True, I had a residency visa issue a while ago because I'd been out of the country for more than 6 months (schoolboy error I know) so I booked a ticket I didn't intend to use that was due to go in the next 24 hours, then went airside into the lounge.

I think that's called working the system

For anyone that missed it, or weren't FTers at the time, here's the thread from a year ago that caused the tantrum. Make of it what you will.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...urs-dubai.html

Well I might be able to help de-mystify that one for you to some degree ......

It's worth remembering that people who have a long history of flying regularly in premium cabins are invariably widely-travelled. They have seen & done a lot over the years, in a whole host of countries, and they are used to some of the finer things in life. For them, a First class airport lounge is not viewed as some sort of uniquely special or cherished experience - but simply a means to an end, ie a comfortable and well-equipped waiting room ahead of the next stage in the journey.

Just because the lounge provides a constant source of free food + drink does not of itself make it more attractive than, say, a proper night's sleep in a quality hotel bed and/or the chance to see something of the outside world if it happens to be a new city to the traveller. (Plus, many folk based in UAE will often be much happier spending the additional time in more personal surroundings anyway).

As for your grievance v ft101 : I don't recall the exact circumstances, but I seem to think he had your best interests at heart in encouraging you to get a break from the airport. Either way, I'd hazard a guess that you might be waiting a while for that compensatory ticket......

PS - written before your link was posted ft101 !

Toys and Prams everywhere

Fortunately, not everybody is like you

There are loads of decent restaurants within 10 minutes of DXB. I'd prefer to get out of the airport and have a few (more) drinks and some nice food. The food in the J lounges isn't great.

Maybe some people have enough cash that they don't care that the food and drink is free in DXB F lounge, they want something better than the lounge

Not that's it's free anyway, it's included in the cost of your ticket (or previously banked profits from buying high tier point EK tickets).

In fact, its actually quite bad from what it was a couple of years back. Loos are always overcrowded. The only draw for me to the J lounge lately has been the Costa Coffee counter....

Cool didn't know that, is that in A or B?

I've used the J lounge at B only and the counter is there just as you enter the lounge on your right. Not sure about A.

Anyway... now booked

MAN-DXB-SGN-DXB-MAN

I'm hoping the morning MAN-DXB flight gets upgraded to an A380 before the flight (November) It's by far the most civilised arrival time into DXB. Otherwise, I may look at upgrading with points to F.

Now let's see about hotels (it's the Abu Dhabi weekend). Maybe I should have checked that first

Oh... and my EK Amex got bounced initially by the fraud detection algorithms Fortunately, a quick reply text of 'YES' was all that was needed, and it went through the second time.

If I were you, I would be hoping they keep the 777 on it because chances are if did go to a 380 it would be a 2-class one.

The Mrs just used the 2-class 380 and was therefore in J, with Y upstairs at the front between J and the door where F used to be . Because of this 2 things became apparent:

1. Y continually throughout the flight get curious at what's behind the curtain and keep looking through.
2. Because of the Y section between you and the door, you struggle to board and then of all things they deplane the Y section first

Terrible design, IMO if they insist on these 2-class abominations they should have moved the bar to the front and put Y at the back.

Do they keep the upstairs front section of Y back until the rear section and all of J have left?

At least that would make it a little more bearable - 48 rather than 120 I think. I've also noticed/read that the rear section is kept unoccupied if numbers permit.

They do keep the front section back, but it's still not on. Priority it is not.

Where do EK state anything about priority disembarking?