New Concourse A Business Lounge Opens Today & Other changes
Jan 8, 2013, 7:08 pm
#1
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New Concourse A Business Lounge Opens Today & Other changes
I have just been told by a lounge agent at the EK F lounge in Concourse A that the new J lounge opens 10am today DXB time. Therefore, now is the last time Skywards Gold and J passengers can access the new F lounge, even if you are not departing from Concourse A.
For reference, I am a Y passengers departing from Concourse C, but I have a long transfer time and asked nicely. The lounge agent let me in to the new F lounge without a problem.
There have also been numerous other improvements in the arrivals procedures (new buses for F and J passengers arriving at remote stands, new F & J security screening area, etc). I will post a picture report of Concourse A and the new F lounge once I get back home.
For reference, I am a Y passengers departing from Concourse C, but I have a long transfer time and asked nicely. The lounge agent let me in to the new F lounge without a problem.
There have also been numerous other improvements in the arrivals procedures (new buses for F and J passengers arriving at remote stands, new F & J security screening area, etc). I will post a picture report of Concourse A and the new F lounge once I get back home.
Jan 9, 2013, 3:15 am
#4
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Jan 9, 2013, 6:22 am
#5
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However, this creates the bonkers situation where Y passengers are told to board and J passengers are told to wait when planes are parked at a remote stand. When boarding, they attempt to gather enough J passengers to fill a new J bus and prohibited the J passengers from using the normal buses even if they just wanted to get to the remote stand.
A very odd situation!
Jan 9, 2013, 6:36 am
#6
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There are also new J buses - not just F.
However, this creates the bonkers situation where Y passengers are told to board and J passengers are told to wait when planes are parked at a remote stand. When boarding, they attempt to gather enough J passengers to fill a new J bus and prohibited the J passengers from using the normal buses even if they just wanted to get to the remote stand.
A very odd situation!
However, this creates the bonkers situation where Y passengers are told to board and J passengers are told to wait when planes are parked at a remote stand. When boarding, they attempt to gather enough J passengers to fill a new J bus and prohibited the J passengers from using the normal buses even if they just wanted to get to the remote stand.
A very odd situation!
This completely avoids standing in the queue on the ramps leading to the buses.
Jan 9, 2013, 6:43 am
#7
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They should let J passengers board as they wish. If they want to wait for the J bus - fine. If they want to queue on the ramps - sure. The problem is asking the J passengers to wait while several buses of Y passengers head to the plane. Plenty of J and F passengers were absolutely livid! No other rational airline will make a boarding call for Y and force J and F passengers to wait and remain seated!!
Jan 9, 2013, 6:45 am
#8
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They should let J passengers board as they wish. If they want to wait for the J bus - fine. If they want to queue on the ramps - sure. The problem is asking the J passengers to wait while several buses of Y passengers head to the plane. Plenty of J and F passengers were absolutely livid! No other rational airline will make a boarding call for Y and force J and F passengers to wait and remain seated!!
I think it does make sense in the end- nothing is more absurd than "priority boarding" which then means "first on the hot bus to wait for the other 70 passengers to also board the bus".
Jan 9, 2013, 6:48 am
#9
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You can board if you want to. It just means you will end up waiting on the ramp or in the crowded Y bus.
I think it does make sense in the end- nothing is more absurd than "priority boarding" which then means "first on the hot bus to wait for the other 70 passengers to also board the bus".
I think it does make sense in the end- nothing is more absurd than "priority boarding" which then means "first on the hot bus to wait for the other 70 passengers to also board the bus".
Hopefully, the busing will become a bit of a non-issue once all the gates in Concourse A come online.
Jan 9, 2013, 6:53 am
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Given the projected growth at DXB I am not sure the busing will go away- also why would Emirates have made the significant investment in the C/F buses if it was evaporating in a few months?
Jan 9, 2013, 7:01 am
#12
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This is true. However, I have been told that bussing will be more route specific in future with most long haul flights having gates. Furthermore, quite a few of the latest new flights are on departure banks other than the very busy morning one (e.g. new flights to BKK, KUL, MNL, etc), so hopefully this means less flights will have to use buses even if there is significant growth.
Jan 9, 2013, 7:13 am
#13
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Well, Concourse A has 20 air-bridge gates, Concourse B has 26 air-bridge gates and EK tend to use a good 10 air-bridge gates in Concourse C. This means in an ideal situation EK has access to 56 air-bridge gates at any one time. Given that roughly 40-50 EK flights depart DXB between 6-9am (the busiest rush) and taking into account arriving aircraft and turning the planes around, I think the chances of getting an air-bridge gate should be pretty high once Concourse A comes online fully.
Jan 9, 2013, 7:14 am
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Well, Concourse A has 20 air-bridge gates, Concourse B has 26 air-bridge gates and EK tend to use a good 10 air-bridge gates in Concourse C. This means in an ideal situation EK has access to 56 air-bridge gates at any one time. Given that roughly 40-50 EK flights depart DXB between 6-9am (the busiest rush) and taking into account arriving aircraft and turning the planes around, I think the chances of getting an air-bridge gate should be pretty high once Concourse A comes online fully.
Jan 9, 2013, 7:21 am
#15
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As I said earlier, many EK deliveries are being used to add flights in departure banks other than the morning rush - look at the recent KUL, BKK and MNL announcements. Surely, in two years EK may well have 60+ flights departing between 6-9am, but that only means a small number of flights will use buses.
Furthermore, I think runway capacity will become a serious issue with 60+ flights departing between 6-9am, so I would hazard a guess that EK will run out of runway capacity before they have to bus more than 20% of their flights in the morning.
Furthermore, I think runway capacity will become a serious issue with 60+ flights departing between 6-9am, so I would hazard a guess that EK will run out of runway capacity before they have to bus more than 20% of their flights in the morning.