I'm still reeling from my recent trip to the Persian Gulf countries, which kicked off in Dubai. I was originally supposed to start my vacation and cruise in Abu Dhabi, but those scammers at Wizz Air had other plans. They cancelled their flights to the UAE in February, and by the time I found out in July, it was too late. I had to scramble and book a new flight from Yekaterinburg to Dubai instead of the planned Astana to Abu Dhabi route.

Prices for the tickets:I managed to snag a decent deal on my tickets in July, which was a good thing since prices skyrocketed closer to the departure dates. For two people, I paid around 82,000 rubles for a round-trip ticket. If I had booked closer to the dates, it would have cost me around 57,000 rubles per person.

Tariffs and conditions:

We flew economy class with a 7kg hand luggage allowance and 20kg checked baggage.

There weren't many other options available at the time, but the business class seats looked pretty comfy. To be honest, the conditions were way better than what Ural Airlines offered for the same price and dates. At least in terms of comfort and service on board.Check-in process: Since I don't live in Yekaterinburg, I try to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare – at least 2.5 hours before the check-in deadline. I don't see the point in paying for early check-in, especially when the flight isn't full. This time, I was lucky and got to sit together with my husband in the middle of the plane, near the window. The return flight was a repeat of the same story. I'll never risk arriving at a foreign airport with minutes to spare.

On the time change:I'm glad I'm not the only one who's guilty of saying 'my language is my enemy!' When I found out that the flight was delayed due to a storm in Dubai, I was freaking out. I had booked my cruise for December 10, and my flight was scheduled for December 8. I was worried that the flight would be cancelled and I'd miss the cruise. Luckily, the flight was delayed, and I made it to the cruise on time. Well, sort of – we ended up leaving with a delay due to the storm and sandstorm in Dubai on December 19.

I've had my fair share of delayed flights, but our 10.5-hour wait at Kazan airport was a real doozy. The place was a madhouse - packed terminals, crowded cafes, and ridiculously long lines for the bathroom. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to put the only bathroom in the entire airport on the other side of the terminal?

Our flight was delayed three times, and we finally arrived in Yekaterinburg at the same time as a later flight. I was pretty bummed about that, but I have to give credit where credit is due - Flydubai handled it like pros. The real culprit was the flood in the airport, which caused all the chaos. I'm not saying it's Flydubai's fault, but maybe the UAE authorities should invest in some better drainage?

As for Flydubai, I've got no beef with them. They're a solid airline with some great perks.

I have to admit, I was a bit worried about the delay, but I ended up having a pretty good time. I grabbed some duty-free goodies and even enjoyed the airport's Christmas decorations. They had some awesome lights and decorations set up, and it really added to the atmosphere.

CABIN CREW: The crew in Yekaterinburg was super efficient and got us on the plane quickly. But in Dubai, we had to wait around for a bit - 20 minutes wandering around the airport and another 15 minutes stuck in the bus. Not the end of the world, but it was a bit annoying.

IN-FLIGHT LANGUAGE:

One thing I appreciated about Flydubai was the language support. All announcements on board are made in Arabic and English, which was great for me. On the way back, they even threw in some Russian for us, which was a nice touch.

And to be fair, all in-flight services are available in eight languages, including Russian. That's pretty impressive.

ABOUT THE CABIN AND TOILETS:

So why choose Flydubai? Well, the cabin is definitely a highlight. Every seat comes equipped with screens, which is awesome. Before takeoff, you get to watch a fun safety video, and then you can enjoy movies, games, and music on your screen. It's a great way to pass the time, and it makes the flight feel a lot more enjoyable.

Overall, I'd definitely fly with Flydubai again. They've got some great perks and a solid crew. And who knows, maybe next time I'll even get to enjoy the in-flight entertainment without any delays!"}

I've spent the last two movies and two albums of symphonic music bingeing on Flydubai's in-flight entertainment system, and I even played around with some silly games. Oh, and have you tried watching the map in real-time? It's seriously cool to see where we are and what we're flying over! As for the seats, they're pretty comfy – there's room for your feet, a fold-down table, and a pocket for your snacks. But... not all the seats recline! For example, on row 12, I could lower the backrest, but on row 14, I couldn't. That's just weird and uncomfortable! Oh well, the girls in front of us noticed we were uncomfortable and raised their seats, but what if they hadn't?

