Here, hold my poodle. I’ve got an Emirates flight to catch and a FIRST CLASS lounge to access with my average man’s Economy ticket.
It’s happened (thankfully).
Some airlines have spent the last few years adding so much space to their first and business class lounges that they’ve now got too much room and not enough of those fancy flyers to fill them. So they need us everyday folk to go in and give their lounge staff something to do.
Well, that’s just our theory for why Emirates has decided to let its lower-tier customers into its first and business class lounges.
And we’re totally cool with it if it means we get to walk through the pearly gates and into the airline’s heavenly Dubai International Airport first-class lounge.
Of course, to access the lounge Economy Class passengers will have to pay a small fee and they’ll have to be a member of the Emirates Skywards rewards scheme, The Telegraph reported.
Blue tier members can access business class facilities at Dubai Airport for US$100 for four hours or US$200 for first class facilities – Ummm, my monthly phone bill can cost more than that! And bearing in mind there’s free flowing Veuve Clicquot that’s a pretty good hourly rate.
Silver and Gold status members who already have access to the business class lounge can ask for an upgrade to the first class space for US$100.
An airline spokesperson said the pay-per-visit access has been implemented to meet demand from valued customers.
“This has been implemented in response to increasing demand from our valued customers for guest access to our lounges.”
Emirates
Emirates’ pay-per-visit system is similar to that being trialled by Qantas whereby lower tier passengers can pay to get into the airline’s Australian lounges. Click here for more information.
Meanwhile, we may only be three weeks into the New Year, but Emirates is already pushing ahead with network upgrades, including the reinstatement of its third daily flight from Dubai to Rome.
The additional service will be available from 26 March 2017 and will be operated on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER in a three-class configuration, equipped with eight luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and generous space for 310 passengers in Economy Class.
Flight EK99 will depart Dubai at 03:20 and arrive in Rome at 07:25. Flight EK100 will depart from Rome at 11:30 and arrive in Dubai at 19:20.
