Flight Review Emirates A380 Auckland – Sydney

EK 413 – Business Class

After a brief turnaround in New Zealand, I proceeded to check-in at the Emirates Business Class counter to receive my return journey boarding pass, which was processed quickly without any hassle.

I was then advised to clear ‘immigration’ at the adjoining desk which is reserved for Emirates’ premium customers, and without further delay, I went straight through to the security desk, bypassing the mounting queues at immigration.

I made a quick stop at the Emirates lounge to examine the area before hearing to the gate for boarding.  There was a short delay while passes were processed, but soon passengers were eagerly led to their seats for take off.

Sitting on the other side of the plane this time round, I found that there was no real difference at all but other passengers noted a different experience from sitting in the middle section compared with the window seats.

Relaxing into the plush cushions, air stewards began offering pre-take off beverages and as the flight was already pushed back an hour later than scheduled, most were eager to get into the air.

It seemed that as soon as the seat-belt sign was switched off, groups of passengers headed to the back of the plane to have a cocktail at the exclusive Lounge area.  With canapés and a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on offer, passengers mingled in the spacious area while sipping the finest Emirates had to offer.

With a well earned Moet in hand I decided to rest on the leather lounge with a fellow passenger.  Complete with seat-belts and easy access to the bar snacks, I found it was extremely comfortable almost forgetting I was some 40,000 feet in the air!

Soon after a steward arrived announcing that dinner had been served and laid out, so I headed back to my seat to enjoy the meal whilst watching one of the latest releases on offer.  The only issue I had with the large screens and the layout of the aircraft is that you are easily able to view what fellow passengers are watching which can be distracting at times.

After the table was cleared, we were advised we were approaching Sydney and before long, touched down in another quiet landing which was fascinating to watch via the tail view on the TV monitors.

Upon arrival at the Sydney International Terminal, I spotted my driver holding up a placard with my name on it, and proceeded to the nearby parked car.  The Emirates chauffeur service is an excellent addition to their product offering making the trip so much more enjoyable especially after a long day.