with 3 to 4 bottles on it along with glasses. It made the wine service very efficient. The meal was good, and the steak was fairly juicy. The only negative? The passenger in 8F was shaken awake for meal service. . . .

After dinner, I opted to pass on dessert so I could nap for a few hours. The bed controls were in two places – one built into the seat on the right, and another on the TV remote. The bed took about 30 seconds to get into the full flat position, and I immediately noticed that below the arm rests, the storage areas double as “shoulder room”, which resulted in a very VERY restful nap. (My previous flat bed experience was in the United First Class Suite and I felt very claustrophobic.)

I kept my monitor on the airshow and listened to music while I slept. I woke up just past the north pole and was able to easily slide past 8J to use the lav. It had toothpaste/toothbrushes along with shaving kits, and a fresh flower. As soon as I went back to my seat, Susan offered me more water and I noticed some Godiva chocolates in the cupholder.

I looked out my windows and noticed I hadn’t put the shades down. To my amazement they were electronically controlled with 2 shades – one paper-type shade and then a black-out shade. I was hoping for my inflight-bites, but apparently I had to ask for it. I ordered chicken tikka marsala, and for my first taste of the middle east, it was really good.

I then napped again for another 2 hours to wake up over Russia approaching the Caspian Sea. According to airshow, we were in daylight. I started to raise the window shade and noticed the sunrays fill the cabin, so I closed it as to not disturb others. I remembered the purser never came to show me the plane, so I asked for her, and Susan asked if anything was wrong (apparently only the purser knew I was on board to write about the product).

Breakfast was served while over the Caspian Sea as the cabin was transitioning from stars/blue to a nice gentle orange color. The first setting was a great fruit plate with rolls followed by pancakes. The pancakes were tasty but could have used maple syrup. After breakfast the purser came to welcome me into First Class and I took seat 1F. My mouth was on the ground. . . this was a ROOM, not a seat.

The seat was very comfortable and felt like a Cadillac seat. There was an electronic mini bar in the console along with the tray table. There were electronically controlled doors with a “do not disturb” option. There were 3 light fixtures in the “suite” – a small lamp, a reading light above the seat, and one adjacent to the tv. Each light had 2 dim settings, all controlled by the remote.

The TV was a bit larger than the business class ICE, and the seat had a lot more storage. It also had a vanity with very handy lotions and “sniff kits”, which help reduce jetlag – and they were simply AMAZING. Under the TV was also a writing kit, including a pen and paper.

There were no overhead bins in First Class, so it had a very open feeling, despite being ‘compartmentalized’. The bar was more of a social “standing” area, and there were no passengers using it.

As it started to get dark, again, we were approaching Dubai. I could no longer remove the remote and the doors wouldn’t close on the suite. I had the remote tuned to the nose camera and kept flipping through the TV. There was a short feature prior to landing in Dubai, followed by more clean-up by the FAs. I then flipped over to the nose camera hoping to get a good view of our approach, however it was very humid and visibility wasn’t very good. Our landing was smooth and we had a short taxi to the gate.

Upon landing, I noticed that the flight attendants held back the economy cabin passengers until all first/business class passengers were off. The flight attendants wouldn’t let me go back to coach during the flight (probably, annoyingly, to prevent a negative review), so after a 10 minute wait on the ground, I headed back to coach to check it out.

Seeing a 10 abreast layout on Seatguru, I knew it would have been a tight fit. And thank god I was in business, as I would not have lasted in economy on this flight. Sure, I felt a good 2 more inches of legroom, but the seat was much tighter than other seats (while I could put the arm rest down, my shoulders ate up a good 1/4 of the middle seat). At least economy seats had the same ICE system and power ports.

Upon arrival in the terminal, it was a decent hike to the “sky train”, which is an elevator that looked more like a room, down to immigration. I was able to use the fast track line and was through in a few minutes.

My first impression was that I entered a Las Vegas casino, with huge columns and a very open customs and bag claim area. My VIP meet and greet had my bags and we walked right through customs with no questions.

