Emirates Business Class Concourse B Dubai Lounge
Emirates most famous, and indeed newest Business Class lounge is in Terminal 3, Concourse 2 (B gates), which offers seven new dining and drinking experience areas. It not only has a well known Champagne bar, but it also has all coffee and most food direct from the UK coffee brand Costa Coffee.Dubai Emirates Business Class Concourse B lounge review
The vast new Dubai Emirates Business Class lounge at Terminal 3, Concourse 2, B gates, cost 8 million pounds to renovate, and occupies most of the top floor of the terminal. If you only have time to visit one lounge after the hassle of going through immigration on a transfer flight into Dubai, try the Emirates Business Class Lounge Concourse B.
To get to the Emirates Dubai lounge, head to the main entrance, in the middle of concourse B by gates B16-B18. A long thin lounge, there are also two smaller entrances at each end, but the lounge itself has direct access to the boarding gates so you can board directly from the lounge. This virtually unique option means you can eat and drink, right up until you get into the lift to decend to your gate.
The Emirates Dubai B lounge is so large, it will take you ten minutes to walk end to end, and it has numerous stopping off places. There are three dining areas, and what the airline calls 'gourmet cuisine' prepared by on-site chefs and a complimentary full bar service which includes sparkling wine, and of course coffee. Lots of coffee.
For several years, it was the largest business class lounge in the world, until Emirates dedicated an entire floor to the business class lounge in the new Concourse A, and with that complete it has now extended the new Emirates Dubai Lounge in concourse B by 40 per cent to almost 3,000 square yards with seating for over 1,500 passengers. There is a separate dining, lounging, and seating area, along with a cocktail and champagne bar.
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.
Before heading straight to the bar with the bubbles, take a while to walk around and look at the different areas, as there are a succession of seating and dining areas with marginally different vibes. The most private area has high backed chairs by the edge of the mezzanine area, which has a great view of the concourse below.
In the middle of the Dubai Emirates Lounge B Concourse there is a library zone, with many newspapers and magazines. Further along is a water feature.
There are four different cafes, all run by Costa Coffee, along with a vertical dining area (it's like a dining room, but you have to stand up) three bars, and traditional seating areas with loungers and comfortable leather seats.
Every seat comes with a power socket, UK style.
The décor varies with each area. There's an Arabian section with dark red tones and carpets. The Italian section has many indoor plants.
Don't miss the kids' zone - you can't miss it. It's right by the bright blue seats. Mind you, the fully enclosed family room is basically a video game room, and no more.
Bar
There are plenty of bars in the Emirates largest Business Class lounge in Terminal 3 Concourse B. 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, with the exception of the Champagne Bar.
Most passengers are likely to make their way in the Dubai Emirates Lounge B to the gold leaf covered Moët Hennessy bar. Featuring over 2,400 gold leaves applied by hand, the self-service bar features four prestigious bottles: Moët Impérial, Moët Rosé Impérial, Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage and Moët Nectar Impérial.
Chefs from Emirates flight catering are collaborating with Moët & Chandon, to create a unique selection of canapés to go with your sparking wine. The sweet and savoury canapés menu will be changed monthly and includes everything from smoked salmon wrapped in nori with wasabi mayonnaise to complement the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2006 to passion fruit and jasmine tea macaroons to be paired with Moët Nectar Impérial.
Food
The food in the Dubai Emirates Business Class lounge at Terminal 3, Concourse 2, B gates is great, if rather of a British Café Culture.There is what the airline calls 'gourmet cuisine' prepared by on-site chefs and lots of coffee.
In the new lounge Costa is bringing that most English of experiences, a Barista making lattes and iced coffees, along with the firm's signature pastries, cheese cake, sandwiches, wraps and sausage rolls.
In the main dining area popcorn, hot dogs and Haagen Dazs ice cream are equally available.
Paying homage to the number of Australia customers transferring on Qantas flights, the coffee waiters will also make flat whites (a type of coffee very popular in Sydney, and not a glass of white wine).
The new Emirates Lounge Dubai also has what is called a 'Health Hub', with a stall providing Voss water and a healthy menu of salads, juices and smoothies.
Business Facilities
There is a brand new business centre with fast PCs, even wider screens and windows 8 as well as designated, semi private meeting rooms at the corner of the business centre, and a partly covered space outside for an even more discrete conversation.There is Wifi, but in mid-mornings it slows to a crawl. Overnight it is fantastically fast.
The magazine rack is very good, with most of the UK and Australian daily newspapers.
Bathrooms
During peak hours, the business lounge in Concourse B is woefully under capacity in terms of toilet capacity, and there are always vast queues for the gents, and indeed ladies. Another weird result of the overcrowding is that a lot of passengers walk around inside the bathrooms (not just the shower area) in just towels, and put their feet into the sink. It's a decidedly primitive experience.
The showers in the Concourse B lounge are pretty poor compared to the shower suites in the Concourse A lounge. They are small cabins, with towels and Timeless Spa amenities, but they are very tiny, and the ventilation is poor. There is also a vast queue if you want a shower.
There is also a Timeless Spa located on site, one floor below the lounge. You may choose between a variety of 15 minute complimentary services including massages and haircuts. Just be sure to sign up early as spots may fill up 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 A to get to Concourse B you have to get to the underground shuttles. 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 B then follow the signs to the lounge on the top floor.
Note that Emirates fly no less the giant Airbus A380 no less than nine times a day to London (with two flights to London Gatwick) along with codesharing on two Qantas flights to London, and at these times the lounge gets very busy indeed, particularly around 8am.
Video: Emirates Business Lounge B
