aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 13 hours ago) and read 9675 times:
Sydney Bound On The Big Bird! EK A380 AKL-SYD
Background
The Southern Hemisphere summer was approaching & having unfortunately not been flying for a number of months, I decided that it was a perfect time to take another trip. Australia has been on my agenda for a while & after some thought I decided to take a week long trip to Sydney & Melbourne
For the flight between AKL & SYD, there are multiple carriers to choose from. These include the more traditional carriers that you would expect on this route (NZ, QF) as well as some LCC’s (JQ, DJ) However the most interesting carriers are the fifth freedom carriers that ply this route (AR, LA & EK). For me though, It was a pretty easy choice as I’ve yet to log the A380 & there’s no easier way for me to log it than on EK’s AKL-SYD route.
Booking on EK’s website was quick & easy as you would expect from a large global carrier like them. EK’s website also allows you to manage your booking, choose your seat, check what services you can expect for your flight & check in online. Overall EK definitely has one of the most comprehensive websites in the industry.
Tuesday 24 January
Emirates have a nice, leisurely 18.40 departure for their Sydney route so no need for any early wake up calls. Anyway I ended up leaving quite early arriving at the airport at 15.40.
Check-in was a quick & painless experience. I was met with an efficient agent who assigned me my preselected seat, 87A
After check-in was completed, I decided to go to the observation deck that is located on the top floor.
Corridor to the observation deck, (note the imagery)
2x NZ A320’s, 1x NZ B763 & 1x EK 77W
A shot of the landside area in AKL
Apart from the observation deck there isn’t too much to do landside at AKL, so what else could I do except go airside! Immigration was pretty quick as was security so I was soon airside.
Airside at AKL is filled with the usual duty free shops & what not. However AKL does have a central art piece known as ‘Pou Manawa’, which was built quite recently.
Here are a few spotting shots that I took while having a small snack.
LAN A343
EK 77W Taxiing
I still had a long time to wait before boarding so I decided to take a walk to our gate so I could take a few shots of the A380.
The A380 gates at AKL are located in a new pier however they are an awfully long way from the main pier so it was a pretty cumbersome walk to get there.
Long Long Corridors
EK 77W
A public art piece
First glimpse of the A380
A few more shots of the A380
The plane that would be ferrying me to SYD is A6-EDO. This is one of the planes equipped with a crew rest area in the lower deck, which is used on EK’s longer A380 flights.
At the new pier there isn’t really a whole lot to do so I decided to walk back to the main pier, browse at a few shops & have another snack then walk back to our gate.
The long walkway
Artwork
I ended up arriving about 10 minutes before boarding time when the seats were starting to fill up. One thing AKL airport needs to do is add seats to the A380 gates, as the scene gets pretty chaotic just before boarding starts. Also, it will get worse in October when EK introduces the A380 on the DXB-MEL-AKL which at the moment departs a mere 10 minutes after the SYD flight.
Boarding started on time & despite the fact that the flight was well loaded, the boarding process was quite orderly. No worse than any other long haul flight. Various Australian & New Zealand newspapers were also available on the jetway.
Once on board I was welcomed by friendly flight attendants who directed me towards the back of the plane.
My Seat 87A, for an economy class seat it was pretty comfortable
Legroom was fine
IFE Welcome Screen
EK’s famous wood paneling is used as a window frame.
There were some coffee stains on the cupholder but apart from that the cabin was clean
Crews came around to hand out lemon-scented hot towels however there were none left when they reached my row. None the less they came back after takeoff so kudos to them.
We pushbacked pretty much on time. Here’s a photo of the very cool tail camera feature
Auckland Airport
After a 12-minute taxi, we started our takeoff run. This being my first time on the A380 it was very noticeable how quiet the takeoff was.
Anyway here a few photos during takeoff
Emirates In-flight magazine, are they still planning to get rid of it?
Emirates Duty-Free magazine
The ice guide
A380 safety card
In-Flight Entertainment
It’s pretty common consensus here on a.net that Emirates’ ice in-flight entertainment system is one of the best in the industry & after trying it out I can only reaffirm that point. The system has pretty much everything that you would want, movies, TV shows, games, camera’s etc. Here’s a basic overview of the system:
Over 200 Movies
Hundreds of TV programs
Thousands of Music features
Over 100 Games
3D Airshow
Nose, Tail & Downward Camera
News Headlines
IFE Handset
i – information homepage
c- communication homepage
e – entertainment homepage
A380 info, note the ice navigator at the bottom
About an hour into the flight dinner service began. Menus were handed out just after takeoff.
