TRIED & TESTED FLIGHT
flydubai Business Class B737-800 DUBAI TO TBILISI
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B A C K G R O U N D It has been 10 years since flydubai launched services to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and it’s become one of the airline’s most popular routes. The three-times-weekly service has opened up a destination that is something of a well-kept secret for many travellers and even within Europe, remains fairly inaccessible due to limited flight options. The former Soviet state, now dubbed ‘the Rome of the East’, is quintessentially ‘East meets West’, and is undergoing a beautiful revival. Old industrial buildings are being repurposed into trendy hotels, restaurants and boutiques, while the city is immersed in centuries-old history and culture. C H E C K - I N Poor planning on my part meant I travelled on the first day of the summer holidays in the UAE. As a result, T2 at Dubai International was extremely busy and massively understaffed to cope with the number of passengers, several of whom were trying to push into the business class queue and generally causing chaos around the check-in area. Once at the desk, check-in was smooth, despite the additional pandemic-related paperwork, which inevitably slows things down a little. Patience is key during these times. The business class queue was a mere fraction of the length of the long and snaking line for economy passengers where social distancing became a long-forgotten concept, so I was very thankful. Lounge access and fast-track boarding ensured the airport experience thereafter was a good one. The lounge still offers an extensive à la carte menu and serves great coffee. T H E S E A T I was in seat 2F, a window
seat that was spacious and comfortable. On such a short flight, it provided ample
SEPTEMBER 2021
