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Hi guys, just wondering has anyone had any lounge experience recently flying BA Club out of DXB T1, Concourse D? I’m trying to plan ahead of my 1am departure early next week, but found an article by Rob almost a year ago which said that only First or BA Gold were being admitted into the BA Lounge, and that the rest of us were sent to the Marhaba Lounge next door.
I’ve just accessed my booking on the BA app and it tells me I will indeed have access to the BA Lounge, but that I “may be invited” to Marhaba!
I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of visiting Marhaba a few years ago via Priority Pass, and to be kind it was a pretty dreadful experience, awful food, totally rammed, just grim.
Were that to be the case this time again I think would arrange to stay at the JW Marquis as late as possible then simply taxi to airport, check in and go straight to my departure gate.
I’d be grateful if anyone had any recent updates.Oh just to add, we’re home on a 787, so we’re not looking at a couple of hundred business passengers like the A380!
We recently travelled BA club back from DXB (2 months ago) im a gold member
The lounge was chaos to many pax for the lounge , there wasn’t enough space . As a gold member we were not allowed in the first section bit (not sure if that’s correct or not) , everyone with status was using this lounge that why it was too busy . I wouldn’t recommend at all
* This is the BA lounge I’m referring to .. which is for first and gold , defo silver members in there travelling Y it was a nightmare. We will be going there again at Xmas hopefully things might of improved
If you still have your PP card, you could always try one of the other lounges? I used the Ahlan business lounge earlier in the year (around midnight) and found it very pleasant. Great bar staff and even a fridge full of beer with a terse warning pasted on the outside advising “contains alcohol…”
I did notice a long line for the Marhaba lounge which is where TK had tried to send me.
Thanks for the replies folks, sadly confirms my initial fears.
It’s bad enough struggling to find a seat and edible food, but the prospect of doing it for a few hours around midnight when you’re knackered and just want to go home and have a kip.
And yes Tony, the queue was out the door the last time I went to that Marhaba lounge too, took me 20 minutes to get in, then once around the corner I was sorry I even bothered. Definitely one of the most wasteful uses of a priority pass ever (other than Minsk- which is out on a level all on its own!).Bottom line, when they’re charging over £3k for a flight you’d like to think you could get a seat at the airport.
I may have a look at the Ahlan.
Thanks again folks
The lounge was chaos to many pax for the lounge , there wasn’t enough space . As a gold member we were not allowed in the first section bit (not sure if that’s correct or not) , everyone with status was using this lounge that why it was too busy . I wouldn’t recommend at all
There is a little sub-room for ticketed first class passengers. Recently access was also expanded to GGL as well. It isn’t open to Gold, there’s only about 10 seats in it!
Does anyone know if Marhaba Lounge in Terminal 3 can be entered on an ARRIVING flight. As it says online it is before immigration. I am not sure if disembarking the plane it spits you out onto the normal area where I could enter it.
There are a bunch of different Marhaba lounges in DXB. The one that BA overflow into you can’t access as an arriving passenger, as it’s the other side of connections security. However, it looks from https://marhabaservices.com/corporate/DXB/lounge.aspx like they also have an arrivals one after immigration in the baggage area, but your BA boarding pass won’t get you into that for free!
I had this issue last year, refused to go into the Marhaba as a result of comments on HFP, and do was allowed into the BA lounge, which was also a zoo. Whilst in there I used my dragon pass book into the Anla first. It was well worth the minimal cost. Off to DXB again in 3 weeks and will head straight for the Anla first lounge again.
I had this issue last year, refused to go into the Marhaba as a result of comments on HFP, and do was allowed into the BA lounge, which was also a zoo. Whilst in there I used my dragon pass book into the Anla first. It was well worth the minimal cost. Off to DXB again in 3 weeks and will head straight for the Anla first lounge again.
Do you mean the Ahlan first lounge? I think you do. I agree with that strategy; the Ahlan first lounge is one of the best uses of a Dragonpass free entry if you get that via Barclays.
Yes Ahlan first, sorry. And yes get the pass via Barclaycard
Ok, I started so I’ll finish!
Just back from Dubai and thought I’d update you on the BA lounge access at DXB.