I’d like to thank Nick B at Boeing, who has spent many months on this route flying between Seattle and Doha. His tips of not sleeping the entire journey and taking shorter naps with movies at intervals really helped, as I did not feel jet lagged at all, which was one of my largest concerns of the trip. While walking to customs, I was kind of shocked that I had just gotten off of a 15 hour flight, my body certainly didn’t feel like it.

Many people have a special vice or indulgence – something about which they care far more than the average person and which, quite irrationally, they value well above its objective cost. For some it’s a fancy car, or scoring a prime table at a hip restaurant or having the latest fashion fad. Mine is flying in a premium cabin.

Over the years, with a lot of planning and tactical earning and burning of frequent flier miles, I’ve flown in some fantastically spacious lie-flat beds, gotten free massages in exclusive high-end lounges and raised my champagne tolerance to impressive levels. But Dubai-based Emirates Airlines upped the ante exponentially for travel sybarites like me when they announced their fleet of new Airbus A380 aircraft was going to have showers in First Class.

Found only on the highest-end private aircraft, a shower on a plane is a serious luxury because of the high fuel cost of carrying around all that extra water. So far none of the other carriers that have taken delivery of the A380 have chosen to install them.

Thankfully, not having a reason to go to Dubai nor mega bucks wasn’t an obstacle keeping me from this unique in-flight experience. Emirates flies the A380 on several shorter non-hub routes like Hong Kong to Bangkok and Sydney to Auckland, where First Class tickets can be had for hundreds instead of thousands of dollars.

A rational purchase? Hardly. Worth it for a three hour flight? Maybe not in other circumstances. After all, I’d have to get half way around the world to do it. But come on, a shower on a plane??!! Has to be done at least once I told myself.

And so I was in Hong Kong a few weeks ago, eager to see how Emirates First Class stacked up to others I’ve flown, and if showering on a plane took premium air travel to a whole new level…

Emirates 385 Lv Hong Kong 915p Arr Bangkok 1115p
HKG: Gate 62, Runway 7R, Depart 3m Early
BKK: Gate E4, Runway 19R, Arrive 2m Early
Airbus A380-861, A6-EDI
Seat 2A, 14/14 F Suites Occupied
Flight Time 2h28m

The Emirates airport lounge didn’t open until 6:15, which meant that even though I could check-in early at the HK Airport Express station, I couldn’t start the champagne flowing until then. The train ride out was uneventful and the immigration and security process was quick, despite the lack of a special lane for premium passengers. I got to the lounge early and sure enough the lights were off. So I headed back down to the main level to take advantage of two of HKG’s great features: views of big airplanes and free WiFi. I found an area with comfortable lounge chairs looking out over the busy ramp and a sliver of runway, and kept myself occupied until the lounge opened at 6:15 sharp.

I was welcomed into the spacious facility, where a large staff was still setting up the buffet and other serving areas. I staked out a couch and table and headed over to see what was on offer. The drink station had an ample selection of wine and spirits. I was greeted by an attendant who asked what I would like and then poured me a glass of champagne.  I started at the appetizer section of the buffet, helping myself to a ramekin of fancy mixed nuts, some upscale cheese and crackers and some fresh fruit. Soon enough I was back for a refill and the attendant topped up my glass while I perused the entrees which included satay, stir-fried noodles and baked tuna. It was good by lounge food standards and there was a diverse selection to accommodate a broad array of cultural and dietary preferences – important because in looking around it was quite a diverse group of fellow passengers.

One small nit to pick with the set-up is that unlike the nearby United and Singapore Air facilities, there was not a separate area for First Class passengers (Business Class and Emirates top frequent fliers all share the same big space). It wasn’t a huge deal, but the main room did get quite busy and loud as departure time approached.

The attendants did a good job of circulating to pick up used plates and glasses and offering drink refills. I went up thinking I might sample one or two of the several very good looking desserts but exercised some rare self-control. I chatted briefly with the desk agents to confirm the flight was still on time and then ducked in to use the facilities. As I exited, the vigilant bathroom attendant headed inside to straighten up, something I then noticed happen after virtually every occupant.

