qantas lounge in dubai - is it any good??

[elephanttails]

Hi guys

Im a QC member, flying in july melb-lond return, first time for me via dubai. Spoke to qantas - apparently emirates have just completed the build of a new lounge which it will share with QC in a A380 specific terminal for emirates and qantas only.

Has anyone had any experience with the lounge yet? We are trying to decide if we have an extra hour in dubai (which will see us get into london at the more respectable hour of 0630) which will give us an extra hour to have a shower etc.. Does anyone know how easy it will be to get a shower/ how cramped the lounge will be (especially as both airlines are sharing)/ quality of food etc? Singapore was fine for getting a shower quickly, but the food was fairly average and the lounge a fair walk from the plane. Dubai is such an awful airport, Im relying on the lounge being amazing!

Thanks

 

[markis10]

Dubai an awfull airport, you must have very high standards! What lounge do you have access to, have not done the J lounge but the F lounge was probably the best lounge I have been to for a while. It was a very quiet lounge at 7AM.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/trip-reports-and-trip-photos/a-little-bit-moderation-dubai-48806-45.html#post797247

 

[simongr]

Business Class Lounges | Dubai Airport Lounges | Emirates

I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[simongr]

Dubai an awfull airport, you must have very high standards!

To be fair the other terminals are not great. I have twice entered the terminal when transitting when on BA and/or RJ (I can't remember). The terminal was devoid of any personality and the lounges were carp. The wine was warm and so was the beer. The wifi was was also carp.

I am very much looking forward to visiting later in the year (one in transit to the UK on QF and one for a few days) and experiencing the much improved experience.

 

[markis10]

To be fair the other terminals are not great. I have twice entered the terminal when transitting when on BA and/or RJ (I can't remember). The terminal was devoid of any personality and the lounges were carp. The wine was warm and so was the beer. The wifi was was also carp.

I am very much looking forward to visiting later in the year (one in transit to the UK on QF and one for a few days) and experiencing the much improved experience.

I have heard that, but in the context of the OP flying QF and using the new terminal, its certainly not the case.

 

[elephanttails]

I dislike the smoking areas, the lack of places to sit, the limited food options etc etc! Perhaps I've just spent one too many long stop overs sitting on the floor for lack of places to sit in years gone by! (was our reason for switching to qantas from emirates!)

Im not sure what an F or J lounge is - we have paid for qantas club membership, are silver members and will be flying to london qantas economy.... what letter lounge is that?

 

[markis10]

I dislike the smoking areas, the lack of places to sit, the limited food options etc etc! Perhaps I've just spent one too many long stop overs sitting on the floor for lack of places to sit in years gone by! (was our reason for switching to qantas from emirates!)

Im not sure what an F or J lounge is - we have paid for qantas club membership, are silver members and will be flying to london qantas economy.... what letter lounge is that?

You will be in the new terminal and in the J lounge, a refreshing change I think!

 

[elephanttails]

is j business?

is there a description of the lounge (official or otherwise) other than the rather limited description on the qantas website somewhere?

anyone any experience with food/ ease of access to showers etc?

does it have spa/ massage facilities etc? (I had heard rumblings that it might)

 

[simongr]

Im not sure what an F or J lounge is - we have paid for qantas club membership, are silver members and will be flying to london qantas economy.... what letter lounge is that?

On the site we abbreviate a lot of things. Business class generally books in a booking class of J hence people referring to biz lounges as J.

 

[markis10]

is j business?

is there a description of the lounge (official or otherwise) other than the rather limited description on the qantas website somewhere?

anyone any experience with food/ ease of access to showers etc?

does it have spa/ massage facilities etc? (I had heard rumblings that it might)

You board from the lounge

Boarding A380 directly from business lounge at new Dubai Concourse A - YouTube

This is a good tour of the new lounge

Brand New Emirates in HD: New Concourse A, New Business Class Lounge, New Emirates Smiles - YouTube

 

[elephanttails]

wow! thanks for showing me the link to that video - that was v helpful... I cant believe how different it is to singapore?!!??

