The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The only airline that flies between the US and the Middle East and beyond is Emirates.
The airline's image as a global premium carrier is dependent on the A380 being the world's largest passenger jet.
I found the first flight on the airline to be enjoyable and more luxurious than on other airlines, even in economy class.
One of the flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates that calls the city of Dubai its home is called the "Emirates".
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The Middle Eastern mega carrier connects the world through the airport with a fleet of aircraft. It's the only carrier that flies between the US and the Middle East.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The city reopened to tourists in July 2020. In the year since, the US has seen a return to full strength in the US and the A380s are once more frequenting American airports.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The airline will build back up in the country without skimping on in-flight showers, and the A380.
Two daily non-stop flights using the A380 and another daily one-stop flight through Milan, Italy, make New York the most important US destination.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I flew from New York to New York on an A380 and went to the airshow in the Middle East. The flight took 12 hours.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Boeing took the show with its newest flagship, the 777x, despite the fact that the orders for aircraft by Airbus were four times as many.
Delta Air Lines is one of the international carriers that uses Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The check in for the flight was easy as the ticket counter was large and easy to identify. I joined the tail end of the line at 8:00 a.m.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I was glad I arrived when the line grew bigger. The A380 can seat 500 passengers, but online check was not available for me because airline staff needed to check my passport and COVID-19 documentation.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It took no more than 25 minutes to get to the front of the line.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I used the PreCheck line at the security checkpoint after I got my ticket, thanks to the participation of the airline in the program.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I was able to get through the security screening at the airport in a matter of seconds on the Saturday morning.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The A Concourse houses some of the closest gates to the security checkpoint. Our flight was assigned Gate A7 with a boarding time of 9:40 a.m., one hour before the scheduled departure time.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The A380 is the largest passenger plane in the world and the entire end of the concourse was filled with passengers waiting to board. There were at least three rows of wheelchair customers.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The boarding time came and went with no sign that boarding was about to start. I found out that it was because of the people that needed to board early.
The plane was flying from New York to the Middle East.
Pre-boarding began at 10 a.m. with first class, business class, and elite frequent flyer status holders. The economy was boarded last and in assigned groups.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Economy class is the main class on the lower deck of the A380s.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
There are around 40 rows of seats in the economy class.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The sheer size of the A380 is the first thing that stands out. There's still room between the window seat and the sidewall even with 10-abreast seating.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It's hard to believe that there are close to 100 seats above the economy class cabin.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I got to my assigned seat and settled in for the long flight. This was going to be my longest flight.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
A top of each seat was a pillow and blanket kit, along with a pair of headphones, to use with the in-flight entertainment system.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The seat had an above-average pitch and width and was quite comfortable.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
SeatGuru
The gap between the seat and the wall gave the window seat more space. I mentally prepared for the next 12 hours because I didn't feel closed in.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The entertainment screen on the back of the seat was very large.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The display takes up most of the seat-back.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It has a touch-screen but can also be controlled with a remote. It's a very techy seat and I appreciated that.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
There is a charging port at the seat.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The AC power outlet has a max power of 120v.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The drink holder...
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
There is a headrest that can be adjusted.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
flyers can see beyond the windows with the exterior cameras on the A380. They are primarily useful on the ground as there is nothing to look at straight ahead while in the air, and they are more intended for the pilots to use with passenger use just a bonus.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The captain gave some facts about the flight when he came on the public announcement system. A total of 24 cabin crew from 20 different countries speaking 20 different languages were working on the aircraft.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
A hygiene kit was handed out.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Economy class passengers received an eyeshade, socks, earplugs, and a dental kit. The crew was given stickers to let them know if a passenger wanted to be woken up for meals or left alone.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It was time to begin the flight once the formality were out of the way. The captain said that the aircraft was going to be bound for Dubai.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I was lucky to have the middle seat open because the flight was full. We were late because of the boarding delay.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I watched as we taxied to the runway. I didn't notice that the A380 was so big.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
We were lined up on the runway and ready to fly. I was impressed that the plane was able to leave the ground after barreling down the runway.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Stunning views of New York City soon followed as we turned towards Europe.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The A380's windows aren't the largest and there's a good amount of room between the window covering and the actual window, limiting the field of vision. This flight saw the Manhattan skyline one last time before going over New England.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The meal service began around an hour after takeoff, with flight attendants not rushing as we had a long way to go before the airport. Flight attendants began walking up the aisles with meal trolleys after those that requested special meals were given them first.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
There was a choice between barbecue chicken and a vegetarian Palak paneer, both served with chickpea salad, cheese and crackers, bread, and a triple chocolate delice.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The presentation of the barbecue chicken was very good and I was happy with the use of real silverware. There were no cutbacks in this meal.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It was one of the best meals I've ever had in an economy class. Flight attendants quickly collected the trash after I took every bite.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Coffee and hot tea service followed each meal, with flight attendants giving out cups of water, apple juice, and orange juice multiple times. The flight attendants were very proactive and it was great to see that compared to some US carriers.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I decided to watch a movie on the ice entertainment system. It seemed like thousands of hours of content, including movies, television shows, games, podcasts, audiobooks, and live television.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It's a good problem to have, because I couldn't decide which movie to watch first.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Modern and classic hits were included in the music selection. I made and listened to a playlist even though I had a pre-installed music player on my phone.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The first three hours passed quickly, then darkness engulfed the aircraft as we entered the skies above the North Atlantic Ocean. I was trying to stay awake as long as I could in order to be in time for the flight to land.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
I used the moving map to keep track of the flight's progress. It was the first time I'd stayed awake for an entire crossing when we reached Europe.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The smell of pizza made me want to snack on it. The "Emirates pizza" is a vegetarian pizza with tomatoes, melted cheese, and oregano, which is also known as New York pizza.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It is a snack that I have had a few times on other airlines and it is the perfect comfort food for a long flight. Even though we were from a place that makes the best pizza in the world, I still enjoyed the pizza.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
There was also a snack mix.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
With less than six hours to go, it was time to head to sleep. I ordered a glass of wine in order to get some sleep but it wasn't going to be easy because it was only in New York.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
My internal clock wouldn't let me sleep, so I stayed up to get some work done before I left for a busy day in Dubai, with free internet for the entire flight. The sun rose just outside the window as the last two hours of the flight were spent watching a movie.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The cabin lights were bright with a pink hue at around two hours until the plane touched down. The flight attendants walked up the aisles to serve the final meal of the flight.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The options for the morning meal included scrambled eggs or chana masala, both served with fruit, yogurt, and a roll. I decided to have scrambled eggs just to see what was on offer.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
This flight to the Middle East was no different. After flying over the Mediterranean Sea from the Greek coast, we made landfall over Israel and then flew over Jordan and Saudi Arabia before Iran came into view.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
After a long flight, a cold towel offering was needed.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
The coastline of the U.S. came into view at the end of the flight.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It was quite a long flight but the comfort of the A380 combined with the great service and high-quality offering even in economy class made the time fly by.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
It took some time to clear out the A380. I was out and about in the United Arab Emirates.
The A380 is flying from New York to the Middle East.
Business Insider has an original article.
