It was time to fly first class from the Middle East to Male. In the Middle East, our flight was leaving at an early hour.
We checked out of our hotel at 6PM, ate dinner with a friend, and then headed to the airport at 9PM. It wasn't bad because of our jet lag.
We were able to spend an extended amount of time in the first class lounge, which I hadn't visited in years. I have mixed feelings about this lounge. It is the biggest first class lounge in the world. The lounge has great food and wine. If you ask me, there is not much luxurious about the lounge.
Let's get into the review.
Our friend dropped us off at the airport at 9PM at the business class check-in area. It was empty because most of the passengers are connecting, and there wasn't a bank of departing flights for several more hours.
The premium check-in area is below. It is huge.
We were checked in for our flight at the first class counter.
Premium departures are also a dedicated experience. All passengers can use the Smart Gates to get through the immigration process, but there was no line at the security checkpoint.
The most impressive first class lounge at the airport is in Concourse A.
We followed the sign to Concourse A, which requires taking a train.
This isn't just a train that takes you a few hundred yards, but it's quite a long distance, and you almost feel like you're in a subway in a city.
You can either take the escalators or elevators up to the main terminal level once you've finished the ride.
The entrance to the lounges can be found on the main terminal level.
The business class lounge is two levels higher than the first class lounge. After our boarding passes were scanned, we were told that our flight would leave from another concourse, so we should leave plenty of time.
The first class lounge at the airport is open all day and night. The following passengers can enter the first class lounge.
The first class lounge in Concourse A is over 100,000 square feet. It is the biggest first class lounge in the world and one of the biggest airport lounges in the world. The lounge is just one floor above the rest of the concourse. You can walk in the terminal but can't walk in the lounge.
You can board your flight directly from the lounge, which is the benefit of the size. The lounge has the same number of gates as the terminal.
You just have to find your gate number, and then there, where your boarding pass will be scanned. You will take an elevator to the jet bridge. We had to walk there because our flight was leaving from Concourse C.
In the event that you are lost or looking for something, there are several maps throughout the lounge.
It is easy to stay generally oriented because of the long walkways connecting all parts of the lounge. The lounge entrance is at the halfway point, so in one direction you have gates A1-12, and in the other you have gates A13-24.
The lounge of this size is void of character. There is nothing intimate or cozy about the lounge. You can't help but wonder why there are so many seats.
It's weird because it's known for its over-the-top blingy interiors. There is a certain charm to it when flying with the airline in moderation. That is also missing in this lounge. You feel like you are in a nice funeral home waiting room. The lounge was described as a nightmare by Ford.
Half of the lounge was closed during my visit. The seating in half of the lounge is just a small sample.
The dining selection is one of the strengths of the lounge. While there are several food and beverage stations, there is one main restaurant area that has both a buffet and a la carte dining.
The dining area has a lot of seating, and it feels like a good restaurant. The lounge serves breakfast from 4AM until 11AM and lunch and dinner from 11AM until 4AM, and you can find the full menu here.
There is a decent buffet with cold starters, hot mains, desserts, coffee, and tea.
The a la carte option is more appealing to me. The staff in the restaurant are attentive and lovely. We were given a basket of bread.
The hamachi poke bowl was delicious.
I ordered the green burger, while Ford had the chicken biryani.
The Middle Eastern tres leches cake was split for dessert. There was smoke coming from the dish as it was served to us.
The food is good and the staff is invested in making sure guests have a good time. I wish the first class lounge had barista-made espresso drinks. The business class lounge has a partnership with Costa to provide barista services, so you would think this lounge could also have decent coffee drinks.
There are several self-serve food and drink stations throughout the lounge, with cold Appetizers and desserts, coffee, and a selection of wine.
If you have time to kill in the first class lounge of the airline, you should take part in the wine scavenger hunt. Why? It will take some searching if you find some good wine. Let me explain.
Ford and I went on a wine scavenger hunt, where we went to all the drink stations in the lounge and looked up the wines. It wasn't a good night for this game, as the selection wasn't too exciting.
The bottle of 2009 Chateau Beychevelle was the most expensive we found. We had a glass just for fun, but we weren't fans of it.
It's always worth having some fun in the lounge if you're into wine.
There is a quiet area in the first class lounge that can be used as a nap room. There are some day beds and chairs with ottomans, and each seat has a blanket and eyeshades.
If you have a layover of at least six hours, you can get a free hotel if you sign up for the stopover program. It would be more comfortable with a long layover.
I don't understand why the lounge of over 100,000 square feet wouldn't have private bedrooms. The Turkish Airlines lounge Istanbul has bedrooms for business class passengers, so you wouldn't think that would be a big ask for a lounge this size designed for first class passengers.
The cigar bar is in the first class lounge. My dad loved this place when we visited for his last birthday. This was the first thing he mentioned when I sent him a text.
While some lounges have small smoking rooms, this is a proper cigar bar.
The lounge has a business center with cubicles, PCs, and even meeting rooms. The lounge is spread out so it tends to stay quiet. It might be a good place to get some work done.
The lounge staff constantly cleans the bathroom in the first class lounge.
The shower suites are usually readily available.
There is a walk-in shower, toilet, and sink in each shower suite. There are more luxurious shower suites out there.
Since the first class lounge is the size of a concourse, it also has amenities similar to what you would find in a concourse, including extensive duty free shopping. There isn't an airport lounge in the world that features more shopping.
First class passengers can receive complimentary spa treatments through a partnership with Timeless Spa. The spa is located next to the lounge entrance and is open to non-premium passengers. There are two Timeless Spas, one outside the first class lounge and the other outside the business class lounge.
Four complimentary treatments are available for first class passengers.
There are a variety of paid treatments that anyone can book.
I don't want to look like a gift horse in the mouth, but the current execution makes me wonder why they bother.
It's nice that this is offered at all, but it seems like there are some low cost changes that could be made to have this be a more enjoyable experience.
The shoe shine service is a nice feature of the first class lounge.
This isn't just a traditional shoe shine for someone traveling in business attire, but there are several options, including a sneaker refresh. The shoe shine guy did a great job cleaning my sneakers and they looked new. If you are going through the lounge, this is something to keep in mind.
There's a lot to like about the first class lounge, it's the largest in the world, it has friendly staff, it has a cigar lounge, and you can board.
This is one of the most sterile and least chic lounges in the world. It feels like you are in a waiting room the size of a terminal, and I feel like the space could have been better utilized to add amenities like bedrooms, a gym, a better spa, a coffee shop, etc.
This lounge is not at the top of my list of the world's first class airline lounges.
What was your impression of the first class lounge in the United Arab Emirates?
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