I have a question for the seasoned Emirates travelers:
I have a 10 hours layover at JFK before boarding EK 202 for DXB and I have a business class ticket. Since the check in for Emirates does not open til 8 pm, does anyone know how I can go about gaining access to the business lounge at JFK? From the way I understand it, I need a boarding pass to get through customs to go to the lounge but I cannot get the boarding pass until the checking in opens. What's your advice?

you need your boarding pass before you can use the lounge, so unfortunately you will have to spend your time waiting for the counter to open up!

there is a place upstairs to the right, next to the check in area where Emirates representatives sometimes work; does anyone know if boarding passes could be issued at that counter? I get to JFK around 1 PM and it would suck to have to wait for the 11pm flight in the regular area. Any other suggestions?

Explore the city.

I arrived at about 4pm for the 11pm flight last year. There was an Emirates representative next to the ticket counter, and he issued boarding passes. Not sure what time that starts though.

I think it will also depend on whether you have luggage to check. The person in front of me was issued a boarding pass, but then told to go to the fast bag drop check in area at 7pm when it opened. This wouldn't be much use to you though, as you still wouldn't be able to go airside.

However, when I got there, he took my bag and put it to one side, and told me he'd take care of it. I'm not sure if it was because I was an EK Gold, or because I'd only got one smallish bag (the first guy had a full trolley load of bags).

Cheers,
Rick

I am traveling with my 88 y.o. grandmother; exploring the city is not an option ; besides, I was in Manhattan in September and I found the area
quite abominable: dirty public transportation, rude people, smelley parks, smelly roads, all together just one huge rip off; I noticed you're from Toronto:
my partner and I go there every June for Pride; Toronto, now that is a city, and I 'd take Toronto anytime over NYC.

Thanks DYKWIA:

I think that is what we'll do; we 'll arrive at JFK around 1 pm and check regularly to see when the adjacent counter opens up; hopefully from 1 to 4 pm someone will show up so we can get our boarding passes; we won't have any luggage with us as they will have been checked in from the originating city all the way to the final destination;

Haha, I think you're being a bit too harsh. I'm from Toronto and am currently living in NY. I find the trains clean and reasonable reliable (especially compared to London). People are rude, yes. Parks are so nice and clean!! I was shocked. I also find NY more reasonable than Canada (probably since my family earns in CAD$ and I spent in USD$)

Cheers,

hmm:
let's see: most of the trains we rode on had graffiti on them (and not the artsy type) but the "I'm angry I pay too god damn much rent for this piece of crap sublet-to live in this city-type); there were rats running down the track lines; in London (and I go there once a year) at least the tube is well organised and electronic boards on tracks to announce how and when the tube/train arrives; nothing like that in NYC;

people are rude and there's no reason for it; we were told specifically not to engage people in conversation and not to say "hello" to anyone; greetings were not expected nor were they returned;

Parks, oh yeah! Right next to Union Square we got hit with the most horrific smell I have ever come across; it came from a park, a dog park, I believe, and it stank of baked dog poop, and rancid animal urine (in the middle of Manhattan); I love animals, but that was too much, you could smell the stench for blocks; we walked as fast as we could away from the park only to get to an alley where, the smell again, this time human urine; it was disgusting; I just wanted to go home.

NYC more reasonable?
Hold on: I can get a room an executive room at the Sutton or the Grand for about $ 200/night; what 4 star or 5 star hotel can I get in Manhattan for that price?

Again, I find the city tired, overpriced and overated.

A rat? In New York? Are you sure?

I remember sitting in a restaurant in New York a few years ago with a few friends. We'd all had a few drinks, and I thought I must have been seeing things when a huge rat started running between the tables.

One of my friends also noticed it, at which point we just started laughing uncontrollably The others had no idea what we were laughing about, and to this day still don't believe us.

Cheers,
Rick

I arrived under the same circumstances several months ago. Although the counters do not open, there is a little kiosk that does open earlier than 8pm. Unfortunately, it does not open until at least 4pm (if I remember correctly.) Also, they do not prioritize first or business class in this line. I therefore had to wait over an hour before I got to the front of the line. Another thing to mention is the incompetence of the staff manning this booth. Perhaps you'll get lucky, but during our experience, it took them an hour to check in three parties ahead of us. There is no way to access the lounge without a boarding pass, but once you get there...its one of the best lounges around.

thank you for all the help; I am incredibly excited to experience the lounge at JFK and at DXB; although I have flown Emirates twice before, (LGW-DXB-MLE-DXB-LGW, 2005 and JFK-DXB-MLE-DXB-JFK, 2007 ) this will be the first time going Business Class; I'll be taking a lot of pictures and hopefully do a full review when I return.

ah so the JFK lounge is for J too. it was definitely awesome, especially food. although E0 was catering IIRC, so it might have been slightly different. shower rooms were also very nice.

EK is flying DXB-MLE nonstop now?