In the last 6 months, I've flown 1 adult, 3 YO and 6 month old to DXB on F out of Sydney (using Qantas Points on Emirates A380) and 2 adults 3YO and 10month old on J to MXB via DXB (using Emirates points on Emirates A380). I am a Bronze Qantas FF, and my Husband is a Gold (now platinum) Skywards member. I really struggled to find info on here so hopefully this will help other people!
Qantas points v Skywards points:
We booked our MXB trip about 2 weeks out using Skywards points - we had to fly via BKK on the way there (now on A380), but given we were flying on 17 Dec, its availability you would never get on Qantas. I got lucky with the Qantas points flight - just checked daily and the flights popped up.
- Qantas flew the baby for free, but Emirates charged us about $1200 return (10% of the business fare) for the opportunity to use the basinet.
- No Chauffer Drive available on the Qantas booked flight as we flew via Melbourne. They stuffed up the return chauffer drive to the extent that I was sending Qantas messages on facebook while on the flight to make sure they had someone available to pick us up - they only confirmed about 1 hour before landing. Moral of the story - call Emirates directly and organise your chauffer drive through them once you have your Emirates ticket number.
- Qantas' system doesnt talk to Emirates properly. The flights kept coming up as available online, but I'd continually get an error when getting to the last page of the booking, then the flights would drop off the online system for 24 hours - Took a few phone calls to get the actual flights booked and they waived the phone fee. Even after booking, the Emirates tickets never issued. I ended up tagging phone calls between Emirates and Qantas until they finally resolved it. Ditto return flight (which was booked on a separate ticket) - I ended up on the phone while in Dubai to get this fixed. Moral of the story - if you dont get your Emirates ticket number within 24 hours of booking a flight using Qantas points, call Emirates directly.
Flying with an Infant on Emirates:
- staff super friendly and helpful (compared to Qantas F - we flew with them when No 1 was 6 months old and they barely even acknowledged her). Would pick her up and play with her for ages. Kept an eye on her while I had a shower on F.
- if deciding between first and business based on having an infant - the basinet in First is smaller, but of course you can leave the baby on the seat and close the doors if you need to walk away. The business basinet is bigger but awkward to put the baby into (woke the baby up a couple of times putting her in there).
- on F, the ratio of staff means that someone can almost always hold the baby, even during meals. You'll only get that level of help during 'quiet' times of the flight in Biz.
- baby pack of body cream, spoon, bib and stuffed toy offered.
- Food (Heinz Purees with added salt and sugar) available on request. No other food is available so baby ended up snacking on the food in the bar + food we had with us. If you have a 1.5 year old on your lap make sure you pack enough food for the flight.
- if choosing between Qantas and Emirates, despite the lack of help on Qantas, I might pick Qantas because their A380 basinets have a special seat belt which allow you to keep the baby in there even during turbulence.
Flying with 3 year old on Emirates: -
- Kids pack was offered on all flights - containing soft toy, activity book, pencils, mini etch-a-sketch. There is also a food snack pack (containing chips, special plastic spoons etc) that is provided - it went MIA on one of the flights.
- Kids meals were predictable pasta with sauce or chicken nuggets on both F and J. Recommend you order the kids meals anyway so you get the snack pack and the toys, but then order additional food off the adult menu.
- no toiletries (or Pyjamas in F) offered.
- We asked for and got a 10 minute shower (ie. 2 turns in 1) for both of us to have a shower together rather than me attempting to wash child & keep dry (you need to keep shower door shut for water to run). Great for relaxing her. Would recommend other parents have the shower just before they want the child to have a long sleep rather than wait until the end of the flight.
Other passengers
- Most people were pretty happy to see the kids (esp the baby) and happy to play with them during the flight. I was seated next to another mother with baby on the MXB-DXB leg and the couple in front of us asked to be moved before we had taken off - no seats available so they were offered ear plugs.
- 3yo had a couple of melt-downs on the SYD-DXB-SYD flight, but again most people very understanding. Flight attendant sat on the seat with the baby for landing while I held the toddler.
- one F passenger complained every time I spoke on the Syd - Dxb flight - but also complained about the flight attendants and refused to move into an empty seat at the front of the cabin
travelling alone with 2 kids
- First without a doubt - take the middle 2 seats and you can grab the remote ipad thing from the child's seat and lock them in by closing the door. that way you can sleep and the child will have to crawl over you to get out. There is still quite a distance between the seats, but its much easier than J. Having the additional flight attendants is also super helpful. If you had to do it in Biz, its probably easier to take the 2 middle seats or pick two across the aisle that are closer to each other - beware the bulkhead basinet seat is very difficult to manage with your travelling companion on the other middle seat - recommend they go across the aisle instead.
Lounges
- Not much more than what has previously been commented on here. Melbourne Qantas F lounge doesnt have a kids play area. Emirates F lounge has a small play room - you are better off finding a quiet corner and letting them run around a bit more there.
