The Travelling Dassie: Emirates Economy Class Airbus A380-800 EK049 18 Sept 2013

Route

EK049 from Dubai to Munich 18 Sept 2013

Scheduled Duration

6 hours 25 min

On time departure and arrival

Departed 8 minutes late but arrived 16 minutes early in Munich

Ground Crew and check-in

Check in was handled by Emirates staff. This was a connection flight and we checked in online 24 hours before the first leg of the journey. Our luggage were booked through to Munich. All A380's depart from Terminal A. There is a train between Terminal C and Terminal A. There is a Marhaba lounge (Priority pass/paid access) in terminal A.
Most ground crew were friendly and helpful.

Boarding procedure

Priority boarding for First and Business Class passengers, as well as skywards gold/silver members, families with small children and assisted passengers.
Economy class boarding was by zone. Zone C and F boarded first.

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - One piece of carry-on luggage.
Checked luggage - 30 kg. Extra allowance depending on Frequent traveler status.
See more on baggage allowances and rules.

Before take-off

Moist hot towels were provided to freshen up.

Seating

This flight had 3 classes, First, Business and Economy.
First and Business class is on the upper deck.

Seat pitch - 86.36 cm (34")
Seat width - 45.72 cm (18")
Seatmap can be viewed on Seatguru or on Emirates Airbus A380-800
We sat in row 51 F and G. It is bulkhead seats and had normal recline. It had standard overhead storage space. There is a passageway and galley behind these seats. To the right of the my seat was an emergency exit as well as crew seats. The crew used this space to do stock take of online shopping items and it was a bit noisy.
The seats have a very nice headrest that you can adjust.
There are manual air vents and remote controlled reading lights above the seats
On the remote control is a button to call the flight attendant.
A note on row 50 A-C, there were airline items stored in the overhead locker space and the passengers sitting there did not have enough storage for their hand luggage.

In flight Amenities

Small pillow and blanket
Stereo headset

Entertainment

Emirates won numerous awards for their ICE in-flight system.
See more on Emirates ICE
On demand entertainment system with a wide selection of movies, TV programs and music. You can also stay in touch with latest headlines from the BBC, follow the progress of your flight or view the aircraft's external cameras.
The ICE touch screen system is easy to use and movies can be started as soon as you are seated. A remote control is also provided.
The flight's progress were displayed on screens against the bulkhead

In-flight communications

Satellite phone.
Mobile phones could be used.
Wi-Fi available to purchase.

Charging points for electronic devices

USB charging point. Regular 110V AC power port at every other seat ( shared port)

Meals and refreshments

Breakfast
A continental breakfast were served. There were a choice of a Traditional Arabian morning mezze and a Breakfast deli platter
On the tray - Fruit salad, Cold breakfast, croissant, Nutella, mini flat breads, orange juice and cup for coffee. Cutlery, wet wipe, one sugar sachet, salt and pepper, serviette.
I had the tasteful Arabic mezze.

Lunch
A hot lunch were served before landing. There was a choice between Cajun chicken fillet and Mutton curry
On the tray - Starter, Hot lunch, bun, dessert, Box with salty biscuits, chilly dip and cheese, still water and cup for coffee. Cutlery, wet wipe, one sugar sachet, salt and pepper, serviette and small chocolate.
I had the mutton, it was tasty with just enough hotness in the curry.

Specify any dietary requirements at time of booking e.g. vegetarian.

Refreshments
Coffee/tea was served after meals.
Drinks and wine were served before the meal as well as a small packet of pretzels

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean. There were three toilets in the front of the plane servicing the zone we sat in.
Soap, body lotion and fragrance were provided.
Paper towels and tissues were supplied
Basin to wash hands and brush teeth.
Baby changing facilities

In-flight shopping

In-flight shopping was available.

Travelling with Children

Baby bassinets must be pre booked. Meal request for children must be made at time of reservation.
Milk and baby food can be warmed up by the cabin crew
Read more on Emirates - Travelling with infants

Crew

The crew was friendly and helpful.

Disembarking

First class disembarked first, then business class. Economy class disembarked from the front of the plane.

Overall opinion

What I liked
Tasty and well presented meals.
Entertainment system
Very generous seats

Not so good
Flight attendants bumping into our seats with service trolleys.
The A380 can take over 500 passengers, luggage can take a long time to arrive at the carousel due to the sheer volume of luggage that must be handled.