Get free hotel stay with your Dubai layover. Here’s how you can book service

In case you are considering stopping in Dubai for over 10 hours, Dubai-based Emirates airline might throw in a free hotel stay. United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier is resuming its Dubai Connect service on 1 December this year, making travel a bit easier for people navigating flight schedules altered by the novel coronavirus crisis.

The new announcement is expected to boost travel to Dubai.

The airline had suspended all its passenger flights from 25 March as the UAE halted all inbound, outbound and transit passenger flights in its effort to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The benefits will be open to any passenger ticking the box, regardless of whether they have paid thousands for first class or hundreds for an economy ticket.

Here’s what you need to book service

• To book the service, one needs to be a transit passenger, travelling on two Emirates flights. However, you have to use the best available connection for your chosen journey, so no cheating by booking a plane with a longer layover
• Travellers must book Dubai Connect at least 24 hours ahead of their flight to Dubai. On arrival, they should proceed to the Dubai Connect desk at the airport.
• Those who qualify for Dubai Connect but are unable to leave the airport will be given access to the Emirates Dubai Connect airport lounge to unwind and relax.
• You might qualify for a complimentary night at a four- or five-star hotel, plus airport ground transfers, meals at the hotel, and assistance with your UAE visa on arrival, if required, if your layover is between 10 and 24 hours, according to reports.

Where can you expect to stay

• The Dubai-based airline can put passengers up at an alternative accommodation or at the four-star Copthorne Hotel Dubai or the five-star Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre.
• The Emirates’ Dubai Connect airport lounge has facilities for eating, drinking and unwinding, and economy passengers on longer stopovers will also get the chance to hang out.