Tag Archives: Emirates

Emirates commenced trials of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass– a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. The first passengers travelling from Dubai to Barcelona on EK 185 trialled the ‘digital passport’ to verify and share their pre-travel COVID-19 test status with Emirates. The trials are a step towards making travel more convenient, enabling travellers to manage COVID-19 related documentation digitally, safely and seamlessly throughout the travel experience. In the future, travellers will also be able to share vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said, “The ability to process passengers’ COVID-19 relevant data for travel digitally will be the way forward. We are pleased to have been pioneers and partner with IATA in trialling this initiative in real time and soon will be launching other initiatives to further enhance our customer experience.” The trial is being done on selected Emirates flights from Dubai to Barcelona and London Heathrow to Dubai; and will soon be expanded to include other routes. Eligible passengers are being personally invited to download the app and enrol for the digital travel pass ahead of their travels. In Dubai, Emirates has partnered with select Prime Health Care labs which are authorised to securely send test results to passengers via the app. Those travelling from the UK, can get their test done at select Screen4 labs. The IATA Travel Pass app will have an integrated registry of travel requirements to enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of their itinerary. Eventually …

Emirates has announced the latest updates to its already generous booking policies, offering customers even more confidence and flexibility to make their travel plans. Customers holding tickets issued before 30 September 2020 for travel before 31 December 2021, can now rebook to travel anytime within 36 months, an extension of 12 months from the previous policy. Those holding tickets issued after 01 October 2020 for travel before 31 December 2021, can utilise their tickets anytime within 24 months. Fees for reissuing any ticket will be waived, and vouchers or unused portions of Emirates tickets may be refunded without penalty. Customers who hold tickets issued directly by Emirates, whether via emirates.com or the airline’s retail and contact centres, do not have to contact Emirates as the tickets are automatically extended. Customers who purchased their tickets via a travel agent will need to contact their agent before the expiry date to reissue their tickets.

Emirates airline has announced it will resume four-weekly services to Orlando from 2nd June 2021, further expanding its US network, and offering customers worldwide more travel choices and enhanced connectivity via Dubai. With the addition of Orlando, Emirates will be serving over 60 weekly services to and from 11 US destinations including Boston, New York (JFK), Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Newark (in June), reaffirming the airline’s ongoing commitment to this growing market and offering a convenient connection to travellers headed from and towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa via Dubai. Emirates customers also have seamless access to other US cities via the airline’s codeshare agreements with Jetblue and Alaskan Airlines. Flights to/from Orlando will operate four times weekly on Emirates’ two-class Boeing 777-200LR, offering 38 lie-flat seats in Business and 264 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class. Emirates flight EK219 will depart Dubai at 08:55hrs, arriving in Orlando at 16:30hrs while the return flight EK220 will depart Orlando at 21:00 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 19:10hrs the next day.  

All flights of Emirates and Etihad have been moved from the Northern Gate to Terminal 1 at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah from Monday, March 29, 2021. The Kingdom’s aviation body said earlier this month that it will resume international travel and complete the opening of all airports from May 17, 2021. However, international flights coming in from the countries that the authority has suspended travel to and from due to Covid restrictions will not be allowed to fly into Saudi Arabia. In order to ease travel for passengers, the UAE airlines — including Emirates and Etihad — as well as other Gulf carriers are running trials of digital passports. The digital passport — a certification, verification and validation system — could be an advanced form of the UAE’s Al Hosn mobile app, with not just vaccination and Covid-19 test data, but also details like pre-travel eligibility requirements for the destination. It is expected to authenticate all country travel and health regulations, manage all documentation digitally and facilitate seamless travel.

Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to position Dubai as one of the first cities in the world to implement digital verification of traveller medical records related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The MoU was signed by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, and His Excellency Awadh Al Ketbi, Director General of Dubai Health Authority. Sheikh Ahmed said, “Dubai is a leading global air transport hub, as well as one of the world’s most progressive cities in the area of e-government services. It’s a natural step to combine our capabilities to implement digital verification of COVID-19 medical records, which will also enable contactless document verification at Dubai Airport. This will tremendously improve the traveller experience, as well as the reliability, efficiency and compliance with entry requirements imposed by destinations around the world.” He added, “Dubai will continue to lead the way in implementing effective and balanced approaches to contagion control while facilitating travel and air transport which are crucial to communities and economies.”

