Emirates is offering travellers across Europe greater choice this winter with expanded Premium Economy availability, additional flights to popular destinations and more onward connections through Dubai to some of the world’s most sought-after winter sun escapes. During the winter schedule, Emirates will operate an average of 78 flights per day between Dubai and Europe, while adding 31 weekly flights to a selection of popular cities and warm-weather destinations, including Cape Town, Nairobi, Phuket, Hanoi, Manila, Tokyo Narita and Accra.
The expanded schedule is designed to provide travellers with greater flexibility during one of Europe’s busiest travel periods, whether they are looking for a beach holiday, a city break, a family visit or a longer journey combining multiple destinations. Travellers can also choose to break their journey in Dubai, turning a transit stop into a short winter getaway while enjoying the city’s warm weather, beaches, desert experiences, outdoor dining, shopping and wide range of accommodation options.
Premium Economy Now Available Across 31 European Destinations
Emirates has significantly expanded the availability of its Premium Economy cabin across Europe and the UK. Following the introduction of the cabin on flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle on October 25, Premium Economy is now available at 31 of Emirates’ 41 destinations across Europe and the UK, bringing the enhanced travel experience within reach of the majority of Emirates customers travelling from the region.
The Premium Economy cabin offers passengers a more spacious and comfortable experience, featuring wider seats, additional legroom, elevated dining and other enhanced onboard services. Emirates is also introducing further improvements on its newest Airbus A350 aircraft, where every Premium Economy seat features a full-height adjustable privacy screen, an electric leg rest, a wraparound U-Dream headrest and wireless charging.
The expansion is part of Emirates’ multi-billion-dollar aircraft retrofit programme, which is progressively introducing updated cabin interiors across its fleet. So far, the programme has brought the latest cabin products to 108 aircraft, further enhancing the passenger experience across the airline’s global network.
More A380 Services Open Access to Eastbound Destinations
The Emirates Airbus A380 will serve 21 European destinations during the winter season, giving travellers from these cities convenient connections to another 21 eastbound destinations operated by the airline’s flagship aircraft. These include major long-haul destinations such as Bangkok, Sydney and Tokyo, creating more opportunities for European travellers to combine their journeys with multiple destinations.
Emirates’ newest European destination, Helsinki, has also been strategically incorporated into the winter schedule to provide onward connectivity to destinations across East and Southeast Asia, West Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa and Australasia. The expanded network places a wide range of tropical destinations and resort retreats within easier reach of travellers from Finland.
Dubai Offers a Winter Stopover Experience
Travellers heading east or south from Europe can also turn their Emirates connection in Dubai into a short holiday. The winter season provides favourable conditions for exploring the city’s beaches, desert landscapes, outdoor attractions, restaurants and shopping destinations, while the city offers a broad selection of hotels catering to different travel styles and budgets.
Dubai’s winter calendar also features some of its biggest events and attractions, including the Dubai Shopping Festival, Global Village and a wide programme of concerts, festivals and outdoor events, culminating in New Year’s Eve celebrations. Travellers can arrange Dubai stopover packages combining flights and hotel stays through Emirates’ holiday and travel services. Passengers can also use the airline’s My Emirates Pass to access special offers at hundreds of restaurants, spas, attractions and retail outlets across the UAE by presenting their Emirates boarding pass.
Flexible Travel and Added Protection for Customers
Emirates is also offering a range of flexible booking and travel protection benefits for customers travelling to Dubai. Eligible travellers can access unlimited free date changes, a free 24-hour fare hold and reduced refund fees, providing additional flexibility when planning winter journeys.
Customers can also add Emirates Comprehensive Travel Cover, available in 27 countries. The coverage includes worldwide medical expenses, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation, and baggage protection, as well as conflict cover of up to US$25,000 in medical expenses and a free trip extension of up to 30 days.
Emirates Strengthens Partnership Network Beyond Its Own Routes
Beyond its own network, Emirates is using its extensive codeshare and interline partnerships to give European travellers access to more than 216 additional destinations across the Far East, Africa and the Indian Ocean. Through these partnerships, passengers can book connecting journeys on a single ticket, with benefits including seamless connections, through-checked baggage, frequent flyer benefits and access to selected lounges.
Across the Far East, Emirates works with 35 partners, including Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Garuda Indonesia, Bangkok Airways and Philippine Airlines, providing access to more than 123 cities. The expanded network includes popular island and resort destinations such as Koh Samui, Phu Quoc and Langkawi, as well as cities including Busan, Surabaya and Fukuoka. Emirates has also expanded its regional connectivity through new rail partnerships with Korail in South Korea and Hong Kong Airport Direct, providing onward connections to Macau.
Wider Access to Africa and Indian Ocean Islands
Emirates’ partnership network also strengthens connectivity across Africa, with partners including South African Airways, Airlink and Kenya Airways providing access to nearly 75 destinations across the continent. These connections open access to major tourism attractions, nature reserves, heritage sites and safari destinations, including Victoria Falls, Mount Kilimanjaro and Volcanoes National Park.
Across the Indian Ocean, partnerships with Maldivian, Air Seychelles and Air Mauritius provide additional access to island destinations, ranging from the Maldives’ atolls to Praslin and Madagascar. The combination of Emirates’ European network, Dubai hub, expanded winter schedule and extensive partner network gives travellers more options to reach leisure destinations across Asia, Africa and the Indian Ocean.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the airline is providing European travellers with more ways to enjoy the winter season, whether they are seeking new destinations, warm-weather escapes or time with family and friends. He highlighted the expanded eastbound schedule, increased connectivity and wider deployment of Premium Economy as key elements of Emirates’ winter offering.
