Survival mode engaged. Flying from Australia to Europe is always an odyssey— at least two flights, two aircraft, and a timeline that stretched longer than my Year 6 relationship with Paul McDade. Add in a check-in process that tested patience, a round of musical, possibly broken chairs, and this flight was a masterclass in seat-swapping, strategic snacking, and long-haul survival.
But Emirates’ service, in-flight entertainment, and a well-timed stopover helped soften the 24+ hour journey. Here’s what flying Emirates from Sydney to Lisbon is really like.
Onground experience
Check-in
The goal of checking in online is usually to make the whole airport experience easier. I had a super easy online check-in via the Emirates app and had high hopes for a relatively speedy experience at Sydney Airport. I got to the back of the Online Checked-In Customers queue at 7.00pm.
Four counters open, then three, then two. Travellers in our long line watched in confusion as first one gate agent just shut up shop and walked away, only to watch as another joined him. The nearby Economy Class queue (helped by six open counters) seemed like the express lane. At 7.04 pm, the savvy travellers directly in front of me defected to the fast moving Economy Class line while I stood my ground—purely for journalistic integrity (or stubbornness). They got to an Economy Class counter at 7.09 pm. I had yet to make the first turn in our queue.
By the time I reached the front of my queue at 7.29 pm, the conveyor belt had an issue, reducing the counter numbers again. Eventually, I was moved to an Economy Class counter, where a no-nonsense agent asked extra security questions before check-in was complete.
Security and immigration
Security took about 17 minutes, followed by a seamless immigration process.
Airport amenities
A quick stop at WHSmith provided some pre-flight sustenance and a quick protein hit in the form of hummus and crackers, and my favourite thing about Sydney airport: Nutworks macadamias. Must find out where these are sold outside of an airport terminal.
Cabin and comfort
Sydney to Dubai
The A380 delivered on space—relatively speaking. Having just arrived the day prior from South East Asia on a tightly configured A330, settling into what I believe is a refreshed Emirates A380 Economy gave the impression of space.
Registered as A6-EVP, this was one of the aircraft featuring Emirates’ new Premium Economy cabin. The airline introduced Premium Economy in December 2020, and after positive feedback, expanded it through a retrofit program upgrading 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s.
Seat width and legroom were reasonable and the recline (when I could get it going) was decent. Unfortunately getting my seat to recline took a lot of work, both to get it going and to keep it there. Every time I moved, the seat would return to its original position and trying to get it to go back into recline meant I’d have to jerk backwards, annoying the passenger behind me.
Luckily, she was predisposed to like me as I had moved seats (from 66C to 65C) so that she could sit with her travel companion and the seemingly broken seat I was in was originally hers.
On this fully booked flight, seat swapping became an art form. The couple beside me and the pair behind me orchestrated a mid-air game of musical chairs, all in the name of spending the next almost 15 hours next to someone they actually liked.
Despite the chair that refused to hold a recline unless I engaged my core, I was pretty comfortable. My original seat would have been closer to the loo so in that sense I was pretty happy with the move.
What I didn’t understand was the incredibly tight seatback pocket. I get that having a streamlined back of seat makes for more legroom, but what was provided offered barely enough space for essentials like tissues and hand sanitiser, let alone a laptop. USB and USC charging were available, a welcome feature for keeping devices powered over the 14-hour flight.
Dubai to Lisbon
Then came the second leg: a time warp to an older Boeing 777 where seats felt suspiciously narrower, and charging was downgraded to USB-only. I did, however relish in being able to recline my seat fully with no guilt as there was no one behind me (and my seat worked) and I made full use of a seat back pocket that could actually fit things in it.
Entertainment and Wi-Fi
Thank goodness for Emirates’ ICE entertainment system—because this was a marathon, not a sprint. On the A380, the screen was a true touch screen and a was HUGE at 13.3 inches. The selection was almost too vast, and live TV was a nice touch.
Fast forward to the second leg, and the screen felt clunky, requiring patience as the touch response was mediocre at best. The content was still solid, but the experience? Not quite first-class.
Wi-Fi was available for purchase, though there was a free messaging option for Skywards members of which I made use.
Inflight meals
Airplane food is a gamble, but Emirates plays the odds well. The Sydney–Dubai leg delivered two solid meals and a snack, with portions generous enough to keep hunger at bay. Special meal requests were handled without issue despite my changing seats.
That said, I ejoyed the meals on the Dubai–Lisbon leg more. I came off quite full which meant I could land in Lisbon ready to explore straight away rather than getting food.
Service and crew
A medical emergency meant we left Sydney 25 minutes late, and a one-hour delay out of Dubai due to visibility issues (or at least that’s what I gathered before dozing off) pushed things back even further. Crews on both legs kept staff well-informed.
The A380 crew had efficiency down to an art, keeping the cabin hydrated and passengers content.
The B777 crew had a bit more of a challenge given there were four tour groups on board and the long delay tested everyone’s patience.
Top tips
- Best seats: I prefer seats at the back of the plane that are either the last aisle before rows are reduced by a seat (meaning you can recline without impacting someone behind you). The better seat is the first row of two behind a row of three as you get more space.
- Charging: Bring a backup power bank, especially for the second leg, where only USB charging is available.
- Airport snacks: WHSmith’s Nutworks macadamias are well worth a try.
Wheels up or down?
Landing in Lisbon during the day meant more time to hit the ground running—a definite perk after a long-haul journey and the reason I chose these particular flights. It’s a slog getting there, but Emirates does a solid job of making it bearable, especially on the A380.
The author was not sponsored by the airline.
