With its soaring skyscrapers, palatial hotels, and over-the-top attractions, Dubai can seem like an inaccessible playground for only the wealthy. But savvy travelers know that getting to this United Arab Emirates hot spot doesn’t have to cost a fortune in airfare.
From snagging low-cost carrier deals to hunting for mistake fares and taking advantage of package values, scoring cheap flights to Dubai is possible with some diligent searching and flexibility. Let this insider share strategies for making your dream Dubai getaway more budget-friendly than you imagined.
Embrace The Low-Cost Carriers
While Dubai’s flagship Emirates airline offers a renowned premium experience, its prices tend to be premium as well. The smarter affordable option is taking advantage of the rising number of low-cost carriers flying routes to Dubai from across the globe.
From the UK and Europe, Air Arabia, FlyDubai, Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair all offer no-frills service at rock-bottom rates if you can handle more basic amenities. Carriers like Air India Express and SpiceJet provide economical flights from the Indian subcontinent. American bargain hunters can try airways like WestJet from Canada and JetBlue from the East Coast on select routes.
Be flexible with dates and airports, and you can often find roundtrip fares from $400 to $600—a huge savings over legacy carriers charging $1,000 and up for the same Dubai routes. Just be prepared for narrower seats, limited legroom and having to pay extra for meals, checked bags and any other perks.
Score With UAE Stopover Programs
Dubai is an aviation crossroads, making it an inevitable stopover on routes across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Savvy travelers leverage this strategic location to their advantage by taking advantage of airlines’ stopover programs on longer international journeys.
Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and others allow you to build in a multi-day stopover in their hub cities like Dubai for little to no extra airfare cost. So if you’re already headed from New York to Mumbai, you could build in a 3-night stopover in Dubai essentially for free.
Once there, you’ll find hotels offering attractive stopover packages that combine reduced rates with free perks like airport transfers, tours and attraction passes. It’s an easy way to essentially get Dubai accommodations and activities for pennies on the dollar.
Seek Out Mistake And Sale Fares
Another avenue to Dubai deals is keeping your eyes peeled for drastically discounted “mistake fares” or generalized airfare sales on routes to the Middle East. Sign up for free newsletters like Scott’s Cheap Flights and Airfarewatchdog, which will instantly alert you when a blooper or promo fare appears for your home airport to Dubai.
During peak seasons or events like the Dubai Shopping Festival, carriers frequently launch sales to fill seats, with roundtrip fares from the U.S. dipping into the $500s or $600s. Even without a sale, seasonal routes like Atlanta to Dubai can yield sub-$700 fares if you hunt diligently across all carriers. For budget travelers with maximum flexibility, keeping an eye out for mistake fares in the $300s is well worth the constant searching.
Go For Value Packages
If you’re still struggling to secure an affordable airfare to Dubai on its own, consider the added value of packaging your flights together with hotels. Many online travel booking sites like Expedia, Travelocity and Airbnb offer tremendous package discounts by bundling components together.
You can often save hundreds of dollars off the combined air+hotel costs by booking them together as a package. More importantly, these packages usually feature lower airfare rates negotiated by suppliers, making the flights alone a bargain compared to booking air separately.
Similarly, taking advantage of Dubai holiday packages direct from resort companies like Atlantis can yield bonus perks and discounts on flights, hotels, transfers and more if you book everything in one neat bundle.
With all its glitz and glamour, Dubai may seem like an out-of-reach splurge for budget travelers. But those in the know can still make visiting this opulent oasis more accessible than you’d think. By combining an open-minded strategy and plenty of diligent hunting, you too can score a deal on flights and revel in Dubai’s over-the-top charms without going over budget.