Packed and ready to fly Emirates to London via Dubai. A surprise visit by my family calling in with food for a brief goodbye party before I left to go traveling again. One of those special moments that we all appreciate. After they left, all I had to do was wait for the chauffeur that came with the business class ticket I had booked with Emirates. At least I didn’t have to ask any of the kids to take me out to the airport with its traffic problems and parking. It will be different when I return because it will mean someone having to be at the airport for the sunrise.
Excitedly looking forward to being able to check in through the business class line, then heading up to the Emirates lounge for relaxation before boarding the flight to London. The airline has a great reputation as one of the top airlines in this part of the world. The flight was going via Melbourne, Australia, and Dubai in UAE so a couple of stops. Their lounge was way better than traipsing around the duty-free shops. A wonderful display of food fit for a king, preparation for the flight to come!
The first leg to Melbourne I was disappointed that the crew wasn’t particularly friendly. I suppose they were so busy they didn’t have time, it appeared to be a case of working to rote, getting everyone served because of the short flight time. Overall, I didn’t find any of the crews to be that friendly. The Melbourne-Dubai leg better, and Dubai-London pretty average
Seeing the huge new Dubai airport was certainly a wow, it had been some years since passing through this hub. Obviously, still work in progress but everything bright and shiny and massive. Arriving into Gatwick airport, of course, rain, and very cold as the Beast of the East weather pattern was still hanging around. I was grateful for the chauffeur drive into the hotel in London. I was so tired my eyes were permanently open! It was brilliant having the chauffeur service, it took all the hassle out of changing buses and trains. It was quite literally the best part of the Emirates experience, with a pleasant chatty driver, the long drive was interesting
My favorite hotel when I stay in London is the European in Kings Cross where it’s so handy to the trains, shops, and eateries. Check in was easy, although, despite a request for a downstairs room, someone hadn’t done so. Some quick scurrying located my favorite room on the ground floor, I have had it a couple of times here, a lovely large, inexpensive room for London on the ground floor. I find stairs a problem these days. I walked down the street towards Kings Cross in an effort to adjust to the jet lag, but a waste of time. Heading back to the hotel to face a broken nights sleep.
