Emirates

[tickledtrout]

We have just booked flights from Manchester to Melbourne with Emirates. Have any of you ever travelled with them and are they ok?
This will be the first long haul flight that I have been on and no idea what to expect, eg how easy is it to sleep and how comfortable is economy class

[chattykathy]

Hi

I went to Australia with Emirates and they were fab! Lovely food, free drinks except champers I believe! Leg room on economy was fine and you get a light blanket and pillow.
Best thing that happened to me was I was upgraded on the last leg back from Dubai - heavenly!! Just smile and keep your fingers crossed! Enjoy Oz!

[tickledtrout]

Thanks am really looking forward to it but nervous at the same time. Have seen some reviews both good and bad but its the same with every airline.
Still trying to figure out tho why Cathay Pacific are 8k dearer than all the others!

[KARL]

All airlines provide free drinks, blankets and pillows in economy class on long haul flights - at least I have never heard of anything else. Emirates now rightly see themselves as an established airline and therefore no longer try as hard as they did in the first years after stating up. On routes where they have little or no competition for them to worry about their service is at best mediocre. As generally with all airlines, they do try harder where they want to impress in the face of competition. That said, the attitude of the actual crew serving your cabin on the day, and to some extent the mix and behaviour of your fellow passengers, will also have an effect. Dubai duty free is in my opinion quite expensive and the airport is quite busy, although perhaps the new terminal wing has opened and taken some of the load off the rest.

[tickledtrout]

Thanks Karl, hadn't thought about how it would be in Dubai really, but only there for 3 hours so not much time to do any shopping. Had read some mediocre reviews but I expected it, and they were all roughly the same. The advantage is that we don't have to go thru Heathrow

[JonnoGenie]

I flew with Emirates from London to KL this time last year, and I thought they were excellent.

All the usual that you might expect, but very good entertainment, and when they turned off the cabin lights the ceiling showed up thousands of random and tiny LED's, like stars in the desert. A nice touch.

The stop-over in Dubai each-way was a bit of a pain, but there is an Irish pub (full of merceneries) there. Also a gold shop with seriously bargain prices. I bought a necklace of circa 22 grams (18 carat) for about �220 (it is all priced on weight).