EMIRATES

The AIRBUS A380-Business Class is a wonderful experience! Although my personal feeling is that this flying machine is too big to be an airplane- you feel that especially when landing-, the flight quality and especially the inflight entertainment and equipment are incredible.

On one of my 2011 China flights (June), my travel agency booked me on EMIRATES. The journey took me from Madrid to Dubai, then from there to Bangkok, finally from Thailand to Hong Kong.

The Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong flight was on an A380-800, the Madrid-Dubai on an A340, all of them in business. I can tell you, the A340-300 EMIRATES business class was terrible. Don`t believe all those stories on how wonderful EMIRATES inflight service is: it was the worst I had on the more than 80 business and first class flights to Asia I have performed.

Starting with the cabin: my business-class seat K-9, at window side, very narrow and disturbing with your neighbor armrest. Very uncomfortable and no flat laying option. Still the old configuration. And on top of that a cabin crew that had no idea of serving business class. What a difference with SWISS, KLM, AIR FRANCE and others..!

Between start and finishing my meal, 3 hours of ineptitude, sluggishness, mistakes and very, very mediocre food. I could only manage half a glass of wine and, of course, no liquors at the end. I`m not quite sure if this has to do with their religion or not but, again, what a difference with the Business Class on any other airliner, where service is constant and personal. So, forget about those ideal and perfect EMIRATES` smiling stewardesses TV-spots, where your flight is drawn as an unforgettable flight experience: mine was unforgettable, yes, but negative!

The only positive element of the flight was sitting near Iker Casillas and his beautiful girlfriend Sara Carbonero.

However, things changed on my Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong flight: service was slightly better and my 25K cabin-seat on the A380-800 was really fantastic. No neighbor, plenty of space, flat laying, great inflight entertainment, minibar, and a personal Business Class Bar. Both flights (one stop in Bangkok, without leaving the plane) were a great experience, not because of the very average EMIRATES service/food, but due to the very comfortable A380-Business Class Cabin.

Resumed: AIRBUS A-380:YES; EMIRATES:NEVER AGAIN!

JPB