On Saturday, October 11, my colleague and I boarded a plane from Taipei to Dubai to Rome. We flew Emirates coach, first in a Boeing 777, and second in an AirBus 380.
Of all the airlines I’ve flown, Emirates provided the best service: hot towels, quality food with metal utensils, and the largest in-flight screens and widest range of entertainment.
The AirBus 320 is my new favorite plane. I had fallen asleep during taxi, and woke up when we were already in the air. Considering that I almost never fall asleep in public transportation, that says a lot.
The plane supported both a universal charger and a USB. The plane also supported free WiFi, although I was one of the few who could not connect for unknown reasons.
Let’s talk about Dubai International Airport (DXB) now. Oh, what money can buy. DXB is the most impressive airport I’ve been to, surpassing Singapore, Amsterdam, and Incheon.
Four sets of gigantic elevators carrying 30+ people each greeted folks entering from the smooth terminal tram. Ceilings were almost as high as Beijing’s airport with gigantic glass panes that stretched across the ceiling.
Multiple streams of water slid down black marble slabs. Burlesque architecture, making a mockery of every other airport I’ve been to.
Let’s not get started on the new McLaren MP4-12C on display, with a glass container populated with lottery tickets to win the car. I’m used to seeing BMWs or other mid-priced luxury vehicles on display, not so much a multi-million dollar hypercar.
Food prices were reasonable. A single piece of toast was only $6 USD. Not sure if it even comes with butter or jam. A sit down restaurant had average prices of $20-40 per dish. That’s okay, at least they provided free WiFi! Note: I starved myself instead.
My colleague held a passport that required a visa to pass through immigration, so I unfortunately could not step into Dubai for some breakfast. It’s definitely a city I’d like to see, with the indoor skiing mountain, luxury islands, and gold-plated hypercars peppering the city streets.
One day I will see you Dubai, one day.
Andy Cheng 