During a recent, and unexpected, trip through Dubai International Airport (DXB), I had the chance to briefly visit the Emirates Business Class Lounge located in Terminal 3, Concourse A. A lot has been made over the years about the Emirates premium experience and I was excited to check out one of the many lounges at the carrier’s home airport.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Location
As you may have guessed from the title of this post, the Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Terminal 3A is located in Concourse A of Terminal 3, Emirates’ base of operations, at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
We were connecting from a FlyDubai flight from Istanbul which arrived in Terminal 2, so we had to take a shuttle bus over to Terminal 3. Once inside the terminal, we followed the signage for the First and Business Class lounges which were present throughout the terminal. It was a bit of a maze coming from the transfer area, but we eventually found the entrance near Gate A24.
Stepping off the elevator, the lounge entrance was directly ahead of us.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Hours of Operation
In what should come as no surprise, given the carrier’s global route network and the fact that flights depart around the clock, the Emirates Business Class lounges in Dubai operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Entry Requirements
Access to the Emirates Business Class lounge is available to Emirates Business Class passengers with few exception. Passengers on Business Class Saver, Flex, and Flex Plus tickets can access free of charge while those on Business Class Special fares must pay a fee to enter. Economy Class and Premium Economy Class passengers can also purchase access.
Emirates Skywards elite members can also access the lounge free of charge (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) with Gold and Platinum members allowed to bring guests. Skywards Blue member can access the lounge for a fee. A full list of entry requirements can be found here.
We accessed the lounge via our Emirates Business Class Saver Level tickets after being rebooked onto Emirates after Air France cancelled our flight.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Layout
Emirates lounges in Dubai are somewhat unique in the fact that they span the entire length of the concourse. One level up from the concourse is the First Class Lounge while the Business Class lounge is located above that.
Given the size of the lounge, there are multiple food an beverage, seating, restroom, and other spaces scattered throughout. I didn’t have time to explore the entire lounge but, I did have the chance to see each individual space.
Our flight to Dallas was departing from Gate A13, so we spent most of our time on the right side of the lounge. Immediately upon entering you’ll find a small duty free shop to your right with seating around a central corridor running most of the length of the lounge.
Since this lounge can essentially be split into two, as the two sides mirror one another, you’ll find one fine dining area, one cigar bar, one set of showers, a children’s room, business center, and five refreshment stations per side. The lounge has a single spa area located near the reception area.
As you would expect given the size of this lounge, there is plenty of seating for guests to spread out. While I imagine this lounge gets much busier, we were there between 1-2a local time, there was no issue finding a quiet space to sit.
While the lounge was on the quiet side throughout our visit, there are dedicated quiet areas at the far ends of the lounge. Aside from the bubbling of the water feature, it was so quiet in this portion of the lounge that you could hear a pin drop.
One of the most unique things about the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai is the fact that every gate has direct boarding access from the lounge. This allows guests’ to spend more time in the lounge and board the plane directly just prior to departure.
Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Food and Beverage
The nounge has two different food and beverage options available to passengers. The first is the primary dining area, a buffet dubbed “Fine Dining”. This is where you’ll find the majority of the food along with wine and alcohol.
I wouldn’t consider anything about the food in the lounge to be over the top, but there is a decent selection of items that will be enough to keep anyone fed.
On the beverage front, you’ll find still and sparkling water available on the buffet along with a selection or red and white wines. Emirates also serves Moet & Chandon champagne in the lounge.
The airline also offers a good variety of mid-shelf spirits in the lounge with everything being self-service.
In addition to the main buffet areas, snack and beverage stations are scattered throughout the lounge. Here you’ll find coolers with sodas and beer, a coffeemaker, and water dispensers. Tea and some light bites can also be found here.
There also appears to be additional buffet space at some of the larger refreshment centers that can be utilized during peak times. These were not in service during our visit.
Atmosphere
While it took us a bit to get to the lounge, once inside we found it to be a relaxing space. Given how large it is and the fact that it is open to the concourse below, I was worried about noise but, during the early morning hours this space was relatively calm.
I’d imagine that Emirates consolidates the bulk of their operations in the larger Concourse B, which is directly connected to the main terminal and doesn’t require a tram ride, during off peak times. Though Concourse A is purpose built for the A380, of which Emirates is the largest operator.
While I wouldn’t call the lounge cutting edge, Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Lounge is still my favorite of the ME3 Business Class lounges, this is still a nice place to wait out your layover. The decor feels a bit dated and I would love to see the carrier modernize the lounge a little bit.
However, there is plenty of space to spread out in this lounge. The quiet areas are great if you’re looking to get some sleep and the kids area is available if you need to get some energy out of your little ones before a long flight.
While this visit was unexpected, I’m glad I had the chance to visit the Emirates Business Class lounge and I look forward to another opportunity to experience the full Emirates Business Class experience in Dubai in the future.
Summary
The Emirates Business Class Lounge in Terminal 3 Concourse A at Dubai International Airport (DXB) is a massive space with plenty of amenities for passengers during a long layover. While the lounge isn’t cutting edge and could probably use a refresh, it was well maintained and had a decent food and beverage selection available. I’ll gladly visit the lounge again on my next trip through Dubai.
