Emirates Business Class Concourse A Dubai Lounge
Emirates largest Business Class lounge in Terminal 3 is at the vast new Concourse 1 (A gates). It holds the record for the largest Business Class lounge anywhere on the planet, and it really is big. Really big. It takes a good 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other, as it occupies the whole of the top floor of the building.Dubai Emirates Business Class Concourse A lounge review
Emirates largest Business Class lounge in Terminal 3 Concourse A (A gates) is vast, and can be accessed through the four lifts on the side as well as the lifts at the new terminal straight into the reception area.
You can tell it's big as soon as you get to the Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Concourse A reception area. There are six big desks in a row, to process all the elite travellers who come through. Boarding for each gate is direct from the lounge, so you don't have to go back downstairs.
Compared to the lounge in the B concourse, the Emirates Dubai A Concourse lounge has lost out on privacy, personal space and quiet areas but made up for it in terms of the bathrooms and showers. There are plenty of them, and the queues in the B lounge are now more.
The Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Concourse A seating is pretty standard, with large beige armchairs. The only problem is that the armchairs are in groups of four around tables, often with just a single traveller at each.
There are now two very large sections devoted to reclining loungers at both ends of Concourse A, with sufficient recliners and privacy space for you to catch a quick power nap, so long as you can cope with the harsh white terminal lights.
There is a vast colourful play area for kids, which is in effect just a PS3 electronic games room.
Don't miss the amazing, if decidedly wacky, cigar room, complete with wood panelling like an old Gentelmen's club.
It is well worth while taking time to have a look around, as the Emirates Business Class Lounge is so vast. It is located on a mezzanine level, just below the airport hotel, but still with great views of the soaring roof. From everywhere there are great views onto the airport apron.
Food
There is a full sit down restaurant with a menu if you are hungry for something like steak, or you can eat at the buffet.There's now a dedicated Asian food section for food, as well as middle eastern and western. It includes Labneh, Biryani and Fattoush meals.
All the different eating areas seem to offer something different, but again there are the standard salads with cold cuts of ham and cheese.
Don't miss the Haagen-Dazs ice cream fridge.
Bar
There are plenty of bars in the Emirates largest Business Class lounge in Terminal 3 Concourse A.You could go for a bar crawl on your own if you really wanted to, but the sad thing is that all the bars are pretty much all alike.
Bathrooms
In lounge.Good showers.
Business Facilities
There is a brand new business centre with even wider screens and windows 8 as well as designated, semi private meeting rooms, and a partly covered space outside for an even more discrete conversation.Wifi is free and fast.
Access
The Emirates Lounges at Dubai are now available for economy passengers, who can just buy their way in on the door for US$100 when travelling with Emirates, or on an Emirates codeshare flight operated by Qantas.Of course there is free access to Emirates first class and business class passengers. Qantas first class and business class guests are also welcome.
Emirates Skywards Gold, Platinum and iO cardholders flying with Emirates or Qantas get access, as do Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Chairmans Lounge members travelling with Emirates or Qantas.
If you land in concourse B or C to get to concourse A you have to get to the underground shuttles in concourse B. Take the lifts down to the immigration counters (opposite the lounge and the currency exchange counters in the old Terminal 3 and you will hit signs to the shuttle. Take the shuttle to the new concourse and then follow the signs to the lounge on the top floor.
Video: Emirates Business Lounge A
