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Home | Flying Emirates TOP TIPS Holiday Plans 2016

June 28, 2016 by monica 16 Comments

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS Holiday Plans 2016

A check list of my flying Emirates Top Tips before you book your hoildays

Most of us have flown many times before and we think we know it all, but there’s always something that comes to light through the booking process that I’d wish I’d known about earlier. That’s why I felt I should share my flying Emirates top tips with you. 

These flying Emirates top tips are based on my recent travels and booking arrangements, I never use a travel agent but do everything myself.

Flying Emirates Top Tips 

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

Hold your seats for 72 hours before you pay 

I often book my flights via an Emirates call centre as I love the fact you can hold your seats for a few days before you pay. This is especially useful if you are waiting to hear back from a hotel.

The second of my flying Emirates top tips is that it is CHEAPER to book on line, so now you can book online but just before you go through to the final pay screen, there is an option that asks if you’d like to hold your booking for 72 hours.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

The cost for saving 2 seats to London at AED 6000 was AED 150. The AED 150 is deducted from your bill if you go ahead with your booking within 72 hours. If you don’t go through, it will be charged regardless! I don’t think this facility is available for all destinations though. Check with the call centre to see if it’s available for your destination, then book on line to get the cheaper fares.

You can get the same person in an Emirates call centre to call you back

If you make a booking via the call centre and want to speak to the same person at a later date, they will call you back at a designated time. This is especially useful if you’re doing a complicated itinerary or you’re booking multi destinations for people travelling from different places. Many university kids start from and have to end up in London, so factor that into your holiday!

BUT they now no longer give you a booking reference or email you an itinerary if you’re just booking seats without paying for them. That’s really not helpful, so you cannot call and quote a booking reference and proceed or change your booking as before.

Virgin Dubai give you a booking reference as a matter of course even if you don’t immediately pay for your seats.  I have been dealing with the same person at Virgin for 3 years now! Well done Virgin.

Book yourself a bassinet seat for extra leg room but..

Be prepared to be shunted elsewhere if people travelling with an infant ask for that seat.

This is an important one of my flying Emirates top tips if that precious bit of extra leg room makes a difference to your travel and comfort. Bear in mind just because you have choosen to book a particular seat, even the bassinet ones, it can be taken away from you.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

Do you know if you’ve been moved to any old random seat before you fly? I don’t think you know till you get your boarding card, so keep checking that seat on line via your skywards log in. If you’re travelling with someone who has a gold card, then you’ll get some kind of priority.

Remember not ALL flights to London are A380’s yet.. 

I use flight guru to check the configuration of seats on any particular aircraft and then try and get the best ones I can, but remember to check the right model of aircraft. Not all Emirates flights to the UK are A380s yet. I travelled in May 2016 to Heathrow at 11.30 am on a 777. That was a very convenient time, but the compromise was the flying of the older 777, not the A380’s. This may have changed now.

Get access to airport lounges without having a gold card or business ticket 

If you have an Emirates NBD credit card then I suggest you sign in to Lounge Key. It’s a free service and gives you access to certain lounges in many different airports. No you can’t get into the Emirates lounge though.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

The lounge offered here in Dubai is a bit dark but there is free food and restaurant style seating. The corresponding lounge at London’s Heathrow is gorgeous! I used it for the first time in December 2015. Complimentary food is served whilst soft drinks, tea and coffee are also complimentary. WiFi is free and it’s a really comfortable spot. Finding it was a bit of a challenge though!

I suggest you ask where the special lounges are that you access by credit cards. I think American Express and Diners Club also work. It’s not far from the Emirates lounge at Heathrow, but it really isn’t that obvious to find.

Don’t dismiss Qantas it’s really good

Most of us know Emirates and Qantas have a codeshare arrangement so that means you could book an Emirates flight and actually travel on a Qantas flight and vice versa.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

I travelled Qantas (by choice) for the 1st time in December 2015 on a Monday from Heathrow to Dubai and LOVED it. The economy seat pitches I felt were a tiny bit wider. My Asian vegetarian meal was excellent with more than enough room on my meal tray for everything. The wine was very good, even the quality of the pillowcase for the little headrest pillows was really good. So don’t dismiss a slot because Qantas is flying it.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

Which days are best to travel on

I would opt for week days if you can, with a Sunday and Wednesday configuration if possible. Saturdays seem to be the worst days to travel, especially from London.

