I recently departed from Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 1, on an Air India flight to Chennai (MAA). Since Terminal 1 does not offer dedicated fast-track gates for business-class passengers, I used the Marhaba meet-and-greet service provided as a benefit of the IndusInd Avios Credit Card for departures. Below is a concise, practical account of the service and my experience.
Service
Marhaba provides three meet-and-greet tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The IndusInd Avios Credit Card includes the Bronze package. This tier offers fast-track immigration access but does not include porter assistance. The Bronze service is shared, meaning one Marhaba representative may assist multiple travelers at the same time.
My Experience
A few hours before my flight I received a WhatsApp message with instructions to report to the Marhaba counter upon arrival at the terminal. When I reached the counter, an executive was already waiting to assist.
After a brief stop to complete a tax refund claim, the executive escorted me to the airline’s business-class check-in counter to collect my boarding pass. From there I was taken to Marhaba’s dedicated fast-track immigration lane.
The fast-track immigration lane appeared to be used by airport staff as well; I noticed a pilot just ahead of me. With only one person in front, I passed through immigration quickly. Next I was led to the fast-track security lane, which was also lightly used. A notable convenience at UAE airports is that laptops typically do not need to be removed from bags during screening.
The Marhaba representative explained that they could not accompany me beyond the security checkpoint and outlined the remaining steps. After security, passengers must take an internal train to reach the departure concourses, as DXB is a large and busy airport.
Using this service easily saved me 30–45 minutes compared with queuing in the regular lines or even using the smart gates. From the terminal entrance to airside, the process took roughly ten minutes, which is exceptionally fast for an international departure.
Bottomline
The IndusInd Avios Credit Card’s Marhaba meet-and-greet benefit is basic and not a fully end-to-end escort service, but it delivers significant time savings and a smoother experience through immigration and security. For departures from DXB Terminal 1, I would readily use it again.
Compared with arrivals, the meet-and-greet service at DXB seems to save more time during departures, though arrival services offer their own advantages. One lingering question: given Dubai’s reputation for advanced infrastructure, it is surprising that Terminal 1 lacks permanent fast-track gates for business-class travelers.