Best Emirates J seat BNE - AKL

[juddles]

Hi there all,

In a couple of weeks I am flying out of BNE on QF8770 to AKL - this is the Emirates A380 - and am flying in J

This is my first ever Emirates flight - and I want to make the most of it. Although it departs BNE in the early morning (08:10hrs) I am on international time as I will have only been in Australia a week. So at that "local" hour will feel like a drink and maybe chat to fellow travelers.

I have selected seat 23A - seems like a good choice - an "exit row" (am 6'7") but also close to the bar (I believe that is at the rear?).

It is only a 3 1/2 hr flight so socializing seems the way to go....

I believe fellow AFF nuts have used this flight before - any suggestions to enjoy it to the max???

 

[Pushka]

I googled this just today. Travelling as a couple though. I ended up picking the middle seats in case we want to talk to each other.

I think that seat is in the mini cabin at the back? In which case it was mentioned that was the best place for social people.

Any A seat seems good - same as K. I think A is located on the window side (they alternate) with the storage space right next to the seat.

 

[juddles]

pushka, it does appear there is a section of 4 or 5 rows behind some sort of partition. I am travelling solo and the window / solo seat suits me.

And I am in SO much trouble with SWMBO for first tasting the delights of Emirates J without her

 

[Pushka]

pushka, it does appear there is a section of 4 or 5 rows behind some sort of partition. I am travelling solo and the window / solo seat suits me.

And I am in SO much trouble with SWMBO for first tasting the delights of Emirates J without her

Yes. That's the mini J cabin located just forward of the bar. The social place apparently.

The bar

Three random party players.

 

[juddles]

I have a cunning social plan - I will head to the bar immediately after takeoff and incessantly complain to anyone that dares approaches about priority boarding and priority luggage - that should soon sort the real frequent flyers from the accidentally-rich J-dwellers.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hi there all,

In a couple of weeks I am flying out of BNE on QF8770 to AKL - this is the Emirates A380 - and am flying in J

This is my first ever Emirates flight - and I want to make the most of it. Although it departs BNE in the early morning (08:10hrs) I am on international time as I will have only been in Australia a week. So at that "local" hour will feel like a drink and maybe chat to fellow travelers.

I have selected seat 23A - seems like a good choice - an "exit row" (am 6'7") but also close to the bar (I believe that is at the rear?).

It is only a 3 1/2 hr flight so socializing seems the way to go....

I believe fellow AFF nuts have used this flight before - any suggestions to enjoy it to the max???

On the rare occasions when we are condemned to "steerage", I usually choose that section as well. Seems quieter than the main cabin and a little more refined than the big spaces forward. Some sugegst noise from the bar can be an issue but have never found it so, but maybe we were lucky there weren't too many AFFers congregating!

Enjoy.

Never know you may be shunted to the front!

 

[Pushka]

On the rare occasions when we are condemned to "steerage", I usually choose that section as well. Seems quieter than the main cabin and a little more refined than the big spaces forward. Some sugegst noise from the bar can be an issue but have never found it so, but maybe we were lucky there weren't too many AFFers congregating!

Enjoy.

Never know you may be shunted to the front!

An AFF gathering in that bar would be a treat!

Its funny. I've not travelled in J on the A380 - Emirates has upgraded us each time.

 

[juddles]

"Steerage"??? Thanks RealTMA - I pretend to be elistist but am barely in the J section

 

[juddles]

An AFF gathering in that bar would be a treat!

Its funny. I've not travelled in J on the A380 - Emirates has upgraded us each time.

If anyone is on it 13th April I will invite them to the first round at bar

 

[Pushka]

If anyone is on it 13th April I will invite them to the first round at bar

Thats very generous of you!

 

[russ]

I have selected seat 23A - seems like a good choice - an "exit row" (am 6'7") but also close to the bar (I believe that is at the rear?).

Good god, are you mad? Yes, it is closer to the bar, but it will take you ages to disembark behind all those other seats. For whatever reason, there's always a lot of old people flying EK J and they are very slow to get off. Disembarkation time on an A380 is critical because there is a floor below you who are just waiting to choke up the immigration queue. If you want to go to the bar, walk the aisle mid-flight when you are not racing to beat the grey nomads off the plane.

