Review: Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A)

Following my Emirates A380 business class flight from Bangkok to Dubai, I had a five-hour layover followed by my next flight from Dubai to Seattle.

During my layover, I stopped by the Emirates Business Class Lounge before continuing my journey back to Seattle onboard Emirates 777 business class.

While I’ve visited the Emirates First Class Lounges in Dubai’s Concourse A on a few occasions in the past, I was curious how the business class version immediately upstairs would compare.

Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A) – Access

The Emirates Business Class Lounge is located in Concourse A, which serves as the hub for Emirates’s Airbus A380 and other long-haul operations.

The entrance to the lounge is conveniently located by where the AirTrain lets you off if you’re travelling from another part of the airport.

In keeping with Emirates’s non-stop flight schedule, all Emirates lounges in Dubai are open 24/7, catering to the needs of travellers at any hour.

Access to business class is reserved exclusively for Emirates business class and First Class passengers, as well as members with Emirates Skywards Silver or higher status travelling in any class of service. 

As part of the partnership between Emirates and Air Canada, Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members may also access the lounge prior to travelling on Air Canada or Emirates out of Dubai in any class of service, and they may bring one guest.

Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A) – Seating

The Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai is a sprawling space, spanning the entire length of Concourse A.

Just like the First Class Lounge, the business class lounge is essentially a carbon copy of the entire airport terminal, simply situated on the uppermost floor. It’s divided into two wings, with gates for boarding scattered throughout each.

Each gate is connected to an elevator that transports passengers to the designated gate where non-premium passengers board their flight. This is indeed a highlight of the lounge, as you can board your flight directly from the comfort of the lounge.

The boarding gates are fitted for Emirates’s flagship double-decker Airbus A380s, although plenty of routes served by the Boeing 777 call for boarding from Concourse A as well. 

The design of the two wings is symmetrical, with identical facilities, dining options, and ample seating arrangements on both ends.

When it comes to seating, the lounge features a mix of areas designed for dining, working, and relaxing.

The seating essentially went on and on and on, comprised of areas with Emirates red, dark brown, and muted colours throughout.

You’ll find a large cluster of dining seats available, made up of comfortable seating near the dining area, bar-style seating, as well as traditional dining tables.

There’s a lounge area with rows of armchairs, with plenty of TVs dotted around for entertainment.

Towards the far end, there were many scattered seating options for people on long layovers who needed to sleep, whether on a lounger or by pushing together two chairs.

Some of these rest areas with loungers had blankets available and were exposed, while others had partitions for privacy.

Along the outer edge of the lounge are some more comfortable armchairs, pillows, and a few working cubicles.

There was genuinely a tremendous amount of space in this lounge, and it seemed to go on forever as I walked around exploring more and more of it. I’d estimate that it takes a solid five minutes or so of brisk walking to go from one end of the lounge to the other.

Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A) – Dining

When it comes to dining, I’d have to say that the Emirates business class lounge’s selection was rather mediocre. There’s a fairly extensive buffet on offer, but unfortunately, there’s no à la carte dining.

There are two main dining areas on both “ends” of the lounge, making for four in total. Each dining area consists of a buffet and some seating.

Breakfast was being served during my visit in the morning hours. Hot items included western staples like scrambled eggs and sausage, as well as international flavours, including fried vegetables and chicken congee.

Cold items included individually wrapped sweets and pastries and a station with cereal, as well as yogurts and dips.

I sat down and dug into some of the breakfast items. Overall, the food selection was somewhat underwhelming; breakfast items were abundant, but the quality left something to be desired.

Some highlights of the dining experience included bottles of Moët & Chandon Champagne at the bar, adding a hint of luxury, as well as an ice cream cart that also looked quite attractive – not that it was a wise idea to entertain either of these indulgences on such an early-morning layover. 

In addition to the four main dining areas (two on either end of the lounge), you can also enjoy a variety of specially brewed coffees and teas from a series of coffee machines scattered throughout the sprawling space.

Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A) – Showers

There are a number of shower suites available in the Emirates business class lounge – again, divided into two sets of shower suites, one on either end.

Each shower suite comes with a sink, toilet, and shower. I’d say that these are a step below the world’s best business class lounges, and I found them to be on the smaller side and somewhat dated in appearance.

Having said that, it’s always nice to have the option to freshen up before or after a flight, so be sure to make use of one of the rooms if you have the chance. I myself opted for a shower to freshen up between a series of long-haul flights. 

Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (Concourse A) – Other Facilities

In addition to spaces for relaxation, each wing in the lounge features well-equipped business centres, play areas for children, and some shopping facilities.

The Timeless Spa is immediately outside the lounge. First Class passengers are entitled to a complementary treatment, but unfortunately, business class passengers must pay for treatments.

The lounge is equipped with a business centre featuring cubicles that alternate between computers and empty space, as well as printers and a charging station for phones.

In addition to the above features, the lounge features a colourful kids room equipped with electronic games. 

Lastly, you’ll find a cigar bar and a duty-free shop located near the entrance.

I spent the majority of my time in the lounge getting some work done, had a small and not particularly memorable breakfast at the buffet, and then headed over to board my flight for Seattle at Gate A21.

Conclusion

The Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai International Airport’s Concourse A is just as impressive as its First Class counterpart when it comes to its sheer size.

However, other than the sprawling square footage, I found it to be only a fairly modest lounge for business class passengers in terms of the quality of the experience. 

With no à la carte dining nor any particularly extraordinary benefits, the Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai will suffice for the majority of eligible passengers – but I thought Emirates could certainly do a lot more to elevate their business class ground experience to bring it in line with their lofty reputation.