Passengers travelling on Emirates or Qantas flights can now purchase up to four hours of access to their Business or First Class Lounges in Dubai and worldwide from $100 USD.
How much does it cost?
You need to be a member of Emirates’ Skywards frequent flyer program, but it’s free to join and even the lowest tier (Blue) is eligible:
- Skywards Blue: $105 USD for Business Class or $210 for First Class Lounge
- Skywards Silver and Gold: upgrade from complimentary Business Class to First Class Lounge access for $105
There is a 50% discount for children aged 2-12 years and infants enter free.
These prices are inclusive of VAT.
Is it worth it?
Obviously, it’s a personal decision to make based on how much value you think you will get out of the lounge and how much you would’ve spent in the airport on meals, entertainment, etc anyway.
For comparison’s sake, Qantas is trialling access for selected passengers to its International Business Lounges for $69 AUD.
You can also redeem Asia Miles for Cathay Pacific Lounge access if you are a Marco Polo member.
Reviews of the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai’s Terminal 3 on Google and LoungeBuddy (my favourite app for making decisions about which lounges to go to) mention that it is large in size but can get crowded, especially during the late-night peak travel period.
Queues for the bathrooms can reportedly reach 20-30 minutes, so make sure you go before entering the lounge. However, they do also mention great customer service and food quality.
Apologies for the corny nature of these videos – official images of the lounges are far and few between.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai video
The First Class Lounge in Dubai gets quite stellar reviews for friendly service, excellent food and a quiet, spacious atmosphere.
Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai video
Those flying out of Melbourne can also get access to the Emirates Business & First Class lounge there for the same cost.
Summing up
I’d recommend having layover in Dubai of at least 3-4 hours in order to be able to deboard from your first plane, walk to the lounges, enjoy the amenities, and have enough time to get to the gate of your onward flight.
You can find more information on the lounges FAQ page and in the lounge terms and conditions.
Images courtesy Emirates.
Blue members can purchase access to the business class lounge for $100 (Silver and Gold already have complimentary access)
Blue, Silver and Gold members can purchase access to the First class lounge for $200.