Eid Al Fitr 2023 holidays: 10 ways to beat travel rush as UAE residents gear up for celebrations

After the holy month of Ramadan, UAE residents are all set for the first long holiday of 2023 to celebrate Eid Al Fitr. Whether it will be a four-day or five-day break is yet to be revealed, as the number of dates will be decided when the crescent Moon of Shawwal is sighted.

Many residents have travel plans in place for the long weekend and airports in UAE are prepared to handle the Eid Al Fitr rush. Dubai-based carrier, Emirates, is cautioning travellers of a busy period for outbound travel from Dubai from April 20 onwards.

The airline advises passengers to arrive to the airport up to three hours before flight, take note of the boarding time on the boarding pass to ensure they reach the departure gate on time, and take advantage of multiple check-in options to reduce time at the airport.

Here are the ways to ensure a smooth and swift travel experience:

Emirates airline recommends passengers to download the app for easy access to flight information. With the app, users can conveniently book and modify their flights, obtain a digital boarding pass for most destinations, check the inflight meal options, arrange for a chauffeur drive service, and even pre-select their preferred movies to watch on the ICE inflight entertainment system.

The facility to drop luggage the night before travel is an excellent and complimentary option, especially for families travelling with children. Passengers who are departing from Dubai can check-in early and drop off their bags to the airport 24 hours before departure, or 12 hours before departure if flying to the US or Tel Aviv, and then arrive to the airport and proceed directly to immigration.

All passengers can check-in online 48 hours ahead of their flight using the online check-in option on www.emirates.com. Passengers can select a seat and their preferred meal, and take advantage of any last-minute upgrade options. At the airport, it’s easy to drop bags at the dedicated baggage drop desks and download a digital boarding pass.

Those starting their journeys from Ajman can also take advantage of a 24‑hour City Check‑in at Ajman Central Bus Terminal. Passengers can check in up to 4 hours before the flight departs, check in baggage, and collect boarding passes, buy a bus ticket for Dh20 and head directly to Emirates Terminal 3, with regular bus departures throughout the day from 4am to 11.30pm. Upon arrival at the airport, travellers can simply continue through to their flight.

Emirates also offers a home check-in service in Dubai and Sharjah, in partnership with DUBZ. Agents from DUBZ complete the check-in process in the customer’s home, hotel, or office, and take the bags to the flight while passengers are free to breeze through the airport later. Book and pay for the service at least 24 hours before the flight and travellers can proceed to the airport check-in up to six hours before the flight departs. For First Class passengers, the home check in service is complimentary.

A quick and easy option once at the airport are the self check-in kiosks. Travellers can follow the steps on the touchscreen kiosk and complete the check-in process or operate the kiosk without touch using a mobile phone. It’s possible to view the travel itinerary, choose a preferred seat and add Emirates Skywards numbers, and if you’ve already checked in online, there is also an option to use the baggage drop area to check-in bags.

For First and Business Class travellers departing Dubai, the Smart Tunnel at Dubai International Airport is a world-first for passport control, whereby passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are cleared by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp. All it takes to register is a quick photo at check-in to capture facial data. Travellers can check-in, clear immigration, access the airport lounge in Concourse B, and board flights at selected gates purely by facial recognition or using their boarding pass.

Passengers can also register to use the Smart Gates at Emirates Terminal 3 and speed through Immigration every time they return to Dubai. If a UAE citizen or resident, passengers can use their passport, boarding pass or a valid UAE ID. Smart Gates can also be used by GCC national’s or a visa on arrival visitor with a biometric passport

Spend some leisure time browsing EmiratesRED.com and get access to exclusive Duty-Free products, which are then delivered to your seat in the air. The pre-order service is available on most flights, and passengers can shop from 21 days up to 40 hours before their flight. Passengers need to provide their flight details during checkout, and the orders are delivered by cabin crew directly to the passenger’s seat inflight for an unforgettable experience. As well as saving time, EmiratesRED has an array of money-saving offers on fragrances, watches and jewellery, cosmetics, beauty products and gifts.

People of Determination can access dedicated support from trained Emirates and airport staff when travelling over the Eid period. This includes a pre-planning guide for Dubai International Airport (DXB) for those with hidden disabilities, 2 hours complimentary parking at the airport, and access to a dedicated priority lane for check-in, passport control, security and priority boarding if required. Passengers can check the Accessible Travel page on Emirates.com for information and contact their Emirates local office with queries.

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