All I need is the air that I breathe......

....to sleep!!  I don't remember the air in a plane being so dry before.  You get warned all the time about pressurised cabin air and its desiccating and dehydrating effects. It normally doesn't affect me so much, but this time I really felt it. Despite the luxury of a first class suite, I found the air to be  hot and dry, so much so that my nostrils kept drying out, and while I did sleep, every time I woke up my mouth was so dry my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth!  There is a personal mini bar in the suite so I drank it dry of all types of water and juice! I did only have one glass of champagne at the start! Oh, and a G&T before dinner, and one glass of red wine with dinner!  I don't usually drink much alcohol on planes for that very reason of dehydration!

I have always loved the pseudo night sky that Emirates have in their long-haul aircraft.  It looks so pretty even though I suspect nobody is ever taken in believing it helps them sleep!  Even on a true flat-lying bed with a fluffy doona and groovy updated soft cotton PJs to keep you warm!

First Class Wallow

OK so I managed to upgrade from Business to First Class to use up some points.  There is method to the madness here - going on a photography trip to the Arctic (or Antarctica) requires the packing of many items which normally I would not travel with.  These items are hefty, and if one wants to experience a fairly hassle free journey which is taking her around to the other side of the world, and up almost as far as she can go, it is worth going for the upgrade to ensure the extra luggage weight, both in check-in and carry-on.  That's my excuse, anyway.  It worked!

So the first thing I do after getting to my suite is of course have another glass of champagne. The journey really begins for me then!

It looks so cheery with all the lights on to greet you!

Svalbard Adventure 2015 - NEW!

On my way!

Getting picked up from home by the Emirates chauffeur does not guarantee you will get dropped off at Departures at Perth International Airport! Due to the current extensive renovations and earthworks happening at the airport, traffic is being diverted away from the road leading right past the entrance doors to Terminal 1 doors. This means that several airport workers in fluoro colours are needed to direct the poor passengers with huge suitcases along the parallel road in the car-park, which is also lined with fluoro, so that we find out way to the entrance which is now quite a distance away from the original drop-off point that we are familiar with!

Once inside, it is apparent that none of the Emirates desks are open yet.  Apparently they only open three hours before the flight, which in this case will be no earlier than 1510!

That part was easy -  the horrendous part was the long, long (5 parallel lines!) crocodile queue waiting to pass through the new Immigration system.  It took me 35 minutes.  It might have been quicker if all 12 desks had been occupied instead of the four that were!  Once through, there is a new baggage check-in system, which for a change is now more efficient and streamlined than before - 3 big long belts, and really big trays that zoom along the rollers for all baggage items!

Phew! Now for some Moët champagne in the Emirates Lounge, ready for the first (Class) leg of the journey!