Chauffer Drive
- Wasn't used in Dubai as we had a rental car
- at MXB despite confirming car seats, we were offered backless boosters for the 3yo. They have a supply of seats there, so went and swapped it for another seat.
Qantas points v Skywards points:
We booked our MXB trip about 2 weeks out using Skywards points - we had to fly via BKK on the way there (now on A380), but given we were flying on 17 Dec, its availability you would never get on Qantas. I got lucky with the Qantas points flight - just checked daily and the flights popped up.
- Qantas flew the baby for free, but Emirates charged us about $1200 return (10% of the business fare) for the opportunity to use the basinet.
- No Chauffer Drive available on the Qantas booked flight as we flew via Melbourne. They stuffed up the return chauffer drive to the extent that I was sending Qantas messages on facebook while on the flight to make sure they had someone available to pick us up - they only confirmed about 1 hour before landing. Moral of the story - call Emirates directly and organise your chauffer drive through them once you have your Emirates ticket number.
- Qantas' system doesnt talk to Emirates properly. The flights kept coming up as available online, but I'd continually get an error when getting to the last page of the booking, then the flights would drop off the online system for 24 hours - Took a few phone calls to get the actual flights booked and they waived the phone fee. Even after booking, the Emirates tickets never issued. I ended up tagging phone calls between Emirates and Qantas until they finally resolved it. Ditto return flight (which was booked on a separate ticket) - I ended up on the phone while in Dubai to get this fixed. Moral of the story - if you dont get your Emirates ticket number within 24 hours of booking a flight using Qantas points, call Emirates directly.
Flying with an Infant on Emirates:
- staff super friendly and helpful (compared to Qantas F - we flew with them when No 1 was 6 months old and they barely even acknowledged her). Would pick her up and play with her for ages. Kept an eye on her while I had a shower on F.
- if deciding between first and business based on having an infant - the basinet in First is smaller, but of course you can leave the baby on the seat and close the doors if you need to walk away. The business basinet is bigger but awkward to put the baby into (woke the baby up a couple of times putting her in there).
- on F, the ratio of staff means that someone can almost always hold the baby, even during meals. You'll only get that level of help during 'quiet' times of the flight in Biz.
- baby pack of body cream, spoon, bib and stuffed toy offered.
- Food (Heinz Purees with added salt and sugar) available on request. No other food is available so baby ended up snacking on the food in the bar + food we had with us. If you have a 1.5 year old on your lap make sure you pack enough food for the flight.
- if choosing between Qantas and Emirates, despite the lack of help on Qantas, I might pick Qantas because their A380 basinets have a special seat belt which allow you to keep the baby in there even during turbulence.
Flying with 3 year old on Emirates: -
- Kids pack was offered on all flights - containing soft toy, activity book, pencils, mini etch-a-sketch. There is also a food snack pack (containing chips, special plastic spoons etc) that is provided - it went MIA on one of the flights.
- Kids meals were predictable pasta with sauce or chicken nuggets on both F and J. Recommend you order the kids meals anyway so you get the snack pack and the toys, but then order additional food off the adult menu.
- no toiletries (or Pyjamas in F) offered.
- We asked for and got a 10 minute shower (ie. 2 turns in 1) for both of us to have a shower together rather than me attempting to wash child & keep dry (you need to keep shower door shut for water to run). Great for relaxing her. Would recommend other parents have the shower just before they want the child to have a long sleep rather than wait until the end of the flight.
Other passengers
- Most people were pretty happy to see the kids (esp the baby) and happy to play with them during the flight. I was seated next to another mother with baby on the MXB-DXB leg and the couple in front of us asked to be moved before we had taken off - no seats available so they were offered ear plugs.
- 3yo had a couple of melt-downs on the SYD-DXB-SYD flight, but again most people very understanding. Flight attendant sat on the seat with the baby for landing while I held the toddler.
- one F passenger complained every time I spoke on the Syd - Dxb flight - but also complained about the flight attendants and refused to move into an empty seat at the front of the cabin
travelling alone with 2 kids
- First without a doubt - take the middle 2 seats and you can grab the remote ipad thing from the child's seat and lock them in by closing the door. that way you can sleep and the child will have to crawl over you to get out. There is still quite a distance between the seats, but its much easier than J. Having the additional flight attendants is also super helpful. If you had to do it in Biz, its probably easier to take the 2 middle seats or pick two across the aisle that are closer to each other - beware the bulkhead basinet seat is very difficult to manage with your travelling companion on the other middle seat - recommend they go across the aisle instead.
Lounges
- Not much more than what has previously been commented on here. Melbourne Qantas F lounge doesnt have a kids play area. Emirates F lounge has a small play room - you are better off finding a quiet corner and letting them run around a bit more there.
Chauffer Drive
- Wasn't used in Dubai as we had a rental car
- at MXB despite confirming car seats, we were offered backless boosters for the 3yo. They have a supply of seats there, so went and swapped it for another seat.