 

[gpl007]

Wow +1

That lounge is huge! Can't wait to experience it myself in June :mrgreen:

 

[Berlin]

Just a few comments as I've been to the new Flounge there twice over the past two weeks:

• Generally, concourse A is amazing and I particularly liked to see those two little (no, huge rather!) spots of QF red in between the sea of green and red EK planes. Boarding directly from the lounges works via elevators that get you to the appropriate level. Obviously, this has been designed for EK configuration so if you're a First passenger on QF, you will have to mingle with the great unwashed for a few minutes until you get separated onto a special finger leading to the lower front door of the A380. On EK metal, you end up taking the designated upper level elevator and won't even notice that there's such a thing as "Economy" :shock:
• Concourse A itself has no check in or immigration/baggage collection facilities. For that, you have to take a train ride to the main part of Terminal 3. While the train ride is short and efficient, you again will need to mingle with the great unwashed for this bit.
• Regarding immigration, even though you receive a Fast Pass card on your flight if in J or F, I found on both occasions that the fast lane was not much faster than the normal ones and the queue time was still quite long.
• The Spa is after paying customers first and foremost and therefore only offers very short treatments for free. Unfortunately, they told me this is only valid if you're flying on EK metal and not if you're flying on QF metal. I am not sure if that was an error or if it that's the official rule but either way, I missed out.
• If you're expecting the excellent food from the QF Flounges, you ill be disappointed. I only had breakfast both times which was nice but not extraordinary (see pictures).

• Looking at the lunch/dinner menu it also seems very non-inventive compared to the Neil Perry standards at the QF Flounge (see photos I've taken from the menu). Champagne available is only standard non-vintage Moet.

• Service wise, the lounge very much operates like what you will see on EK planes: The staff is so diverse and mixed that you can end up with someone really helpful and friendly but likewise, you might end up with staff that is either friendly but useless or even straight down slack and lazy. Again, certainly not up to scratch for a proper first class experience in my eyes.

 

[simongr]

Thanks Berlin - very insightful if somewhat disappointing. I guess it is the quality of the SYD lounge that makes other F lounges pale...

 

[Berlin]

Thanks Berlin - very insightful if somewhat disappointing. I guess it is the quality of the SYD lounge that makes other F lounges pale...

Yea, that's definitely it. We sometimes forget how good Qantas is when it comes to things like the First lounge or, in my eyes at least, the quality of service most of their staff provide. Saying that- the actual Terminal building is really stunning and impressive. A bit like with the EK flights- amazing hard product but the soft product lacks a bit.

 

[markis10]

Berlin, looks like you missed the fine dining part of the lounge, those menus are for the general area, probably not a fair comparison to the F lounge.

 

[Berlin]

Berlin, looks like you missed the fine dining part of the lounge, those menus are for the general area, probably not a fair comparison to the F lounge.

You're serious? On both occasions, I asked staff where the restaurant area as and they always showed me to the dining area where I got these menus. Maybe it has to do with the timing of being early morning both times?

 

[markis10]

You're serious? On both occasions, I asked staff where the restaurant area as and they always showed me to the dining area where I got these menus. Maybe it has to do with the timing of being early morning both times?

There are 4 restaurants that I am aware off, two on one side, one on the other and one at the end in the middle.

 

[Berlin]

There are 4 restaurants that I am aware off, two on one side, one on the other and one at the end in the middle.

I've been to the one at the end in the middle and to one of the ones on the side, pretty sure that it was restaurants (white table cloths and restaurant seating with a bar/service area at the side). That's where I was handed the menus pictured- could it be that they only bring out their fine dining menu after breakfast hours? Strange.

 

[serfty]

I believe markis10 was on QF2 ... departing 9:20am ..