Dubai Airport

[kingrollo]

Hello All,

Ive booked a holiday to the Maldives - Ive not travelled long haul before and have to change at Dubai airport. From reading around this place is huge and takes some navigating. I have a 4 hours stop and 3 hours on the return.

Any advice - booked with TUI and flying with Emirates

Obviously I have asked TUI for the info - but any real world experiences would be good - cheers

 

[ianrauk]

You just follow the signs for international transfers. You'll also be directed as to where to go.
You will have plenty of time to have a mooch about in the terminal, shopping, eating, drinking etc

 

[mustang1]

Yeah they're polite there. Take money if you wanna spend spend spend!

 

[T4tomo]

3 hour transfer is loads of time, even in a large airport. As it all same airline, its very very unlikely that you'll have to change from one terminal to another.

 

[Gwylan]

Hello All,

Ive booked a holiday to the Maldives - Ive not travelled long haul before and have to change at Dubai airport. From reading around this place is huge and takes some navigating. I have a 4 hours stop and 3 hours on the return.

Any advice - booked with TUI and flying with Emirates

Obviously I have asked TUI for the info - but any real world experiences would be good - cheers

Be amazed at what they have done with all the money we have paid for petrol.

Older travellers can remember when it was not quite developed. A staging post to places including "Stan" in the name.
Large anonymous freight planes taking stuff that wasn't always what it said on the manifest to places most of us had not wish nor legitimate reason to visit.
An overnight stop over was a real walk on the wild side

 

[Cycleops]

Just be thankful you won't be going outside the airport.

 

[slowmotion]

I transfered through Dubai four years ago on the way to Delhi. I had broken my left ankle four days before the flight and was hobbling about in an Aircast boot with crutches. I was whisked across the airport on a buggy driven at high speed, by far the most pleasant airport experience I have ever had.

BTW, you can buy Aircast boots secondhand on Ebay for very little money because most hospitals won't accept them back. If you are prepared to be a complete cad, you could buy one and get a free ride though Dubai airport.

 

[TheDoctor]

3 hours should be plenty. 90 minutes, I can attest is a bit of a rush.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Any advice - booked with TUI and flying with Emirates

Have a great time! I thought the transfer was great when we went just before covid, a lovely airport and nice to stretch the legs. I think you have got bags of time.

 

[Brandane]

Be amazed at what they have done with all the money we have paid for petrol.

That question should be directed towards our own chancellor, given that most of what we pay for petrol is tax!
The oil part of it is actually a bargain. Be amazed at how cheap petrol is in Dubai.

ETA... My first visit to Dubai airport was in 1980, when I was a spotty yoof in the merchant navy. I joined a ship there. The company I worked for (P&O) did most of it's trade in the gulf area, particularly Dubai. It was a nice place to go, back then. I suspect the airport may have changed a bit in the interim 42 years though. Emirates airline didn't even exist at that time.

 

[vickster]

Be amazed at how cheap petrol is in Dubai.

I doubt he'll be buying much petrol during a 3 hour layover at the airport

 

[Tom...]

Be amazed at how cheap petrol is in Dubai.

It's quite expensive at 75p per litre?

A lot cheaper in most other Middle Eastern and North African countries.

 

[Milkfloat]

You will have plenty of time to navigate through security and the monorail even if you are in different terminals. Top tip, don't bother shopping it is all pretty expensive. I have spent far too many hours of my life in this airport whilst transiting, I think I have walked every inch of it repeatedly just trying to get some exercise between flights.

 

[harlechjoe]

I've had to wait from an onward flight at Dubai and as the previous post states, the signage is good so you should have no difficulty. As time is on your side you will be able to enjoy waiting there.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Hello All,

Ive booked a holiday to the Maldives - Ive not travelled long haul before and have to change at Dubai airport. From reading around this place is huge and takes some navigating. I have a 4 hours stop and 3 hours on the return.

Any advice - booked with TUI and flying with Emirates

Obviously I have asked TUI for the info - but any real world experiences would be good - cheers

When we last went to the Maldives in April 2016 we flew with Emirates on the same route you are taking.
The flight got into Dubai at 02.50 and the smaller plane going to Male was departing at 04.20 so that very small time gap left me worried but we made the second flight with time to spare so i shouldn't be too concerned.
You will probably be flying on the A380.Best flight I've ever been on.
BTW what island are you going to?