TRIP REPORT: Flydubai, Ljubljana - Dubai and back

TRIP REPORT

Written by NP

Route: Ljubljana - Dubai
Trip date: November 10th, 2021
LJU-DBX flight time: 5h 31 min
Aircraft: A6-FMK (2 years, March 2019)
Price: 549,67€
Rating: 10/10
Business class load: 7/10
Economy class load: around 80%

The Ljubljana to Dubai route was anticipated for years, and now that it is in full swing, I decided to put it to the test. Taking a 9-day business trip with my business partner started in Ljubljana, by testing the newly opened terminal building.

The terminal's design is very minimalistic, yet it provides more than enough room for the (for now) very limited number of flights.

The check-in process was very smooth, but with a minor hick-up as they requested additional Covid insurance, which I never heard of and was apparently asked by the UAE government. However, after getting that sorted, the check-in and security check was smooth and without any issues.

As the Istanbul flight was running late (TK1061 landed at 11:40 instead of 8:50), the business lounge was packed and lacked any kind of snacks. The lounge is the only downgrade compared to the old terminal with no private space and limited options of food and drinks.

We boarded on time with a lovely welcome from the charming cabin crew. My seat 2B was in 1-1 config with heaps of storage space and a nice view of the Trade Air’s A320.

Before departure, we were offered a hot towel. However, no welcome drinks were served, which was the only disappointing thing on this flight.

We taxied to the runway while a Helvetic E290 landed from Zurich, and after what is probably the most bizarre safety video, we were on our way to Dubai.

Today's flight took us over Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Iran, with a flight time of 5 hours and 31 minutes.

Soon after departure, salty snacks, peanuts and drinks were served, once again accompanied by the super-nice cabin crew.

It was followed by dinner. I chose to go with the fish, which turned out to be one of the best meals I ever had in the air, accompanied by a cheesecake dessert and a hot bun.

The dinner was served quickly and efficiently with an always smiling crew making it even better.

After dinner, I opted for a short film which proved to be a challenge, as the in-flight entertainment is packed with 150+ options which was more than sufficient for the 6 hours of flight time.

This flight was only my second with 737 Max since the groundings, and the view from the window is always scary, with the engines being as big as they are on a sub 180pax aircraft.

We landed in Dubai ahead of time and taxied to a remote stand, where a Business class bus was waiting for us; we got the fast-track coupon, which we never needed as the airport was almost empty.

Overall, the Wednesday flight was a pleasant surprise, with a great seat, superb crew, and probably superior food to almost any European carrier.

Route: Dubai - Ljubljana

Trip date: November 19th, 2021

DXB-LJU flight time: 5h 54 min

Aircraft: A6-FMB (4 years, September 2017)

Price: 505,34€

Rating: 2,5/10

Business class load: 6/10

Economy class load: around 50%

With a great experience from 9 days ago, I was looking forward to the flight back home, arriving at the DXBs terminal 3 about two hours before the flight.

With check-in taking almost 50 minutes, there was sadly no time to visit the Emirates lounge, but from past experiences, the lounge is always full, so we weren't missing anything significant.

Once arriving at the boarding gate (C44), we were welcomed by probably the loudest fire alarm I ever heard; we waited for the remote stand buses to arrive while covering our ears for about 15 long minutes.

After the buses arrived, we went on about a 10-minute drive, which is perfect for plane spotting, especially during the airport’s rush hour.

We arrived at the remote stand and boarded this tremendous-looking bird. We got on board and were seated. This time, I took the 1A seat in 2-2 configuration. Unfortunately, the seat itself offered less space and was, in my case, showing age with the footrest broken off, the controls not working, and the general condition of the fuselage in semi-decent condition, with pieces being loose or just hanging off. The seat and the table were also dirty, and I even found a nail in the blanket provided.

We didn't get served anything before the flight, which is a shame as the hot towel is a nice addition on a hot day, especially when it is offered from Ljubljana.

Once the captain announced the flight status, the cabin crew told us that the inflight entertainment wouldn't be available, and they couldn't do anything about it.

With the inflight entertainment not working, the safety procedure was done in an old-fashioned way, with the crew telling us how to act in an emergency on the 787 planes, laughing it off, and proceeding with the safety info about 737Max.

We taxied to the runway and flew above Iran, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, and Croatia.

Breakfast was served as soon as we took off, with eggs being my choice. Unfortunately, the meal was mediocre and disappointing compared with the dinner served on the LJU-DXB flight. Another passenger sat behind me said that its pretty much economy meal packed better, which sums up the entire flight.

The crew was uninspiring, went missing for most of the flight, and served drinks two times on the flight, we didn't get a welcome during boarding, and we left generally disappointed from the flight.

The combination of broken seats, inflight entertainment not working, the meal being good at best, and the crew being uninspiring left us all a bit disappointed, especially as my first flight was exceptional.

I will fly Flydubai again, and I'm happy to see Dubai flights finally available from Ljubljana; with the first flight experience, I'm certainly looking forward to more flights with them.

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