Emirates has a massive global route network through its Dubai hub, and in some cases passengers might find themselves with an extended layover. In these situations, Emirates offers passengers a free transit hotel, in the form of the Emirates Dubai Connect program.
In this post I wanted to take a closer look at how exactly the program works. I shared my experience using this several years back, but the terms and policies have changed since then, so I figure it’s time to take an updated look. In separate posts, I took a look at similar programs offered by Qatar Airways in Doha and offered by Turkish Airlines in Istanbul.
In this post:
Basics of Emirates Dubai Connect
With Emirates Dubai Connect, passengers with extended transit periods may be entitled to a complimentary hotel stay, free meals, transportation to & from the airport, and a free entry visa into the UAE (if they’d otherwise have to pay). As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of, so let’s go over all of those details.
How long does your connection have to be?
Emirates Dubai Connect is available to passengers with a connecting stopover time in Dubai of 8-26 hours. Note that this program only applies if you take the next available connecting flight to your destination. In other words, you can’t intentionally book a connection for a later flight and still receive the free stopover hotel.
Who is eligible for a free transit hotel?
Emirates Dubai Connect is available to travelers in all classes of service, ranging from first class to economy class. The major restrictions are that both your inbound and outbound flights to and from Dubai must be Emirates flights (marketed by Emirates or Qantas). Codeshare flights are otherwise not eligible for this program.
Emirates marketed flights operated by FlyDubai may also qualify for Emirates Dubai Connect, but only if the flights arrive and depart from Terminal 3.
Your itinerary must be booked as a single ticket, and it must be issued on Emirates ticket stock, meaning your ticket number starts with 176.
Award tickets also qualify for this, assuming the ticket otherwise meets the requirements of Emirates Dubai Connect (in other words, you’d want to book through Emirates Skywards).
Which transit hotels does Emirates use?
There aren’t specific hotels that are guaranteed for Emirates Dubai Connect. However, most commonly the airline puts passengers up at the Le Meridien Airport Hotel Dubai, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, and Copthorne Hotel Dubai.
The hotel you stay at will also provide you with all applicable meals, and meals will be allocated based on the time of check-in, and could include breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
How do you book Emirates Dubai Connect?
You can reserve Emirates Dubai Connect at least 24 hours ahead of your flight to Dubai. During the booking process on emirates.com, you’ll be told if you’re eligible for the program. Just to show an example of that, take an Emirates itinerary from Muscat to Dubai to Washington, with a 20+ hour layover in Dubai.
When you get to step three of the booking process, you’ll see that one of the listed options is “Dubai Connect,” which is how you know that you’re eligible.
Once you book your flights, you can use your last name and booking reference number to manage your booking, and there you’ll see the option to add the service. Then when you land in Dubai, you’ll just want to clear immigration, head to the Emirates Dubai Connect desk, and you’ll then be given the vouchers you need for your transit hotel.
My take on the Emirates Dubai Connect program
While Emirates isn’t the only airline to have a free transit hotel policy for select connecting passengers, I think the airline has the most well organized program. In particular, I appreciate how Emirates lets you know during the booking process if you’re eligible, lets you book a transit hotel online, and even allows this on award tickets issued by Skywards.
With some other airlines, there are a lot of hoops to jump through with booking, and also lots of exclusions. So I commend Emirates for how straightforward this is.
Also, being able to break up a long haul journey with some number of hours in a hotel can really make a big difference in terms of arriving well rested, especially if you’re traveling in economy class. For those who haven’t been to Dubai, it’s also a fun way to be able to check out some of what Dubai has to offer.
Also keep in mind that with the My Emirates Pass program, you can unlock savings at hundreds of restaurants, leisure destinations, and retail outlets, across the United Arab Emirates, all by just showing your Emirates boarding pass.
Bottom line
Emirates Dubai Connect is an awesome program that gives passengers transiting in Dubai with an 8-26 hour layover a complimentary hotel stay. These packages also include transportation, meals, and waived entry visas.
There are some terms to be aware of, but they’re fairly limited compared to other comparable programs. If you have a long layover in Dubai on Emirates, this is definitely something worth taking advantage of.
If you’ve used Emirates Dubai Connect, what was your experience like?
i am booking my flight 3 months prior with 17 hours layover,Dubai connect is not reflecting in the options,what does this mean that i do not qualify for Dubai connect?
Howto qualify for Dubai connect during transit? I will be travelling to Milan. Can do on my return from Milan to Kuala Lumpur. Have never been to Dubai. Will be good to look around for future travel.
