TominScotland flew Emirates Business class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (12/12/2012 11:29)

I joined this flight to New Delhi in Dubai, having flown overnight from Glasgow. I had spent some time in the Business Lounge where the wifi, in the past very slow, seemed to have improved greatly.

This is a cavan of a lounge but, if you can find a quiet corner, which I did, not a bad space for a wait. I was listening to an interview with Tim Clark, President of Emirates, on my way to Dubai and he was enthusing about the new A380 Terminal that is being built - with a Business Class Lounge to seat up to 2,000 pax and a First Lounge for a mere 900!! Sounds scary, it really does!!

Made my way via the rear of the Lounge to C Gates (formerly Terminal 1) and was struck by the ironic wording of some of the global facts ads from a well known British Bank in view of their just-announced fine in the US.....

Boarding had commenced by the time I got to the gate but I was able to by-pass queues and walk straight aboard. I was seated in the main Business cabin, towards the rear in 10D so the only downside was that Economy passengers had to make their way down the cabin past us.

The cabin was entirely full and boarding took some time. Coats were taken and drinks served. The seat is similar to that on the A340 although the cabin, with 2-3-2 seating, feels a bit more cramped.

Once aboard, we had to wait for a departure slot and were airbore about 3o minutes after scheduled departure. The flying time was onlt 2'30" so an on-time arrival was projected. This brings home how close the sub-contient is to the middle east - daft thing to say, I know, but I always saw them as very different worlds until cricket commentators started to talk about sub-continental pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi!!

Drinks and meal orders were taken immediately after take off - starting with Gold Card holders although this did not translate into priority service. At least we got the pick of the choices. I chose a very tasty chicken curry dish and some fruit and was able to prepare my presentation for the next day at leisure.

We landed on time and, after a short taxi, were at the gate. I disembarked to be confronted by an ad promoting a competition to win a holiday in......., yes, Scotland!!

There were no queues at Immigration and, as I only had hand luggage, I was out quickly and into the Emirates limo en route to my hotel within 25 minutes of landing.

FormerlyDoS flew Emirates Business class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (10/06/2012 02:35)

This was the start of a long journey from Malta to Accra (Ghana) and involved two flights under the same number, from Malta to Larnaca and from Larnaca to Dubai.

EK uses A330-200 equipment on this route, in a three class configuration (BT, please note) and although the cabin is refurbished, I would rate the seats as the worst I have experienced in business class for many years. EK crams in 7 across in business, unlike every other A330 operator I have used, where 6 is the norm.

The outcome is that the seats are very narrow, made worse by the TV controller that protrudes about 5 cms into the seating area. The seats are not lie flat and cannot be described as anything resembling comfortable.

It is frankly a disgrace that EK put this type of rubbish on a route where they charge high prices. Cramming 10 across into the Y section of a 777 is bad enough, but 7 on an A330 is simply unacceptable.

The rest of the service was very good, but the overall experience was lousy and that is the lingering memory.

TominScotland flew Emirates First class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (01/06/2012 09:05)

This flight from Dubai to Hong Kong was a continuation of my journey from the UK and, as such, I availed of the Business Class Lounge from where the boarding call was made some 40 minutes prior to scheduled departure at 03.20.

The choice of this flight involves an interesting compromise. It is a direct connection, something only recently available, and, as such, gives the opportunity for 7 hours+ rest. However, it is served by an aging A330 aircraft which patently does not offer the same level of comfort as its newer cousins. Indeed, the indirect service via Bangkok leaves just 15 minutes prior to this departure, with the comfort of an A380 but the downsides of a break in the journey and an arrival time almost 3 hours later.

The gate was a short 5 minute walk from the Lounge and, there, by Business Class boarding pass was exchanged for 2K in First - a good start. There was no queue for boarding and I was at my seat without any hassle.

Pre-flight drinks were served and a large amenity pack distributed - this is only seems to be available on night flights with Emirates. As a First seat, this offering on the A330 is a non-starter - it is way inferior to that in Business on the A380 and no on the same planet as Emirates Suites. The First cabin is a tight 2-2-2 with two rows. The seat itself is very comfortable but movement is restricted, especially when the beds are flat in front and next to me in my window seat. Indeed, exiting to the aisle when my neighbour was fully flat and asleep is a real challenge, especially if:

you don’t like to wake people
you have short legs
you are not a natural athlete
you are half asleep

Needless to say, I fulfill all these conditions and I wished that I had been Sergey Bubka for just those fleeting moments.

Service on this flight is somewhat challenging for the airline. leaving Dubai at 03.20 and arriving in Hong Kong at 15.00 (both local times) means that the beautifully presented a la Carte menu is a mixture of breakfast and lunch items and the consequence is the oddity of enjoying your light continental breakfast while your neighbour tucks into stir fried lobster or chicken parmesan. Their smells over breakfast were challenging..... Service was full of smiles of somewhat haphazard.

The First cabin on the A330 has just the one toilet and this does create queues. I did try to make my way through the Business galley as an alternative, only to be sent back my the curtain guardian - “This area is for Business Class only”. I have always assumed that curtains were to stop the rabble invading premium class space and did not realise that it also was intended to shield us up front from the terrible scene in Business and economy!!

