Emirates A380 Business Class - Impressive is an understatement!

Well, that was certainly quite an experience!

When I first booked my flights to come to the USA I decided to use frequent flyer points to try and save on the expenses. And after searching around I realised I didn't need to use too many extra points to fly between economy and business class with Qantas. Qantas are partners with Emirates so it also meant that I could travel with Emirates and fly through Dubai. Obviously this is taking the long way as it involves 2 x 13 hours flights compared to just one (if I was flying from Australia to Los Angeles). But I figured if I was going to travel in Business Class then this would be a great way to take full advantage of this. So the flights were booked and the excitement began. I gave myself a 22 hour stop in Dubai to break the journey up, to get some rest in between and to possibly see a bit more of Dubai (the later never eventuated).

Once the flights were booked I was able to manage my booking online. Because of the stopover in Dubai on the way across the Qantas website allowed me access to something called Dubai Connect. It's a package they sometimes offer travellers with a stopover exceeding 6 hours. It offers the traveller a hotel in Dubai as well as a chauffeur to/from the hotel. So with this organised all I had to do was wait for the flights themselves ...

Checking in at Adelaide Airport was a breeze. I had extra luggage allowance as well, which allowed me to bring a few more things with me that I thought I might use/need while I'm away.

All checked in!

Once checked in David and I spent some time talking about anything and everything, trying to avoid the pain and sadness of what was about to happen. As we were chatting a friend Annie came up and said hello. She was seeing her sister off for a trip to Europe, so that also help distract us from the pain we were feeling (probably more for me than David).

We waited until the line to go through security was almost done and then said our goodbyes. The pain from that last hug still haunts me today. I still can't believe I have done this, but that moment was definitely the hardest thing I have done in my life. I know I have written about this already, but I'm so lucky to have a partner that has allowed me to do this. I will be forever grateful to David for allowing me to have this opportunity - he is the best man in the world! Such a beautiful soul! I miss him so much and it hasn't been a week yet. So we said our goodbyes, hugged, kissed, hugged some more, squeezed and then I walked through security *deep breath* ....

As I was going through security I turned back and kept waving at David. He got a great photo of the last moment we were able to see each other (it's on FaceBook). I took a photo and quickly got told off by the security people - opts!

Once past security and passport control I waited in the boarding area for about 15 minutes before they started boarding the plane. It was enough time to make a last phone call to David and have a chat as he was driving home. It was a little easier than it had been in person but saying goodbye still sucked dogs balls!!

Once I was on the plane it was easy to find my seat (close to the front). I put my bags in the overhead bin and sat down to prepare for the flight. There was a ridiculous amount of leg room (lots), but I realised later that was to make way for the flat-bed!! Shortly after I sat down an attendant came around offering juice, water and champagne - obviously I took the champagne ...

Cheers!

 Throughout the flight I enjoyed all the creature comforts of Business Class. Had several cocktails, freshly prepared meals served with real metal cutlery, noise-reduction headphones, Bulgaria aftershave in the bathroom and had two naps (in the fully extended flat bed). It was fantastic seeing as the flight was just over 13 hours long. But before long we arrived in Dubai and it was time to find my way to the chauffeur lounge and head to the hotel that was organised for my 22-hour stopover. It was fairly easy to find where I had to go (the staff at the desks seemed really helpful).

Once I'd found the chauffeur lounge I only had to wait a couple of minutes before a man led me to my car, and about 5 minutes later we arrived at the hotel - Le Meridien, Dubai. Check in was a breeze and I was given vouchers for breakfast, lunch and dinner that could be used at multiple restaurants within the hotel complex (what a bonus!!). Then I was taken to my room which was in one word, AMAZING! The highlights of my room were definitely the bed and the SPA BATH!! Heavenly!!

Most amazing spa bath - used it TWICE!!

I arrived at the hotel at about 6am and my pickup was organised for midnight so I had 18 hours to relax, unwind and get some sleep. After having a cup of tea the first thing I did was to take a very long spa bath while I had a chat with David. Then I decided to go and grab some breakfast. To say I was spoiled is an understatement. They had all sorts of food available at several buffet areas as well as cook-to-order items from the menu as well. I just picked a few bits and pieces but highlights for me were the camel's milk, goat's cheese, and the energizer juices they had an offer.

After breakfast I went back to my room and contemplated heading out to explore a bit of the city. I decided to stay in and try to get some sleep as I was feeling exhausted, no doubt a natural reaction to the previous week/s of anxiety, sadness, heightened emotions and the long flight. I ended up sleeping off and on for a few hours. I started feeling peckish around 3pm so I ventured out again to look at the hotel and find some food. The hotel is close to the airport but spread out over a bit of land. The property includes several hotel buildings, three pool areas, about 10 restaurants and a few bars. I decided to go Irish for lunch and had a cottage pie (which was delicious) along with some cider (it was about 35 degrees celcius outside!). It was delicious!!

I again thought about what to do with my evening - go into town or just rest/relax - the later option won through again. I had another sleep, another spa bath and then before I knew it the time had come to head to the airport. I got back to the airport rather quickly and headed to the Emirates lounge to enjoy a drink and some food. I think I ended up in the wrong end of the lounge as it was the 'quiet' section. I had a drink and some nibbles but wasn't too fussed about missing dinner as I knew they would feed me on the plane.

Boarding the flight was awesome - the flight from Dubai to New York was on the A380 and Business Class is on the upper deck so we had a separate door to enter through. I found my way to the seat and had another glass of champagne! The seats on the A380 are a little different and you get your own section with a side table and mini-bar (amazing!). The seat also reclines into a flat bed so you can sleep if you want to. The other awesome thing about the A380 is that Business Class has a bar and lounge at the back of the plane. Let's just say that several beverages were consumed back there during the flight :)

Before I know it, we were getting ready to land in New York (JFK). I started to feel a whole bunch of different emotions - excitement, anxiety, stress, tension, sadness - it hit me like a whirlwhind. I was also feeling sad that my Business Class adventure had come to an end (I was only able to do this using frequent flyer points and don't think I will ever be able to afford to fly this way on a long-haul flight).  What an amazing memory!!