Mileage Run - Jan 2026 - Chapter 07
Today starts early again. At 7:00am I leave the Hilton for AMM airport, once more ordering a taxi via Careem. Upon arrival, I get through security and passport control fairly quickly and head straight to the Premium Plaza Lounge.
Like the Crown Lounge, it’s located directly behind duty free on the first floor and can be reached via an elevator on the left-hand side.
I access the lounge using my Priority Pass. It’s perfectly fine overall, with a small selection of food and drinks. That said, I wouldn’t want to spend half the night here—there are no couches suitable for sleeping.
After a coffee, I move over to the Crown Lounge, which is located on the right-hand side behind duty free. I get access with my EgyptAir Business Class ticket, as this is a Lufthansa / Star Alliance contract lounge—although Priority Pass would also have worked.
This lounge is significantly larger and offers plenty of opportunities to sleep, something many guests clearly take advantage of.
There’s also fresh barista-made coffee, a nice bar, and a live cooking station. For a direct turnaround during regular operating hours, this lounge would definitely be the better choice.
Lufthansa has also announced that the night flights will continue to operate as day flights until further notice. Initially, this was only supposed to apply through last Monday. Departure times currently vary between 4:15pm and 5:55pm.
The first flight today is MS 720 (SU-GEA) from AMM to CAI, operated by a 15-year-old 737-800. The aircraft is delayed by 30 minutes, although this isn’t shown on the lounge screens or at the gate. Thanks to Flighty, I’m aware of the delay and can stay in the lounge a bit longer—FR also confirms the delay.
There’s not much exciting to report about the flight itself. Breakfast is served, and after a little over an hour we land in CAI, once again in good weather.
With more than two hours until my next flight, I first check out the Lufthansa / Star Alliance contract lounge (Gienah) at the F gates. While it’s almost completely empty, the food and drink selection is very limited.
I then take a look at the Priority Pass Plaza Lounge at the E gates, but it’s so crowded that I don’t even go inside. So I head back to the F gates and settle into the still-empty Gienah Lounge.
The next flight is MS 905 from CAI to DXB (SU-GEA), operated by an eight-year-old 737-800, scheduled to depart at 1:45pm. Flighty shows an arrival delay probability of nearly 60% (30+ minutes) for this route, so I’m already mentally preparing for a late departure.
Right on cue, Flighty notifies me that departure has been pushed back by 15 minutes. In reality, we don’t take off until 2:30pm. The aircraft is completely full—and apparently overbooked, something the crew only realizes once boarding is already underway. By the time we finally take off, the delay has grown to 45 minutes.
The flight itself is, frankly, quite nerve-racking. All 16 Business Class seats are occupied, and there are six lap infants—who loudly take over the aisle. Without noise-canceling headphones, this would have been miserable.
I pass the time by eating, listening to an audiobook, and trying not to be distracted too much by the chaos happening around me.
We arrive in Dubai around 7:35pm. I take the train to the arrivals hall and then to immigration. Since I need to register my new passport, it takes nearly an hour to get through—very long lines.
I wait about five minutes for the shuttle to the Hampton Airport hotel. Traffic is chaotic, and it takes 35 minutes to reach the hotel, even though it’s only about 3 km from the airport.
The hotel is very much a typical Hampton. I receive an upgrade to a standard room with a couch, quickly check out the pool, and then head straight to bed.
Sorry, Ulli—no dancing through the night in Dubai today. 😉 Tomorrow morning, it’s already time to head back again via CAI to AMM.