Though boarding had yet to be announced, I was eager to survey the scene at the gate so I headed down a bit early. Our plane was being fueled and bags were loaded while inside it was as chaotic as you would expect for an aircraft that holds 500 passengers.

At the appointed hour the floodgates were opened, my boarding pass was scanned and I made my way into the jetway, past the door for coach and up the inclined ramp to the upstairs entrance for Business and First Class passengers.

There was a flight attendant waiting at the door and the typical pre-flight flurry of activity in the galleys and aisles. She welcomed me and after seeing my seat assignment in First, had one of her colleagues show me to Suite 2A.

Between the shiny wood and chrome and all the bells and whistles in the suite, my first impression was of sensory overload — but in a good way. There was a lot to take in and figure out.

The FA stowed my jacket in the built-in closet, and I was impressed by the vast underseat storage area, fitted with a thoughtful strap that allowed me to stash my rollaboard off to the side standing up, instead of on its side and extending into my legroom. Another flight attendant was by to take my pre-departure drink order as I started to familiarize myself with the seat controls and entertainment system…

…And the mini-bar, and the vanity mirror and built-in amenity kit. And the contents of the Goodie Basket.

Realizing that it’s a lot to process, there’s a hefty “Emirates A380 First Class Suite Guide” booklet to explain how it all works.

For the most part, things were clean and looked new on this less than one-year-old aircraft (delivered May 2010), the one exception being the carpeting inside my suite which showed several stains. The seat itself was comfortable, and the leg room was ample enough for my 6’4” frame, but it wasn’t as wide as others I’ve flown. (According to Seatguru.com it is 23 inches wide, noticeably narrower than the likes of Cathay Pacific, Singapore and even United with seat widths of 30” and up.)

That said, the suite did feel very private; thanks to the high sidewalls and layout the only sign I could see of another passenger in the full cabin was the legs and feet of the person in the middle seat one row ahead of me. That’s a definite plus in my book when traveling solo. I also liked the individual air vents in the suite, allowing the passenger some control over the temperature.

A glass of Dom 2002 arrived. It was nicely chilled, in a proper flute and hit the spot. After a few sips I walked up to the front area to see about reserving an early time slot for my shower, so that I wouldn’t be rushed with dinner. A helpful FA took my seat number and said that the shower attendant would come to get me in flight as soon as it was ready. (Yes, among the 24 FAs that staff an Emirates A380 flight there is one whose primary job is to look after the showers.)

As much as there was to keep me occupied at the seat, FAs were passing through almost non-stop offering magazines and newspapers, then slippers and eyeshades, then a piping hot refreshing towel the size of a large washcloth, and then Arabic coffee and dates. Between that unique touch and the announcements in Arabic (as well as English and Chinese) and the traditional hat and scarf that the female FAs wear, there was no mistaking that this was a Middle Eastern airline.

While I was taking in the scene another FA came by with a champagne refill and a small can of Pringles, to replace the one I had eaten from my Goodie Basket. Definite points for proactive service. Our purser then came by to introduce herself, gave me a warm welcome by name and the menu and wine lists, which were in a heavy, restaurant-style leather binder.

Billed as a “Light Meal”, there was a choice of salmon and caviar or lamb loin appetizer, followed by a salad, a choice of five entrees, a cheese course and dessert. Three of the entrees were Asian dishes and then there was a grilled lamb rack and a steamed veggie plate to round out the offering. None of the choices jumped out at me, but I went with the “Chinese style roast chicken with plum sauce, stir-fried noodles and mixed vegetables” figuring that to be a safe, if not particularly elegant, follow-on to smoked salmon and caviar. The wine list was upscale and diverse though there wasn’t a real high-end Premier or Grand Cru bottle as I’ve seen on other airlines.

I selected the tail camera channel on the Entertainment system and enjoyed that unique view as we pushed back from the gate a few minutes early. I counted at least four cabin crew in the aisles collecting the drink glasses and Goodie Baskets and otherwise preparing the cabin for takeoff.