Menu card cover
Appetizer - Smoked chicken with potato salad served on a bed of lettuce
Main Course - Fragrant beef curry stew served with basmati rice, broccoli florets and carrots
- Chicken cacciatore with almond couscous, pieces of chicken in a tomato, mushroom and herb sauce, garnished with green peas and roast pumpkin
Dessert - Raisin cheesecake served with butterscotch sauce.
- Cheese and biscuits
It took me quite a while to decide but in the end I opted for the beef.
In the end it was a good choice, the beef was delicious and the rice was plentiful and cooked well. The smoked chicken salad was all right but the raisin cheesecake dessert was fantastic. One small thing to note is that I didn’t receive any biscuits with my cheese though that’s not a big problem.
One thing I don’t like though is the length of time it took EK to serve beverages. I had finished my meal by the time the beverage cart arrived. Eventually I asked for ginger ale though that wasn’t available so I had to settle for lemonade.
This Emirates branded chocolate that was in the meal
Airshow
After the meals were collected I took a quick walk around the cabin.
Cabin shot
Lavatory, the wood panelling is quite nice.
Rear spiral staircase
Before the flight I had purposely chosen a seat on the left hand side of the aircraft as you typically get better views on that side & that turned out to be a good choice as we were able to see the CBD and all of Sydney’s famous sights. In fact we flew over the CBD twice though unfortunately the weather wasn’t at it’s greatest.
A photo from the first flyover of the CBD
The Chatswood CBD on Sydney’s North Shore.
The Sydney harbour/ Parramatta River
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, you can also see the famous Sydney Operahouse to the right of the bridge
The Anzac Bridge in the foreground & the Sydney CBD in the background
The Sydney CBD
One of Sydney suburbs
Touchdown
Looks like a nice place to go spotting!
Crossing the east-west runway
Tail Camera
Arrival
One disadvantage of sitting at the back of the A380 is that it takes an age to disembark. Despite this though lines at immigration & customs weren’t bad. However it took about 40 minutes for my bag to come out. Eventually though we were able to leave for our hotel.
Conclusion
Emirates’ economy class product on the A380 is definitely one of the best in the industry. The seating comfort & legroom are both pretty good & the ice IFE system is undoubtedly one of the best in the industry. EK’s catering was also great & you have to commend them for still offering a substantial hot meal on a relatively short hop like this. Product wise EK probably has the best offering across the Tasman though their schedules, especially ex Australia aren’t the best. Also some people may be put off by the 10 abreast 777’s which fly from AKL to BNE & MEL (though this will change to an A380 in October).
The A380 was also a pleasure to fly on. The noise difference is quite noticeable on board but there a couple of things that I personally don’t like, for instance the large distance between the inner & outer panels in the windows which can make it difficult to take pictures. Also the size of the Y cabin on the A380 really does make you feel like just another load of cattle. Overall I will probably neither seek out or avoid the A380, though as they typically have better products than other fleet types I will probably end up on board when I have the opportunity.
Thanks everyone for reading, my next report will be about 2 domestic hops with DJ & QF!
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6183 posts, RR: 79 Reply 2, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 9117 times:
Hi aflyingkiwi,
great report about your Emirates A380 experience! EK's Y Class product is definitely among the best ones in the industry.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): The noise difference is quite noticeable on board but there a couple of things that I personally don’t like, for instance the large distance between the inner & outer panels in the windows which can make it difficult to take pictures.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): Also the size of the Y cabin on the A380 really does make you feel like just another load of cattle.
You get much more space in EK's A380 than in many other widebody cabins. Just think of all the 777s with 3-4-3 configuration.
HKGfan From New Zealand, joined Aug 2008, 15 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 8968 times:
Hi aflyingkiwi,
Great TR! As Aucklanders we are really lucky to have the A380 reach our airport.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): or the flight between AKL & SYD, there are multiple carriers to choose from. These include the more traditional carriers that you would expect on this route (NZ, QF) as well as some LCC’s (JQ, DJ) However the most interesting carriers are the fifth freedom carriers that ply this route (AR, LA & EK).
I have done AKL-SYD-AKL with NZ and TG (back in 2004), but will be trying the route on LA in June which I am looking forward to.
EK really seems to be the carrier of choice when travelling to Australia, albeit often more expensive. Your flight looked really comfortable
plateman From United States of America, joined May 2007, 904 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 8567 times:
Nice TR .. one of the main reasons I did Auckland was to fly this EK A380 ... had a great experience, including a personal tour of the whole aircraft when landing!
deltamartin From Sweden, joined Dec 2010, 1059 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week ago) and read 8204 times:
Hi,
nice report!
EK seems nice, impressive for such a short hop (even If that's often the case on 5th freedom flights with longhaul equipment).
The A380 seems like a nice aircraft, can't wait to fly one for the first time, I will fly a LH example in a few weeks.
