iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Survey reveals names of top cities residents want to visit this year, with 97% keen to explore new places
KT APPDOWNLOAD
4-day Eid Al Fitr break in UAE: Flight fares to soar during long weekend
Travel agents recommend residents to book the seats earlier to get better fares, especially for larger families
Airfares from the UAE to India, Pakistan, GCC and other Middle Eastern countries are likely to go up by up to 150 per cent between now and close to Eid Al Fitr as a large number of residents travel during the occasion.
Therefore, travel agents in the UAE recommend that the earlier people book the seats, the better it is, especially for the larger families who can end up paying a handsome amount.
Avinash Adnani, Managing Director of Pluto Travels, said the upward trend in airfares on the Indian Subcontinent and other Gulf, and Middle Eastern routes remains the same because they’re Muslim countries.
“Getting a seat a week before Eid Al Fitr becomes a challenge for travellers from the UAE. On the Indian subcontinent routes, Kerala, Lucknow, Delhi, Dhaka, Colombo, Karachi, Lahore and Mumbai see the biggest increase,” he said.
Current fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad
- Dh400-500 one-way
- Dh1,000-1,200 Return
Eid Al Fitr fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad
- Dh1,000-1,200 one-way
- Dh2,500-3,000 Return
Adnani stated that airfares to almost all Muslim countries go up during the Eid festivals as a large of UAE residents travel to their home countries to celebrate the festival with their families.
According to astronomical calculations revealed by Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society, the holy month of Ramadan is likely to start on Thursday, March 23. As the holy month will last for 29 days, the first day of Eid Al Fitr is likely to fall on Friday, April 21.
The official Eid Al Fitr holiday in the UAE is from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3 (Hijri Islamic calendar months). If the astronomical calculations are correct, the break is from Thursday, April 20, to Sunday, April 23.
Short vacations
Some residents also opt for holidays and short breaks to popular destinations that are 7-8 hours away by air, during the Eid Al Fitr holidays.
TP Sudheesh, general manager of Deira Tours and Travels, since the UAE is home to around 180 different nationalities, festivals like Eid Al Fitr are a busy season to numerous places including holiday destinations for short breaks.
“In addition to heavy outbound traffic to the Indian subcontinent and Middle Eastern cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi and Cairo, even destinations like Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia also attract a good number of UAE residents for holidays during Eid breaks,” he said.
Avinash Adnani said a few UAE residents go for a short vacation as well during Eid Al Fitr.
“Airfare to London, too, increases to some extent because the City is a popular destination and UAE residents can go there for a few days, unlike the US which is too far for a short break,” he said.
ALSO READ:
More news from Travel
Entry permit applications for the 27 EU countries can be submitted up to 180 days before the intended travel date
Both the South Asian passports have weakened in the past ten years, dropping from respective positions
Tbilisi’s babel of building styles is a product of its complicated past
Creating content constantly is often challenging, especially for their mental health, said one speaker at 1 Billion Followers Summit
Mongolians who hold diplomatic, official, and regular passports are also exempted from a visa to enter the Emirates
Other cities on the list include Bali, London, and Hanoi
With plenty of luxurious resorts, chic bars, and quaint cafés to cater to even the most pernickety punter, here's why you should give this place a go in 2024
