A peek inside the newly upgraded Emirates lounge for youngsters at Dubai International Airport
PlayStations, televisions, a snack bar and free Wi-Fi ... is it the perfect living room? An arcade? A childhood fantasy?
Nope. It's what's on offer at the recently jazzed-up Emirates lounge for unaccompanied minors at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
Related: Best ways to redeem Emirates Skywards miles for maximum value
Inside, the slick lounge has been kitted out with bright yellow, orange and gray sofas, televisions, two arcade-style PlayStation 4 consoles, plus a stylish-looking snack bar. Even the toilets are designed to be kid-friendly.
The lounge is located in Terminal 3, where children can be dropped off to meet the Emirates team, who will check them in at the lounge before taking them through security and handing them safely over to cabin crew on the aircraft.
On board, little ones flying with Emirates will be kept thoroughly entertained with a headset, more than 50 Disney films and 130 television channels to choose from, plus a range of toys and activity packs.
Currently, the lounge is only for use by Young Passengers (YPs) — children ages 5 to 15 — as part of Emirates' unaccompanied minors service.
Typically, the service is available for YPs who are 11 and older when traveling from Dubai, and the lounge needs to be prebooked in advance of travel.
Related: 14 things that caught me off guard in Emirates' new premium economy
As children between the ages of 12 and 15 can technically travel alone, without a parent, guardian or another adult present, they don't necessarily need the unaccompanied minor service. It can, however, be specifically requested for YPs in this age group.
Use of the lounge is also available for children who are passing through Dubai on a connecting flight, again when booked in advance.
Though it must be prebooked, children who are 5 to 11 who are flying unaccompanied will receive the service for free, but their flight will be charged as an adult fare, which can be paid for using cash, card or Emirates Skywards rewards miles.
Related: How Emirates filmed their incredible Burj Khalifa flypast stunt
Because young travelers who are 12 to 15 years old travel on adult fares anyway, use of the unaccompanied minor service will cost $50 per leg of the journey. TPG reached out to Emirates to find out if this fee can be paid using Emirates Skywards, and we'll update this story when we hear back.
To book, you'll need to reach out to the Emirates team at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app