Checking In early?
 

Hi,

My wife and I have flights from Dubai on the same day but at different times to different destinations:

Her: 1.35am from Dubai to Melbourne (Terminal 3)
Me: 7.15am from Dubai to Stockholm (Terminal 3)

Can I check in for the 7.15am flight really early (~ 8 hours) when she checks in?

Reason is to guest her into the first class lounge as I am Platinum and she isn't etc...

Thanks !

You can check in at DXB up to 24 hours before your flight. However, the rule states that you can only guest someone to the lounge if they're departing on the same flight as yours. But, they may bend the rules for you - you would be at the mercy of the lounge dragon. So, keep that in mind.

Yes for checking in early.
As for access, I recall that you both have to be travelling on the same flight. So be prepared to be denied entry.

Does anyone know from experience whether the lounge dragon's strictly enforce the rule "that you can only guest someone to the lounge if they're departing on the same flight as yours"?

Although I haven't tried myself, in my experience, every time I have been at the desk at DXB and there is someone next to me trying to bring a guest on a different flight, they get denied, except for when an iO did it, but that's a different case. I don't really want to say strictly, because I do know there are odd occasions where it has happened (at outstations mainly) but staff will deny it has. And if you push it, you will definitely get denied! So. Strict. Yes.

Edit: sample size for this year is 5 off the top of my head, twice at DXB, three at outstations.

As a plat, you can nominate her for a Gold card in case you haven't done that already. Won't get her into the F lounge, but to the J lounge which is not that crowded these days and definitely not at its peak at midnight, so your wife should find it OK.

She may be your wife, but 8 hours in the lounge instead of where?

Even for her flight, you must have a room somewhere during the day.

Think he's relying on QF Plat status.

My sole data point comes before the introduction of plat, when gold was something: Me and wife, both golds and flying F trying to guest a friend going to DAM in Y when we were going to BEY. They first said no but then I pointed out that it's only for 10 minutes and that we'll sit next to the entrance. They said ok but only this time.

More than EIGHT hours in the lounge .....?

Not a bad place to be if no other option (eg enforced long flight delay etc) BUT to do it by choice ....?? :eek: Rather you than me !

The discussion could be academic anyway given what others have said about the strict rules.

Right, missed that in his profile.