This post is a continuation from yesterday’s post and is an ongoing part of my trip reports. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end! If you were unable to enter yesterday’s giveaway, the issue has been fixed so you should check back. Each post has separate prizes and separate entries.
I landed in Emirates new A380 Hub terminal at around midnight and had an 8 hour layover till my next flight to Los Angeles. When the doors were opened, all First and Business Class passengers disembarked though a separate gate. However, everyone eventually met again due to the fact that you are either transiting or going through immigration. The fact that I was transiting meant that there was an additional layer of airport security to go through. We were lucky that our plane had landed at the gate adjacent to the security check. Within 5 minutes, I was through security and on the way to the famous First Class Lounge.
Lounge Access
- First Class passengers flying with Emirates or Qantas
- Emirates Skywards Platinum & Higher
The Lounge
The Emirates First Class Lounge is actually the entire 4th floor of the new terminal. There is however, only one entrance near gate A6. Most people took the elevators up to the floor but there are escalators if you do not want to wait. Once on the 4th floor, I immediately noticed that the Timeless Spa was to my left. All First Class passengers are entitled to a few complimentary services and it’s convenient to know that the Spa is open 24 hours a day.
After quickly making an appointment for a hair cut, I walked towards the entrance of the lounge, which is beautiful.
Once my boarding passes were scanned, the counter agent informed me that I was free to use the lounge but that my flight would be leaving from the B gates and that I would have to take a tram to get there. Seeing as I was in no rush, I decided to stay at the new lounge for about 7 hours.
While walking around this lounge, it really strikes you as to how much Emirates wants to divide you from other cabin passengers. Not only did this lounge have the usual amenities but it had it’s own Duty Free Shop. There was also a Fine Dining area that is open 24 hours a day as well. Everything you could possibly need has been thought of and offered on this floor.
One thing that did strike me as odd was that there was no place to store your luggage while walking around. This proved to be a little troublesome when I went to my spa appointment as I had to keep the bags with me while getting a haircut.
Other features of this lounge include:
- Shower Rooms
- Cigar Room
- Quiet/Rest Area
- Kids Play Zone
- Seating for over 500 people
- E-Zone Gaming Station
All these areas were spread out between the entire terminal and they were quite easy to get to. Each gate has it’s own mini lounge that features a smaller bar area with the fine dining menu available upon request. There were also small snacks and bites throughout the lounge.
Although this lounge has seating for over 500 people at any given time, it will probably never see that much capacity. For the 8 hours that I was there, not a single person sat in my gate area nor did they come into the quiet area. I saw the biggest concentration of people at around 3AM at the Fine Dining zone.
By landing at midnight, I was able to sample the dinner menu and breakfast menu. When I walked to the Fine Dining zone, I was immediately greeted by a server and shown to my seat. While walking, she explained that I could order off the menu and take a look at the buffet near the entrance. I decided on ordering and chose the Thai Curry Soup to start. It was wonderfully prepared and tasted equally great.
For the next course, I chose the salmon plate and was thoroughly amazed at how delicious it was.
Everything was presented perfectly and made to the perfect portions. The service in this zone was top notch and over the top at all times. This brings me to my next point which is staffing. The lounge is staffed at what looked to be a 3:1 ratio. Everywhere I turned, there was someone saying hello to me and asking me if I needed anything. It was almost surreal to me that there were more employees present than First Class passengers. Even though there was a ton of staff, the service never declined. Everyone was genuinely happy and it showed with the smiles on their faces.
When dinner was finished, I headed to the quiet area to get some rest. As usual, there was no one else in this room and I enjoyed a quick hour nap. The quiet area is stocked with recliner chairs that feature a set of pillows and blankets. It is an extremely quiet and comfortable place to rest. Watch out though because no boarding announcements are made and you could be so deep in your sleep that you may miss your flight!
Following my nap was the scheduled hair cut. It was pretty cool to schedule a haircut at 3:20 AM as I don’t think i’ve ever gotten one so late or early. The hair cut was one of about 6-7 different options that First Class passengers could choose. Some of the others included a 15 minute massage, manicure and express reflexology. If you want to know more, here is the link to look up what other options are offered. The spa itself is beautiful and offers a lot of the natural light to flush into the area. It wasn’t the biggest issue but I wish there was a separate entrance through the First Class Lounge because the only way to get to the spa was to exit the entire lounge. Again, it wasn’t an issue but the shift did change while I was in the spa and I had to revalidate my lounge access, which took a few minutes as my boarding passes were buried deep inside my bag.
With about 1.5 hours before boarding, I left the lounge and headed for the B gates. I managed to get some pictures of the B gate First Class Lounge, which is equally as long as the Lounge at the A gates. This lounge was a tad bit older and the furnishings showed it. There were also a lot more people in this lounge.
With boarding soon commencing, I managed to head to the gate downstairs. For some reason, the upstairs gate entrances were closed so everyone had to enter from one place. This created a bit of a gridlock but it was soon all sorted out and I managed to board the plane but not before I snapped a pic with Far East Movement, who was also traveling on my flight.
I would rate this lounge a 8/10 because it does have the personal touches that other lounges like the First Class Terminal and Thai Lounge have. However, it is so big that it’s hard to feel individualized. For a First Class Lounge, it is right where it should be and the amenities that come with this lounge make it a top contender. If you’re going on your next trip with Emirates First Class, be sure to check out the A380 Hub Lounge.
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