Emirates is to begin offering a free hotel stay to any passenger with a layover in Dubai for between 10 and 24 hours. The benefits will be open to any passenger ticking the box, regardless of whether they have paid thousands for first class or hundreds for an economy ticket.
It is not unusual for airlines to try and entice people to stopover where they are connecting. Indeed, the stopover is a massive offering from the airline Icelandair. It allows passengers to explore Iceland for the price of a connecting ticket between Europe and America, despite the journey break.
Your hotel stay will be free
Emirates is now providing an alternative to sitting in the airport, for passengers with a layover of ten to 24 hours. The offer is live for any passenger traveling from December 1st, regardless of their travel class and whether their booking is new or existing.
Stay informed: Sign up for our daily aviation news digest.
The only criteria are that the best connection time available to the passenger ticks the right box. That means you won’t be eligible if you have a nine-hour connection booked, but a flight also leaves to your destination with a four-hour connection. As such, passengers bound for London will find it harder to benefit, as there is only one eligible window each day between the 14:30 flight and the 03:10 flight the next day.
The airline is offering a one night stay in a four or five-star hotel. However, there’s more to the deal on offer. Eligible passengers will also benefit from airport transfers, meals at the hotel, and even a UAE visa on arrival where it is required.
However, some may not be able to leave Dubai Airport for a range of reasons. For example, a passenger will not be eligible if they arrive in Dubai without a negative PCR test certificate. Emirates states, “
Emirates ensures all its customers are well catered for.”
In this case, as the airline is unable to offer the hotel access, they will be gifted access to the Emirates lounge in Dubai to make the stopover that bit more comfortable and enjoyable. The program is administered through the Emirates website.
Many connections on offer
With a vast network back in operation, Emirates can offer a comprehensive network through connecting flights that may not currently benefit from direct flights. While most flights are now operated by the Boeing 777, some of these destinations are even benefiting from the Airbus A380.
Indeed, Emirates is set to fly the Airbus A380 to London four times per day from later this month. Next summer, Emirates hopes to operate its full network, even if some flights run at a reduced capacity.
Would you take Emirates up on their free hotel offer? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!
