1999 was the last time I visited Toronto, Canada. The Next Race I lined up for 2014 was the Grand Prix at Austin Texas. The Itinerary was drawn up and my mum and I chose to fly to Toronto for a trip to visit my uncle as well as attend the race down south.

My Mum and I had gathered enough miles to upgrade from Business Class to First Class all through.

The Only disadvantage was that upgrades were done in sectors rather than a whole trip which was due to availability opening up at different periods of time. As a result, we had to shed more miles than we would have liked to.

This was also the first time when mum would experience First Class aboard the Airbus A380.

The Outbound Flight was on 22nd October 2014 and the return on 7th November 2014.

Mumbai - Toronto ( 22nd October 2014 ) :

The dropoff at Terminal 2, Mumbai :

A brisk completion of the necessary formalities and it was time to relax in the Lounge :

The Spread at the lounge :

An hour of rest and it was time to board our flight bound for Dubai. The A380 boasts of spacious Private Suites and these never fail to impress :

Mum settling into her Suite :

The Menu for the Flight to Dubai :

Breakfast!

We walked to the back of the aircraft, through the Business Class to enjoy the atmosphere in the Lounge, unique to Emirates A380!

In Dubai, First Class Lounge. Feels so different compared to the Business Class one.

Onboard the flight to Toronto, the Private Suite feels so different in the day!

So cozy :) :)

Whats for Lunch, Snacks and Lunch???

Up in the air and the Lunch Service commenced!

We even indulged in some snack time during the 13 hour long flight.

The Lounge in the Business Class :

I always make it a point to have a shower and change an hour before landing. The Emirates Airbus A380 offers a shower spa 40000 feet in the air.

Touchdown in Toronto :

Video Link for landing into Toronto Pearson Airport :

Our Pickup from Toronto Airport, Lincolns!

Enroute to my Uncle's place :

Toronto - Mumbai ( 7th November 2014 ) :

Our Pickup for the Toronto Pearson Airport :

The Lounge at Toronto is pretty ordinary.

Our Private Suites in the Airbus A380 :

Mum in her Private Suite :

The Menu for the return journey :

The fare started with snacks before moving onto a 3 course dinner. Lip-smacking to say the least.

The Bed readied for a quick nap :

Business Class in the A380 with the famous lounge :

Up in the sky, enroute to Dubai in the setting sun.

Dinner Service :

Shots from the Shower Spa, 1 Hour before landing into Dubai :

Nearing touchdown into Dubai :

Video Link for landing into Dubai :

The First Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport :

The First Class Suites for the final leg of the trip :

We loved the experience in our Suites. One Last time..

The Menu for the Flight to Mumbai :

Dinner Service :

Landing into Mumbai, our pickup was waiting to take us back home

The Emirates A380 First Class is still the best in business when it comes to hospitality. One might say that competitors now have a more premium product but Emirates are the pioneers in dreaming, believing and providing such hospitality since a long time.

My mum cherished this experience onboard the First Class Suites of the A380! I cant wait to be back on one of these and I know the time is not far.

This concludes the Flying Diaries posts from 2014. Dubai ( Business ), Vienna ( Business ), Brussels ( Business ) from 2015 coming up..soon..

Watch this space and thanks a ton for your support! God Bless!

July is the month when the European Leg of F1 is at its busiest. I had the privilege of being at Nurburgring in 2013. 2014 saw Hockenheim host the German GP ( as it alternates between the 2 venues ). This was the first race I had the privilege of attending - Live.

Mum accompanied me for the journey to Frankfurt. We flew Business Class, outbound travel on 17th July and inbound on 24th July ( arrival +1 on 25th )

Mumbai - Frankfurt ( 17th July 2014 ) :

I opted for the early morning flight which enables travellers to land in Europe in the afternoon.

