Emirates Flight From London to Dubai

Emirates does not sell every seat on the London to Dubai flight at a single price. The airline opens a dozen or more fare buckets, from the cheapest Economy Special fare (a handful of seats per flight, sold first) to the most expensive fully flexible First Class fare (sold last, to late-booking corporate travellers). The cheapest buckets sell out first, so the flight price you see rises in steps as the flight fills up. The trick to landing a low price is to book in the window when the cheapest buckets are still open — usually 6 to 10 weeks ahead for a flight of around 7 hours to Dubai. Earlier than that, and the cheapest buckets have not been released by airline revenue management. Later than that, and the cheapest buckets have sold out. The price also follows a seasonal cycle: the shoulder months of February to May and September to November are the cheapest, the festive season of mid-December to early January is the most expensive, and the UK school holidays in July and August are a second peak. Add the day-of-week cycle — Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly, Friday and Saturday the most expensive — and you have a full picture of when the Emirates London to Dubai flight price drops.

The cheapest Emirates London to Dubai flight price lands when you book 6 to 10 weeks ahead, in the window where the Economy Special fares are usually still open. Earlier than that, and the cheapest buckets have usually not been released by airline revenue management. Later than that, and the cheapest buckets have usually sold out, especially in the peak festive season. For a flight of around 7 hours to Dubai, the booking window is shorter than for a long-haul flight to Australasia — about 6 to 8 weeks ahead is the sweet spot. If you are travelling in the peak season, book as soon as you see a reasonable fare, because the cheap buckets sell out fast and the flight price only rises as the departure date approaches. Set a price alert on the London-Dubai route 2 to 3 months ahead and watch the fare trend — when it drops into your target range, book it, because the cheapest fare buckets sell out fast in every sale.

Emirates flies from both London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Dubai, and the Gatwick departure is sometimes cheaper than the Heathrow departure on the same day, especially midweek. Heathrow has the most Emirates departures and the A380 with the onboard lounge and shower spa in First Class, so if the experience matters to you, the small fare difference to fly from Heathrow is often worth it. If the saving from Gatwick is meaningful and the departure time works for you, Gatwick is a real deal. A flight from a regional UK airport like Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow or Newcastle can be cheaper still, and Emirates connects all of them to Dubai, so if you are happy to start your journey outside London, compare the regional fares too. Factor in the cost and time of getting to the airport, because a cheaper flight from a further airport is not always a better deal overall.

• The cheapest Emirates flight from London to Dubai lands in the shoulder months of February to May and September to November, when demand is lower and the Special Economy fares are still open
• The most expensive flight price is mid-December to early January for the festive season, with a second peak over the UK school holidays in July and August when families travel
• The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday, while Friday and Saturday are the most expensive — a one or two day shift in your departure can move the flight price by 15 to 25 percent
• Book 6 to 10 weeks ahead for the lowest Emirates London to Dubai flight price, in the window where the Economy Special fares are usually still open — earlier and they have not been released, later and they have sold out
• Set a price alert on the London to Dubai route 2 to 3 months ahead and watch the fare trend — when the flight price drops into your target range, book it, because the cheapest buckets sell out fast in every sale
• Emirates runs fare sales around Black Friday, the January sale and the Dubai Shopping Festival — sign up to the Emirates newsletter and a fare-alert tool so you hear about them first
• A flight from London Gatwick is sometimes cheaper than London Heathrow on the same day, and a flight from a regional UK airport like Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow can be cheaper still, so compare all Emirates UK departure points
• Emirates operates the A380 and the Boeing 777 on the London to Dubai route, and the A380 has the celebrated onboard lounge and shower spa in First Class — pick your aircraft at booking if the experience matters to you
• If you have Emirates Skywards Miles, a reward seat to Dubai can be one of the best-value short-haul-to-long-haul redemptions — watch for reward seat releases early in the booking window and book fast because peak seats sell out
• Compare the Emirates London to Dubai flight price at both London airports — Heathrow has the most departures and the A380, but a Gatwick departure can sometimes be cheaper, especially midweek
• Check the baggage allowance on the fare before you book — the cheapest Economy Special fares sometimes have a carry-on-only allowance, and adding a bag at booking is cheaper than at the airport
• Pay for your ticket in pounds sterling through the Emirates UK website to dodge dynamic currency conversion fees, and track the fare in GBP so you are not caught out by exchange rate swings