Emirates - Eating Duck?!

So here I was again, on the return portion of a great trip.

It seems every time I fly Emirates, their service seems to get better.

The flight from DAR-DXB was no different than my inbound flights. Courteous crew, a decent inflight system (though the ICE is better), and a smooth flight.

DXB-LHR proved even better, but then, Business Class (upgrade with miles) has a service that you'd expect to be even more pleasant. The lounge at DXB Airport was pretty decent, with an unlimited supply of various food from appetizers, curries, rice, desserts, drinks and more throughout. The main dishes varied with the time of day, and spending well over 14 hours at the airport gave me a chance to see what they had to offer.

Shower facilities, internet access, a business center, courtesy phones, tv programs and comfortable sofas are offered in both the lounges located either adjacent to Gate 22 or Gate 9, however the former is a slightly bigger and more elegant place.

After the extended stay-over at the airport, it was time to board the 8 hour flight to London in their Boeing 777. The seats on board were pretty comfortable, and as always, passengers in both Business and First are offered some refreshments prior to take off. The menu cards, which I find extremely pleasing, and which are offered to all passengers on the flight, is a great way to let the passengers know what to expect during the journey, meal wise. There is plenty of time to make a decision prior to meal service, unlike other airlines where making an on-the-spot decision without truly knowing the entire menu, could be a little disappointing in some ways.

I opted to try the pan fried duck - it seemed extremely interesting. I have tried duck before, and I recall the first time it was an event in itself. Duck does not taste like poultry such as chicken or turkey, but it seems to be a cross between the former two and red meat. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of rare meat so I had to return the duck in exchange for a healthier option (indicated on the card) of chicken. That was too bad since my alternative would have been the fish and prawns, but they ran out of it.

Dessert was really elegant, as was the appetizer prior to the main meal.

The cabin crew were extremely courteous, pleasant, and overall, anyone wishing to travel in style, I would highly recommend Emirates at anytime, no matter what class of service they are in.

The entertainment system, ICE, was up-to-date with recent movies and the latest sitcoms, shows, etc.

Arrivals into London Airport was efficient, unlike my previous experience with the immigration. This time a real gentleman was at the desk, and with relevant questions and a pleasant attitude, it made flying to the United Kingdom a pleasure again, rather than feeling like a label that cried "possible alert: name is Mohammed; he is Muslim."

There was the option of using the lounge once again on arrival, but it was time to get home as the chauffeur service was on hand for Fast Track passengers.

In about three weeks, it's back to flying with British Airways, and based on my last flight with them, I do look forward to their services yet again.