FLIEGER67 From Georgia, joined Sep 2003, 4387 posts, RR: 57 Reply 6, posted (1 year 3 months 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 7999 times:
Hi, aflyingkiwi,
good to follow you´re EK A380 story.
I should go on that machine once again soon, but not EK for me.
Also nice to see the pictures form AKL, never been there myself and SYD, the same again.
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 7, posted (1 year 3 months 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 7666 times:
Hi PlaneHunter,
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): great report about your Emirates A380 experience! EK's Y Class product is definitely among the best ones in the industry.
Thanks PH, Yes EK's A380 definitely has one of the best products in the industry.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): You get much more space in EK's A380 than in many other widebody cabins. Just think of all the 777s with 3-4-3 configuration.
Good point, though sooner or later we may see 11 abreast on an A380...
Quoting HKGfan (Reply 3): Great TR! As Aucklanders we are really lucky to have the A380 reach our airport.
Thanks HKGfan, Yes we definitely are lucky to receive the A380 here in AKL. In fact will get 2 per day by the end of the year!
Quoting HKGfan (Reply 3): I have done AKL-SYD-AKL with NZ and TG (back in 2004), but will be trying the route on LA in June which I am looking forward to.
I flew on LA on the return leg & had quite a nice flight. More details to come in the TR
Quoting deltamartin (Reply 5): EK seems nice, impressive for such a short hop (even If that's often the case on 5th freedom flights with longhaul equipment).
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 6): good to follow you´re EK A380 story.
Thanks
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 6): I should go on that machine once again soon, but not EK for me.
Also nice to see the pictures form AKL, never been there myself and SYD, the same again.
Looking forward to your A380 report! You really should come down to NZ & Australia sometime!
ba319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8262 posts, RR: 56 Reply 9, posted (1 year 3 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 7252 times:
Hi,
Nice report and pictures, thanks for posting.
Food looks good, EK seem to have this pretty much spot on, though like you I would like to have a drink with my meal.
Re your comment about the inflight magazines etc, I do recall EK saying they were getting rid of pretty much all on board paper based materials and have them all on the IFE, that was back in 2008!
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2332 posts, RR: 53 Reply 10, posted (1 year 3 months 6 days ago) and read 7018 times:
Hi aflyingkiwi,
Great report and congratulation with your first A380 ride. You remind me of the joy of flying EK last year.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): Booking on EK’s website was quick & easy as you would expect from a large global carrier like them. EK’s website also allows you to manage your booking, choose your seat, check what services you can expect for your flight & check in online. Overall EK definitely has one of the most comprehensive websites in the industry.
I can only agree with you. EK website excels in navigation and caters all online experiences you can imagine.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Reply 1): None the less they came back after takeoff so kudos to them.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 9): Nice report and pictures, thanks for posting.
Thanks
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 9): Food looks good, EK seem to have this pretty much spot on, though like you I would like to have a drink with my meal.
Yes, the food was great though it was unfortunate that it took such a long time for the drinks to come around.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 9): Re your comment about the inflight magazines etc, I do recall EK saying they were getting rid of pretty much all on board paper based materials and have them all on the IFE, that was back in 2008!
Well it looks like that IFE hasn't killed off the in flight magazine!
Hi Suryo,
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Great report and congratulation with your first A380 ride. You remind me of the joy of flying EK last year.
Thanks for that, Yes I remember your great EK reports quite well.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I can only agree with you. EK website excels in navigation and caters all online experiences you can imagine.
Definitely a leader of it's class!
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): What about the beverage list?
Unfortunately, it seems like they haven't got one & I've got the menu in my hands FYI.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I just love EK’s wood paneling.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I assume you went out there to discover yourself?
Unfortunately not... though I do plan on visiting the next time I go to SYD.
sultanils From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1173 posts, RR: 29 Reply 13, posted (1 year 3 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 6549 times:
Hi kiwiman!
Nice report on this 5th freedom route! I’m glad you got to sample one of the more impressive aircrafts these days, the A380. Love them or hate them, I feel you at least have to have 1 flight with them, no? EK’s Y class is definitely very OK, although I don’t find the cabin colors very appealing. But hey, that’s a matter of taste
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): Booking on EK’s website was quick & easy as you would expect from a large global carrier like them. EK’s website also allows you to manage your booking, choose your seat, check what services you can expect for your flight & check in online.
How was the pricing, compared to the competition? I believe it wasn’t the cheapest option...
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): It took me quite a while to decide but in the end I opted for the beef.
Looks good but that much in quantity at first sight. Love the forms of the trays!
You’re right, it’s dead quiet. And even more so on the upper deck section.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): for instance the large distance between the inner & outer panels in the windows which can make it difficult to take pictures.
