<![CDATA[Flying Emirates Airlines is always a fun experience. My first ever Emirates flight was to Abidjan on 2015, when I travelled to inspire several youths across Central and West Africa as part of Nescafe Get Started Tour. I termed that experience then, as my most fun short distance travel.
I continued my experience with the airline later that year, when I travelled to Mauritius for the DStv Africa content showcase. It was particularly fun experiencing the business Cabin of the Emirates Boeing 777 from Accra to Dubai, and later using the Airbus 380 to Mauritius.
My last experience came when I flew in the Boeing 777economy cabin to Dubai for the Coca Cola global launch of the Taste The Feeling campaign. It was my first-ever visit to Dubai, but it was for two nights only, so I didn’t experience the city as much as I would have wished!
So when I was invited for a better experience of Dubai on the invitation of Emirates, I was more than excited; I now get to enjoy Dubai and also be a part of history as Emirates flew its Airbus 380 to Ghana in a one-off service to Accra, to mark the opening of the new Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3.
The VIP treatment started right from the Emirates desk at the new terminal, when the ground manager accompanied me smoothly to check in. I then made my way to the all-new Akwaaba Lounge to relax and have some quick bites before the flight.
Onboard the Emirates Boeing 777
When I boarded Flight EK 788, I was welcomed in style as two crewmembers were dedicated to my colleague and me. They mentioned our names and introduced themselves to us as well, and proceeded to give us our welcome drinks…I opted for a class of champagne!
https://youtu.be/7mFZcJpmWf8
The business-class arrangement in the Boeing 777is a 2-3-2 configuration and I was lucky to get a window seat, although I was too tired to view outside throughout the duration of the flight. Sitting in the window seat also meant that I had to climb over Sam, my seatmate whenever I wanted to get up. But with my long legs I mastered that quite well.
There was a privacy screen and ample room from the armrest between the seats, which extended far enough to keep legroom between my seatmate and me separate. Our seats came with a pillow, blanket and a set of headphones. The seats are overall very comfortable and adjustable to suit my mood. Yes, after a eating and watching a movie, I stretched out my seat at some point to sleep.
My seat came with an In-Flight Entertainment screen mounted on the wall in front of me. In addition there was an adjustable tablet/ monitor that could also be used to control the entertainment system.
Since our flight left Ghana around 5:30pm, I had a full dinner but I slept later so I didn’t get to grub a “light bite” before landing in Dubai, early in the morning. Meal service started off with a beverage and selection of warm nuts including macadamias, almonds, cashews and pistachios. I opted for a class of 2008 vintage Châteaux wine, which paired well with the nuts.
For dinner, I opted to start with smoked salmon – fennel salad with sweet and sour dressing, cucumber and a salmon roe.
My main was chicken curry with spinach and potatoes, served with Ghanaian fried rice and peppers.
And for dessert, I delighted myself with an opera gateau; chocolate and coffee layered cake, served with berry compote.
Before landing, I received Emirates’ business class amenity kit, which has Bvlgari products including hand lotion, face emulsion and perfume, as well as some basic items like shaving stick, shaving cream, a dental kit and tissues. Instead of using it to freshen up on arrival, I saved it as a souvenir like I usually do. In fact my last Emirate kit served as my sponge bag whenever I travel for a long time. So, yes I have a new sponge bag.
Emirates Chauffeur-drive service for Business Class
https://youtu.be/YZRGtUTKPXg
When we landed, we collected our luggage and I got to experience the Emirates Chauffeur-drive service for Business Class. The chauffeur took us to our hotel, where we stayed for some four days. Yes four days of fun and exciting first time experiences for me.
My Dubai Experience
https://youtu.be/BgWa61zVrSY
But soon, my Dubai experience came to an end, and it was time to return to Accra, this time on flight EK 787, the one-off Emirates Airbus 380 to Accra.
It was a 7:30 am flight so we got to the airport early for check in and a short ceremony at the business /first class desk area before making our way through immigration to go to the Emirates First Class lounge. I had a quick breakfast at the lounge before finally boarding. It was a breathtaking experience, sheer luxury!
The double-decker airbus is set in a three-class configuration, with 426 seats in Economy Class on the main deck, 76 flatbed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck. Passengers in the First Class can enjoy Private Suites, and Shower Spas. Both First Class and Business Class passengers also enjoy the Onboard Lounge that offers a wide range of drinks and canapés, as well as space to socialize or simply relax at 40,000 feet high.
Onboard the Emirates Airbus 380
Unlike the Boeing 777, the A380 business cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. The business-class cabin is split into two mini cabins. The front one is the larger, with a total of 58 seats. Behind the barrier is a smaller cabin with just 18 seats. I was seated in the rear mini-cabin, which was more comfortable and offered more privacy. In addition, I wasn’t far from the bar and the lavatories.
In my seat, I had my own minibar, massive amounts of storage space and a side table on which I could put small devices. The minibar had a selection of soft drinks — soda, juice, still water and sparking water. Again, as has become my ritual, I packed them all into my bag for later use.
Opposite from the seat is a large foot well, which felt comfortable even with the seat in its fully flat position when I slept. I needed all the sleep I could get, after waking up as early as 4 am that day.
Directly above the foot well is the in-flight entertainment screen, which is built into the back of the seat in front of me. This time, I watched one movie and listened to my favourite oldies from the UK Number 1 charts.
The seats have a USB charger, a standard socket for charging devices as well an HDMI slot, perhaps for connecting devices to in IFE screen.
The meal service included both breakfast and lunch. In addition, there were a number of snacks offered throughout the flight — particularly at the rear of the aircraft at the bar.
I had a Continental breakfast comprising Fresh juice served with seasonal fruit, yoghurt and a selection of bread, croissants and pastries.
I started off my lunch with a bowl of creamy mushroom soup served with chives. I then opted for Bzar fish -Grilled cod fillet in traditional Emirati spice marinade, served on aromatic rice with fried onions and toasted pistachios. I then topped it with Chocolate mango tart – layered chocolate and mango mousse topped with dark chocolate ganache, served with mango jellies, for dessert.
All too soon, the fun experience with Emirates was coming to end. With pride and high expectations, our pilot Solomon Quainoo started his initial announcements to indicate the commencement of our descent into Accra, in Twi.
As we landed I turned on the live camera feed to watch the activities on ground. The airbus was received with a heavy baptism of ‘water flushing’ amidst drumming and dancing. Yes, it was history in the making; the world’s largest commercial passenger jet had arrived in Ghana for the first time.
And yes I was part of the story!
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