Seat review: Emirates A380

The following article originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia

Justin Wastnage travelled on the Emirates A380 from Sydney to Dubai in business class. Here's how he rated it.

LOUNGE: Attempting to leave Sydney during the Great Dust Storm of 09, my flight was always going to be delayed. Whiling away two hours in the Emirates lounge was a pretty painless way of doing so. The food is the stand-out, featuring a hot buffet with comfort food like shepherd's pie alongside Moroccan tajine and poached salmon. There is great Middle Eastern fare to try as well. The décor of gold trims on the wooden partitions may be a little gaudy to many, but all the usual lounge ingredients are there. 8/10

SEAT: The vast real estate available to airlines flying the A380 is used in different ways. Emirates has gone for a pod-like module that has a myriad of compartments and a minibar for each passenger. Couples have two conjoined seats, while singles have window pods. Considering the aircraft only entered into service earlier this year, some of the plastics and materials looks a little scuffed already and the seat was impossible to escape from. The interlocking table also makes it impossible to escape during the lengthy meal service. Once converted into a lie-flat bed and covered with a mattress, the bed is one of the most comfortable I have slept in. As with the lounge, the brass and pastel styling might be more suited to Middle Eastern tastes. 8/10

SERVICE: The multinational cabin crew all seemed to gel together and at times you felt like you were part of their gang as they laughed and joked. Service was very friendly and efficient without being fawning or obsequious. However, the drinks service for all meals was extremely slow; meaning a main meal with no wine and breakfast without coffee. 7/10

EXTRAS:The amenities kit features Bulgari toiletries plus the men's kit has none other than a Taylor's of Old Bond Street razor, raising the bar for others who give away plastic disposables. The biggest extra on the Emirates A380 is the huge bar. Pioneered by Virgin Atlantic, the in-flight bar is now perfected. Rather than standing around or perching on bar stools, the Emirates bar provides two long couches ideal for socialising. 9/10

FOOD:The great start made in the lounge is built upon in the air. Braised beef is a staple of airline cuisine, but the Emirates cut was excellent quality. The dessert was light and there was a good choice of healthier meals too. Once again, the Arabic cuisine such as the hummus and olives with flat bread was excellent. 8/10

ENTERTAINMENT: From the wide screen television to the noise cancelling headphones, Emirates shows its class from the moment you arrive. Add in a wireless remote control tablet and over 600 television channels and you've got one of the best systems going. For me the standout was the quality of the Bose headphones which amplified subtleties in albums I have already listened to hundreds of times. Sadly my wifi remote control malfunctioned and the USB stick did not support iPod format content, but I did manage to view my photos as a slideshow. 9/10

OVERALL RATING: 81%
The seat is big and impressive, the entertainment fantastic and the bar a stand-out. Small problems in service and technology hamper the offering, but the Emirates A380 is still one of the best business classes flying.

Seat review: Singapore Airlines A380 SYD-SIN

Article originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia BUSINESS TRAVEL & MICE supplement

Seat review: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Changi Airport to Sydney Airport
Airbus A380-800 business class

LOUNGE: An amazing shower with horizontal as well as vertical jets is worth the admission alone, but the buffet is another strong selling point. It features superb cuisine from Singapore’s three main cultural influences (namely Indian, Chinese and Western) and it is brought out freshly. Draught beer, a host of big screen televisions, free wi-fi and lots of seating also contribute to make this an excellent lounge. 9/10

SEAT: What can be said about the amazing Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 business class seat? Firstly, it is so wide that two could sit side by side, such is its breadth. It also has amazing storage space underneath the seat in front, meaning that very few will have any need to use the overhead compartment. There are a myriad of stowage spaces and fold-down shelves for drinks and the like on the panel in front. The lie-flat bed is so vast you can roam around and toss and turn rather than lying head up only. This is truly the new standard of comfort for the business traveller. 10/10

SERVICE: Singapore Airlines is well known for, and justifiably proud of, its personal service. A
minor visa issue had staff working on my behalf contacting Canberra while I relaxed – all very
professional. Similarly, orders were taken prior to take-off, to speed up service afterwards. For
some Australian sensibilities, the service may appear a little fawning, but no request is ever
refused and my visa issue illustrated perfectly the lengths staff go to to ensure an excellent
experience. I found the service very hard to fault. 9/10

EXTRAS: Passengers are presented with amazing noise-cancelling headphones that eliminate the minimal cabin noise as soon as you switch them on. There is no amenity kit, instead,
socks are handed out along with a fairly thin eye mask and the rest can be found in the bathroom, where L’Occitane skin products are on hand. It is a new take on the standard offering and it works very well. 8/10

FOOD: Singapore has engaged chefs from around the world, including Matt Moran, Gordon
Ramsay and Georges Blanc to help customise their in-flight menus. A signature dish of cod
with sautéed mushroom showed off Singaporean cuisine well while the wine list shows a new world bias for whites and a distinctly classic view on the reds. 9/10

ENTERTAINMENT: A huge choice of film and for those who are prepared, an option to plug in a USB stick to play your own choices of MP3s and video files. KrisWorld is easy to navigate and looks good. The black LCD screen makes for great contrast and picture quality. 8/10

OVERALL: Quite simply, this is the best business class offering we have tested. No one element is disappointing and Singapore Airlines have raised the bar for the rest of the world’s airlines. 88%