I'm gutted. I booked my flight late February and was informed that I was entitled to the connect deal. I checked in a few hours ago, 12 hours ahead of my flight, thinking that this was a done deal with my check in. I called Emirates to just ask about what the story was re visa and realised that I checked in too late to receive this service! Gutted to say the least. After a...
I'm gutted. I booked my flight late February and was informed that I was entitled to the connect deal. I checked in a few hours ago, 12 hours ahead of my flight, thinking that this was a done deal with my check in. I called Emirates to just ask about what the story was re visa and realised that I checked in too late to receive this service! Gutted to say the least. After a 15 hour flight, I will now have another 13 hours to hang around the airport! I'm hoping that something can be done to amend this, the woman at the call centre said that it was too late to do anything.
A reminder to other traveler's to get this in at least 24 hours before your ✈️ flight.
I went to Emirates web site & reuested Dubai connect hotel. Hoe I know it was accepted?
Very poor service; they asked us to wait for an hour for an entry visa, it’s been more than 1.40 hours, still waiting for the visa. It’s a terrible service
I have booked a flight of 25th of August and I have a connection flight of around 15 hours in dubai. Am I eligible for a dubai connect for a free visa and stay etc ?
Will Air Canada Aeroplan award tickets qualified? thaks
i am not sure if i am eligible for Dubai Connect. How can I check?
I am travelling from KLH (Kuala Lumpur) to London Heathrow on
16 June 2023. KLH 19:20 and arriving Dubai at 22:20.
My next flight to London LHR is at 09:40 the next day.
Please advise.
I expect to travel from DAR to DXB to DFW to ICT, before end of April 23. Lay over program have impressed me. This time I will travel with Emirates. I will give me time to rest
I have a 19 hour layover with Malaysia airways do they do a similar program
Two weeks ago March 6th - March 25th.We traveled from New York to Pakistan and I got 12 hours layover and we’re coming back we have 21 hours layover.During this time no flight to operate.We asked them a hotel but they said we are not eligible for hotel.We have to booked our own.
Hi i am actually flying from Kuala Lumpur to Italy and have a very long layover in dubai airport 5.30am -5.30 pm. I called emirates they said they don’t provide free layover hotel and ask us to book ourselves. Any suggestion which budget hotel that near the dubai mall n airport ? Thanks
Dubai Connect is great. I was once traveling from UK to China on Emirates and my outbound was delayed meaning arriving into Dubai late and missing my onward connection. Emirates were putting me on the next flight on the same day with a hotel but I asked them to give me the same early morning flight a few hours later as it would get me into Shanghai at a reasonable time and they were OK with that and gave me a hotel.
Result: longer time in Dubai with a hotel :)
I have used this service several times and found that if I look at flights from Dubai to Barcelona first to see what is available and then look at the flights from say Sydney to Dubai second I can usually find a longer layover in Dubai that will qualify me for the free stay in Dubai.
I have stayed at the Le Meridien which is very close to the airport and found it to be a great airport hotel.
Ben, you forgot to note that there is a minimum base fare requirement that's crept up over the years.
I used to rely on this program quite often when transiting through DXB, but they continue to slowly move the goal post, and have become quite efficient with the base fare value and connection times to ensure minimal usage of this program.
Does this work if you book an award seat with something other than Skymiles eg Qantas frequent flyer points?
Doubt it. The ticket (paid or award) has to be ISSUED by Emirates Skywards 176 stock so Qantas awards would be issued on their stock and not eligible. This is an Emirates program so the ticket has to be issued by Emirates.
Actually that is incorrect. Ben's article is incorrect. Qantas award bookings on Emirates flights are eligible for Dubai Connect, so long as the other requirements are met. I have done it 3 times in the last few years, pre and post covid.
Can I please ask how you booked it Mitti?
In 2 weeks, I have an QF classic rewards flight booked on EK in F JHB-DXB-BNE with a 10.5hr layover in DXB. Can’t find anyway to request Dubai connect on the Qantas or Emirates booking management pages.
How did you do it?
Be aware there are also minimum purchase requirements to get this benefit. So if you’re booked on a sale fare you may not be eligible.
Which other airlines do this? I think I've only heard of TK. Thanks. ("With some other airlines, there are a lot of hoops to jump through with booking, and also lots of exclusions.")
Ethiopian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Air Canada, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Hainan and Etihad are some others that offer it.
Now Saudia too.
What is the program offered by Sri Lankan Airlines and Air Canada?