Having attended the Altitude 22 conference hosted by Amadeus in Dubai, it was time to fly back to Frankfurt. I was booked to fly with Emirates in business class but was able to review the first class lounge in Concourse C of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport as a guest of Emirates.

Getting to Dubai International Airport

Emirates offers a complimentary chauffeur service for all passengers flying in business class and first class, except for those booked on a business class special fare. First class passengers can even take advantage of a complimentary home check-in service.

I could book my Dubai chauffeur pick-up quite easily on the Emirates website. Once I reached the booking form, I was asked to select my hotel and how far in advance of my flight I wished to be picked up. The maximum was five hours before the flight, with options in 15-minute intervals. To maximize my time in the lounge, I opted for a pick-up four hours and 15 minutes before the flight was due to depart, or 23:30.

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Emirates sent two texts about the chauffer service. One confirmed the booking, and another confirmed the driver had arrived. Photo: Simple Flying

I received various notifications on the day of travel regarding the transfer service, and at 23:15, I received a message that my chauffeur, Muhammad, had arrived in the hotel lobby (it also reminded me that I must wear a seatbelt throughout my journey). At 23:30 on the dot, my hotel room phone began to ring, with the reception informing me that my ride had arrived.

After I checked out, the hotel staff directed me to the waiting back BMW. The hotel employees loaded my suitcase into the boot, and I got into the back seat. Muhammad asked me to confirm my name and flight number, and then we were off.

Black Car
A black BMW arrived to transport me to the airport. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

It was a short 10-minute drive from my hotel to Dubai International, and the time flew past. Before long, we were approaching Terminal 3, the Emirates terminal.

Departing Dubai as a premium passenger

I had been expecting that Muhammad would just drop me outside the main terminal like any other passenger, but as we approached the airport, I noticed a lane on the right labeled “business & first class only.” We moved across into the lane, then took a sharp right turn, arriving in a small courtyard before the main departure level at T3.

Here we entered a separate wing, away from all the hustle and bustle of the main terminal, with plenty of check-in desks for all business and first class passengers. I could have used the self-check-in machines, but as there was no wait, I walked up to a staffed counter to engage in a little bit of human interaction.

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Emirates has a completely separate wing for checking in its premium passengers. Photo: Emirates

Before I knew it, the check-in agent sent my bag down the conveyor belt into the belly of Terminal 3, and I was walking away with my boarding pass. I proceeded down the long hall past more first and business check-in desks and found a small passport control facility at the end, with two staffed desks and a bank of e-gates. There was no queue for either of these, though, on this occasion, airport staff directed me to use the e-gate.

After this, there was a small security facility. Only a single lane was open, which would usually strike fear into anybody’s heart at a major international airport, but again, there was no queue. It took me no more than ten minutes to get from the terminal door to the main departure lounge.

Finding the lounge

As my flight was due to depart from the C concourse, I was invited into the relevant first class lounge next to gate C19 as a guest of Emirates. This turned out to be a very long walk from where we were dumped into the terminal, as we had to walk through most of Concourse B and a good portion of Concourse C. After around 10-15 minutes of walking, I found the lounge.

Getting in

Unlike the relatively new lounge that takes up an entire floor in Concourse B, the first class lounge in Concourse C doesn’t have biometric entry gates. Instead, I handed my boarding pass to the gate agent the old-fashioned way. She confirmed that I was eligible to enter the facility and wrote my gate on the boarding pass, as this had not been available when I checked in.

Entrance Area
A brightly colored fountain welcomes guests to the lounge. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

The agent informed me that announcements were not made in the lounge and pointed out when I would need to leave to reach my allocated gate, Gate C7. However, I did hear a single announcement for a passenger traveling to Rome to contact staff at the welcome desk during my stay.

Initial impressions

My initial impressions of the lounge were mostly positive, though I did note that it seemed a little bit dated. Concourse C felt like it was an older facility with dated jet bridges, and the lounge also had this feel. Compared to the main first class lounge, it was relatively small, similar in size to the Aer Lingus lounge in Dublin or the Royal Air Maroc lounge in Casablanca.

