The Flight
It was both the first time flying the A380 and Emirates for me, to finally test them. About the A380:
The aircraft was very quiet on the inside, comfy to fly with and overall a great experience. The only thing I really disliked were the windows, which, thanks to a huge space between the outer window and the inner plastic shade, are making photography a hell of a time, and when it gets dark outside, completely impossible. About Emirates: Let`s start with two things I hated before even getting on the plane. First of all the mobile app (Android) is very bad, as I had experienced several complete breakdowns, a very long loading screen and the impossibility of zooming in on the mobile boarding pass; Second I personally think that paying 25€ for a standard seat reservation is an effrontery of the airline.
The flights were good, the food was okay, the cabin crew was very friendly and helpful and the overall service was very good with many drinks offered. In my specific case both inflight entertainment-systems were not fully functional and the sound was extremely bad. A good plus on the other side was the 20mb free wifi, which isn`t much, but sufficient to track yourself on FR24 and say hello to your loved ones, as well as the power outlet on every second seat allowing you to use Laptops for an unlimited time.
The City
To cut a long story short; The city of Dubai is amazing, but taking photos of it is quite the bummer…
Why is it amazing? What has really amazed me about this city can`t be described in one word. It`s the modern architecture, the size of shops, malls, buildings, the “classcial” district in Deira with the “Gold Souk” and a lot more things that make Dubai a special place. There is a lot to discover around the city.
I guess the images can speak for themselves here…
The Photo Problem
So it is probably known to a few of my readers that planespotting is forbidden in the UAE by law and you can end enprisioned, if caught. However I was not expecting to have such problems when trying to take photos at night in Dubai. Nearly every time, when I was setting up my tripod the security would tell me, it`s not allowed to take photos here. Why? I mostly dont know.
After my outrage about some photos that I couldnt take, I was curious about the actual laws about photography in Dubai and came across various articles stating that taking photos of goverment buildings, several bridges and offices is not allowed. Why I got yelled at in front of the Burj Khalifa two times for taking photos I still have no idea.
Summing it up I would say that the photography laws in Dubai are very strict and can depend on how the current mood of the officers around you is and I am lucky that I did not get into any severe problems here.
So enjoy the Gallery and leave a comment if you want! Happy new Year and all the best luck and wishes for 2018, Florian
