Cheapest August flights for UAE travellers revealed

We are halfway through with the summer holidays, and if you are one of those who still hasn’t planned a vacation, here are some options you can look at.

These Asian and Gulf destinations also give travellers two distinct advantages – they are a short flight away from the UAE, and securing a visa isn’t going to be a problem for most people.

According to airfare aggregator Skyscanner, travellers can secure affordable tickets to Kuwait, Colombo, Muscat and Mumbai for their holidays this August when booked 11 to 26 days before departure.

Their close proximity to the UAE and flight durations ranging from 60 minutes to four and a half hours have made these destinations popular with UAE residents.

Ayoub El Mamoun, a travel expert at Skyscanner, said: “The summer is a busy period as people look to maximise their vacation time and travel to different destinations and our data shows that there’s still time to get the best prices for flights to Colombo, Mumbai, Kuwait City and Muscat for the month of August.

“Not only are these locations short-distance flights from the UAE but our survey shows that 48 percent are choosing destinations where their money goes further. Also, 85 percent said they would be willing to change the day or week to save money on their summer vacation, making these cities popular due to the reasonable exchange rate of the UAE dirham against local currencies and better value for their vacations.”

The cheapest price for a booking to Muscat, on average, for August is Dh398 if booked 26 days out while travel 21 to 24 days ahead can vary from Dh403 to Dh437 per seat. For Colombo, the best average price is Dh1,209 for travel 11 days in advance of departure. Bookings for 17 to 19 days out are also appealing with prices varying from Dh1,295 and Dh1,385.

If you are flying to Mumbai, expect a ticket to cost approximately Dh825 on average if booked within eight ornine days of leaving.

Meanwhile, the best time to book a flight to Kuwait is 25 days ahead with fares costing Dh253 on average, increasing to approximately Dh436 if booked 13 days out.

Earlier this week, Sharjah-based Air Arabia announced a new short-term promotion, offering travellers the chance to save big on their upcoming journeys with exclusive one-way fares starting from as low as Dh149.

This limited-time offer is valid for bookings made between July 28 and August 3, for travel spanning from August 15 to October 31.

Budget-conscious travellers can seize this opportunity to explore a variety of destinations across the region.

Flights from Sharjah include incredible deals to Muscat and Bahrain from Dh149, Riyadh, Dammam, and Kuwait from Dh199, Doha from Dh354. Destinations like Abha, Yanbu, Tabuk, Gassim, Taif, and Hail are also available at slightly higher, yet still competitive, prices.

Travellers departing from Abu Dhabi can also take advantage of special fares to Muscat from Dh399, Kuwait from Dh398, and Salalah from Dh578.

The promotion extends to the Indian subcontinent, offering highly attractive deals to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Noteworthy fares include Abu Dhabi to Kozhikode for Dh249, Abu Dhabi to Mumbai for Dh275, Sharjah for Dh275, Abu Dhabi to Kochi for Dh275, and Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram for Dh275.

Moreover, fares from Abu Dhabi to Chennai start at Dh275, from Ras Al Khaimah to Kozhikode at Dh275, and from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad at Dh299.

Meanwhile, Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal has announced a significant seat sale in celebration of reaching a new milestone: flying one million passengers in a single month for the first time in July.

A four-day promotion has been launched, making 500,000 seats available with fares starting from SAR 49 (Dh47.9). The airline has launched similar promotions in the past.

One-way domestic flights are priced at SAR 49, while international flights start at SAR 149 (Dh145.91). The sale is scheduled to conclude at midnight on Wednesday, July 30.