Which terminal, which metro stop, and when to leave the house.
The flagship: Emirates only, plus Qantas/flydubai codeshares. Own metro station (Airport Terminal 3, Red Line). Leave Marina ~90 min before bag-drop close; SZR traffic is the boss fight.
Most foreign airlines (Lufthansa, BA, Air India, PIA, etc.). Metro: Airport Terminal 1 (Red Line). The passport-control queue moves faster than it looks.
flydubai's home plus regional carriers. NO metro — taxi or bus only, budget 25 min from Downtown. The terminal everyone underestimates and then sprints through.
30–60 min from Dubai depending on traffic (leave buffer — Ittihad Road at rush hour is legendary). Often the cheapest fares to South Asia and the Gulf.
The future mega-hub, currently quiet: some charters and budget routes. 45 min from Downtown — verify your booking really says DWC before you drive there.
The free Dubai brief tracks airline deals and airport changes.