DXB departures
Oct 8, 2019, 1:06 pm
#1
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DXB departures
Any recent experiences of how busy departure immigration controls & security are at DXB T1 for the BA flights, especially BA104 that departs at 1300?
Is is worth buying the Marhaba basic service or is the normal process quick enough?
Is is worth buying the Marhaba basic service or is the normal process quick enough?
Oct 8, 2019, 1:14 pm
#2
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Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Oct 8, 2019 at 1:22 pm
Oct 8, 2019, 1:17 pm
#3
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That gets in around 17:30 hrs into Dubai, which I would regard as a fairly quiet time. With many passengers able to use the e-gates, and assuming you have full mobility, personally I don't see the point. I was last in DXB T1 a few weeks ago, at 21:00 hrs (which is a busier time) and I was in a Kareem taxi 22 minutes after doors open.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:20 pm
#4
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Thanks for the speedy reply CWS, but I meant going in the other direction, ie DXB to LHR (departs DXB T1 1300, lands LHR 1745)
How busy/quick is the journey from kerb to check in to exit immigration check / security to lounge?
How busy/quick is the journey from kerb to check in to exit immigration check / security to lounge?
Oct 8, 2019, 1:24 pm
#5
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In which case for emigration presumably the OP is now registered for the e-gates anyway, so even less of a reason to use Maharba. My last departure was also for that overnight flight, the A350 service, and I was in the satellite lounge without any queuing or delay.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:25 pm
#6
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I did a day flight there recently BA 108 at 0930 and it was very quick, just a few minutes . No queue at security . The longest bit was finding the lounge as the signage is poor!
Oct 8, 2019, 1:29 pm
#7
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Ok, thanks. I’m on the daytime service home rather than the overnight one (and I think the A350 is having a rest from the DXB service this week anyway, as my outbound BA107 was operated by 772 instead of A350).
FWIW, arriving at 2300 from LHR on BA107, the terminal was busy but not too bad. However, the queue for a taxi was huge (an hour plus at a guess), glad I had a pre-booked car.
Unfortunately I was too tired and so I forgot to ask to be registered for the smart gates on arrival.
FWIW, arriving at 2300 from LHR on BA107, the terminal was busy but not too bad. However, the queue for a taxi was huge (an hour plus at a guess), glad I had a pre-booked car.
Unfortunately I was too tired and so I forgot to ask to be registered for the smart gates on arrival.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:33 pm
#8
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Did they take your "photo" with a hefty sized camera, with some stipulation as to where you stood? If so, that's actually a biometric capture and you may well be registered anyway.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:34 pm
#9
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Oct 8, 2019, 1:41 pm
#10
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No, just took my passport, stamped it and gave it back to me, and waved me onwards, took seconds.
I believe I can register on exit too, so I’ll do that if I remember, for the benefit of future visits.
It doesn’t sound like the queues will be too bad anyway at that time of day, so I’m happy to let the exit/security process take as long as it takes.
I believe I can register on exit too, so I’ll do that if I remember, for the benefit of future visits.
It doesn’t sound like the queues will be too bad anyway at that time of day, so I’m happy to let the exit/security process take as long as it takes.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:52 pm
#11
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Did BA104 yesterday (Monday). Arrived at the terminal T-2hrs, no queue at CW desk, no queue at passport control and virtually no queue for security.
Oct 8, 2019, 2:03 pm
#12
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Oct 10, 2019, 1:22 am
#15
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For the record, arriving at the airport around 10am, there was no queue at the BA desk. There were perhaps 100 people in line at the exit passport control, but most booths open, so took maybe 15mins, then another 10mins to get through security. From there, maybe 10mins to the BA lounge. In total, it was a little over half an hour kerbside to BA lounge.
The coordinating staff assured me the passport control could register me for the smart gates, but the officer I got simply refused (“can only do it on entry”) but I wonder if that was a reluctance to be bothered as much as anything else. No real issues as I don’t visit UAE very often.
The coordinating staff assured me the passport control could register me for the smart gates, but the officer I got simply refused (“can only do it on entry”) but I wonder if that was a reluctance to be bothered as much as anything else. No real issues as I don’t visit UAE very often.