What follows is a short report on a couple of flights I made recently on my holiday to fabulous Thailand and Cambodia.
First a disclaimer
: don’t expect too much technicalities : I like flying, I like planes, but I am not so much an addict that I would consider myself a spotter … So for those who expect all kinds or reg’s and other stuff – you better stop reading now 
Ok, here’s are the flights covered (all flown in economy class):
October 30th, AMS – DXB with Emirates (EK 146, departure AMS 15.30hrs, arrival DXB 23.59 hrs), B777-300 ER ;
October 31st, DXB – BKK with Emirates (EK 384, departure DXB 03.15hrs, arrival BKK 12.05 hrs),
A380-800 :thumbup:
November 3rd, BKK – REP (Siem Reap, Cambodia) with Bangkok Airways (PG913, departure BKK 13.55 hrs, arrival REP 14.55), A320
1) EK 146 : AMS – DXB
After a smooth ride with Thalys from Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles Midi (Dep. 09.50 hrs, Arrival AMS 11.27hrs), I immediately got to the Emirates check-in area. A bit too early though, check-in only started at approx. 12.45 hrs. After some queing, I got checked in rather fast, and was all free to explore AMS airport on my own.
After a couple of glasses of red wine (I said I like flying but nevertheless always apply a limited amount of alcohol to myself just for in case really bad turbulence would strike
), I got to the gate. Here she is, one of Emirates’ many triple 777’s (777-300 ER, but they also fly the 777-200 LR).
I prebooked a window seat in the back of the plane (row 48A), with just one seat next to me (which was occupied – by a very sympathetic dealer in white truffles – too bad he didn’t have any samples on board). It was a full flight.
During taxiing, not that many exotic birds @ AMS, except maybe for this Surinam Airways A340-(?)300 (sorry for the poor quality and framing of the pic but I had to be quick as this taxiing was done at a respectable speed...) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P94_gGCPPag
The route takes you over the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, the Black Sea, Turkey, Iraq (close to Iran), the Persian Gulf into DXB. It’s a 6.5 hours flight approximately.
Nothing particularly spectacular about in flight meals.
The ICE inflight entertainment system did an excellent job, with a vast array of movies, CD’s, TV programmes and Radio podcasts.
On to the gate then for the “pièce de résistance”, my long anticipated flight on the A380. (see part 2)
)