National Day travel rush: Emirates passengers advised to arrive early

The busiest day at Dubai International Airport will be Friday, when over 40,000 passengers are expected to fly in or out of Terminal 3

Dubai airport. Courtesy Dubai Airports 

With the UAE's 48th National Day upon us and the majority of Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents set to enjoy five days off work, many people are planning to take a holiday.

As thousands of travellers head to Dubai airport to fly overseas for the National Day holidays, many other passengers will be arriving into the country for the Abu Dhabi F1 weekend.

With such a busy period ahead, Emirates is warning passengers to arrive early at Dubai International Airport.

How early do I need to be at the airport?

Emirates is encouraging passengers to turn up at least three hours before their flight departure time to avoid any delay. The busy period is expected to start on the afternoon of Thursday, November 28.

The busiest day of the period for Terminal 3 will be on Friday, November 29, when over 40,000 passengers are expected to travel through Dubai Airport.

"Peak travel is expected to start on Thursday, November 28 during the afternoon and will continue until Thursday, December 5, with close to 200,000 Emirates passengers travelling from Dubai," the airline said.

Passengers are also encouraged to build in extra travel time to avoid any delays with expected traffic congestion around Terminal 3 during this time.

What's the latest I can check in at Dubai airport?

Emirates reminds travellers that passengers cannot check in less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure time.  Late passengers will not be accepted for travel. Passengers can physically check in at the airport up to 24 hours before their flights leave.

After checking in, passengers need to ensure they don't spend too long browsing in the airport, as all travellers must arrive at boarding gates on time. Gates open 90 minutes before departure, and boarding starts 45 minutes before each flight. They close 20 minutes before departure and no passengers will be accepted on any flight after this time.

Should I check in online?

To avoid lengthy queues, passengers are encouraged to check in online. This can be done anytime from 48 hours to 90 minutes before flight departure.

Once checked-in online, passengers can head to one of the 46 economy bag drop counters in Terminal 3. These can be used from six hours to 90 minutes prior to departure.

Families travelling with small children should head to the dedicated family counters in Check-in Zone 2.

Car park check-in facilities can also be used, and passengers can drop luggage there.

Emirates home service check-in could be a good option if you're flying in a large group or travelling with a lot of luggage. It's available to anyone flying Emirates in any class of travel and can be done between 48 hours and seven hours before departure.

Staff will come to your home, hotel or place of work where they will check you in, print your boarding pass, weigh your baggage and deliver the luggage to the airport. There's a Dh250 fee for this service for up to seven pieces of luggage.