Cheaper ways to fly business class to the UK 

Consider flying to a different destination in the UK that’s not too far from your original choice. So for example go to Birmingham instead of Heathrow, you may get an email offering an upgrade for AED 2000 if there is availability. This is an affordable option for those special occasions or surprises! Moreover the availability overall is usually better.

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

The Virgin train service from Birmingham to Euston is UK pounds 17.00 one way. 

Checking in with Emirates 

You can check in on line, but if you opt to check in at the airport, gold card holders and their companion travellers can all check in at the Business check in any country. You used to be able to do so with an Emirates silver card, that’s no longer the case!

Did you know you can now book yourself a VEGAN and or GLUTEN FREE meal on Emirates? But these may be the same as the Asian vegetarian meals!

Flying Emirates TOP TIPS DoinDubai

The last Asian vegetarian meal I had on Emirates economy left a a lot to be desired. See the video above.

Do you have any flying Emirates top tips to add?

WIN a dinner for 2 

Share your TOP TIPS for travelling on any airline this summer in a comment below, there’ll be a prize of dinner for 2 for the best one!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Stay safe and see you back at the end of August for more Dubai Food News.

Follow on Instagram/Facebook and Twitter if you want to see updates from London and Bali!   Maybe hear of even more flying Emirates Top Tips

[maxbutton id=”20″][maxbutton id=”19″]

 

4th October 2016 And the WINNER IS 

Gerda van Vuuren ! Well done Gerda, a brunch for 2 at a new Italian cafe in DIFC is on it’s way to you now!

Sorry this prize was announced and awarded a little later than anticipated! Eid holiday followed by Islamic New Year left us a little behind with our schedule! New prizes and competitions all lined up for the autumn season so keep watching the site.

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Filed Under: Competition 1, GIVE AWAYS, TRAVELLING Tagged With: Dubai Travel, Emirates, Go Visit, Travel Tips

Comments

  1. Monica says

    October 4, 2016 at 9:41 am

    Terribly Sorry about that Rendell, this hasn’t happened before, please accept our apologies, the winner has now been announced, delays due to Eid holiday and Islamic New Year soon after, all good now and more competitions prizes lined up so do enter again for another chance.

    Best regards

    Monica.

  2. Rendell says

    October 3, 2016 at 5:23 am

    Hey Monica,

    No winners yet for this competition??
    By the way i dont see my name here after i put in my comment for the best tip…

  3. Monica says

    September 23, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Hi Josephine, going to announce winners on Sunday, left it a bit longer due to the Eid holiday

    regards Monica

  4. Josephine Steery says

    September 22, 2016 at 6:17 am

    Hi Monica

    Any winners announced for this post??

  5. Karl Agnelo says

    September 4, 2016 at 5:25 am

    IF you dont like turbulence on aircraft, it is best to choose a seat in the middle of the plane or on the wing area as that is the least turbulence affected areas of the aircraft.

  6. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    August 22, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    Book a special meal – I usually go for lacto/ovo vegetarian (don’t tick vegetarian or you’ll get vegan) as you will be served first before everyone else. If you love desserts and sweet things, avoid this particular option though – all airlines assume that vegetarians are very healthy!

  7. Monica says

    August 5, 2016 at 11:24 am

    That’s a very good point! thanks for commenting warmest regards and safe travels Monica

  8. Gerda van Vuuren says

    July 12, 2016 at 8:04 am

    Remember to leave a copy of your flight & passport / travel docs with a trusted friend just in case of loss / theft.

  9. Monica says

    June 30, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Yes always a good idea, thanks Monica

  10. Monica says

    June 30, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Good Tip! Thanks Monica

  11. Monica says

    June 30, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Thanks for pointing that one out! Regards Monica

  12. Monica says

    June 30, 2016 at 8:26 am

    Thanks, post all corrected now! Happy Holidays Monica

  13. Clarinda Campos says

    June 30, 2016 at 6:01 am

    When checking in your luggage, tell the staff at the check in counter that there are glass products or fragile products in the luggage and so they will put the FRAGILE sticker on the bag so that the luggage is handled carefully after it is checked into the airport by the airport staff who handles the luggage to the cargo of the plane

  14. Karl Aranha says

    June 30, 2016 at 5:27 am

    If travelling together with spouse or friend and the flight is not completely full then book one window seat and one aisle seat in the same row so that there is a less chance for another passenger to be booked in the middle seat and so you can enjoy the full row to relax your legs during the flight.

  15. Lesley says

    June 29, 2016 at 6:14 pm

    Qantas does not have a u in it

  16. Liz says

    June 29, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    Qantas doesn’t have a ‘u’ in it!
    It is spelt QANTAS.

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