Having had one previous ride on the A380, I knew to look forward to the takeoff roll, with the immense thrust being put out by the four engines working to get the beast airborne. It’s also longer than you’ll experience on most other aircraft – a full 45 seconds I counted this time before the front wheels left the ground. The seatbelt sign came off 6 minutes out and before I knew it a flight attendant was by to offer some more champagne and to tell me that the shower attendant was setting up for me. I half-jokingly asked if she was sure there was no turbulence coming and was promised a smooth ride.

Not long after came the magic words I’d been waiting for: “Sir, your shower is ready. Please come with me.” I fought to suppress the grin on my face as I was ushered into an airplane bathroom like none I’d seen before.

Many times larger than a standard lavatory, it was trimmed in blond wood with gray suede-like upholstery on the seating surfaces and discreetly covering the toilet.

The interior wall had a huge mirror as well as a monitor showing the moving map channel from the entertainment system. I was given a primer on how the shower worked as well as a safety briefing so that I knew where the oxygen mask would deploy and where the call button was if I needed any assistance. But most important was the “Remaining Time” gauge, which shows how much of your allotted five minutes of shower water is left.

I was very impressed by how clean everything seemed. There was not a scrap of paper on the floor or anything out of place. The glass surfaces were all gleaming. The shower itself was nicer than many I have used in airport lounges, not to mention some hotels. The towel provided was big, white and fluffy and there was every type of bath gel and lotion you could need.

I hung up my clothes on the provided hanger and gingerly stepped in. A sensor requires the shower door to be fully closed to start the water, which makes plenty of sense but puts you in the awkward position of being inside at first spray, without knowing what temperature to expect. Huddled close to the wall, I hit the magic “on” button and hoped not to be scalded. Unlike my shower at home it was pleasantly warm right off the bat. The water pressure was also great. I took a few moments just getting my bearings but then remembered I was working against the clock.

By the time I hit the off button, I was in the red zone with just over a minute of water left. I didn’t wash my hair, but if I hadn’t been messing around taking pictures I probably would have had enough time. I got out, dried myself off and saw the altitude reading on the monitor of 11,500 meters. Dude, I just took a shower at 37,000 feet! A pretty darn good shower at that.

Duly refreshed, I decided it was only fitting to check out one of the other unique features of the plane: the bar/lounge at the back of Business Class. It took a bit of hopping around service carts and FAs to get all the way to the back. The large area included couches on both sides by the windows and several standing areas in the middle where multi-tiered trays of finger food were set out. The alcohol was fairly upscale, as was the vibe. Seatbelts were tucked into the couches, enabling you to ride out turbulence without having to be antisocial and go back to your seat.

The bartender looked happy to see me as she had only one other passenger to look after. She fixed me a drink, very carefully measuring and pouring out a single shot. There was a fair bit of clamor coming from the rear galley where several FAs were stowing dinner items and sending out dessert and coffee to a constant stream of their colleagues working the aisles. The three of us chatted and I think the surreal-ness of showering and then drinking at the bar on the plane finally began to hit me. (Or was it the vodka?) In another Rare Moment of Self Control I turned down a drink refill, and went back to my seat for dinner.

My dutiful flight attendant must have seen me come back as she swooped in with a linen tablecloth to get me set for dinner. The tray table is massive – which is cool in one sense, but unless I missed something the design doesn’t leave you a way to get up from the seat when it is deployed. (On other airlines the tray slides or pivots, or the aisle-side armrest slides down allowing you to get up.)

She was then back with a food tray… and some bad news. Somehow despite my having ordered the caviar appetizer, they were now out of it and only the lamb choice was left. She was apologetic and nice enough about it, even offering a double helping of the lamb if I wanted it. I declined and then was offered an ample bread basket and chose garlic bread, which was served warm.

The tray was crammed with a lot of stuff, including a bread plate, a small side salad, and various accoutrements. It was a nice presentation, but it always feels classier to me when they bring and place the items individually instead of serving them all at once on a tray.

