Dubai Connect, how to take a free vacation to Dubai on Emirates' dime
When we tried all of Emirates' first class in June with Marika, we didn't miss a thing, to [...]
Emirates
DXB
United Arab Emirates
When in June with Marika we tried all of Emirates' first class we didn't miss anything, starting with the opportunity to stay for free in Dubai completely at the airline's expense taking advantage of a service called Dubai Connect.
What is Dubai Connect
In this article:
Emirates offers travelers with a long stop over in Dubai a free hotel stay, free meals, transportation to and from the airport, as well as a free visa if your nationality requires it to enter the UAE, not for Italian and European travelers who enter without any problem.
Other airlines also have a similar proposition: Oman Air offers it in Muscat, Qatar in Doha, and Etihad in Abu Dhabi, but the difference with these airlines is that EK offers the service free of charge to all passengers in any class of travel.
In what cases can you apply for Dubai Connect
If it were an Italian company offering something like this one would have to read the fine print with a magnifying glass, but instead the Dubai carrier puts a few simple clauses:
- At least one passenger must be of legal age
- You must have a stopover, with a connection between 10 and 24 hours-or between 8 and 26 hours if the ticket was bought after October 11, 2022.
- Applies to all passengers, in the different cabins: First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy.
- Can be applied for both traditional and premium tickets
- The stopover time in Dubai between the two flights should be the shortest available.
- Both inbound and outbound flights to and from Dubai must be Emirates flights (marketed by Qantas or Emirates) or Qantas flights (marketed by Emirates or Qantas).
- Flights marketed by Emirates, operated by flyDubai, are eligible for Dubai Connect if they arrive and depart from Terminal 3.
- Codeshare flights other than EK5000 and QF8000 are not eligible. The offer is not available on flights with other airlines and/or where Emirates is only the commercial carrier.
- The itinerary must be a single reservation issued on a single ticket.
The stopover time in Dubai between the two flights should be the shortest available, what does that mean
After publishing this article, many people wrote to us asking for clarification regarding the meaning of this postscript. The meaning is that Emirates offers this service to compensate for the inconvenience of a long wait, however, if it is the passenger who chooses a different connection than the shorter one then there is no inconvenience, and therefore EK does not offer this option.
A practical example above for a Milan/Bali flight. If you opt for option 2, in this case there is also no fare difference, you will not be entitled to the service, you will be able to leave the airport independently, but do not request Dubai Connect.
How to book the service
In our case, we arrived from Tokyo at 7 a.m. local time and were departing Dubai toward Muscat at 2 a.m. the following morning. The service must be booked within 24 hours of flight departure and is extended to all members of the reservation. Passengers can opt for one room per passenger or one room for multiple guests.
Of course, one must be in good standing with residence permits, visas and any other bureaucratic formalities. If the reservation is eligible for the service it will be possible to do everything independently directly from the EK website.
After booking your flight, you can start managing your reservation on the Emirates website.
Different fields must be filled in and preferences set.
What transit hotels are available
Emirates decides where travelers will stay who use the Dubai Connect program. Currently, the terms and conditions say accommodations will be provided at Copthorne Hotel Dubai, Le Méridien Airport Hotel Dubai, JW Marriott Marquis-or another hotel chosen at Emirates' discretion.
How Dubai Connect works
When completing check-in at the departure airport, in addition to the airline tickets, Dubai Connect service vouchers are handed out, and the passenger is also asked if they would prefer to retrieve their suitcase in Dubai or send it directly to their destination.
Upon landing in Dubai, the next step is going through customs. If you are flying business or first there are dedicated lanes to skip the possible queue. If you have opted to pick up your luggage you will have to look for the belt and (probably) your suitcase will already be on its way.
When you reach the T3 exit, you need to follow the signs for Chaffeur Service.
There is a small arrival lounge here with seats and two desks for arriving passengers who have booked private car service, a service offered free of charge to all business and first-class travelers with a paid ticket and those who have booked Dubai Connect.
You show up at the desk, hand in your voucher and are given a little number, like in the bakery.
You are directed to the exit and hand your coupon to an attendant outside the terminal.
Depending on the type of ticket you will have a different level of car. At the moment, First Class passengers are taken in BMW 7 Series, while other passengers are given BMW 5 Series or Mercedes C Class.
You board and are taken to your assigned hotel.
There are actual check-in desks in the hotels for Emirates guests; you do not check in at the regular desks.
Obviously even if you have the status, the stay does not count toward the level, it does not accumulate points or anything else. In my case, being a Titanium Elite Marriott, I was qualified for the hotel lounge membership.
At the time chosen by the traveler, a new car arrives to pick up the passenger and take him or her back to the airport.
In conclusion
The Emirates Dubai Connect program. Is an easy and inexpensive way to take advantage of a long layover in Dubai. Rather than staying 10 hours in the airport you are taken to a hotel, can take a tour of Dubai, eat in a real restaurant, and then return to the airport refreshed and rested ready for the second part of the trip.
