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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Two days later ~ Whew, that was a flight to remember!

It is Thursday evening in Bangkok, Thailand. We are 14-hours ahead of those back in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We arrived here Wednesday morning about 7:30 a.m. – two days after leaving Seattle; some 20+ hours in a plane and more than 30 hours after our departure.

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Waiting for takeoff Seats 14 E and F

The distance and time involved in getting here was mind-boggling back when we first planned the trip and I can tell you now that we’ve completed the flight, that is was one amazing experience. . .especially for this ‘white knuckler’ who declared the first time I saw the size of an Emirates 380 aircraft that The Scout would never get me in one. (I am reminded,‘never say never’!

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Our flight from San Francisco - Emirates A380
So large is this plane that two jet ways are used for entering and exiting (you remember we used Frequent Flyer miles so were flying top-tier in Business Class) so we never mingled with any of the 400 passengers who were flying in economy below us. There are 75 Business Class seats on the upper level and 12 First Class ‘suites’ (we didn’t mingle with those folks either).

We had decided to use our miles when planning our trip to Bangkok, Thailand – it is a long flight from Seattle no matter how you approach it.  In our case the first leg of the flight from San Francisco was 15-hours – so long that they actually had on-screen reminders for those wearing contact lenses to take them out and wear glasses (I heeded the advice).

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Flight Part I
Following a three-hour layover in Dubai, we set off on the next leg which (thanks to tailwinds) was only 5.5 hours long:

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Flight Part 2
I told you in a previous post about flying Business Class but I now have to say, there is Business Class and then there is Business Class – in the case of Emirates, they’ve knocked the ball out of the ballpark. For example:

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A toast to the Wright brothers!
There’s a fully stocked lounge with nibbles, bubbly and fine wine to keep you entertained. As well as accommodating flight attendants who pose guests behind the bar for photos.

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And bathrooms with gold-toned seats and fixtures, fresh orchids, Bulgari toiletries and of course, a window with a view!

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Route maps kept us entertained
 
P1000028 Our personal viewing screens offered dozens of shows, movies and entertainment options but I preferred to watch the route maps and views from the cameras (on the tail, front and underneath the plane) showed real time photos of the aircraft.

I was a bit amazed to see us flying directly over Tehran, Iran. . .




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A feast of wine and food
The food and wine choices rivaled high end restaurant offerings.  But perhaps the nicest thing about the flight was the flat-bed, complete with mattress pad, blanket and pillow!

So that’s how we spent our first two days of this  journey.  I’ll tell you more about Bangkok in upcoming posts.  Thanks for being with us today and hope you’ll follow along as we set sail next week for more stops in the Far East and then head to the Middle East. . .

We hope to be linking up this week with:
Travel Photo Thursday – Budget Traveler’s Sandbox  
Our World Tuesday
Travel Inspiration – Reflections En Route 
Mosaic Monday – Lavender Cottage Gardening

39 comments:

  1. I can't wait to see your Bangkok photos!

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  2. Hello Jackie and Joel. This looks like a very stylish and comfortable way to start your journey. Looking forward to your next adventure
    Helen xx

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    1. It was a very nice start to our journey; and always a pleasure to have a good start. Hopefully the rest of the journey will stay that way as well! Thanks for your visit Helen! xxx Jackie

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  3. It's amazing when the flight itself is an interesting part of the journey! Can't get over the bathrooms and the food! Looking forward to reading about Bangkok and your cruise!

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    1. Oh Amy it was amazing - we called it our cruise ship at 39,000 feet (actually it was so heavy it flew at 33,000 feet for quite awhile -- yikes!)

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  4. You two are livin' the life! The food looks delicious, and I can't believe they even have that snack table set up! But, I agree, after an excellent safety record, comfort is key!

    Enjoy!!

    Hugs,
    Poppy

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    1. I am with you Poppy. I could sit on a box as long as the pilot isn't suicidal and the plane is functioning! Those are number one features in my book! (But the pampering was nice!)

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  5. What a lovely post! Looking forward to read about your travel...
    Titti

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    1. Oh Titti, always nice to see a comment from you here! Thanks for the visit~

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  6. With that level of luxury, it is a wonder you ever wanted to land.

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    1. Lyn it did make those long hours seem much, much shorter than I could have ever imagined! Thanks for the visit~

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  7. Wow - We've flown first class but THAT'S FIRST CLASS!

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    1. I've read that you can actually take a shower in First Class on the A380 -- doubt if we'll ever have enough airline miles to cash in to find out!

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  8. Wow! Now that is a flight to remember! Love it!