Our Chauffeur service was punctual and efficient as always :

Mumbai Airport's New International Terminal "T-2" is an amazing piece of architecture and a benchmark when it comes to passenger mobility. Completing formalities is such a breeze. ( in Departures )

The "First Class and Business Class" Lounge of GVK wasn't ready yet and we were still making use of the makeshift one for our journey.

Mum Relaxing in the Lounge :

The Lavish Spread in the Lounge :

Brilliant artwork at the airport :

Our Flight being readied for the Dubai Leg :

Our seats in Business Class :

We had been so well fed up until our flight that neither of us opted for breakfast. Just the Beverage Service :

Nearing touchdown at Dubai :

The Boeing and Airbus of Emirates all lined up at DXB :

Business Class Lounge :

Breakfast in the Business Class Lounge :

A restful time in the Lounge and we were ready for the 2nd leg of our trip to Frankfurt! Our Seats in Business Class :

The Menu for the Food & Beverage service to Frankfurt :

Other operators to Dubai :

Food, Food & More Food!

A good sleep and it was time to get ready for the descent into Frankfurt :

The beautiful sky enroute to Europe :

Nearing touchdown at Frankfurt :

Frankfurt from above!

Frankfurt Airport and it was nice to see national carriers of various countries. Frankfurt is the 3rd busiest airport in Europe.

Enroute to our Hotel, The Jumeirah Frankfurt.

Our ride to our Hotel. A Mercedes S500 & the VW Phaeton!

Frankfurt - Mumbai ( 24th July 2014 ) :

The Return Trip started on a brilliant note! I was overjoyed to see the quality of cars offered by Emirates in Germany. Audi A8L & the BMW GT 530d!


Frankfurt Airport Departures :

The Formalities were completed at a brisk pace and it was time to relax in the lounge :


The Dinner Spread :


Business Class on the return leg to Dubai :


Shots from Frankfurt Airport :


The Entertainment screen during night flights :


Dinner Menu inflight :


Beverage Service :


Dinner time! What a lip smacking meal!


Post Dinner, it was time to catch up on some sleep before landing into Dubai.

Flight Path into Dubai :



The Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport :


The Final Leg of the trip to Mumbai :

Business Class seats of the Boeing 777-300ER. Comfortable and spacious.


The Menu enroute to Mumbai :


The Plethora of Carriers at Dubai International Airport :


Takeoff from Dubai :


Lunch time onboard. The Final meal of our trip :

Enjoying our Lunch :


Returning Home with Emirates Chauffeur Service :


Once again, Emirates was top class in their Hospitality and nothing was found wanting in both the legs.

Its always a joy to see the crew recognize you as a Gold Member and welcome you on board!

The Next Post will feature my Trip in First Class to Toronto alongwith mum. We also used our Miles for some sweet upgrades. Details coming soon in the next post!

My First Trip in 2014 was to San Jose California in the United States of America.

My Best Friend was due to get married on 30th May and it was time to fly on Emirates for the First time in 2014. Emirates Airlines don't fly to San Jose but to San Francisco. 

My Mother accompanied me for this trip and she was really thankful to be flying in Business Class.

The Outbound Trip was on 21st May 2014 and the Inbound on 11th June 2014.

Mumbai - San Francisco ( 21st May 2014 ) :

Mumbai now had a New International Terminal - Terminal 2 or T2 and believe me it is simply stunning to behold. Everything about this Terminal is so good. Brisk Check ins, Seamless Security Checks, Minimal Waiting at the Immigration and State of the art Facilities. This Terminal has it all!

Shots from the Business and First Class Lounges. The Airlines have a shared space for their premium travellers.

The Spread for the Early Morning Hours :

Mum enjoying her coffee :

Settled in the Business Class Seat :

Some shots of the Business Class onboard the Boeing 777-300ER :

Breakfast Service :

I chose to sleep through the rest of the Flight and soon enough we landed in Dubai on a bright and sunny morning :

Shots from the Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport :

Soon enough, it was time to board the Flight for the 16 Hour Long Journey.

The Menu for the Journey :