offtothehills

Does anyone know which F lounge is normally used in DXB for pax going to AKL (via MEL) please. Will be there next week (4th Feb) with my Dad who is quite disabled. We have booked assistance but I just like to know beforehand, if possible, where we will probably be.

Also, we'll be coming in from GLA so I guess it will be a bit of a way to get to the lounges, am I right? Do EK normally board pax directly from the F lounge to the A380 for MEL?
Am just wondering if we might be in the older main F lounge, or other.

Once in MEL, we would prefer to use the Qantas lounge for the layover prior to going on to AKL, is this relatively easy with regards to lounge access rules?

eternaltransit

If you are travelling on EK metal, there is no guarantee which of A,B,C concourses you will be arriving and departing at (only QF A380s are highly likely to be at A). However your assistance guy will push the wheelchair all over the airport for you and cut the line at the transit security points for you.

Arriving from GLA doesn't have a bearing on getting to the lounges - you could park at a gate that's right in the middle of the Concourse next to a security transit point, which would be convenient...or your plane could park at the far northwest side of the airport and you'll take a 20 minute bus ride back to the terminal... they only assign gates a few hours in advance, i.e. when you are already in the air.

Only the F lounge at Concourse A has direct lounge to plane boarding with gates inside the lounge. At Concourse B, some gates are equipped with entrances on the lounge level, but your plane to MEL may not be at one of these gates. It's unlikely you'll be at C, but there you'll navigate the gate area for boarding.

Dave Noble

Have you booked the Maharba service or listed passenger as disabled?

I booked the Maharba service recently for a BA-QF connection to Sydney and , as requested when booked, the escort took the passenger by buggy (most of the way) to the appropriate 1st class lounge where there was direct access to the gate ; if it hadn't been a local gate , the escort would have been back to take passenger to the gate

In Melbourne, if in 1st class, you can use the 1st class Qantas lounge - it is adjacent to the Emirates lounge up the escalator/lift near gate 9

There is a lift from the lounge level down to the boarding level

offtothehills

Thanks for your prompt reply.
Yes, on EK metal all the way.
Your reply is what I sort of thought - might, might not! I was hoping it would be predictable - my father is 86 and gets pretty worried when he has to be carted all over the place. Then I get uptight. I have to explain to him continuously where/when etc. although, have found previously that we have been well looked after re disabilities and assistance with EK.
Just need to wait and see.

offtothehills

Dave, thank you. No, I have not even thought about Marhaba, but will now after your suggestion. In your opinion, would this be preferable to just relying on EK to deal with the assistance at DXB?

Re MEL - thank you, I will probably go to the Qantas lounge (we are in F) as going by the comments and reviews, it seems like a good (and convenient) option! The lift sounds positive - just knowing what facilities are in proximity makes it so much easier ^

Dave Noble

I booked the Maharba transit service for passenger recently and she was really happy with it; she finds connecting at airports stressful and having someone meet her at gate, take her on a buggy to security; quicklly throught security checkpoint and onto the First Lounge was great

I am assuming that the EK assistance is based on disabled passenger needing a wheechair?

Based on this, I would have no hesitation recommending it. Book by phone and explain that you want the passenger to be escorted to the 1st class lounge , so that the rep is aware where want to go

offtothehills

Yes, it is based on EK assistance. I have booked them to help for my father from GLA through to AKL. However, Marhaba may be more efficient, i.e. an electric buggy rather than wheelchair to the lounge and so may be the better of the two options. I'd appreciate your opinion as to whether you think both services are equal?

Dave Noble

As long as he can walk the distance from the aeroplane up the aerobridge, then I would definitely take Maharba over a Wheelchair

offtothehills

OK, will contact them and organise things. It's so helpful to have a these kind of questions answered as it can be difficult otherwise. Thank you.

evilbrian

MyraA - both the QF first lounge and the EK lounge in MEL are good at that time of day. When you get to AKL there's a bit of a walk to immigration, but then it's just straight down in a lift to get your bags and a short walk to the exit.

On your return flight, you'll find the AKL EK lounge gets quite full these days as there's three A380s taking off within an hour of each other, so get there early to grab good seats.