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    1. It really was a treat - and worth every mile relinquished!

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  9. Long haul flights are our reality. We will eventually do it in total style.

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    1. Paula, it seems as though we keep choosing destinations that make them our reality as well. These days a flight of two or three hours seems like nothing. Thanks for the visit.

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  10. We flew long haul on Emirates home from Casablanca with a stop over in Dubai to New Zealand, the second flight was 18 hours, and we were downstairs in economy. Even that is better than most other airlines we have flown. We once got a tour of the business class, so I also have that bar photo - only I was sent back down after our tour. Thanks for sharing and for linking it to Weekend Travel Inspiration.

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    1. That is so good to know about economy class Rhonda as we certainly wouldn't hesitate to fly this airline again! Thanks much for the comment.

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  11. I've never been an Emirates fan but with the 380 starting to fly out of my hometown of Perth from May 1st, I may have to change my tune. It certainly looks a lot better than their older planes where the beds never lay completely flat, the food not brilliant and the in flight movie selection terrible. Now they've joined with Qantas it's great to hear that you thought they were good Jackie.

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    1. Hi Jenny, we have the 777 Emirates plane flying out of Seattle and it didn't have seats available when we booked our flight - that is why we ended up 'commuting' to San Francisco and taking the 380 -- I am glad now that we did. The food was great -- first time however I've ever been served Aloe Vera flavored yogurt -- I passed on that one.

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  12. Nice! Definitely the way to do long haul! Our latest version, Singapore-Mumbai-Doha-Barcelona? Not so much, although we did score exit row on one of the legs. Quite impressed with Qatar Airways. It seems as though the ME carriers are doing it right. ;-)

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    1. Hi Betsy - we love those exit row seats - Joel for the space and me, the white knuckler, being next to the exit - 'just in case'! Thanks for the visit and yes to ME airlines doing it right!

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  13. Very nice. This was certainly flying in style. It's the way I wish I could do all my airplane travel.

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    1. Yes, I am with you Donna. I'd fly business all the time if the travel gods and finances would allow! Thanks for the visit!

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  14. Now, that is Business Class. I have to say it puts Thai business class to shame! Looks like you two are having a great time. I hope you survived Songkran, without getting too waterlogged! Thanks for linking up this week. #TPThursday

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    1. It was a treat, beyond-all-treats, Nancie. And certainly started this adventure off on a high note. So far we have only seen a few waterguns on the SkyTrain - closest we came to getting wet was walking in the Sunday rainstorm and yesterday's dip in the hotel pool!

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  15. I've toured an Emirates 380, and I enjoyed your flight via photos, but I still don't plan to get on one of those jumbo planes for a flight ever, if possible.

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    1. You may be like me and my 'never-say-never' Carole -- I had told Joel that I would need drugs and alcohol to get me on one of those sized planes. But once I put mind over matter and the thing got off the ground AND I'd had several glasses of that champagne - I did decide it was okay!

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  16. Wowie! Love it! We're yet to take the 380. We've taken the non-380 and it already blew us away. Love the shot of you two behind the bar. You guys know how to have fun! Can't wait to hear all about your cruising adventure and Songkram.

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    1. Yes, it was so amazing to think there was another whole airplane full of people below us that I chose not to think about it Marisol. It was a nice start to the adventure, however!!

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  17. That is one long flight Jackie but at least you had the luxury of business class - I've never seen anything like it on the planes I've flown on. I'm looking forward to seeing Bangkok next week.
    Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.

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  18. What a nice look into the benefits of upgrading! The accommodations themselves are fascinating and entertaining, as they should be! Thanks for mentioning the link-ups, too.

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  19. If that was Business, I can't begin to imagine what First Class is like. That lounge is unbelievable. I would really enjoy a lay flat seat on a long haul flight -- so would my 6'3" tall hubby. I wonder if he would have to curl up to fit. I always fly without my contact lenses in just so I won't have to think about when to take them out.

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  20. Oh I loved this post. My luxury flying days seem to be pretty much over but at times when we were on assignment we would be put in business and oh my did it make such a huuuge difference on the long haul flights! Very fun. Would love to read more about the food and wines offered on your return trip. :)

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  21. That is the way to fly! Thanks for sharing an inside look.

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  22. So nice to enjoy getting there! That's usually not the case on a long haul!

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  23. Oh my goodness, that is luxurious flying on Emirates! I've been really curious about flying on an A380 -- would love to do it -- although I'm pretty sure I'll be one the folks down below. :) Looking forward to hearing about Bangkok.

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