But that was not to be my biggest gripe with the meal. The lamb was tough, the salad was… just a salad. The chicken with noodles entree was so lame I asked for more garlic bread. It made the lounge food seem great by contrast. Admittedly it is a short flight so maybe they scale back on the catering budget. All I know is that I’d be very disappointed if this is what they serve on longer flights.

It did at least end on a high note, with a mousse cake and a nice glass of Sauternes. Following that was the most elegant coffee service I’ve ever had on a plane, featuring a big proper coffee pot with accompaniments that included a plate of ginger cookies. I also had my arm twisted into sampling the Glenfiddich 21 year single malt.

The cabin lighting was turned down, revealing a cool feature on the ceiling resembling stars in the night sky. I could have dozed, but wanted to fully enjoy what remained of my time. I turned on the in-seat massage function but then quickly turned it off because it was so loud and vigorous.

I also had to try the seat in bed mode, and found it comfortable and long enough for me to sleep without having to curl up. The finishing touch was closing the doors to my suite, sealing me off from the cabin in my own cocoon. I must admit it created a unique sense of privacy and would no doubt help me stay asleep on a long flight.

As the engines spooled back to signal the start of our descent, I took stock of the day’s adventure. While there were a few on-board elements that could have used improvement, I give Emirates a lot of credit for raising the bar on First Class by installing the showers and operating them with such high standards. The actual shower on a plane was better than I expected. (The fun of telling people I took a shower on a plane wasn’t bad either.)

Although the best part of taking a shower on a plane isn’t taking the shower – it’s feeling (and smelling) good afterward, unlike pretty much everyone else coming off of airplanes. While less of an issue on this short flight, it is a big deal on overnight flights, especially for travelers going to straight to work at their destination.

Getting off the plane feeling decidedly invigorated, I wondered if the rival airline execs who chose not to put showers on their A380s have ever tried one.

–
Geoff Fischer is an aviation and travel enthusiast currently living in Seattle who embraces his inner sybarite and enjoys the comforts of flying in a premium cabin

Delta’s SkyClub Promotion Slightly Misses the Mark – BNET
Delta offered club access to some elite members for a day. Good idea, not great execution.

Guest Posts From My Favourite Bloggers : Brett Snyder – The Cranky Flier – Flying with Fish blog
I wrote a guest post for Fish about the recently announced V Australia/Emirates codeshare.

US Airways and Delta Raise More Money – BNET
Airlines are raising money left and right these days. Might as well do it while they can.

United Goes Back Into Mini-Expansion Mode Domestically – BNET
Don’t look now, but United has started adding new flights and new cities once again. That’s always encouraging, though I do wonder about some of these.

Virgin America’s Improved Second Quarter Performance Details – BNET
Now that the government data is out, we can take a look at Virgin America’s performance in greater detail. Not too bad, but there’s still work to do.

Patrick was very encouraged by what he’s seeing on Emirates so far, and he thinks much of the anti-phone hype is just that . . . hype. Does that mean that the rest of the world should adopt it? It’s obviously quite a complicated subject, but I must admit that seeing how it’s being used in real life makes me less averse to the idea in general.

You can decide for yourself.

Cranky: Hi Patrick, thanks for taking the time to talk with me about mobile phone usage onboard today. I understand that you’re seeing some very good response to the program.

Patrick: Yes, we are. We now have it on 37 or 38 aircraft and we launched it over a year ago. We’re seeing about 35% of people switch their phones on – sometimes as high as 65% of known passengers. These are people who switch their phones on. Some who switch it on can’t roam or don’t have roaming agreements, so not all can use it. In the last year since we launched, over a quarter of a million people switched a phone on on an Emirates flight. We’ve never had a single complaint. People like to message. There’s been a lot of use of SMS.

Cranky: What aircraft types are those 37 or 38 aircraft?

Patrick: The Aeromobile system is on a number of aircraft types – the A330, A340-300, and also the 777s. I believe it’s on 5 aircraft types and we’re installing about one a week.

