A bored superjumbo crew lets down this normally excellent airline

The airline: Emirates

• Route Dubai to Milan, Italy; flight number EK205 at 9.35am
• Frequency Twice daily
• Aircraft Airbus A380-800
• Class Economy; seat 85G
• Flight time 6 hours (delayed by an hour and five minutes)

Checking in

As a Qantas Frequent Flyer member with Gold status, I’m able to use the business class check-in. I’m directed to stand in front of a lens and then sign a digital form agreeing to Emirates’ biometric initiatives. When I ask what it’s for, I’m told it’s to access the lounge. According to Emirates’ website, the ‘biometric path’ facilitates a contactless airport experience using facial recognition at various points, but I’m still asked to provide my boarding pass and passport at every step. I feel a little icky that my facial data has been so swiftly collected without a proper explanation beforehand.

Baggage

Luggage limits are determined by the type of fare you purchase; I’m on a Saver fare and can travel with up to 25 kilograms, spread across as many bags as I like, alongside seven kilograms of cabin baggage.

Loyalty scheme

Emirates Skywards has no global alliance program, but it is a partner airline of Qantas. As a Gold Qantas member, I earn a pretty pathetic 800 points on this one-way leg.

The seat

I’m on the aisle of the centre row of four in this A380 with a 3-4-3 layout. At 18.9 inches wide (48cm), my seat feels roomy, albeit very firm on my derriere. The seat pitch (legroom) is 33 inches (83.8cm), and my feet don’t touch the floor. Without a footrest, I need to place them on my handbag to get comfortable.

Entertainment + tech

Emirates’ ICE entertainment system is world-class, and a new blockbuster-style campaign streaming on my 13.3-inch (33.8-centimetre) HD TV screen spruiks it in the cheesiest fashion. There are some new latest releases since I flew two weeks ago and an Iceologies section of bingeable franchises. As a Skywards member, I can access the on-air Wi-Fi for free, which is limited to messaging (for non-members, it’s $US5.99 [$8.69]). For full Internet access for the duration of the flight, it’s $US19.99 ($28.72). The airline is introducing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet, which is promises will deliver free and fast internet for all passengers. The retractable cord on my remote is broken, and the device is half-jammed into the console.

Service

Crew in my section are not particularly chirpy. Despite this, they are courteous, if not a little bored, given the unusual format of the service. Frustratingly, it can be difficult to access the toilets due to little ones swinging on seats and playing in the aisle at the rear of the plane. At one point, the exit door area resembles a creche, strewn with backpacks, dolls, shoes, a bib and a box of Lego perched on the plane door. Once crew realise they quickly tend to it, but it does make it all seem a bit chaotic.

Food

After take-off, we’re served a snack (apple pastry or egg sandwich) and a drink. It’s not for another three hours, until we’re 2½ hours out of Milan, that the full meal service is rolled out. When I ask for a wine at 12.45pm when the drinks trolley comes around the second time before the meal service, the crew member points at juice and responds “This is what we have now”. The celery and apple salad is bright and crunchy, and the barbecue chicken in a cheesy mushroom pilaf sauce is flavourful. It’s served with dessert, cheese, chocolate and a tiny plastic bottle of water.

Sustainability

There are three pillars the airline strives to improve: reducing emissions (net zero by 2050), consuming responsibly and preserving wildlife and habitats.*

One more thing

Emirates flies its four-class A380 on its afternoon flight to Milan, which features premium economy.

The price

From about $2200 return from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Milan. See emirates.com**

The verdict

The entertainment is great, seats are spacious and the food is tasty. But due to the back-to-front service, somewhat unruly passengers and disengaged crew, this is not Emirates at its usual flawless self.

Our rating out of five

★★★½

The writer flew with assistance from Seabourn Cruises.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and they are subject to change.