F-Lounge Access Question
 

Pretty straightforward question: when flying IAH-DXB-*** in J, with IAH-DXB upgraded to F, would I be allowed to access the F lounge at DXB during my layover, based on F travel on the inbound flight?

Don't think so. Lounge access with EK is strictly on next departing flight basis AFAIK.

Interesting. Most other airlines will allow you to use lounges based on same-day international travel, regardless of it being outbound, or inbound connecting to another outbound.

Anybody else have any experience with this? I suppose the same question would apply to J lounge access - if only the inbound is in J, have you been able to use the lounge?

It's been asked before, and the general opinion has been to ask when you get to DXB. I can't remember anybody saying they've been successful though.

Cheers,
Rick

I've tried this and got a very firm "no"

good luck though!

Good to know - thanks for the datapoint!

Even when arriving in F and departing in J where F is not offered, the lounge dragons will not let you in... would put money on a refusal if you could gamble in the UAE

That seems to be the consensus here. Trust EK to be incredibly inflexible. I am quite used to accessing F lounges on BA and AA when connecting through LHR, arriving in F and departing in J. Within the US as well. This was of course before I earned EXP status, which provides me F lounge access regardless. One would think EK might be more flexible with regard to this, particularly given how crowded the T3 J lounge is. There is a world of a difference between the J and F lounges, just in terms of how crowded they are, if nothing else.

However, what you're suggesting will only make the lounges even more crowded. For example, when I upgrade one segment of a flight, that doesn't entitle me to the T3 lounge at DXB. I instead would need to use the T1 lounge.

With EK, lounge access is offered prior to the flight based on the class of service. So it doesn't matter whether you were arriving in F, as it is a departure lounge, not an arrivals lounge. Of course, if they offered a separate F lounge at IAH, you'd be getting a better lounge there.

Of course, it is what it is. I was just expressing my disappointment that a number of other airlines allow you to access a lounge based on any international travel in that class of service, while EK does not. Lounge crowding is a whole other issue, and one I think that EK really needs to step up and deal with. The T3 J lounge just does not have the capacity for the number of people it gets. I was on EK 213 last week, and every single couch (and I do mean every single one) was taken. Not only that, over half of the couches were taken up by people sprawled across them taking multiple seats, asleep. You won't ever see that in a BA lounge, for instance, and at least not to that extent. In a CO lounge, I've actually had an attendant once tell me I wasn't allowed to put my feet up on a coffee table for support, let alone a couch.

Lounge crowding
 

I still stand by my idea that if you are Gold traveling in J, then you use the F lounge. Afterall, if gold traveling in Y you can use the J lounge, so continue the process! This would free up a few seats in T3 J lounge easily, and the F lounge would still be full of premium passengers!

how about this scenario:

I have a short morning hop in the gulf ex DXB in Y, and then an evening longer flight in F. Would I be allowed in?

I ask as many airlines will require a same day ticket in F, departing from the airport the lounge is in (which I would have - however not sure if I would be checked in yet).....

So you'd be entitled to F lounge access at DXB, but no lounge access at the outstation.