Main Lounge Area
The main lounge area doesn't seem particularly big on first impressions. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

At the entrance to the lounge was a water fountain illuminated with bright colors, a mobile phone charging station, and a shoe shine station, though the latter was unstaffed throughout my entire visit.

Turning left into the lounge, you pass a small lounge seating area with maybe 20 seats before passing a corridor and staircase on the left. Toilets and showers are located down the hall, while a smoking lounge and quiet rest area are located upstairs - To honor the privacy of those sleeping in the quiet rest area and not disturb them, I didn’t take any photos of this room and only poked my head briefly through the open door. Continuing forward, you reach the fine dining area, laid out like a restaurant.

Fine Dining Area
The fine dining area features tables laid out like a restaurant. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

Time for dinner

After having a look around the lounge, I proceeded straight to the fine dining area and took a seat at a table for two overlooking the apron and both runways. Unfortunately, the gate right in front of the lounge was closed for maintenance, but on either side of the lounge were a pair of Airbus A380s.

Apron View
While the gate in front of the lounge was closed, there was still a great view of traffic taxiing past Terminal 3. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

As soon as I sat down at the table, a waiter came over and gave me instructions on accessing the menu via QR code, a change that Emirates brought in due to COVID-19. He offered me still or sparkling water and asked if I would like another drink, such as wine or champagne. I ordered a still water and a glass of champagne while I browsed the menu.

Table Set Up
While plates were left out for those using the buffet, they were cleared for those ordering from the menu. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

My drinks were delivered shortly afterward, along with a selection of bread and butter. At this point, I placed my food order. I skipped the appetizer menu, diving straight into the main course.

Bread--Butter-1
Bread and butter quickly appeared. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

While I was torn between several options on the menu, I ultimately opted for the Wagyu Beef Topside Steak. This was served with a choice of fries or mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables or spinach in a cream sauce, and peppercorn and mushroom sauce. I chose the fries, spinach, and mushroom sauce, with the steak cooked medium.

Dinner
The full Wagyu beef meal. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

Chefs cooked my food to order, and it wasn’t long before it arrived on my table. All in all, it was delicious and just what I needed ahead of a seven-hour night flight. Here’s how each component tasted,

  • The wagyu beef was perfectly cooked, not too well done but not too raw. It was tasty and not stringy or chewy, making it nice and easy to eat.
  • The spinach was fresh and tasty, with the creamy sauce pairing well. This was noticeable, as the spinach I was served on the flight after my lounge experience didn’t taste fresh.
  • The fries were also cooked excellently. They just had a tiny bit of crispiness to the outside while remaining fluffy and soft inside.
  • The only disappointment was the mushroom sauce, which didn’t really add to the steak. However, it tasted excellent when paired with the fries.
Steak Medium
The steak was cooked perfectly. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

My main criticism of the meal was how much sauce I was given. In addition to the mushroom sauce, I was given two large pots of sauce, one with ketchup and one with mayonnaise. This was far more than what was needed for the meal, so I left both reasonably full and imagine the leftover sauce went straight into the bin.

Sauces
My main criticism of the meal was that it came with far too much sauce. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

The waiter collected individual plates as and when they were finished, as opposed to all at once at the end of the meal. My glass of champagne was also refilled when it was nearly empty. Before I finished my main course, the waiter attempted to take my dessert order so that it would be delivered as I finished my main course. I asked to wait until I had finished the course to order dessert and explained that I didn’t mind waiting for it.

Vanilla Ice Cream
The vanilla ice cream scoops seemed a tad on the small side. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

I opted for vanilla ice cream for dessert and was offered one or two scoops. Luckily I said two as they were pretty small scoops, and I think three would’ve made for a better portion size. The vanilla ice cream was tasty, though as a reasonably common flavor, there’s not too much to be said about it.

