Tag Archives: Emirates

With the commencement of the Hajj season and upcoming Eid Al Adha celebrations, Emirates is layering on additional flights to key regional destinations to meet significant travel demand during this special period. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifts all Hajj travel restrictions for the first time in three years, Emirates has deployed additional flights for pilgrims to embark on their journey to and from the Holy City of Makkah. Ten flights have been added to and from Jeddah. All flights will be operated on Boeing 777 aircraft dedicated for Hajj pilgrims until 7 July. The Hajj flights to Jeddah will run in parallel to Emirates’ existing schedule to the Kingdom and are open to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa and, if above the age of 12, have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Medina will also be served with daily flights during this time. This year, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah anticipates 2.6 million pilgrims, reaching pre-pandemic numbers and the additional flights aim to help seamlessly carry pilgrims. Emirates has already seen strong bookings for Hajj travel from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Mauritius and South Africa. Gearing up for a busy travel period for Eid Al Adha, Emirates has deployed an additional 34 flights to popular destinations across the region. With an estimated 78,000 people from across the region expected to travel with Emirates during the Eid Al Adha six-day break, the additional flights will facilitate passengers traveling home to celebrate with their family and friends. For passengers traveling to the Levant, Emirates has added ten flights to Amman from 21 to 30 June, and ten additional flights to Beirut from 20 to …

Emirates recommends passengers take time to plan their travel journey this June and July, as departure numbers peak significantly just before Eid al Adha on 24 June, and again on the 1 July as many families set off on summer holidays. With more than 80,000 passengers expected to depart Dubai on busy days – Emirates advises passengers to arrive to the airport up to 3 hours before a flight, take note of their boarding time to ensure they reach the departure gate on time, and take advantage of multiple check-in and baggage drop options to reduce time at the airport. Passengers are encouraged to download the Emirates app on their mobile phone and are reminded that when departing from Dubai – boarding passes are now issued in digital format on the app, or by email when passengers check in online via Emirates.com. Both options allow customers to book and change flights, download a digital boarding pass for most destinations, check what meals will be served onboard, book a chauffeur drive service and even pre-select and plan movies to watch via ice inflight entertainment. Online check in and app check in are both open 48 hours ahead of flight departure time. To save time, Emirates passengers can drop off luggage at the airport the night before travel at no charge. Passengers who are departing from Dubai can check-in early and drop off their bags 24 hours before departure, or 12 hours before departure if flying to the US or Tel Aviv. Then closer to departure time, they can arrive to the airport and proceed directly to immigration. For a slick start to summer travels, passengers can try the brand-new City Check‑in …

Emirates announced  that premium economy offering will be available to and from Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting 29 October. Emirates will operate its newly retrofitted flagship A380 aircraft to these two popular Indian points, featuring the new premium economy seats, as well as refreshed interiors that provide an elevated experience in all other cabin classes. Travellers flying on the Dubai-Mumbai route can book Emirates’ Premium Economy seats on EK500/501, while customers flying between Dubai and Bengaluru can book their flights on EK568/569 to enjoy the industry’s latest premium economy product with luxurious seats, more legroom, and an elevated dining experience. Seats can be booked immediately via emirates.com, Emirates sales offices and travel agencies, for travel from 29 October. Emirates’ daily flights offering the Premium Economy experience to/ from Bengaluru and Mumbai will operate as follows: Dates Flight Departure  Arrival Aircraft type From 29 October EK500 (DXB/BOM) 21:50 02:15 (next day) A380 EK568 (DXB/BLR) 21:25 02:30 (next day) From 30 October EK501 (BOM/DXB) 04:15 06:05 EK569 (BLR/DXB) 04:30 07:10 *All times are local. As the roll out of the retrofitted and enhanced Emirates A380s featuring a four-class configuration picks up pace, Premium Economy will be deployed on flights to more global destinations. Premium Economy already features on flights to nine destinations globally, including US points New York JFK, San Francisco and Houston, in addition to London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne and Singapore. Premium Economy cabins will also make their debut to Los Angeles in July, bringing the number of routes offering the distinctive product to 12 by the end of 2023. In addition to the introduction of Premium Economy on the retrofitted aircraft, customers across all cabins can enjoy the refreshed …

