9 hour layover in DXB
 

At what time are you transiting DXB. Nice as it is, 9 hours is a bit too long to sit in the lounge especially at night .

​​​​​i made the mistake of doing this once at night . Big mistake. :-(

Absolutely. That's the way to go. I once tried to rough it but ended up as a wreck.:-(

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I "rough" it 2-4 nights a month in EK lounge DXB and still not wreck. IMO it's quite good for that. A lounge is much quieter for that , compared to B/C.

Yeah I have done that a few times now. When there is a 7 or 8 hour gap between arriving and departing, there isn't enough time to leave the airport or book into the airport hotel. I find the F lounge is a reasonable alternative for that sort of duration.

There are many business lounges in Dubai and in my opinion the lounge in terminal 3 which I think is the A lounge (the one upstairs with separate access to the A380 for business and first class) is probably one of the best in the world with a great selection of food. However despite this i would with a long wait still opt for a hotel

Just a clarification, terminal 3 is more accurate to refer to the landside check-in and arrivals areas, and airside comprises of 3 concourses, A, B and C, which are all considered part of T3 .

The concourse A lounge is the one you refer to and I agree it is probably the best, in terms of space and quietness, though the B lounge has the Champagne Bar, Costa and smoking area (if that's your thing) going for it. Recently I've started minding the B lounge less. The newest C lounge at the far end of C (I think around C8 or so) is also not bad though not as big and with fewer amenities, but the best views of all the lounges with a direct apron view.

I always use
https://www.dubaiintlhotels.com/
great beds and bathrooms for a good nights sleep-book online for discouts
SS

Only saw the C8 and A lounge. The C one was fine but nothing to write home about but the A lounge was a revelation as I walked around and found each food station seemed to have something different. There is a smoking area also in the lounge and its sheer size made it easy to find somewhere quiet

A word of warning for first time visitors if your flight is leaving from a different part of the terminal from the lounge you chose make sure you know how long it will take to the gate because it can be a very long walk

Try the champagne bar at B next time :) also Costa is good for a morning coffee in a to-go cup as you head to your flight

When I went through and my flight was from C the lounge/bar in B was full so could not use it.

I am boycotting Costa these days as can not obtain the reassurance I have asked for about the Costa Foundation that funding/guarantees are in place to ensure that teachers and equipment are included in the money being donated to build schools in Columbia

Unfortunately MAS gave me some very good prices for my next two trips to Asia so much as I enjoyed the Emirates experience (my first I should add) then no short term plans to fly with them again

^^ I'm all for boycotting a company that thinks it's ok to charge £3+ for a coffee (I know your reasons are different, but still I'm happy one more person is boycotting a coffee chain)

Absolutely, but it's free in the lounge. Not a fan of their coffee by any stretch but it beats the automated machines and they have to-go cups and can make a flat white. These chain establishments suck in general, never understood the appeal of Starbucks for instance

Costa in B lounge from today has it's star employee back after absence of 6 weeks. So more smiles there again.

You can't, the hotel usually transfers you reservation to whichever concourse you arrive.

Long ago back in about 2006 now I began boycotting Starbucks over the way they were treating the Ethiopian growers and the branding/trademark issues - I used to drink tap water with my boss as she was a regular as there was a branch round the corner from the office. I have never drank or eaten anything in a Starbucks since apart from tap water on the rare times I accompany someone else. I too object to paying more for a cup of coffee than the farmers is being paid per kilo

trouble is I do like a nice cup of coffee

All very commendable, but nowt whatsoever to do with EK...

If you have to pay to get in and you want to sleep It is not a good idea . You are better off getting a hotel room ( might cost you a bit more but worth it )

Have you considered going to a hotel near the airport, rather than the actual airport hotel? At this time of year, you can get the Le Meridien Airport for around $85. The Le Meridien Fairway is around $55!!! Both are about 5 minutes drive from the airport (and you can use chauffeur drive).

Also another option (which I have never used because I am based in Dubai) is the 'Sleep N Fly' concept at Concourse A. The best part is that it is accessible by Priority Pass.
SLEEP 'N FLY - THE NEW AIRPORT SLEEP CONCEPT BY YAWN

I'd also suggest getting a hotel outside the airport. You can actually get some fairly nice hotel rooms close to the airport at a low price this time of year.