With a budget carrier serving the neighbourhood, travellers in the UAE and the region can now look forward to more economic travel options in the region and India, which tour operators say was lacking just a few years ago.
Now a traveller can think of going to Tehran for just Dh149 and to Istanbul for as low as Dh199 from Sharjah one way.
With taxes, surcharges and seasonality, the Sharjah-Tehran-Sharjah trip could cost Dh700-Dh800, and the Sharjah-Istanbul-Sharjah trip could be about the same.
It is much cheaper than the prices of the full-service carriers whose fares are about 30-40 per cent higher, and makes budget travel worth it.
"The entry of low-cost airlines has added a new dimension and widened the choice as well as lowered the costs; it has definitely expanded the community of holidaymakers in the region," Adel Ali, Air Arabia's chief executive, told Gulf News recently.
"It creates a win-win situation for both the travel community and us as we both benefit from low cost and high volume.
"As a low-cost airline, we have managed to expand the travelling community, rather than eating into the conventional carriers' market," he said.
However, holidaying may not combine well with budget aviation.
A vacation is still considered a luxury and Gulf travellers still prefer to remain free individual travellers (FIT), rather than group travellers.
"That's one of the reasons why group travel has not flourished in the Gulf.
"People still prefer family privacy and be on their own," said Ghassan Aridi, chief executive of Alpha Tours, one of the largest ground handlers in the region.
"Most UAE nationals and expatriates opt for their own tailor-made packages rather than travel with a group. Most outbound travel that we handle are all individual packages."
Economically, holidaying remains a challenge and a dream for most families in the UAE, who prefer to go home to be with their extended families when the schools are closed.
Families whose household income is less than Dh15,000 per month may consider holidaymaking a luxury. This eliminates about 80 to 85 per cent of the UAE's population.
Even then, the remaining 15-20 per cent of the UAE's nearly 5 million population is enough to fill airline seats.
In any case, getting a plane seat will become a nightmare for travellers starting June 20, as it does every year.
Top destinations
The UK, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Mauritius, Turkey, Egypt, Kenya, Swiitzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and Spain are going to be hot destinations this year.
But a lot of travellers will also opt for the US and Canada, which, on the long-haul, remain among the top destinations.
In addition, due to strong connectivity, Moscow, Kazakhstan and other Central Asian republics may be worth exploring.
Packages
Most regional airlines, like Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines, have holiday and leisure divisions that offer packages to destinations that the airline serves.
However, some of those packages are expensive compared to the usual travel packages available.
Dublin
Although there is no package involved, a return fare of Dh1,200 is attractive enough to lure a traveller to Ireland.
Irish carrier Aer Lingus, which launched its flights to Dubai in March, has extended its promotional offer to Dubai. This includes return economy-class Dubai-Dublin-Dubai travel, excluding taxes and surcharges.
It is worth looking at, especially for those who've never visited the island.
However, with a UK visa, one can also travel to the UK's various cities and explore both the countries.
Moscow
Due to strong connectivity, MoscowKazakhstan and other Central Asian republics may be worth exploring. Visit www.russia-travel.com
Hilton for Free
Hilton and Mastercard tied up to offer extended stay for free.
The deal includes an additional night if paid for three, two additional nights' free stay if paid for five, three nights free stay if paid for seven and six additional nights if paid for 15.
The offer, running from May 1 to September 30, is subject to terms and conditions including a mandatory payment by MasterCard.
Dnata packages
Dnata Holidays, the tour arm of the region's largest travel and tour operator Dnata, is offering packages for a host of cities and destinations.
These include a Dh1,150 package to Lebanon that offers return economy-class airfare, three nights accommodation, airport-hotel transfers.
Similar packages to Sri Lanka are priced at Dh1,990, Thailand Dh2,100, Malaysia Dh2,110, Egypt Dh2,140, Maldives Dh2,350, Singapore Dh2,465, Austria Dh2,765, UK Dh3,075, Seychelles Dh3,200, Australia Dh3,230, New Zealand Dh3,250 and Mauritius Dh3,250, while a similar package to Australia has been priced at Dh2,685 without the airport transfers.
The above prices, Dnata says, are subject to the availability of seats and rooms, and do not include sightseeing.
Classic Europe
Dubai-based Uranus Travels and Tours is currently offering a 15-day all inclusive package for Dh7,099 that includes a trip to London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne and Heidelberg in Germany, Wattens and Insbruck in Austria, Venice, Florence, Pisa, the Vatican City and Rome in Italy, Geneva and Meiringen in Switzerland and Chamonix and Paris in France.
The package includes guided city tours and accommodation in twin sharing basis, but exclude airfare and visas.
New offers
A number of new packages are coming in the market for short vacations in the coming weeks, once the home-bound traffic leaves the country for long summer vacations.
Once the major outbound traffic exists, price on outbound trips will reduce while the inbound will go up - this is where a traveller can look for cheap deals.
Have your say
Tell us about your past holidays - the good things and the bad - at www.gulfnews.com/tabloid