One weird thing I noticed is that Flydubai doesn't have row 13. I guess they just got rid of it because it's unlucky or something. Anyway, row 12 is followed directly by row 14. We noticed this because on our return flight, we sat in row 14. The flight attendant came over and rearranged us because the other passengers were confused. Can you blame them? We lost an entire row! The bathrooms are pretty spacious and clean, with toilet paper, soap, and paper towels available.

ABOUT THE FOOD AND DRINKS:

The food is pretty meh. There's not much of it, and it's not that great. You get a bottle of water and a small tray with some hot stuff.

I had beef with macaroni,

and my husband had chicken with rice.

The beef was better. On the way back, they gave us chicken with mashed potatoes and green peas. I didn't try it because I ate at the airport (no way I was sitting for 7 hours with an empty stomach!). I tried it from my husband's plate, and it was gross – especially the peas! But the drinks were pretty good (water, juices, and soda), especially the juices (apple and orange). The only hot drink they had was black coffee, which I don't drink. And, of course, no tea at all.

ABOUT SAFETY

Besides the video safety briefing, there's this safety instruction card in the back of the seat.

I'll be honest, the in-flight service was pretty straightforward.

The standard in-flight service was, well, standard. I was a bit surprised when I saw that all the flight attendants were men, and they were rocking those uniforms like they meant it. I even had to double-check to make sure they weren't just passengers! In-flight service:

I've got to give it to the guys - they were on top of their game. And let me tell you, they were not afraid to show off their bag-checking skills! On the plus side, after we landed in Dubai, the ground staff were super considerate of the flight delay and got the food out to us right away.

Air conditioning: It was working a bit stronger than I like, but still within reason. Although some people were complaining that it was freezing. I, on the other hand, was perfectly comfortable in my three-piece athletic wear.

Takeoff and landing:

I've got to give it to the Flydubai pilots - they know their stuff. And despite the weather conditions (snow in Yekaterinburg and a slippery runway in Dubai), they handled the takeoff and landing like pros. Smooth and confident.

I titled my review "Flydubai or Emirates?"

So, what's the deal with Emirates? Well, it turns out that both flights were eventually merged with Emirates, and people who had booked with Emirates were expecting a whole different level of service. I mean, Flydubai is a low-cost carrier, and Emirates is one of the best airlines in the world. And yet, we all ended up flying together... So, go ahead and splurge on those expensive tickets!

Overall, despite the fact that my second Flydubai flight wasn't exactly smooth sailing, I'm still giving them 4 stars.

PLUSES:

- comfy seats;

- entertainment screens;

- 7 kg of hand luggage and 20 kg of checked baggage on the standard fare;

- great pilots.

MINUSES:

- the food was pretty meh, and there wasn't much of it;

- not all seats have the reclining backrest.

Editor's Summary

I recently had the misfortune of dealing with a cancelled flight to Abu Dhabi, which left me scrambling to book a new ticket to Dubai. I ended up flying with Flydubai and Emirates, and I've got to say, it was a wild ride. From friendly airport staff to cramped economy seats, I'm sharing my honest review of both airlines.

Featured FAQ

What happened to your original flight to Abu Dhabi?Wizz Air cancelled their flights to the UAE in February, and I had to book a new ticket to Dubai.

How much did you pay for your tickets?I paid around 82,000 rubles for a round-trip ticket for two people.

What was the difference in prices if I had booked closer to the departure dates?If I had booked closer to the dates, it would have cost me around 57,000 rubles per person.

What was the hand luggage allowance and checked baggage on both flights?We flew economy class with a 7kg hand luggage allowance and 20kg checked baggage.

Which airline had better in-flight entertainment?Flydubai had a ton of movies and TV shows, but the in-flight Wi-Fi was super slow and unreliable.

Was the food on Emirates any good?Yeah, it was actually really good - I was surprised!