For the return portion of our journey to Zimbabwe, we flew Emirates’ A380 top quality from Johannesburg to Dubai to Houston. Emirates has a fairly constant top quality product, so I’ll solely be reviewing the second phase, which was operated by an A380 with new interiors.
On this publish, I needed to concentrate on Emirates’ Premium Connections Service in Dubai, out there to top quality passengers. Lengthy story quick, for those who’re flying Emirates top quality and are connecting in Dubai, a consultant of the airline will meet you and show you how to along with your transit.
Though I’ve flown Emirates top quality dozens of instances, I had by no means skilled this earlier than, imagine it or not. That’s as a result of I nearly at all times plan a stopover in Dubai when flying with Emirates, and that doesn’t qualify for this service. So for individuals who are curious, let me share how this works.
Fundamentals of Emirates’ top quality escort service
With Emirates’ Premium Connections Service, you’re purported to be met on the aircraft by an Emirates consultant in Dubai when arriving in top quality:
- That is solely supplied in Dubai, and never at outstations
- That is solely supplied for those who’re connecting on Emirates on a single ticket, and never for those who’re terminating your travels in Dubai or have an prolonged stopover (in these conditions you possibly can usually make the most of Emirates’ chauffeur service, and even Emirates’ stopover lodge program)
- It doesn’t matter the way you booked your top quality ticket, and whether or not you paid money, redeemed miles, or upgraded; the one exception could be employees tickets
- In case you’re connecting inside 60 minutes, you’ll usually be introduced on to your connecting flight, whereas in case your layover is longer than that, you’ll be escorted to the lounge that’s closest to your scheduled departure gate
- Word that there’s no escort from the lounge to the departure gate, so this service is barely out of your arrival gate to the lounge (although within the Emirates First Lounge Dubai Concourse A, you truly board immediately from the lounge)
- The Emirates escort will accompany you to the lounge or your departure gate (with a brief connection), and can assist you narrow the transit safety line
- The mode of transport with this service will differ based mostly on a wide range of elements; chances are you’ll simply be walked, chances are you’ll be pushed in a golf cart, or chances are you’ll be pushed in a bus, relying on the kind of connection
Our expertise with Emirates’ Premium Connections Service
We had a roughly 4 hour connection in Dubai — our arriving flight parked at Concourse B, whereas our connecting flight departed from Concourse A. Upon exiting the jet bridge, there was a beautiful Emirates consultant who had a pill with our names on them.
In our case, there was no golf cart or bus, however quite we had been walked all the best way from Concourse B to Concourse A. I believe that’s the usual on this scenario, on condition that there’s not likely a sensible approach to take a golf cart between these areas — not solely do you must take a prepare between the terminals, however you additionally must take a number of elevators or escalators.
Was there worth to this service?
- For somebody not acquainted with Dubai Airport, getting round will be form of difficult, so I’m certain others would respect not having to concentrate on navigating the terminal
- Whereas I at first discovered the service form of pointless, I actually appreciated it when the Emirates consultant minimize the safety line for us; individuals within the transit space can usually be fairly pushy, and she or he was very agency with the best way during which she made room for us within the line
- She then walked us all the best way to the doorway of the Emirates First Lounge in Concourse A, and bid farewell to us
I can’t imagine it took me so lengthy to lastly expertise this. Is that this one of the best top quality floor expertise on the earth? No, it’s not as seamless as what you’d anticipate on Air France or (in some instances) Lufthansa, but it surely’s nonetheless higher than what numerous different airways supply.
I’ll say, I do discover it attention-grabbing how that is solely supplied for connecting itineraries, and just for attending to the lounge:
- You’d suppose there could be worth in getting individuals rapidly to the immigration checkpoint by way of golf carts, gate project allowing
- For these not departing from Concourse A (the place boarding is from the lounge) arguably it might be most helpful to have somebody escort you from the lounge to the gate, to keep away from that complete mess
Nonetheless, I believe these limitations are in place due to the scale of Emirates’ top quality footprint. Emirates has the most important worldwide top quality footprint on the earth, and there will be properly over 1,000 Emirates top quality passengers within the air at any level. I can respect the difficult logistics of scaling that.
Backside line
Emirates’ Premium Connections Service Dubai makes the transit expertise a bit extra seamless for top quality passengers. Emirates top quality passengers connecting in Dubai shall be met upon deplaning, and escorted to the lounge closest to their departure gate. Whereas this isn’t probably the most complete floor service you’ll discover on the earth, it’s a pleasant characteristic that I’m blissful to have skilled for the primary time.
In case you’ve been supplied Emirates Premium Connections Service in Dubai, what was your expertise like?
