- ModeS: 8960EE
- Reg: A6-EDM
- Typecode: A388
- Type: Airbus A380-861
- Serial number: 042
- Airline: Emirates
After the rickety crjs from MCI n IAD and tugging the heavy backpack all around IAD and JFK,after wandering about at JFK and security, I finally crashed at the emirates gate.
though it still hadn't pulled into the gate. Anyway, after a while, finally the 380 came into sight, it was strange to see a completely new sight with twin rows of lights.
Though being a bit far , didn't get a good size perspective being night time, there was an EL AL 744 parked next to the gate , so that gave a good comparison to what the 380 really was about. It sure was bigger in end dimensions, but doesn't overwhelm the 744 as such.
anyway, sure is a new era in air travel.
You get a much better view of an airplane from the airstairs as compared to gate boarding.
First impressions on entry is that of a pretty wide cabin, probably the widest in the skies currently and given its 3x4x3 config that means wider aisles too and seats in economy.
My seat was 72A which was just behind the huge massive wing that seems to extend out well beyond any other jet. But before that, its the size of the windows that grab your attention. The inner ones are twice as big which kind of create an illusion of a bigger window, even though the outer one is not as big, but still bigger than any other jet..
Another good idea was the asymmetrical 3x4x3 in a row which meant exit of each end is not in the same line which really helps getting in n out of aisles..
As for me, it seemed like a good day since i had all 3 seats to myself and lots of room which was like a nice gift after the long trip to NY.
The new ice avod system was good too, esp the nose n tail cams, though was kinda tired to browse through the extensive programming list.
And of course, the F/As had a lighter workload too with the empty cabin, which meant more prompt service as well. However, what the economics of a low load A380 remains to be seen. But I guess with the higher no of J & F pax upstairs and cargo capacity if full, can offset empty economy cabin, as the revenue of any airline comes from upstairs n cargo anyway.
It was great to see a truly global airline in motion with F/As from a wide range of countries, unlike western n european carriers with regional F/As.
Taxiing n take off was smooth and possibly the lowest engine noise at full thrust for an aircraft n engines of this size, though the cruise was even quieter , more like a car on I435.
I guess the inertia is reduced when you are inside a bigger volume which displaces more air as it travels along the end result is probably the quietest cabin with better levels of humidity.
In any other a/c, the take off thrust and g-force and other aircraft movement is far more evident within the cabin unlike this whale jet, where the pax seem more insulated from all this. In fact , it must be even quieter upstairs and there have been complaints where pax said its just too quiet without the drone n humming on regular jets.
In all this, the downside was the smelly socks of the female behind and that should also be classified as a bio hazard and not be allowed past security as it ruins the trip of many others , especially on ultra long hauls as this.
I was lucky as I had 3 seats to move away , but if it were a full load, it would really have been disgusting to endure it all through, though I would have surely sent her an instant msg via the in seat chat system if it came to that.
Though that tells me its not a bad idea to change into a fresh pair of clothes and socks before getting onto a long haul especially after spending a lot of time travelling on connections prior to that.
Anyway, the first meal was served soon after take off and for some reason I got mine a lot earlier than others, for reasons i'm not sure, but sure caused a lot of head turning..hehe
well, Indians are touchy about food service and I sure chomped well n slow to cause more envy...haha
Well, as much as i would have liked to be fresh, I was dead beat and tried to settle into a good position for a nap and since I had all 3 seats and could lie down comfortably across and actually managed to catch a few winks. It was more like a premium economy ride this one.
Well, was halfway through at this point and spent the next segment checking out the AVOD ICE in flight system, though wish they had ear phones instead of headphones, which would allow comfortable reclining without the hairband on top.
The loos seemed more spacious as well and it was nice of EK to provide a personal kit pouch to freshen up. And of course, the showers in first class are another first in aviation.
Breakfast was served and had a pizza slice this time, one of the F/A from Africa was more fidgety and vocal. Well, at times I wouldn't blame her as Indians can really tend to annoy with their curt tone n less than polite requests as they believe it is their default right to be served and attended to just becase they paid for it.
one Indian asked extra meals, toiletries and the works each time for his kids back home, which really was too much.
The various mood lighting tones n starry cabin was good and the spacious cabin helps in feeling more roomy. Dinner was served towards the fag end of the trip, and of course with me getting it earlier again.
Though I think one must eat only stuff like salads on long trips as the lack of movement and jet lag isn't a good thing for eating rich food on the menu. However, since i wont get a chance to fly this often have to check out their optimum meal to rate it.
From the cabin, it really doesn't feel like there's a whole section on top of you, as there is optimum height clearance as well. As for J & F class, don't know when i'll go from the lower deck to the upper deck and that staircase seems to be the longest journey of all.
From pictures online, the trendy bar seems to be the best place to chill out on the plane.
Anyway, with all services wrapped up, it was time to land and travelling east, one of the drawbacks is that the take off n landings were at night and couldn't get the best view on the cams. Anyway, it was still cool as the tail n nose cams give a great perspective with a light crosswind with slight crabbing visible on the tail cam all the way to touchdown at DXB.
Touchdown was smooth again and the huge wings and massive spoiler surfaces provide enough braking, with almost half the wing turning into the air brake and a single inner engine reverser means lesser noise again again with the mass of the whalejet provides creates a bigger air cushion while floating down I believe.
Well, to sum it up I must say it was a really elegant trip, though maybe the emptier cabin was a perk. But in any case, it would have been comfortable nonetheless.
The meals n especially the multi lingual F/As were attentive n really beautiful and each time they pass you in the aisle, they sure smell fantastic.
Even though emirates demands a lot from the F/As to maintain themselves, it still has its perks and the A380 pilots well, sure have the best of both worlds with great planes to fly and great F/As to party with at the best hotels worldwide, unlike the poor regional pilots in the US.. lolz.. just read a rather sad bio from one of them about dirt low pay, bad motels and being over worked.. I guess, it shows the 2 phases of the life cycle of an airline business, where one is a new and luxurious offering and the other is done to death and a matured commodity.
Well, how the A380 will pan out after the novelty declines remains to be seen along with how EK manages its future 120 380s is another story. But if the 380 is viable on a route, it makes a great asset for any airline.
PS.. didn't catch a view of the tallest Burj Khalifa while landing, but did manage to catch a glimpse of it on my final connection to hyderabad that night, it sure is insanely high even from that distance.
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