Emirates and TAP Air Portugal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the codeshare partnership currently in place between both airlines. The new agreement will see customers of both airlines benefit from seamless connectivity on many new routes across the Americas, North Africa and East Asia. Emirates and TAP Air Portugal will also explore ways to enhance the co-operation on their respective frequent flyer programmes including reciprocal earning and redemption opportunities and popular benefits such as lounge access. In addition, both airlines plan on supporting each other’s stopover programmes in Dubai and Lisbon, with Emirates also supporting TAP Air Portugal as it looks at potential expansion opportunities in the UAE. Subject to required regulatory approvals, the expanded agreement is expected to come into effect from 01 May 2021, will provide customers with seamless booking, ticketing and travel benefits across 70 destinations on both airlines’ networks. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said, “Emirates and TAP Air Portugal have enjoyed a mutually successful codeshare partnership for the past eight years. We are delighted to expand this relationship and look forward to delivering even more benefits to our customers.” Arik De, TAP Air Portugal’s Chief Revenue & Network Officer said: “TAP Air Portugal is pleased to enhance our Emirates partnership, allowing our guests greater geographic access. We look forward to taking Emirates customers to more cities within Portugal, to our destinations in the Americas and North Africa, and for them to benefit from our Stopover Portugal program.”

Emirates has announced it will increase services to popular holiday destinations, Maldives and Seychelles, ahead of the Easter break. Starting March 28, the airline will offer customers 28 weekly flights to Male, and seven weekly flights to Mahe. The added services will meet market demand and offer customers greater flexibility, choice and connectivity while planning their travels this Easter holiday. Emirates currently offers customers 24 weekly flights to the Maldives, utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Starting from 28 March until 18 April, the airline will ramp up services to 28 flights a week – offering customers enhanced connectivity to the popular Indian Ocean destination, via Dubai. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, Emirates sales offices, or via travel agents. Experience world-class spa resorts, pristine beaches and explore stunning marine life in one of the world’s best diving destinations. All travellers to the Maldives, excluding Maldives citizens, must present a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result, conducted within 96 hours prior to departure. Travellers are also requested to complete the online Immigration and Health self‑declaration form within 24 hours prior to arrival. Starting from 28 March until 30 October 2021, Emirates’ flights from Dubai to Mahe will increase from five-times-a-week to seven-times-a-week, utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The announcement comes as the island-nation is set to re-open its borders for international travellers with no vaccination or quarantine requirements, starting 25 March. All travellers will still be required to present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure. Visitors to Seychelles will enjoy the island-nation’s lush, tropical forests, picturesque beaches and diverse marine life. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, Emirates sales offices, or via travel agents.

Emirates’ Economy Class customers can now enjoy even more personal space and privacy onboard with the ability to purchase up to three empty adjoining seats on their flight. These seats will be offered to all Economy Class customers holding a confirmed booking. Customers will not be able to pre-book empty seats, as these are subject to availability. Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in counter prior to flight departure, and costs range from AED 200 to AED 600 (US$ 55 to US$ 165) per empty seat, plus applicable taxes depending on flight sector. Emirates has introduced this new seat product on the back of customer feedback, addressing the needs of a range of customers seeking extra privacy and space while still flying in Economy Class. This includes couples who wish to have the entire row to themselves (maximum of three seats in the same row), parents travelling with in-lap infants, or those who simply want the added assurance of more space while travelling during pandemic times.  

Emirates announced that the flights to South Africa will remain suspended until March 10 2021, in line with recent government directives that restrict the entry of travellers originating from South Africa, into the UAE. They reiterated that customers holding tickets with final destinations in South Africa will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin. Emirates’ regrets any inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their travel agent or Emirates contact centre for rebooking options. To receive update notifications, customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking. Emirates remains committed to serving our customers in South Africa, and look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow. They stated that they continue to work closely with all relevant authorities in this regard, and will endeavour to provide their customers with as much support and notice as possible.

Emirates announced that in line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until February 28, 2021.Customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date. Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai). Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule.   We regret the inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their booking agent or contact the Emirates Call Centre for rebooking. In order to receive update notifications, customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking. In another announcement by Emirates stated Flights to Sao Paulo: Emirates will resume passenger services from Dubai to Sao Paulo with flight EK 261 on 11 Feb 2021. Customers with Sao Paulo as their destination will be accepted for travel from this date. However, Flights from Sao Paulo: Passenger services from Sao Paulo to Dubai will remain suspended until 28 Feb 2021. Customers from Sao Paulo will not be accepted for travel prior to this date. Emirates regret the inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their booking agent or contact the Emirates Call Centre for rebooking.