Emirates B777-300 ER business class, Dubai to London

BACKGROUND I was repatriated to the UK from Dubai, via the British Embassy, on April 5, 2020, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I was placed on a waiting list at the end of March and waited seven days before Emirates called and emailed offering me a £550 (US$683) one-way economyclass ticket. It was one of the first flights to repatriate expatriates to the UK, so it was clearly a tense period for staff and passengers.

C H E C K- I N We were departing from Dubai International’s Terminal 2, rather than the usual Terminal 3, and I arrived at the airport five hours before the flight as requested by the airline. On arrival I was directed to the main hall to go through the COVID-19 processes, which included a temperature/heat scan and being handed a pair of medical gloves, a face mask and hand sanitiser. I was then directed to the waiting area where social distancing guidelines were place, prior to being called forward to check in.

In addition to the large team of Emirates and flydubai staff providing assistance, members of the UK and UAE governments were on hand to ensure all procedures were adhered to and to answer passenger questions. My only concerns were that because T2 is normally a flydubai terminal, there was some confusion as to which team was in charge and information provided to passengers was sometimes unclear.

We were not informed prior to arrival at the airport that hand luggage could not include laptops or small ( 7kg) cases etc. and that excess baggage would be charged at AED 120 (US$32) per kilo plus a AED 80 ($21.34) service charge. To make matters worse, the excess baggage fee payment counters were unmanned for 45 minutes. I ended up paying an AED 780 ($208) for my excess baggage of approximately 6kg.

BOARDING From check-in it was a twominute walk to the gate. Subway was the only shop open in the terminal, which felt eerily quiet. At the departure gate, which was busy, social distancing measures enabled us to queue in four lines - one for each desk open. The wait for departure was almost two hours and during this time, passengers were visited by the UK Ambassador to the UAE. It definitely helped lighten the mood a little. While waiting to board I was given an upgrade to business class. Boarding took much longer than usual (around 45 minutes longer) due to social distancing restrictions and extra security checks and scans.

THE FLIGHT We took off approximately 30 minutes later than expected as the shuttle bus service took longer due to social distancing measures. There were two flight attendants serving the business class cabin. Because I had been upgraded, I was not entitled to all of the usual bells and whistles. It was an economy service in a businessclass seat; the blankets and pillows were from the economy cabin, as was the food offering – two basic choices of a chicken or beef dish. However, the extra leg room, flatbed option, automated window screen and large TV with great movie options ensured the flight was relaxing. I also had access to the in-flight Wi-Fi.

We were allowed to move our face masks down to communicate if necessary and to remove them if we were sleeping. In business class the booths enable you to maintain social distancing thereby making it unnecessary to wear the mask at all times.

T H E S E AT The seat, with its 60-inch pitch and ergonomically designed headrest,

was extremely spacious and luxurious and reclined to a fully flat bed. There were USB charging points, a universal plug socket and a large 23-inch TV screen. With plenty of room between seats, social distancing was easy and if you do have hand luggage such as laptops and handbags, there is plenty of storage space. There was also room to spread out and work.

ARRIVAL We arrived on time despite the delayed departure. Upon arrival at Heathrow Terminal 3, I was shocked to find that none of the Heathrow terminal staff were wearing masks, gloves or social distancing. There was no hand sanitiser at the baggage counters or trolley collection points and there were no social distancing measures in place at the exit from passport control. It was as if the UK was unaware of the pandemic. There were no representatives from Heathrow, UK Immigration or the UK Government to meet UK Citizens and welcome them home or explain any COVID-19 procedures, which left us all wondering what we were coming back to.

With plenty of room between seats, social distancing was easy

VERDICT Given the circumstances the airline handled things very well. It was a tense time for everyone, but the service provided was of the high standard you’d expect from Emirates. Staff were constantly asking if they could do anything to help, refilling my tea and so on. The upgrade was a nice touch and considering we were all navigating this new world of COVID-19 travel for the first time, the process was reassuringly smooth from the Dubai side.