TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis having fun with Emirates flight attendants during the A380 tour at SFO (Selfie!)
This week Emirates Airline deployed not just one, but TWO giant Airbus A380s between Dubai and the US.
On Monday, the 489-passenger double-decker touched down at San Francisco International and on Wednesday another one landed at Houston Intercontinental.
Luckily, TravelSkills was invited to tour the new plane and to attend two of Emirates celebratory events in San Francisco, and both were, as expected, way over the top. Way. Like Moet champagne and canapes served by butlers at the airport, a private dinner on the stage of San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, thousands of deep red roses, and a special performance by a orchestral quartet. See photos of all of it below!
Emirates now has a whopping 54 A380s in service and has 86 more on order– more than any other airline in the world.
The journey from San Francisco over the North Pole to Dubai takes 16 hours– the longest commercial flight from SFO. With the upgauge, Emirates now has 135 more seats to sell on the increasingly competitive route from SFO to the Middle East and particularly to India. Another UAE carrier, Etihad, recently launched new nonstops from SFO to Abu Dhabi. Turkish Airlines arrives at SFO in 2015.
The A380 jumbo jet is too large to park in front of Emirates’ 10,000 square foot business/first class lounge at SFO (see photos), which means passengers must now walk from the lounge to the end of Terminal A at Gate 9, one of four gates with the three jetways needed to load and unload this behemoth. Previously, business and first class passengers could walk from the lounge directly onboard Emirates’ B777.
What are the two best all-around credit cards? Both currently offer 40,000 mile sign up bonuses!
Emirates’ A380 is currently the only commercial airline with showers on board. On this plane, there are actually two showers for exclusive use of those seated in the 14 first class seats onboard. Showers last five minutes, with a full stream of hot water for four minutes and a pulsating warning stream for the last minute. A flight attendant told me that nearly every first class passenger takes a shower on A380 long haul flights. (See photos below and here’s Emirates’ A380 web page)
Take a spin through our photos below and leave your comments at the end. Enjoy!
The Emirates celebration started out with a reception at SFO’s Aviation Museum. I’ve been to several receptions here, but have never seen one as lavish as this one! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Yep, that’s right, a champagne reception at 11:30 on a Monday. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
At least 10 different, and delicious, canapes from which to choose served by a team of white coated butlers…at the airport! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
A delicious vanilla and strawberry cake is cut by dignitaries to celebrate the A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Time for the tour of the new A380 a gate A9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Emirates glam crew waiting to board the aircraft for the 16 hour flight to DXB (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
There are only four gates at SFO with the three jetbridges needed to unload a behemoth A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
The entire main deck on the Emirates A380 is economy class (399 seats)– configuration is 10 across configured 3-4-3. All seats have 12 inch screens, electrical outlets and the plane is equipped with wi-fi and phone service. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
That’s the economy class loo! How nice, and big, is that? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
First and business class lounge at the rear of the upper deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
A sea of business class seats on the A380 upper deck– 76 of them, all true lie-flat and configured 1-2-1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Two center business class seats- one set up for dining, the other for sleeping (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
First class (14 seats) on this bird is just insane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
This is what you see when seated in first class. Note the make up mirror w lights and fresh flowers! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Entering the shower spa. Ever seen a airplane lavatory like this? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Here’s the shower stall and look at that sink! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Showers are limited to 5 minutes each. This is the timer to let you know… (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
50,000 miles = first class round trip flight … for <$100
Manufacturer stamp on the door jamb- just like a car (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Emirates private dinner on the stage of Symphony Hall- that’s a dinner party down there, not an orchestra! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Speeches, toasts, dignitaries and dinner on stage at Symphony Hall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Elegant dinner on stage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Red roses everywhere… and I mean everywhere. In the thousands, I’m sure. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Printed menus – just like onboard 🙂 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Elegant, delicious. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Post prandial performance by a string quartet from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
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