I took on board all of the comments above, thank you, then, mindful that I’d be flying home on a 787 and not the A380 = less club seats, decided to make my way to DXB early in the hope of gaining access to the BA Lounge.
Flight was scheduled for 01.05, and when I arrived at DXB around 21.30 the check in was still closed. However when I saw another passenger elect to stand at the club line access rope I decided to join him, so was 2nd in line when the check in opened at 22.00, so around 3hrs before departure.
On checking in, without asking, I was told I had access to and given directions to the BA Lounge (simply flying club, I’m a lowly BA Blue). Go through to the Duty Free area and one floor above.
Probably took about 25 minutes to pass through all the security and immigration, but once through I went straight to the BA Lounge – hello sir, welcome, and shown right in (no mention of the dreaded Marhaba!).
There was only one other person in the lounge!
The lounge is indeed quite compact, but very clean, quiet, and comfortable, with decent hot/cold food and drinks selections. As mentioned above there is also a First/Gold (I presume) side lounge, I didn’t get to see in, but those with access were escorted through a fairly anonymous looking door by the staff. Not so private, I could hear their conversations through a very thin partition wall.
Anyway, now that we had gained access and claimed our seats I was free to go explore the shops and duty free area at my leisure.
The lounge never filled, it got busier yes, but never to the levels some say they had experienced in previous comments. That said, I don’t know if the door staff turned some away, but there was always available seating right up to the staff announcing that the gate had opened and we should proceed to boarding (gate only about 5 minutes walk).
So there you go, maybe I was just lucky, but much ado about nothing in the end.
Oh, and the 787 club experience was like night and day compared to the A380!
Thanks again to all for the advice.Thanks for the update @bungalow. I’m doing the short DXB-DOH next month (in QR economy but as BA Silver) so presumably will be able to access the same lounge? Our flight isn’t till 11 pm so hoping for maximum lounge time will be very useful after checking out of our hotel.
Thanks for the update @bungalow. I’m doing the short DXB-DOH next month (in QR economy but as BA Silver) so presumably will be able to access the same lounge? Our flight isn’t till 11 pm so hoping for maximum lounge time will be very useful after checking out of our hotel.
Would be interested to know what lounge you have access too as the BA Lounge in DXB (oneworld site) only lists British Airways customers and not the usual “Access for eligible customers traveling on any oneworld member airline.” So I’m not sure they would let you in travelling QR? Looks Like QR use Marhaba for Bus (&status) and Ahlan for First pass?
Thanks for the update @bungalow. I’m doing the short DXB-DOH next month (in QR economy but as BA Silver) so presumably will be able to access the same lounge? Our flight isn’t till 11 pm so hoping for maximum lounge time will be very useful after checking out of our hotel.
I think you’ll need to check what times it’ll be open on your night of departure NL, I think it only opens to accommodate BA flights, ie my flight was at 01.05, so the lounge looked like it had only just opened when I arrived at it around 22.30. That being the case you would have missed it if your flight departed 11pm that night.
I think it varies, have a look at which BA UK flights and at what time they are departing DXB on your departure night.Thanks for the update @bungalow. I’m doing the short DXB-DOH next month (in QR economy but as BA Silver) so presumably will be able to access the same lounge? Our flight isn’t till 11 pm so hoping for maximum lounge time will be very useful after checking out of our hotel.
I thought you had the Barclays Avios with the Dragonpass free passes? If so, use on the Ahlan first lounge. I had a burger and chicken skewers from the a la carte menu (thumbs up)
Have Barclays free card now, don’t think that includes DragonPass? I’ll do some more research anyway, as BA Silver on a OW flight there must be a lounge we can access – is this Marhaba the one everyone says is terrible?!
Have Barclays free card now, don’t think that includes DragonPass? I’ll do some more research anyway, as BA Silver on a OW flight there must be a lounge we can access – is this Marhaba the one everyone says is terrible?!
Still worth trying the BA lounge first if it’s open, they may let you in if quiet, if not then whatever lounge the QR agent says at check in. If it is Marhaba and it’s as poor as everyone says, can always leave and try and pay for Ahlan.
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