I'm 100% sure that he knows I/O has F lounge access, as he is an I/O member. I/O isn't a published tier, so what he means is Gold, (plat), etc

I'm usually there from 12 AM to 0330 AM. I usually arrive on EK 16 and connect to EK 510. In fact I'm in the J lounge right now.

I'm in J tonight but was in F at the same time in May and July .Ive been in the F lounge only thrice (at exactly the same time) and it was more crowded than what you guys describe

I travel alot out of Dubai and I always use the 1st class lounge and I have never seen it crowded. Maybe just once in over 20 times this year did anyone even sit opposite me. Couple that with the new terminal (probably no coincidence that the 4th tier coming after the opening) and I think there should be plenty of room for a 4th tier in the 1st class lounge. Otherwise beyond upgrades what tangible benefit will they offer? Not unlike the previous debates on the tangible benefits of iO status in previous threads. May as well just call it Gold+ if nothing new on offer.

Maybe I was there an unusually busy period? What I really liked about the lounge was not having to queue up for using the toilets and also managed to get a haircut at the spa.

I'll try to take a photo next time I'm flying F .

I'm sure it does get busy, but nothing like the J lounge madness. During this years Dubai Do, we arranged an F lounge visit and there were probably 30+ people. We all sat down and had a great lunch (and the odd glass of champagne) and the lounge staff were actually quite excited at the prospect of being busy!

Just for something fun, I have added a poll to the top of this thread...wont make one bit of difference to what EK decide to do as the threshold limits have already been set - but will give us something to argue about over the weekend

PS I personally think they not only need to add this additional tier (at 125,000 tier miles) but then enhance that same tier and provide added incentive to keep flying (ie like QF does for people who do double and triple the status credits in a year, as does BA). There is no reason for the incentives to be capped at all.

Wouldn't most people use travel agents to do all that? My company uses Amex to do all our booking and subsequent changes. (with the assumption that most people at that level don't book their own travel or have secretary's etc)

Two ways to do this - These are the benefits we want to give so that this new status is actually something people work towards, so based on how much our customers fly, and how much we can afford, where do we set this benchmark. OR, We want a new tier at 1X0,000, what are the benefits we can afford to give to people flying that much.

+1

Yee-ha!

EK does have the best overall F product. SQ is still better in the air, but if you consider the whole package - ground service, lounge, aircraft HW and so on - EK is the clear winner.

So it's good to hear that this QF alliance won't break the product that I don't mind paying for.

And about F lounge being already full - I never said that it's already too crowded. But at times it's very dangerously close to it, for my tastes. In F it's NOT about being able to find a place to sit - it's about finding a place to sit with enough privacy and space.

Do I really want to share seating space with sweaty Y pax coming off 12+ flight from MEL when I paid F prices ?

Currently F on EK is my first choice - and will continue to be so as long as EK can keep the product intact and enjoyable to fly.

Regards,

El Puerco Volante.

I would guess that QF F pax (i.e. those that hold a F ticket) would be able to use the F lounge in DXB when (and if) this partnership gets up.

For EK (and QF) Platinums then, I wonder what would be the lounge benefit, if any. More guests? Perhaps F Lounge access if flying J (so no F Lounge access if flying Y)? Or F Lounge access passes after achieving Platinum and then after certain tier mile thresholds after that?

For what it's worth, EY Gold Elites, which attain their status after 120k tier miles in their program (100k requalification), have access to Diamond First Class lounges irrespective of travel class, but only for themselves (no guest).

I can see where you're coming from with the argument, though. That's definitely what makes SQ TPR or LH FCT quite exclusive in that regard (though SQ TPR is a bit too hyped for liking, and LH FCT can get notoriously busy at times, but other times it is excellent, and always very civilised).

I wonder if EK Platinums will have access to QF F Lounges in SYD and MEL (and in other parts of the network - questionable, since they will not be necessarily covered under the EK partnership network strategy and agreement). If so, that would be a touch unfair though that said QF F Lounges do accommodate pax who fly Y (viz. oneworld Emeralds and QF Platinums).

The fact that QF and EK high tier members may only have access to the Business Class lounges in DXB I think really screams out that these facilities will need to be vastly expanded. How that will happen I have no idea...........

At a guess, l'm also put money down that QF CL's will get EK F lounge access when flying in J or Y.

Money down or not, they may or may not, but many people will probably not care much because CL (let alone EK IO) is rarely a gazetted tier.

For QF at least people (read: FTers and AFFers) will be salivating at the differences between WP, [email protected] and P1; my hunch is that as far as the EK partnership goes, there will be at best minimal differences.

What makes you think Y passengers are 'sweaty'?

Please do not be so presumptuous. Trust me that there are a fairly large number of folks on this planet who go in paid F but don't have the slightest of consideration for their fellow passengers or etiquette on board (apart from being sweaty and smelly). I'm sure you'll find yourself next to them fairly soon. (or do you belong to them that you actually don't notice that money doesn't have the slightest to do with grooming????)

I took the comment to be facetious, as suggested by the smiley.

On top of that, all EK A380 F services have onboard shower, so in a way no F pax on such services, including El Puerco Volante, should have any excuse for being smelly upon disembarkation and proceeding to transit.