With the Radisson Blu just across the street from the terminal it was a quick walk to the terminal, and another 5 minutes walk to the check-in area as it was (of course) located at the far end of the terminal. Check-in itself was quick, and we just narrowly managed to put our jackets and winter shoes in the suitcases before they were sent off. From here we had fast-track for security (which I found to be the rudest I have encountered in my travels so far), and then we had time for a quick drink at Starbucks before heading to immigration. Oslo Airport is apparently not built for international travels, and the line at immigration was huge, it probably took us 90 minutes to get through – I am glad we were early for our flight!
- Introduction – Christmas is Norway 2019
- Emirates Boeing 777ER Clark – Dubai business class
- Stopover in Dubai at Le Meridien
- Emirates Boeing 777ER Dubai – Oslo business class
- Christmas holiday in Norway
- Radisson Blu, Gardermoen, Norway
- Emirates Boeing 777ER Oslo – Dubai business class
- Emirates Boeing 777ER Dubai – Cebu business class
- Emirates Boeing 777ER Cebu – Clark business class
We arrived at the boarding gate with some time to spare, and the kids immediately made a new friend, turned out he was also on his way to the Philippines, and they spent the waiting time together watching the snow and airplanes on the apron.
Boarding started around 13:30, and we were first to board and taken to our seats, again one of the 3-seaters in the middle, so we could all sit together. This time we were in a mini-cabin with only 2 rows of seats, so it felt very intimate.
- Date of flight: December 28, 2019
- Airline: Emirates
- Aircraft Type: Boeing 777-300ER
- Cabin Class: Business
- Departure time: 14:10
- Arrival time: 23:55
As soon as we had arrived in our seats, we were served welcome drinks (I had a glass of champagne as always, whereas the kids declined this time as they were still working on their hot chocolate from Starbucks. On this flight Marcus was willing to take the aisle seat, and Alexhandra had the middle seat, allowing me more space on the other aisle seat 🙂
The crew on this flight was amazing, and before departure they came with 2 trays full of toys and souvenirs for the kids, so our backpacks were stuffed when we arrived in Dubai, and they also came around with a polaroid camera and took pictures of the kids, which was a nice touch. It was also the only flight they did that on, so doesn’t seem to be a normal thing.
We then got the menus distributed before departure, and they read as follows:
We pushed back on time, and after a quick stop for deice we were airborne on time, and another round of drinks and nuts were served.
The inflight entertainment system on Emirates is really good, and you can control it either through the screen itself by touch, via a normal remote that is next to your seat, or through a Ipad-like device that is located between the seats. There is a button to press to release it, so you can use it as a normal tablet, but that button didn’t work on my seat.
One of the things I really don’t like with Emirates Boeing 777 business class is the lack of privacy between the seats, and the glare of the other passengers TV screens – even the window row can easily see the other window rows TV’s, and the glare is quite disturbing when you try to sleep.
About an hour after departure it was tine for lunch, and for starters I ordered the soup…. Must say it is the weirdest looking soup I had ever seen 😀
The kids then got their food served, which was a macaroni and cheese dish, with lots of vegetables, so they were far from impressed 😀
I did ask the cabin crew if maybe they had mixed up my starter, and I very upset crew member removed my plate, and about 20 minutes later served me the soup instead, and another glass of bubbly.
The soup was very tasty, and my favourite part of the meal. For the main course I had the roast beef steak, which was more like a limp meatloaf, and the taste was only mediocre.
The bothrooms are reasonably spacious, but nothing special. There are also some perfume, and some basic supplies like toothbrush and razor. The best thing though are the proper hand towels, but they were running out of stock quite quickly…
The remaining part of the flight was uneventful, and we touched down in Dubai pretty much on time, and parked at the terminal only a few minutes after landing.
Overall a ok flight, Emirates business class is what it is, I am not a fan of the 3 seats together, but traveling alone with 2 kids it is actually quite good. The flight seemed to be about 100% full, and with the exception of the one very upset cabin crew member the rest were really friendly and helpful, and they also tried to keep the kids entertained.