Travel News

Emirates launches First Class lounge access on an economy budget

Stopovers in Dubai just got better for Emirates passengers. For the first time, the airline is opening the doors of its first-class and business lounges to economy passengers in exchange for a relatively small fee.

By Emma Breheny
Moët & Chandon Champagne lounge
Stopovers in Dubai just got better for Emirates passengers. For the first time, the airline is opening the doors of its first-class and business lounges to economy passengers in exchange for a relatively small fee.
Upgrade from the transit lounge to pure luxury and choose from seven Emirates lounges at Dubai International Airport, where you can while away the time among Italian-made furniture and bespoke artwork. The business-class lounge, accessible in four-hour blocks for economy passengers for $130, boasts a Moët & Chandon Champagne lounge, decent flat whites made by an on-site barista and a health hub for those wanting lighter fare. Spend a little more, $262, for all that the first-class lounge offers, including à la carte dining, a cigar lounge and shoe-shine service.
Buisness class lounge.
About 2.5 million travellers use Emirates' premium lounges at Dubai International Airport annually, so when the airline closed one of its six lounges for renovation, the plans were super-sized. Opened late last year, Emirates' business-class lounge at Concourse B accommodates 1,500 passengers in a whopping 3,000 square metres of renovated space, a 40 per cent increase in seating capacity. The children's play area has been doubled in size, the spa renovated, and the number of showers and "quiet" areas increased. 
The catch? You'll need to either be a card carrier of Emirates' Skywards loyalty program, or be travelling alongside a member. There are plans to expand the service to other airports in the future but for now, lounge access is only available in Dubai. Worth a detour in our opinion.