Every airline has its off day and on a recent Emirates flight from Bali to Dubai the crew seemed to have left their customer service in paradise.

Check-in

I checked in for my flight in advance using Emirates’ user-friendly app, which I love as it offers all the info you need in an easy to navigate interface, and also allows you to book things like meals and chauffeur service, which is included in most business class fares, but which sadly has not yet been introduced to Bali.

At I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, I waited 10 minutes to check my luggage at section B, despite using the designated business class lane, as there seemed to be many passengers negotiating with the check-in crew over seating and luggage allowances, slowing down a usually speedy process. After immigration and security, I made my way to the Premier Lounge (below), the better of the airport’s two non-airline lounges and the one Emirates uses for its business and first-class passengers.

I like this space (I’m a regular there as Cathay Pacific also uses it), with its simple but delicious snacks and ever friendly staff, but I left early as my flight was departing from the furthest gate on the concourse.

Boarding

At gate 9 I made my way onto the Emirates A380 at 6.55 pm, near the end of the boarding process, meaning no waiting time, and after ascending the stairs to the upper deck, quickly found my window seat, 11A on the port side. It was evident almost immediately that the crew were in disarray – there was no warm welcome onboard at the door and many passengers seemed to still be negotiating for what I assumed was a better seat or another class (although crew gently pointed out the flight was fairly full).

Unlike my previous experiences with Emirates, which were always great, on this flight, after settling in and scrolling through emails for 20 minutes, I had to request a glass of champagne and an amenity kit, after noticing that passengers on the other side of the cabin were already enjoying theirs. When I did, a senior crew member’s response was “where you late to board?”. As far as I know I wasn’t late at the gate and I certainly wasn’t the last passenger to enter the business class cabin so his response was a surprise (he finally brought me one well after take-off, its safety seal already broken).

I also requested the new loungewear that Emirates recently introduced (several of my fellow passengers were already walking around in theirs) and after 20 minutes a smiling but frazzled cabin attendant found a set for me. A eye shade and slipper kit was already in place at the seat.

Finally, all passengers were accounted for, a glass of champagne was delivered along with a hot towel, and menus were delivered as we began taxiing, 15 minutes behind schedule, for our evening departure to Dubai, with the purser advising a flight time of 8 hours 50 minutes and that the crew was from “21 countries and spoke 20 languages”.

The Seat

I love the A380 with its majestic presence at the gate, expansive wings, and powerful engines that effortlessly propel it into the sky. The A380 experience with Emirates varies, depending on which of these giants the airline is operating on the route. On this flight from Bali to Dubai we travelled on the older of the two versions, which has its pluses and minuses. While a little dated looking, the upper deck seat boasts great storage beneath the windows, cleverly concealed behind stylish faux mahogany panels; a minibar with soft drinks and water; a large main monitor; and additional storage for your essentials built into the seat shell. There are also personal air vents, a broad armrest, and electric shades on the large windows.

At 18.5 inches wide, the seats transform into a comfortable 70-inch-long bed, ensuring a comfortable rest throughout your flight. However, this older version has one weakness; the headphone jack (along with the USB port) is located under the monitor, which the cord for my own headphones couldn’t reach so I needed to use the rather lacklustre, plasticy Emirates one, with the cord trailing over the meal table. It also means that if you’re charging your phone you need to leave it in the cubby hold in the seat back, which is a bit of a reach with the tray open.

Dining

When it does start (as you’ll read below), the meal includes the choice of butternut squash and sweetcorn chowder with crème fraiche; tea-smoked duck with mustard dressing and pickled cabbage; and tuna tataki with Moroccan spiced aubergine and cumin mayonnaise. The tuna is overly chilled, rubbery and rather tasteless – I should have had the soup.

Mains included the choice of roasted chicken with Arabic-style pomegranate sauce, pilaf rice, and steamed broccolini; gulai udang, prawns in an Indonesian-style curry with pandan rice and sauteed vegetables; and wild mushroom ragout with basil polenta, and sautéed kale with garlic and parmesan. The chicken is a hefty filet that is perfectly cooked but also as bland as printer paper, despite the sauce, and its presentation is more akin to economy class than anything I’ve seen in business class on Emirates. Overall, the meal is almost as disappointing as the completely forgettable service (read more about that in a minute).

Dessert consisted of a chocolate caramel tart with crème fraiche and toasted pistachios; seasonal fruit; or a cheese board but I decided to skip and get some sleep.

Due to the arrival time, I also opt to skip breakfast, the choices for which include brie and basil omelette; French toast with spiced apple and date compote, and mascarpone cream; and stir-fried noodles with beef.

Service

This sadly was the biggest let down of the flight. As I mentioned earlier, crew were already out of stride when I boarded, and this continued throughout the flight, with service that was robotic and even defensive when not indifferent. I’m not exactly sure what happened in Bali, but they were certainly not at their usual Emirates level.

In fact, once we took off, the crew member in my area started offering mattresses for passengers to make up their beds (we were arriving at 1 am so many passengers wanted to make the most of the time to sleep), something that usually takes place after the initial drink and meal order is taken. I had already selected my meal on the Emirates app, so I wasn’t too fussed, but an hour into the flight (by which time airlines like Cathay have already served a preliminary drink and are halfway through service) there was still no actual service to be seen, or any crew for that matter.

I finally manage to catch one cabin attendant as he flows through the cabin and order a perfect Manhattan from the airline’s extensive cocktail menu. It comes 20 minutes later, at which point I inquired about the dinner service, keen to get some sleep as soon as it was finished. I’m told that it was a full flight (with I presume a full crew?) and that the Emirates standard for meal service was two and a half hours and that I simply had to wait.

By now it’s 90 minutes into the flight, and I decide to wait 15 more minutes before skipping the meal and grabbing a sandwich from the Onboard Lounge. Just as I give up and step out of my chair, my meal arrives, sans my pre-ordered starter, which the cabin attendant has forgotten. Clearly, he has made an effort to bring mine first, which I do appreciated, as many other passengers don’t get theirs for another 20 minutes. By the time a different cabin crew member does the rounds with bread and wine, I’m already finished.

After managing to sleep a few hours (despite its weathered appearance, the seat, with its oversized pillow and mattress topper, makes for a perfectly comfortable bed), I make my way down to the Onboard Lounge, which is quite busy. Again, here the crew seem disorganised and distracted and I end up returning to my seat to wait for my coffee.

Once we arrive in Dubai, the final sting is at the bustling immigration area; with no Emirates staff present, business class passengers are not permitted to use the fast track, despite our boarding passes clearly marked for it. However, the airline’s chauffeur service at Dubai International is seamless as usual, and within minutes of grabbing my luggage I’m on my way to my hotel in a luxury sedan.

Summary

I’m usually a fan of Emirates and rarely find fault with its crew, and every airline has its off days, but overall this was a disappointing experience for the price point the airline charges for its business class product. Perhaps it’s best to simply lower expectations and instead maximise your sleep if you’re departing a party island like Bali.

Note: The author travelled on a full fare business class ticket without the airline’s prior knowledge

For more Reviews click here.

STAY IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & LINKEDIN