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29 March 2024

Holiday Rush: Get to Dubai airport early

Published
By Staff

Travel is expected to reach an all-time high at the end of this week for Emirates, as the airline expects yet another busy period with visitors flocking into Dubai for New Year’s celebrations and the upcoming Dubai Shopping Festival.

Excluding transit passengers, over 174,000 people are expected to arrive into Dubai from December 28, until just after New Year’s Day. 

In addition, more than 103,000 travellers will be making their way to Emirates’ dedicated Terminal 3 facilities in just the three days between January 2 - 4, 2016, to depart Dubai.

The busiest day to the start of 2016 is expected to be on Saturday January 2.

Mohammed H. Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services said: “With another record breaking week coming up, we want to ensure that passing through the airport is as stress-free as possible. During the upcoming busy travel period, passengers should provide plenty of time for airport check-in and security screening, and factor in more time into their travel plans to ensure they arrive to their gates on time.” 

Emirates reminds customers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before their flight departs, and factor in extra time to arrive to the airport in case they experience heavy road traffic heading to Terminal 3. Check-in counters open 6 hours before departure however passengers can check-in from 24 hours to 6 hours before departure at the car park check-in area. All passengers must be present at the time of check-in. Customers are also urged to check-in online and then use the convenient baggage drop facilities to expedite their airport experience. Those checking in online are required to check in their luggage no later than 90 minutes prior to departure. Customers holding an e-boarding pass and travelling with carry-on bags only, can proceed directly to passport control and security clearance. 

Customers who check-in less than 60 minutes to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted. These time checks will ensure the minimization of delays and missed connections.

For families, Emirates has designated special areas for families consisting of 10 economy check-in counters in Terminal 3 at Area 2, which are designed with their needs in mind. Additionally, special stroller services both upon departure and arrival enable parents access to prams when heading to their gate and immediately upon leaving the aircraft. Families travelling on Emirates can also enjoy priority boarding to ensure a seamless experience all the way to departure. In the Emirates Dubai lounges, special children’s play and entertainment areas with arcade quality games ensure that they are entertained even before boarding their Emirates flight. 

Passengers are also urged to check the permitted list of carry-on and checked-in items for safe travel this holiday season. Spare lithium batteries used for electronic devices such as cameras, mobiles phones and laptops as well as hoverboards are restricted from checked-in baggage. Passengers also need to make sure that liquids, gels and aerosols, pastes, lotions, creams, drinks and other items must be in containers with a capacity not exceeding 100ml in carry-on baggage. 

Customers travelling to the United States, Canada and the UK are reminded to charge their electronic devices before arriving at the airport, as they will be required to switch on these devices on at the relevant boarding gates where screenings will take place, or risk being denied access to fly. 

Key time checks for Emirates passengers: 

·         Emirates check-in counters are open 6 hours before flight departure

·         Car park check-in is available from 24 hours to 6 hours before departure

·         Check in no later than 90 minutes prior to departure, regardless of class of travel

·         Customers who have checked in online are also required to check in their luggage 90 minutes before flight departure

·         Customers are advised to go through security checks no later than 60 minutes before flight departure

·         Boarding on all flights begins 45 minutes prior to departure, and gates in all concourses close 20 minutes prior to departure