Dubai: UAE residents who are heading abroad to take advantage of the long Eid Al Adha holidays can expect some delays — from traffic jams on the road to long queues at immigration control — with more than 250,000 flyers forecast to go through  Dubai’s passenger terminals from Thursday to Saturday.

Travel specialists confirmed that most expatriates and UAE nationals are heading for nearby destinations such as as Thailand, Maldives, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Georgia and Armenia to spend the holidays.

For a smooth, hassle-free travel, customers have been advised to be at the airport at least three hours prior to departure.  

Early check-in

Experts also advise flyers to not only make sure they check in a day or two before their scheduled travel, and arrive at the airport early, but also to pack smart and keep all the documents handy, to avoid any issues later on.

Even the smaller details, like validity of passport or travel documents, foreign currency, should not be overlooked.

“Check the validity of your travel documents. When is your passport going to expire? Do you have some foreign currency in your wallet? Make sure you carry either US dollars or Euro bills,” advised Premjit Bangara, manager for travel at Sharaf Travel in Dubai.

Bangara cautioned that in many airports abroad, especially the small ones, foreign currency outlets can be difficult to find. And if there are some exchange houses available, there is likely going to be a queue. Credit cards may not also be accepted.

“That’s why it’s important to keep cash with you so that you can have something to use when you arrive at the airport. Besides, the exchange rates there are likely to be low.”

Go to airport earlier than usual

Eid Al Adha is one of the busiest travel times of the year for UAE.

Emirates Airlines is expecting more than 250,000 passengers to travel during the holidays. Close to 90,000 passengers are expected to fly with the airline on Friday alone.

“Please do your check-in online. This will help you secure seats in case the flight is overbooked. Plus you avoid the hassle of having to wait in long queues at the check-in counter,” Bangara added.

“Going to the airport at least three hours in advance will help you avoid traffic jams on the road and long queues at the immigration counter,” he added.

e-Gate

UAE travellers can also avoid the long immigration queues by using the smart or e-gate card facilities.

“The e-gate facilities at the Dubai airport are a very big plus. It will help you save time at the immigration. So, instead of spending 30 minutes to 45 minutes in the queue, you can use that free time to do your duty-free shopping instead,” Bangara.

Another thing to keep in mind is travel insurance. This will ensure the traveller won’t bear the high hospitalization costs in a foreign country, in the unlikely event of illness or accident.

“Having an insurance is an absolute necessity these days. If you happen to get a yellow fever for example in a foreign country, the local hospital can charge you very high fees. If you have an insurance, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you are covered financially or the costs won’t be that excessive,” said Bangara.

“Travel insurance will also provide protection in case of loss or delayed baggage and a whole lot of other things,” Bangara added.

Digvijay Pratap, co-founder and managing director of holidayME.com, said it's also a good idea to ensure carry-on luggages and checked-in bags don't exceed allowances.

"Measure the weight of your bags at home before departure and make sure you do not pack more than seven kilos as carry-on bag, and the normal luggage weight allowed by each airline, which is between 20 and 30 kilos,depending on the carrier," Pratap told Gulf News.

"Keep laptops, ipads handy or near you. Wear comfy shoes and pants, without belt/metal, for easier airport immigration scanning. [Remember the rules about liquids] 100 ml max is allowed as carry-on, so pack them in small plastic and transparent bag that is sealable."