When I am slumming it in J, the only acceptable seat for me is 9A. 7A is too close to the galley and 8A is an aisle seat so you have the work-experience crew brushing past you all the time. And don't get me started on K... that adds an extra 30 seconds to disembarkation. So, 9A it is!

I have a cunning social plan - I will head to the bar immediately after takeoff and incessantly complain to anyone that dares approaches about priority boarding and priority luggage - that should soon sort the real frequent flyers from the accidentally-rich J-dwellers.

Nah, the real frequent flyers grab the F-Saver deals and are safely ensconced up the front. If they do venture to the bar, you'll be able to identify them because one of the F attendants will come down with some real bottles of grog just for them.

Remember to ask for an Express Arrivals card. They often don't give them out, and even if you ask, they will often tell you that AKL does not have an express lane. It bloody well does! However, if you sit in 9A, you'll won't need the express lane because there will be no queue at the passport machines and you can go straight through.

 

[Pushka]

There aren't any F saver deals out of Australia - just on the NZ exit flight. Even so F is pretty much deserted.

Into NZ there is no guarantee that there are no other planes arriving just ahead of you. And that will be of far more impact than getting out of the J cabin on the A380 which I expect just wont be particularly busy.

 

[TheRealTMA]

If anyone is on it 13th April I will invite them to the first round at bar

See you on the 30th on way to DXB if you're there!

 

[juddles]

russ, you have unsettled my world

can you please repost taking into account that I only have to soil my lungs and body in New Zealand as a stopover. I dislike sheep. I assume no customs and elderly queues as a transit pax with a connection to LAN flight to SCL??

 

[juddles]

See you on the 30th on way to DXB if you're there!

That is a shamelessly even more shallow offer than my bar offer! I even considered if it were possible - but no, I cant.

 

[Pushka]

russ, you have unsettled my world

can you please repost taking into account that I only have to soil my lungs and body in New Zealand as a stopover. I dislike sheep. I assume no customs and elderly queues as a transit pax with a connection to LAN flight to SCL??

If you aren't going through customs in NZ and have a good connection time allowance then stopping sweating by russ's post.

 

[juddles]

There aren't any F saver deals out of Australia - just on the NZ exit flight. Even so F is pretty much deserted.

Into NZ there is no guarantee that there are no other planes arriving just ahead of you. And that will be of far more impact than getting out of the J cabin on the A380 which I expect just wont be particularly busy.

I am WP but travelling on a complicated ticket (I think it was booked through BudgetAir) in J. Is there any chance a WP Qantas person would be upgraded to F on a BNE-AKL flight?? I have no expectations, but just want to know if this could happen?

 

[Pushka]

I am WP but travelling on a complicated ticket (I think it was booked through BudgetAir) in J. Is there any chance a WP Qantas person would be upgraded to F on a BNE-AKL flight?? I have no expectations, but just want to know if this could happen?

Possibly. Its a weird route but Emirates tend to look after status QFF'ers quite nicely. Make sure you log into your booking through the EMIRATES website and put your QFF number into the booking if it isnt already there.

 

[TheRealTMA]

There aren't any F saver deals out of Australia - just on the NZ exit flight. Even so F is pretty much deserted.

Into NZ there is no guarantee that there are no other planes arriving just ahead of you. And that will be of far more impact than getting out of the J cabin on the A380 which I expect just wont be particularly busy.

Quite a few FF seats on EK though (if you've got EK points.) Interestingly, I've noticed an increase in F/J redemption seats to / from Europe via QFF on EK metal lately.

Was less than amused when "upgraders from steerage" - you can tell them because they are grinning broadly and playing with all the drawers and settings for 20 minutes after they sit down - were given my XL pyjamas on last flight. I had to make to with Ls and remind myself that this wasn't QF out of SYD so I shouldn't get off, and the fact that we were in F so should be thankful! I did very politely suggest to the CSM that maybe EK and QF WPs maybe should be given first choice.

 

[juddles]

......- you can tell them because they are grinning broadly.....

RealTMA, thanks for a great laugh - that brought tears down my face