Lounge access at Dubai Terminal 3

[Professor Calculus]

Hi

Can anyone help we are due to go to Dubai soon and will fly Emirates and will fly from terminal 3 (Dubai ) back to London . In terms of lounge access in Dubai (terminal 3) on the Amex app there seems to be at least 6 or 7 options that I can choose from depending on the concourse has any one had any experience on which lounge is the best to go for ?

Quite confused at the moment !

[FH2]

We used the Plaza Premium lounge in T3 with our Amex Platinum. I thought it was nice enough and they had a la carte menu with table service. It was very quiet when we went (Oct half term).

[The real Swiss Tony]

Jumping in here with a similar request. Am flying out of DXB on Turkish. The Star Alliance website says they use the DCA lounge. I guess the LH lounge would also be an option, but am I better off using one of the PP lounges – Ahlan or Marhaba – in concourse D instead?

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Hi, DXB T1 (full service airlines other than Emirates and Qantas) and T3 (Emirates and Qantas) are quite different propositions. T1 doesn’t even have a priority security channel and is very much the poor relation. T3 is newer, glossier, more to do. T2 for interest is low cost carriers.

As for lounges, T3 – Plaza Premium probably your best bet as generally less known. Marhaba promote the hell out of themselves and thus their lounges are generally zoos for those connecting in DXB T3 on Emirates in economy. Sleeping on sofas, socks and shoes off, that kind of vibe. Their lounges are to be avoided in my view. The terminal might even be preferable though that is depressing in itself.

T1 for flying Turkish – would you be entering the LH lounge by dint of holding Star Alliance Gold? If so head to the LH Senator (not business) lounge – shared entrance but separate lounges. If you instead hold a TK biz class ticket bit do not have Star Alliance Gold, then your only option would be TK’s contracted lounge. In this case the DCA Lounge. Ahlan Business Lounge isn’t as bad as Marhaba.

But the best lounge in T1 (airline or non-airline) is Ahlan First Class lounge. QR send OW Emeralds and regional first class passengers there. And oddly it participates in Dragon Pass. If you have Dragonpass via Barclays Avios then this is the lounge to use your free passes at.

[The real Swiss Tony]

Just an update here. The DCA lounge doesn’t appear to exist and apparently TK use the Mahraba one now so I used the Alhan business class lounge which was great. The label on the beer shelf telling me it contained alcohol made me smile, but…

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

The real Swiss Tony wrote:

Just an update here. The DCA lounge doesn’t appear to exist and apparently TK use the Mahraba one now so I used the Alhan business class lounge which was great. The label on the beer shelf telling me it contained alcohol made me smile, but…

I think Ahlan Business is what was the DCA lounge

[tbtb31]

Will also be passing through DXB T3. Are the Sleep’n’Fly pods worth it, and if so, which ones are best (there are multiple at DXB, both in T3 and other terminals)?

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

tbtb31 wrote:

Will also be passing through DXB T3. Are the Sleep’n’Fly pods worth it, and if so, which ones are best (there are multiple at DXB, both in T3 and other terminals)?

The terminals aren’t connected so you’ll be limited to T3 options.

[tbtb31]

revisiting – are the T3 sleep’n’fly lounges worth it?

[Deek]

tbtb31 wrote:

revisiting – are the T3 sleep’n’fly lounges worth it?

I used a Flexisuite pod at C gates in March for 7 hours. Quiet, dark, clean, friendly staff – I thought I was onto a winner. But the bed was the hardest I’ve ever had and I didn’t sleep a wink. Never again, but that’s just my personal mattress preference. It’ll work very well for someone else.