Emirates and Kenya Airways (KQ) have announced an interline partnership that will allow customers of both airlines access to new destinations on the two airlines’ networks within a single itinerary. The agreement will provide customers with increased travel options as well as seamless baggage check-in to their final destination. Emirates customers will now be able to fly to 28 destinations on the Kenya Airways network using Nairobi as the gateway to destinations such as Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbara, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar, among many other regional points across Africa. Additionally, as part of a bilateral interline arrangement, Emirates passengers travelling via Dubai can also book a single ticket itinerary from or to Mombasa, one of the most popular leisure destinations in Kenya. Similarly, Kenya Airways passengers travelling from Nairobi and Mombasa will now be able to access the Emirates’ network and seamlessly connect through Dubai to 23 destinations across West and South Asia, the Far East, the Indian Ocean and Middle East such as Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Ahmedabad, Beirut, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Seoul among others. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We are pleased to ink our first partnership with Kenya’s flag carrier. Kenya is a strategic gateway in our Africa network, and this new interline agreement will enhance connectivity for Emirates’ customers and provide them more travel choices across the continent. We look forward to deepening our relationship with Kenya Airways, offering greater network opportunities and improving connections for both of our customers.” Speaking on the agreement Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Kenya Airways said, “This partnership will provide the ideal gateway for our customers as we seek to increase our connectivity between Africa …

Emirates has announced an exciting new offer for travellers planning to visit Dubai this summer. Starting from 22 May to 11 June 2023, people who purchase an Emirates return ticket in First Class or Business Class to or stopping over in Dubai, will be able to enjoy a complimentary two night stay at 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central. While those travelling in Premium Economy Class or Economy Class can enjoy a complimentary one night stay at Novotel World Trade Centre, Dubai.* This special offer is valid for all return tickets to or stopping over in Dubai for more than 24 hours, for travel dates between 26 May 2023 and 31 August 2023. The offer is available on bookings made on emirates.com, Emirates call centre or ticket offices, and via participating travel agents, made at least 96 hours in advance of passengers’ arrival. Based right next to Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future, the 5* 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central draws inspiration from traditional Bedouin culture and design, but with a modernised twist. Lose yourself in a culinary experience from North Indian Cuisines to Bavarian beer across the five amazing in-house restaurant and bars all over the hotel. If you’re looking to relax, travellers can unwind in the Extra Hour Spa, a unique, rooftop sauna that overlooks the stunning city of Dubai. Located within the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DWTC), Novotel World Trade Centre, Dubai, gives off a luxurious yet homely vibe right in the heart of the city. Relax by the pool and enjoy signature cocktails and light meals from Chills Pool Bar, and cap your adventure off with listening to a live music performance at the soul …

A recent enhancement to Emirates’ inflight connectivity means that all Emirates passengers in every class of travel can enjoy some form of free connectivity once they sign up to Emirates Skywards. The development has resulted in an additional 30,000 Economy Class passengers connecting to complimentary onboard Wi-Fi every week. Emirates has constantly been at the forefront of inflight Wi-Fi developments and has to date invested more than US$ 300 million dollars into onboard connectivity. All Emirates Skywards members in every class of travel can now enjoy some form of free connectivity. Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, travelling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class will enjoy free app messaging. Additionally, First Class passengers will have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members, enabling them to shop or work online while inflight, as will Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members travelling in Business Class. Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes. The increase in free connectivity has been very well received by Emirates’ passengers following changes in January 2023 and the airline today sees an average of 450,000 users per month. This represents a 30% increase of passenger use in 2023 versus the same period last year. Currently almost 10% of all passengers are utilising the complimentary onboard Wi-Fi. On routes through the Americas, almost 20% of passengers connect to Wi-Fi onboard, and on European and Africa routes the usage is over 11% of all passengers. Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity commented: “Emirates has persistently worked with our service providers to optimise and improve the connectivity experience. In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer …

Taking a step forward in its drive to offer customers the convenience and assurance of digitally enabled travel journeys, Emirates will require most passengers departing Dubai to use a mobile boarding pass instead of a printed paper version, from 15 May onwards. Passengers checking in at Terminal 3 will receive their mobile boarding pass via email or SMS. Passengers who check in online can load their boarding pass into their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or retrieve their boarding pass on the user-friendly Emirates App. The checked-in baggage receipt is also emailed directly to passengers, or available in the Emirates App. This initiative will significantly reduce paper waste while simultaneously offering a convenient and speedy digitised check in experience for passengers departing Dubai. It reduces the risk of lost or misplaced boarding passes, giving passengers peace of mind when travelling. The mobile boarding pass can be used throughout the travel journey – in Dubai Duty Free, at security and for boarding, simply by showing the boarding pass on the phone. Emirates agents and airport staff will simply scan the QR code on the mobile boarding pass as passengers move through the airport and onto the aircraft. Some passengers may still require a physical boarding pass to be printed – for instance when travelling with infants, unaccompanied minors, passengers requiring special assistance, passengers with onwards flights on other airlines, and all passengers travelling on flights to the US. The option to print a boarding pass is available by request to Emirates agents at check-in counters, if passengers do not have a mobile device, or if they are unable to access the information on their devices for reasons such as: running out …

Emirates successfully wrapped up its participation at the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), welcoming over 16,000 visitors to its stand, hosting over 300 meetings to strengthen business relationships, and forging collaborative partnerships with tourism organisations from across its network. The huge turnout of visitors, who experienced the airline’s products across every class, is yet another demonstration of its highly sought after experiences, as the industry continues to make a huge comeback. The airline once again featured its full suite of on-board experiences, including its highly popular, Premium Economy Class, Boeing 777-300ER Game-Changer First Class fully enclosed private suites, Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the newest generation A380 OnBoard lounge, along with other iconic products such the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of its A380 Economy Class seats. The airline also showcased its many sustainability initiatives happening across the business. Its AI Gallery produced 800 personalised pieces of inspirational travel artwork. Continuing its strong focus on close collaboration and meaningful partnerships with tourism entities and airlines to unlock growth and offer travellers more options, the airline inked agreements with eight tourism boards, including Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Moroccan National Tourism Office, Tourism Authority of Zimbabwe, Tourism Seychelles, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority and Zambia Tourism. All of the partnership agreements are focused on boosting tourist arrivals to each country and capitalising on developing incremental demand for air travel. Emirates also signed an MoU with Etihad Airways to provide travellers additional itinerary options when visiting the UAE, with the aim of boosting tourism from key source markets by enabling visitors to …

Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their interline agreement and provide travellers additional itinerary options when visiting the UAE. This first of its kind agreement between the two UAE carriers aims to capitalise on opportunities to boost tourism to the UAE from key source markets by enabling visitors to experience more than one destination in a single itinerary. This summer, customers of each airline will be able to purchase a single ticket to fly into either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with a seamless return via the other airport. The new agreement also provides travellers planning to explore the UAE with the flexibility of one-stop ticketing for their full journey and convenient baggage check-in. In the initial stages of the expanded interline, each carrier will focus on attracting visitors to the UAE by developing inbound interline traffic from select points in Europe and China. The ‘open jaw’ arrangement will allow visitors to cover as much ground as possible when exploring Abu Dhabi, Dubai or any other emirate, saving time by removing the need to fly home via their arrival airport. Customers travelling into the UAE also have the option of ‘multi-city flights’, with the choice to travel from one city on both carriers’ networks, and conveniently returning to another point served by either Emirates or Etihad. The MoU was signed at Arabian Travel Market by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Airways, in the presence of Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, and Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad CEO, along with other senior representatives. Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “We are pleased to be working …

Emirates has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Arabian Travel Market 2023 in Dubai with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to the island-nations and outline key joint initiatives to promote trade and tourism. Emirates has pledged its renewed support to promoting tourism in Sri Lanka with an agreement that includes a host of initiatives designed to promote and play a key role in the revival of the nation’s tourism and trade industries, and comes as part of the airline’s long-standing commitment to Sri Lanka which now spans 37 years. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and K.P.P. Siriwardana, Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, in the presence of Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. Signalling the deepening of a strategic cooperation between Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism forged in 2022, the new MoU details joint initiatives and opportunities for collaboration, including developing  programmes to boost tourism to the Indian Ocean nation by showcasing it to customers across its global network. The airline will also engage with its network of agents in key strategic markets to promote Sri Lanka, develop special packages tailored to new and existing traveller segments, in addition to collaborating on joint familiarisation trips to raise awareness of the destination’s many varied offerings in key feeder markets. Emirates launched its services to Sri Lanka in 1986 and since then has carried more than 11 million passengers on the route. The airline currently provides two direct daily flights to Colombo and an additional daily service via Male. It is also the only international carrier to serve the country …