Dubai: Airlines in the UAE are offering cheaper fares to residents planning to travel abroad this summer. Some of the promotional fares can be used during the Eid holidays, although seats are fast selling out.
Mumbai-bound flights from Dubai can be booked with Emirates Airlines for as low as Dh1,120. Flights to Bangkok start from Dh2,510 and to Munich from Dh2,930. Flights to some cities in the United States, such as Boston and Dallas, can be had for as low as Dh4,700. Los Angeles-bound trips start from Dh4,910.
There are six day left for UAE travelers to book the budget fares, with the offer ending on July 4. The prices are valid for trips between July 25, 2016 and September 7, 2016.
For those opting to travel via Etihad Airways, airfares for a little over Dh1,000 can be availed of for trips between June 22, 2016 and August 31, 2016. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Hanoi in Vietnam, Belgrade in Serbia, Bali in Indonesia and Istanbul in Turkey start from Dh1,830; Dh1,670; Dh1,900 and Dh1,300 respectively.
For flights to Athens, Munich, Geneva and Ho Chi Minh City, fares start from Dh2,550; Dh2,810; Dh3,950 and Dh2,420 respectively.Travelers must book the Etihad flights by June 29, 2016 to avail themselves of the promotional fares.
UAE residents are, however, advised to check the fine print or the terms and conditions before booking a flight, to ensure they’re getting a good deal.
Outbound travel from the UAE is expected to pick up during the Eid holidays next week and throughout the summer period.
Travel agents are seeing a rise in travel bookings for Eid, especially since the the UAE government has announced the holidays for the private sector. Premjit Bangara, general manager at Sharaf Travel, said most of their customers are booking destinations where there is a facility for visa on arrival, given that travelers don't have the luxury of time to secure the necessary visas.
"Our holiday counter and retail units have been busy from yesterday catering to these requests and we also have confirmed bookings for holiday packages arising out of the holiday announcement," Bangara told Gulf News.
"The most popular destinations being booked at the moment with us are Georgia, Kenya, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and Mauritius. They are in demand for two reasons and the first being that theyare just between five and six hours away from Dubai and are well served by budget airlines. The second and most important reason is that these destinations offer a visa on arrival to tourists of most nationalities," Bangara added.
Dubai International is expecting a surge in passenger traffic, particularly during the weekends of June 30 and July 7, when two million travellers will be passing through the airport.
Passengers who will be traveling on those weekends have been advised to arrive at Dubai International early, as check-in and immigration counter queues are expected to be much longer than usual.