Yeah - but bear in mind that aircraft are not designed for us aviation enthusiast alone
byronicle6 From New Zealand, joined Oct 2011, 262 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 3 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 6490 times:
Great report and photos! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I was also at AKL on the 24th, but arriving off an NZ 763 flight, from SYD
The observation deck is good! I always head up there after check-in
I agree with EK having the best soft and hard product trans-Tasman, I flew EK SYD-AKL in Decmber 2011
Catering looks good and the entertainment is fantastic! Just love the cameras and map. Best I have come across of any airline
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 18, posted (1 year 3 months 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 5836 times:
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): Nice report on this 5th freedom route!
Hi Nils! Thanks for that
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): I’m glad you got to sample one of the more impressive aircrafts these days, the A380. Love them or hate them, I feel you at least have to have 1 flight with them, no?
Yes, It was definitely overdue for me
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): EK’s Y class is definitely very OK, although I don’t find the cabin colors very appealing. But hey, that’s a matter of taste
Personally I don't mind the cabin colours though as you it's down to personal taste
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): How was the pricing, compared to the competition? I believe it wasn’t the cheapest option...
The pricing isn't that bad. I got the ticket for 250 NZD (160 EUR). The cheapest you can get on this route is about 150 NZD (100 EUR) on an LCC like JQ.
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): Looks good but that much in quantity at first sight. Love the forms of the trays!
Yes it was a great meal, the Burj Al Arab shaped trays are also quite stylish.
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): You’re right, it’s dead quiet. And even more so on the upper deck section.
I would love to go on the upper deck sometime.
Quoting sultanils (Reply 13): Yeah - but bear in mind that aircraft are not designed for us aviation enthusiast alone
Oh, how I wish they were.
Quoting byronicle6 (Reply 14):
Great report and photos! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thanks byronicle6
Quoting byronicle6 (Reply 14): The observation deck is good! I always head up there after check-in
Same, I always head up there whenever I'm at AKL
Quoting byronicle6 (Reply 14): I agree with EK having the best soft and hard product trans-Tasman, I flew EK SYD-AKL in Decmber 2011
Catering looks good and the entertainment is fantastic! Just love the cameras and map. Best I have come across of any airline
Fully agree, EK does have the best product across the Tasman.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 16): I hope we will never see that! But who knows..
Quoting lukeyboy95 (Reply 17): Meal and service look great, and what a pleasure to fly in this aircraft. I cannot wait untill they are the mainstream ...
MSS658 From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2206 posts, RR: 14 Reply 21, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4918 times:
Hi
Great and wonderfull trip report, glad you liked it.
It seems like EK gave you a great Tasman adventure! Would love to try them out one day. However longhaul travels will be a bit limited the next few years
infodesk From Switzerland, joined May 2006, 1241 posts, RR: 34 Reply 22, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4878 times:
Hi aflyingkiwi,
Really enjoyed your report, especially as I will be flying CHC-SYD in May. We initially were going to go with EK on the route, but then I decided on NZ and the boring A320, simply because I figured the chances of me being able to fly EK at some time in the future were greater than NZ.
The A380 is so quiet isn't it? It reminds me of a vacuum cleaner when it takes off!
The meal looks excellent for a 3 hr flight and the IFE must have kept you busy.
Good tip about sitting on the left on approach into SYD, will remember this!
Loooking forward to exploring your beautiful country....
Happy flying
Infodesk
"Do nothing in haste, look well to each step and from the beginning think what may be the end" - Edward Whymper
Quoting infodesk (Reply 22): We initially were going to go with EK on the route, but then I decided on NZ and the boring A320, simply because I figured the chances of me being able to fly EK at some time in the future were greater than NZ.
First of all, it's great that you're coming to NZ!
I'm sure it was quite a tough decision. EK probably have better service though they do fly that route with one of their 10-abreast 777's which might've put you off.
Quoting infodesk (Reply 22): The A380 is so quiet isn't it? It reminds me of a vacuum cleaner when it takes off!
Quoting infodesk (Reply 22): Good tip about sitting on the left on approach into SYD, will remember this!
Hopefully the weather's better on your flight.
Quoting infodesk (Reply 22): Loooking forward to exploring your beautiful country....
signol From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2007, 2948 posts, RR: 7 Reply 24, posted (1 year 3 months 15 hours ago) and read 4632 times:
Hi there Flying Kiwi,
nice report! 5th freedoms on exotic carriers are always interesting, and you have a small selection available from your local airport Service appears top notch (I would have probably gone for the chicken) but very good for the short / medium haul flight. Did you sample the EK777 on the return, or perhaps another 5th freedom carrier? My half sister is moving to NZ this week, so it is possible that we'll make a trip down there in a few years
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