Arrival in Hong Kong was a couple of minutes ahead of schedule and First Class were deplaned first. I was at Immigration within 5 minutes of leaving the plane - a longish queue but disappeared rapidly. My luggage was on the belt within 5 minutes of getting there - only challenge was that our flight was doubled up with another and this created crowding in the fight for bags. In the car exactly 30 minutes after landing.

If I was paying for Emirates First having sampled the A380, I would be disappointed with the A330 offering. Its fine for a daytime, medium-haul journey but really not up to the mark for a nighttime journey.

PATRICKBARRY flew Emirates Economy class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (31/05/2012 11:42)

Flight EK 108 from Larnaca to Dubai on 30/05/12

The cabin was filthy. I had ordered a seafood dinner, which they neglected to give me.

The only concerns that the staff had was talking amongst themselves in the galley at the back of the plane instead of serving the passengers or tidying the cabin. Paper and used plastic bags in the aisles.

When the passenger in front of me leaned back in his seat, he was basically in my lap.
Suffering leg pain today.

I will be looking at other airlines that service Dubai.

AlpineCY flew Emirates First class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (09/06/2011 17:18)

I traveled with the A330 first class from Larnaca to Dubai and back. The seats don't recline as much as on the B777 or A380 but it's totally ok for medium haul flights. The cabin was pretty much empty so the service was great with nice food and so many hot towels that I started to feel like in a spa. The lounge in Larnaca is beyond 'average'. I expected somewhat to have an exclusive flair but it looked pretty much like a modern version of Starbucks with a very small selection of snacks. The one in Dubai was great and there is nothing bad I could say about it. The only downside in Dubai was that they park these less important flights in the middle of nowhere and it took 15 minutes by bus to reach the gate. So in total, definitely a nice plane/cabin for shorter trips (less than 5 hours).

frustratedflyer flew Emirates Business class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (26/10/2010 17:26)

A short flight of 3 hours from Dubai to India.

Lounge in Dubai was very good with plenty of seats, places to eat and drink and power for laptops. The aircraft seat is quite old and narrow but better than you would find on shorthaul routes in Europe. The IFE controls are in the side of the seat so I kept changing channels as a moved my bottom. I was in 7D which I think is one of the better seats. I would avoid row 6 as they are in a cabin all on their own in it feels rather cramped.

IFE was reasonable, had been upgraded except the contols so these were confusing. It was easiest to touch the screen but the screen was not easy to reach! A good selection of films. Service was friendly but mixed.

Prompt drinks and then food service but then nothing else. My neighbour's food was spilt by the crew in front of my seat but they never cleared it up! Food service was extensive - Mushroom soup, Chatpatti or lobster salad followed by chicken curry, veg curry or seafood pie. There was an Indian dessert (Rasmali), cheese and chocolates. I just had the chicked curry which was OK. The wines included Moet, a reasonable Mersault, Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, a 2002 St Emilion and a 2005 Torbreck Shiraz.

My priority bags were slow to come out - almost last. If I had this plane for long haul I would be hugely disappointed but if I compare it to a three hour shorthaul flight in Europe or US it was great.

The flight was 20 minutes late to depart and we then circled at Delhi for some time. Neither was explained or announced by the crew.

mkhoory flew Emirates Business class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (15/05/2009 21:24)

I flew on this aircraft from Dubai bound to Dusseldorf, Germany. This aircraft is very comfortable for long haul flights as its very quiet, stable and produces less noise compared to other aircraft in Emirates fleet. However, the business class seats which are offered on this aircraft are not up to Emirates standards, compared to the new flat bed business class seats on B777 and A380, which is really disappointing. The seats are tight, almost similar to premium economy seats on other major airlines. You won’t be able to watch the entertainment screen if the person in front of you reclines his seat!! So better go for the seats on row 6 or 7. And unfortunately, this aircraft is not equipped with ICE entertainment system. Also, it flies to major destinations in Europe, so before buying your flight tickets, make sure you check whether there’s another flight with a better aircraft flying to the same destination on the same day, you’ll be paying the fee but will be offered with a better seat and entertainment!! Despite the disadvantages of this aircraft, the service was excellent and the flight attendants were very friendly.

canoepunkie flew Emirates Economy class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (14/01/2009 10:41)

ICE is very good and some of the programmes even have the swear words left in! (Specifically 'The Sweeney'). Seating is nothing special, try to avoid getting a seat with one of the large boxes that restrict legroom - row 39 middle - left hand seat is my recommendation.

AGilchrist flew Emirates First class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (01/01/2009 08:05)

For a long 8 hour flight this has to be one of the oldest seats in the fleet, and it shows, the lack of comfort is not really made any better by the old entertainment system. Why Emirates insist on operating these older configurations on longer routes I have no idea. I can say I am not looking forward to the 9.25hr return this evening from CAN-DXB

AGilchrist flew Emirates First class, on a A330-200 (three-class) (01/01/2009 08:04)

For a long 8 hour flight this has to be one of the oldest seats in the fleet, and it shows, the lack of comfort is not really made any better by the old entertainment system. Why Emirates insist on operating these older configurations on longer routes I have no idea. I can say I am not looking forward to the 9.25hr return this evening from CAN-DXB