Cranky: Will it be on the entire fleet?

Patrick: That’s the plan. We have seen some complaints of people not being able to use their mobile phone on the plane, so we want to make sure they have the service.

Cranky: But you say you haven’t seen any complaints from passengers about people using their phones?

Patrick: No. I think it’s a little bit of journalistic hysteria. Nobody likes to be sitting next to someone who is jabbering away, but there are a lot of natural self limiters to prevent that.

1. It is roaming. People speak less when the price is a little bit higher. These calls are still via satellite so it does cost more.




2. At any time on a long haul aircraft, roughly about one third of the people you’re trying to call are asleep. We are seeing almost zero calls on night flights.




3. It is only allowed five calls on an aircraft at a time. I heard a US Senator or someone say he didn’t want to hear 100 calls on a plane at the same time. That wouldn’t happen; it’s impossible right now.




4. We have TVs on every seat, so passengers are watching programs with their headphones on and not listening to phone conversations.

Cranky: Are you seeing certain geographic areas getting more usage than others?

Patrick: Asia is turning out to have a lot more text messages as a percentage. If you go to Asia, a place like Japan, the use of a phone in a public place is very persona non grata. They like to text.

Cranky: But are there certain flights where you’re seeing more usage than others?

Patrick: Oddly enough, we’re seeing a lot of voice traffic before you get into countries that are more expensive to roam into. People are trying to make the call before they land. But one thing to note, even on the most heavy use flight, we’ve only seen three concurrent calls at one time. We rarely see two concurrent calls, but we do.

Cranky: Really? So you’ve never even hit the limit. Interesting. What about specifically on flights to the US? What has usage looked like?

Patrick: I don’t believe we have actually flown the system to the US. The reason for that is that the US is served with very specific aircraft types. None of the 777LR or A380s have that yet.

Cranky: But you could use it on US flights if you wanted to, right?

Patrick: It would be switched off on US flights. Even if we wanted to use it over the US, it would have to be disabled because the US uses a different system. It can’t be used without additional equipment and we haven’t installed that.

Cranky: But you could use it for the rest of the flight that isn’t over US airspace?

Patrick: Well, we could for part of it, but it doesn’t work above 82 degrees latitude, over the poles where some of our US flights go. We would like to be able to use it to and from flights from America but there has been talk that it may be prohibited, but we’ll resist that.

Patrick: One thing that’s being missed here is why has Emirates done this. We’ve had phones on the seatbacks and they have been used over the years. We see sometimes 40 to 50 phone calls on a flight to New York and never a single complaint. What this is about is more convenience. Passengers know the numbers, they can get billed to their phone and it might be cheaper than using the seatback phone. It’s about freedom. They have the freedom to choose more things. Some people will speak on the phone and speak loudly, but they’ll do that today on a seatback phone.

Cranky: Do you think this will work on flights anywhere on any airline or do you think it’s success is specific to Emirates which flies longer haul flights to countries that may have more expensive calling agreements?

Patrick: I think over time it’s bound to come down in price. Even if it stays at the same price, it’s deflationary. That’s given us tremendous freedom. I think this will work on any flight. People don’t just speak on their phones; they text, they email, they download applications on their iPhone, etc. This is all about allowing people to live normally when they’re traveling anywhere.

One of the most important things is if you’re traveling in an emergency – maybe you’re traveling with someone who is not very well – you’re on a 7 hour flight and you’re stressing about that. Having the freedom to diffuse the situation and calm you down is very important. It’s almost a human right. You should be able to communicate.

Cranky: Wait, did you say you can download applications? Do you have internet access via phones now or is it just voice and text?

Patrick: At the moment, it’s SMS and voice. We need to upgrade some of the other avionics on the aircraft, and very soon we’ll be offering GPRS data. I have GPRS data on my BlackBerry, and I can surf the internet. I can’t watch YouTube, but it keeps me in touch. I know what’s going on in the world. We’ll have that working on some planes within a year. Whether or not you can download an app, I’m not really sure.

