Flying with Emirates

It was my first business trip in the office and I will be travelling almost halfway around the world. For this, we booked with Emirates which was famous for it's good service. And what's much more nice about this flight is that I'm flying in Business class, another first time for me! 

We were scheduled to fly from Manila to Dubai and Dubai to Istanbul on a Saturday morning. The flight took us around 12 hours plus a couple of hours waiting time for the transfer flight. It was a really long flight and good thing we were in Business Class and everything was all comfortable.

Flying Business Class!

We stayed at the Mabuhay Lounge in NAIA while waiting for our boarding time. The lounge was just small and there were a few seats available when we were there. We rested for a while and eat a lot in the buffet table. The food there is good and overflowing. It was just right for us before heading for a long flight.

Mabuhay Lounge at NAIA

Sandwiches available

We boarded the plane and waited for it to take off. The Business Class was located at the front part of the plane. There are seven seats in each row divided into 2-3-2 divisions. We were in the middle seat and all the stuff are provided for us there. There are blankets, earphones, socks, bottled water, a remote control for the large TV which plays TV series, movies, music and games. You can also see the view outside if you want to. We were also given some toiletries and so we can wash up anytime we want. We slept most of the time in the plane. I spent most of my time trying out all the buttons around. I was really amazed and entertained on all. In the end, I reclined the seat into a bed and slept the rest of the night. It was very comfortable and I was rested well. If I am not sleeping, I was watching movies and series on the big screen. You can flip through different movies and shows with the handy remote provided. It was a nice thing to have that to kill time while in the plane.

The Business Class area of the plane

Large TV's for entertainment

Everything you need is provided

We settled on our seat and we were served drinks. i opted for a juice at that time. After a while, we were served with a light snack. It was like we were fed every once in a while. Soon, we had our breakfast there. The cabin crew are very accommodating and they attend to your every need with a warm smile. The food is very yummy and eating time is one of the best times in the ride. What I like about them is that in the flight to Dubai, the crew are mostly Filipino and so, they attend to us more attentively. It was also easy to talk to them about our needs. After a long flight, we were at Dubai Airport and they thanked us for flying with them.

Light Snack: Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

Breakfast: Bread, Fruits, Yogut, and Coffee/Tea

Breakfast: Omelette and Sausage with Hash brown and Grilled Tomato

Breakfast: Daing na Bangus and Rice

At the Dubai Airport, we were supposed to get to the Business Class Lounge because we need to wait for around six hours for the connecting flight going to Istanbul. We were literally lost there but soon, after asking a lot of questions to people around, we finally found the lounge. It was really big unlike the one in NAIA. There is a sleeping area for tired guests and most of the tables have outlets with the different plugs available. There are several areas where you can get food. It has a lot to choose from. They have Haagen-Dazs ice cream, different kinds of bread, beverages and drinks and a lot of food. You will never get hungry waiting for your next flight. they also have shower areas and large wash rooms here. The only downfall here is that the wifi sucks. It was painfully slow and it consumed much of our time. Otherwise, it was a comfortable place to wait since most of the crews are Filipinos.

Emirates Business Class Lounge

The Emirates Business Class Lounge where people wait for their next flight

Food available at the Lounge

Need caffeine Fix to survive the rest of the day.

Haagen-Dazs

After six hours of waiting, we again boarded for our next flight. The plane was a bit less comfortable than the previous one. The TV was not that big and it can be accessed at the side. The same amenities are available but the seats were less comfortable than the previous plane. The same movies and TV series are available. We were also well fed since we had a big lunch there. We were getting tired of eating at that moment but the food was all yummy. This time, we tried to have their champagne and it was really really good. It was a very comfortable flight.

Menu

Smaller TV available at the other plane

Toiletries at the lavatory

Juice and nuts for snacks

Champagne for us

Salad

Smoked Salmon Roulade

Chicken Tikka, Lasuni and Malay Kebab

Two weeks after was our flight back to Manila. As we checked in the Istanbul Airport, we stayed at their Lounge. It was similar to that of in Manila. It was small but food was overflowing. The seats however are comfortable and the wifi was acceptable. Soon, we were headed to the plane again.

Food at the Lounge: Mushroom Soup

Sweets

Turkish dishes

Sweets! again

pasta and pizza

Trying out Turkish beer

The plane back was similar to the one we had from Manila to Istanbul. It was very comfortable but I didn't get to sleep much on that four hour flight. Again we were served food and all the amenities are the same. I had watched a lot of their movies, which by the was were the same as that when we got there. At Dubai, we also stayed at the Business Class Lounge and didn't had much time sine it was announced that it was already boarding time. The plane back home was similar to the Dubai-Istanbul plane we had. I was disappointed since it was less comfortable in that plane and we had to endure around 8 hours and more on it. It was less comfortable and I felt much tired as we got to Manila. We were served food as usual and the usual amenities were available. I tried my best to sleep but it was a bit uncomfortable. The long flight ended and I was glad to be back at Manila. I would be working soon, so I need to go home and rest. It was a tiring day bit I was glad I had experienced it.

dinner: smoked salmon

dinner: roast beef

dinner: chicken and rice

dessert

pasta

Bread and Fruits for breakfast

stir fried noodles and dimsum

That was my experience during my first Business Class flight. It was good and very exciting to have experienced it. I was glad to have been given the chance to fly for a business trip and I am looking forward for another one, may it be business or travel. Emirate's service is very good. I felt very pampered and spoiled. I was never hungry on the flight (As you can see from the photos above). I was never bored and the crew tried their best to make us comfortable. We even applied for Skywards so that we'll have perks on our next trip with them. I hope i'll have another chance, but for now, I would really like to thank them for the best airline service I had so far.