As the region busies itself with winter visitors, iconic sporting events, UAE National Day and the upcoming festive season, Emirates is highlighting a busy travel period for both inbound and outbound travel through Dubai for the next month, and recommending passengers arrive to the airport 3 hours in advance of their flight, as well as taking advantage of multiple services that enhance seamless travel.
From the 19th of November onwards, Dubai will begin to see a surge in inbound traffic, including visitors for the myriad of winter events like those attending the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, travellers headed to Doha for football matches, and those arriving for the Emirates Dubai 7s which is set to welcome 5,500 athletes from 32 countries. UAE National Day will also see a high level of outbound travel as UAE residents enjoy the long weekend, and from December 16 onwards, Emirates is expecting the seasonal super outbound peak for the festive period.
In addition to arriving to the airport up to 3 hours before a flight, passengers are advised to take advantage of digital check-in, home and remote check-in options, smart gates and handy luggage drop services.
Plan everything on the Emirates App
Passengers are encouraged todownload the Emirates app on their mobile phone to get all their flight details at their fingertips. Users can book and change flights, download a digital boarding pass for most destinations, check what meals will be served onboard, book their chauffeur drive service and even pre-select and plan movies to watch via the ice inflight entertainment.
Check in online, or remotely in Ajman
All passengers can check-in online 48 hours ahead of their flight using the online check-in option on www.emirates.com. In a few clicks, they can select a seat and preferred meal, and take advantage of any last-minute upgrade options. At the airport, it’s easy to drop bags at the dedicated baggage drop desks and download a digital boarding pass.
Those starting their journeys from Ajman can also take advantage of a 24‑hour City Check‑in at Ajman Central Bus Terminal. Passengers can check in up to 4 hours before the flight departs, present health documents, check in baggage and collect boarding passes, buy a bus ticket for AED 20 and head directly to Emirates Terminal 3, with regular bus departures throughout the day from 4am to 11.30pm. Upon arrival at the airport, travellers can simply continue through to their flight.
Sort your luggage out in advance or check in from home
An excellent and complimentary option – especially for families travelling with children – is to drop luggage the night before travel. Passengers who are departing from Dubai can check-in early and drop off their bags to the airport 24 hours before departure, or 12 hours before departure if flying to the US or Tel Aviv, and then arrive to the airport and proceed directly to immigration.
Making travel swift and smooth, Emirates also offers a home check-in service in Dubai and Sharjah, fulfilled by DUBZ. DUBZ agents complete the check-in process in the customer’s home, hotel, or office, and take the bags to the flight while customers are free to breeze through the airport later. Book and pay for the service at least 24 hours before the flight and passengers can proceed to the Airport check-in up to six hours before the flight departs.
Self Check-in kiosks at the airport
A quick and easy option once at the airport are the self check-in kiosks. Travellers can follow the steps on the touchscreen kiosk and complete the check-in process or operate the kiosk without touch using a mobile phone. It’s possible to view the travel itinerary, choose a preferred seat and add Emirates Skywards numbers, and if you’ve already checked in online, there is also an option to use the baggage drop area to check-in bags.
Get smart with Biometrics
For First and Business Class customers departing Dubai, the Smart Tunnel at Dubai International Airport is a world-first for passport control, whereby passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are cleared by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp. All it takes to register is a quick photo at check-in to capture facial data. Travellers can check-in, clear immigration, access the airport lounge in Concourse B, and board flights at selected gates purely by facial recognition or using their boarding pass.
Passengers can also register to use the Smart Gates at Emirates Terminal 3 and speed through Immigration every time they return to Dubai. If a UAE citizen or resident, passengers can use their passport, boarding pass or a valid UAE ID. Smart Gates can also be used by GCC national’s or a visa on arrival visitor with a biometric passport.
