Review: Emirates Business Class Lounge Concourse B – Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 3

My recent flights with Emirates to Mauritius and Seychelles gave me the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at Dubai International Airport. It had been some 6 years since I last flew with Emirates and during that interim, Terminal 3 opened with a whole slew of airport lounges. DXB’s Terminal 3 which is dedicated to Emirates flights has three varying Business Class Lounges at Concourse A, B and C respectively. The Concourse A lounge, which is catered to Emirates’ A380 flights, is the largest one while the Concourse C lounge is the smallest.

Who can access the Emirates Business Class Lounge in DXB?

• Emirates First Class passengers (+1 guest)
• Emirates Business Class passengers (no guests)
• Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum members flying on an Emirates flight (+1 guest)
• Emirates Skywards Silver members flying on an Emirates flight (no guest)
• Emirates Skywards Blue members flying on an Emirates flight with a USD 100 fee per person for four hours

As I found myself moving between concourses during my flights, I decided to rest at the nearest Emirates Business Lounge that I could find and it happened to be the one at Concourse B. It is located one floor above the transit area and is easily accessed via elevators and escalators.

While it is not the largest, Emirates’ Concourse B lounge is huge and it can seem overwhelming to the first time visitor. Just to give an idea of how big it is – the entrance has 4 to 5 reception counters to check-in passengers to the lounge!

There are plenty of zones and seating options within the lounge including a Moet & Chandon section as well as different dining concepts including Western, Asian and Arabian. Walking from one end to another takes approximately 5 minutes. What I noted as I was walking from end to end was the prevalence of bathrooms as well as shower facilities scattered throughout the lounge. You will never have to queue too long here to get your chance to shower after a long flight – a departure from my experiences at the Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul or even the SilverKris Business Class Lounge in Changi Airport.

The shower facilities at the Emirates Business Class Lounge at Concourse B differ from the ones at the Concourse C lounge in the sense that in the former, you get private stalls located within the bathrooms. In the lounge at Concourse C, you basically get your own shower room which comes with its own sink and toilet. While it is more spacious, a slight downside is that you’ll have to queue via the shower reception. Toiletries come from Voya, an Irish skincare brand. I like the good quality dental and shaving kits provided in the bathrooms. The former comes with a decent size tube of Colgate toothpaste – definitely good for more than a one-time use.

As mentioned previously, there are plenty of seating options within the lounge ranging from dining chairs, lounge type resting and communal seats. For the sleep-weary traveler, there are semi-private areas with sofa beds. These come with blankets and a power outlet on the side. At the time of my visit, the sleeping area was fully occupied so I wasn’t able to take any photos.

Tip: The far end of the lounge is usually the least busiest. You will even find a dedicated Moet and Chandon section there!

There is also a business center in the lounge where passengers can surf the web and print tickets and reservations. For those who prefer to log in to the internet via their own devices, the lounge comes with its own WiFi network which is accessible without requiring a password.

At the far end of the lounge, there is a Moet and Chandon section where you can find a variety of champagne. I got myself a flute of Moet Rose Imperial though you can also find Moet Imperial, Grand Vintage and the Nectar Imperial here. It is worth noting that champagne is not just available in this areae. You can also find them in the other buffet stations but it’s quieter here. Costa Coffee provides passengers’ caffeine fix while the mineral water comes from Voss. I also spotted an ice cream cart during my time at the lounge but as it was in the wee hours of the morning, I wasn’t too keen on having desserts.

Tip: There are different buffet sections here so it is advisable to walk around first to see what’s available before having your pick at the buffet. While there is a “combined” International section at the far end of the lounge near the smoking area, it doesn’t exactly have all the dishes so you might want to explore the Asian and Western sections individually.

At the time of my visit, the buffet was shifting between dinner and breakfast service and I managed to glimpse a bit of the two. For dinner, there was a good array of salads, curries, noodles and meat dishes. Vegetarian options abound. For those with a sweet tooth, there is also a dedicated dessert section filled with tarts, cakes, fruits and even Haagen Dazs ice cream.

For breakfast, you get a variety of sandwiches, eggs and sausages. The Asian section has congee, noodles and even dumplings. What I found notable was that the orange juice served is actually freshly squeezed.

Verdict

The Emirates Business Class Lounge is the type of place that would probably make you wish you had a longer transit time. It is huge that it takes time to explore all its nooks and crannies. The lounge is heavily used but due to the sheer size, you’ll never run out of a place to sit. The venue has the amenities and facilities you’ll need for a comfortable transit – the food and drink assortment, toiletries and number of showers are a plus. As an additional tip, do head out to the far ends if you prefer to have more peace and quiet.