You should be connected at the airport, you should be getting wi-fi for free, like airlines like JetBlue give. This is what it’s all about. In the future, people will be 100% connected 20 years from now. This is just about what happens in between.

Cranky: So what about onboard internet. Are you looking at putting a system onboard?

Patrick: There are a number of solutions out there. In terrestrial America, you have the GoGo product which has been well received. But you need to have a lot on the ground and that’s not possible over water or probably in Europe. We want them to have free, or very cheap, we want them to have free internet. It has to be easy to use. You don’t have to swipe credit cards and all that stuff. I don’t think travelers are prepared to pay $24 for a two hour session. We’ve done things like free wi-fi in lounges worldwide. People say, “you could make money, you could charge with this,” but that rubs us the wrong way. This is a service.

Cranky: Back to onboard mobile, let’s talk details of how this works. Do you or does Aeromobile (the mobile provider onboard) charge a fee for use or is it just what the networks charge?

Patrick: The way it works – it’s just like another country. Aeromobile has roaming agreements with about 150 operators worldwide – there are 900 total – and that determines how much the phone company is charged. The phone company can charge the customer whatever they want. We know one phone company that’s charging less than they’re paying and another that’s charging a 300% markup. Check with your operator. If you get ripped off, you’re likely to change service providers. Emirates are not in this. We will not make profit out of this. This is a service and we are not interested in making a profit out of it.

Cranky: So then you get one bill from your mobile phone provider at the end. But do you know if Aeromobile has agreements with US carriers?

Patrick: I don’t believe they have agreements with the major US carriers. [Further research found that no US carriers currently have an agreement with Aeromobile. I understand that Aeromobile simply isn't prioritizing US carriers because this doesn't operate on US flights, but they will get there eventually. Apparently, there is some demand. More than 400 US carrier subscribers tried to turn on their phone last month.]

Cranky: Great, thanks for taking the time to chat, Patrick.

The interview (which was very complimentary toward my blog – thanks, Dave) shows that JetBlue takes blogs and other new media outlets very seriously.

My sense is that really – not just in America – but the world there’s what’s known as mainstream media. But, new social media, it’s there. It’s real-time.

I think when there was a challenge to the blog – not my comment, but somebody else’s regarding (blog author Snyder’s credibility as) a “professional” – I think that’s a very, very harsh comment. I mean it’s (The Cranky Flier) real.

And you know what? That’s smart. Look what it’s done for them in Long Beach. They have put the issue of terminal improvements back on the front burner. But this isn’t about just saying something to a blogger and hoping it gets picked up. There’s a lot more to it than that.

I have had a good relationship with JetBlue’s PR team ever since I reached out to them with a question when I was just a fledgling blogger a couple years back. They’ve always been quick to respond with helpful information, something that isn’t always easy to find from other airlines. For JetBlue, it’s even bigger than just responding to blogs. They’ve extended their influence to a much broader area by responding quickly with Twitter to anyone out there who needs information. And responding quickly helps them to shape the story.

Now this doesn’t mean that everything I write about them is rosy. Far from it. I went through my past posts and I’ve actually given them two Cranky Jackass awards (one, two) and almost given them a third. And let’s not get started on the whole “controllable irregularities” issue or the early customer bill of rights stuff. But their willingness to engage quickly undoubtedly helps them to avoid some of the bad press that might otherwise come their way.

For example, when I flew them last weekend up to the Bay Area (trip report coming eventually), I sent a couple tweets about the TVs not working. I received a direct message back quickly asking about it and requesting that I follow up with them if I haven’t received any compensation for the problem. It’s a brilliant use of new media to further their cause. Not only have they placated me as a traveler, but they’ve turned a potential ugly piece of my trip report into a positive outcome.

Of course, they aren’t the only ones to do this. Southwest does an excellent job as well. They were probably the first to understand the importance of quick response in a world where there are no old media-style deadlines. Things get published to the rest of the internet as soon as they’re ready to go. The sooner you can give good information, the better chance you have to shape the discussion.