Cocktails
The selection of cocktails. Photo: Emirates

I opted to wash the meal down with a cocktail and ordered the one called “An Unforeseen Voyage.” This was made with Dark Rum (aged 8 years), Apricot Brandy, Lime Juice, Apple Juice, Pineapple Juice, and Angostura Bitters. While the rest of the service seemed incredibly speedy, I wondered whether the cocktail had been forgotten at one point, though it did eventually arrive. The cocktail was tasty, though I wouldn’t rush to order one again.

An Unexpected Voyage
An Unexpected Voyage was tasty but took too long to prepare. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

There was also a sizeable self-serve buffet adjacent to the dining area for those with less time to spend at the lounge or seeking a different eating experience.

Toilet & shower experience

The toilets seemed built to a reasonably high standard. Three or four cubicles were built into the facility as little rooms with marble walls and full-length wooden doors. At the end of the room were three urinals, though two were labeled as out of service to allow for social distancing.

There were four sinks in a row, each provided with lime and mandarin soap and hand moisturizer. Additionally, there were shaving and dental kits and combs. The tap on the sink I used looked a little past its best and had a wobbly handle.

Shower Kits
A selection of amenity kits were on offer in the bathrooms. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

I found no hand dryers or paper towels inside the restroom. Instead, a pyramid of small cloth towels was provided, though they didn’t seem to have the best drying capabilities. In all honesty, the hand dryers and paper towels would've been preferable.

After dinner, I opted to test out the lounge’s shower facilities. I spoke to the attendant and said that I would like to take a shower. He advised me to use the accessible shower as it “has much more room” and spent a good deal of time showing me how to lock the door - you must hit a light switch to disable the large pads that slide the automatic door open.

Door Switch
The door lock was disguised as a light switch. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

Passengers using the showers are given a large body towel and a bath mat and also have access to the aforementioned shaving and dental kits. There was also a large sink, though this was pretty low given the facility was designed to be accessible.

Towel Package
A large, soft towel was provided. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

The shower itself was nice, but nothing to write home about. The water pressure was decent but not outstanding, though I liked that the shower quickly got warm. There was no barrier between the shower and the rest of the room, other than a line of raised floor, so I kept the shower head against the wall to avoid making too much of a mess.

Shower
The shower got hot quickly. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

After a quick rinse with some more mandarin and lime soap, I felt nice and fresh, which was excellent before the seven-hour night flight to Frankfurt. Ultimately, I would’ve survived without a shower, but it was a nice extra, and I can see the appeal for passengers changing between two long-haul flights. I was the only person to use the showers during roughly three hours in the lounge.

Changing Area
There was ample space to change in the accessible shower. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

How busy was it?

When I entered the lounge, it wasn’t at all busy, with single digits of guests. Around an hour into my visit, it had grown quite busy, with maybe 50-60% of the downstairs seats occupied, but by the time I left, the occupancy had again fallen to single digits. I was under the impression that many of the guests were taking a London-bound flight, with many perhaps accessing the lounge with status.

With around 15 minutes to go until boarding was due to close, I left the lounge and asked the desk attendants for directions to my gate. They said to turn right and keep going and confirmed my name as I was leaving the lounge, presumably, so they knew not to look for me there if I went missing.

When I reached the gate, first and business had already boarded, and there was a long queue of economy passengers waiting to have their documents checked. There was a separate queue for first, business, and premium economy passengers (though the airline offered no premium economy cabin on this flight).

As a business class passenger, I entered the premium queue, which was empty, and was immediately called up to the front to show my passport to inspectors before reaching the gate check.

Boarding was completed via two jet bridges attached to doors one and two. First and business passengers were directed to board via door one, while the economy passengers were boarding via door too. Bizarrely, door two was located halfway through the business class cabin, meaning that I had to rejoin the flow of economy passengers halfway to my seat.

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All in all, my experience of the premium traveler facilities at Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport was enjoyable. I can’t wait to try the main first class lounge in Concourse B. I would recommend that anybody traveling through Dubai and eligible for these facilities leave a little bit more time to enjoy it fully.

Have you visited the Emirates first class lounge? How did you find it? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!

Simple Flying traveled as a guest of Amadeus, and visited the first class lounge at the invitation of Emirates.