More and more airlines are starting to involve themselves with new media, but I’m not convinced that many of them know what they’re doing. I don’t need a bunch of tweets about a new fare sale to Zimbabwe, but I do need fast answers to questions and good access to the people who have those answers.

For all those airlines who still don’t think embracing new media is a good thing, well, there’s not much I can say to you except you should pull your heads out of your asses. But for those who are still trying to figure out the right way to embrace new media, let me offer some tips.

• Respond quickly – There are no deadlines in the world of new media. If someone sends you a note with a question, respond as fast as you can because that post will go up whether they have your comment or not. Even if you don’t have the info, write back to say you’re looking for it and they will likely wait. Of course, you can’t respond to everyone out there so . . . .




• Find the influencers – There are a million blogs out there and a lot of them are terrible. So you need to figure out which ones are actually influencers and focus on them. Influencers are those that are well-respected and have the ability to touch a lot of people. You’ll want to be most responsive to those you see as influencers. And remember, the list will change over time. But even beyond the influencers, there’s more you can do . . . .




• Use Twitter for good – I fully admit that I hate Twitter. I just can’t figure out how to use it to my liking, but customer service businesses that can benefit from offering real-time solutions to problems should be all over this tool. JetBlue and Southwest may have been early adopters, but others are catching on. Even United has started to use this to help people, and they’re slowly finding their groove. This is a great way to reach beyond the influencers to have a much broader impact, yet in a targeted way.




• Be more proactive – Some airlines are decent at responding to questions, but they aren’t good at reaching out on their own. I just received a note earlier this week asking if I would like to talk to an Emirates VP about their onboard mobile phone program. Of course I did, and now I’m writing up the interview for next week. (It’s actually very interesting.)

So is Emirates using me in some way to get a conversation going in the US about mobile phones onboard? I don’t doubt it. Did JetBlue use me to get things moving again in Long Beach? Probably. But that’s smart. Both airlines have opted to provide excellent access and interesting content, a blogger’s dream. This won’t always work out well. I might disagree completely and absolutely thrash something that comes out. But when airlines are willing to engage even after receiving bad press, it makes the relationship even more powerful for the future. An airline that cuts someone off for writing something bad will be hurting itself more than anything else.

Companies work to manage the media all the time, and now they need to start managing new media as well. JetBlue has shown that engaging the right new media outlets can have some major positive benefits. Hopefully other airlines will start to realize that they can do the same.

And when the rest of you guys do figure it out, you know where to find me.

You would think the management team at Emirates would be getting nervous right now. Dubai’s economy is really getting hit hard. The Dubai stock market has plunged more than 75%, real estate prices have tanked, and jobs are disappearing. Just this week, the United Arab Emirates said it would buy $10 billion worth of bonds from Dubai in order to prop it up.

Considering that backdrop, Emirates seems like it’s from a different world. The airline still expects to take on 58 A380s, more than a quarter of all A380s ordered worldwide, and it placed an additional order for 60 smaller Airbus widebodies less than a year ago. During the airline’s fiscal year (which runs April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010), Emirates will take on a new passenger widebody every 20 days, including 7 A380s. Surrounded by a collapsing economy, where will they put these planes?

Many of those A380s were expected to be outfitted with massive numbers of Economy seats to shuttle workers between labor-rich India and Dubai, but now there will be fewer people going back and forth. And with fewer visitors coming to Dubai in general, demand will be dropping dramatically from that angle as well. They will apparently focus the new aircraft on “on routes where there is a greater demand from our customers. All of our new capacity will be deployed in markets where we see growth potential, particularly Africa and the Middle East,” though from what I can see, there will be increases to just about every region of the globe, including North America which will see increased frequencies in San Francisco and LA.

So what does this really mean? There is going to be tremendous price pressure on Emirates in the near future until the economy is able to catch up. Keep an eye out to see if any massive discounting happens. It’s likely only a matter of time, and it could make for some great deals.