Emirates Airline is forecasting one of its busiest starts to the year, with outbound and inbound traffic peaking between 2 and 5 January as residents return from New Year holidays and international visitors arrive for the Dubai Shopping Festival.
In a statement this morning, the carrier urged passengers to reach Dubai International Airport at least four hours before departure and to complete formalities online or at its off-airport facilities. Customers who drop luggage at the Emirates City Check-In & Travel Store in DIFC—or at the City Check-In in Ajman—before 15 January will earn 2,500 Skywards miles per booking. First-class and Platinum Skywards members can also schedule free home check-in across Dubai and Sharjah.
![Emirates flags 2–5 January as peak-travel window, offers bonus miles for remote check-in]()
To make sure those passports and visas are in order before heading to the airport, travelers can also lean on VisaHQ, which offers fast online visa processing for the United Arab Emirates and dozens of other destinations; its step-by-step platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets individuals and corporate travel coordinators upload documents, monitor application progress, and arrange secure courier pickup, saving valuable time during busy travel periods.
The airline has coordinated with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to ensure 24-hour metro services to Terminal 3, but it still warns of congested car parks and longer immigration queues during the four-day peak. Additional staff and volunteers have been rostered to fast-track families and travellers with tight connections.
For corporate travel managers, the advisory means that staff transiting Dubai early next week should leave extra layover buffers, pre-select seats, and confirm that passports and visas remain valid beyond the busy period to avoid re-issue delays at immigration counters. The airline’s bonus-mile incentive may also offset costs for companies willing to direct employees to remote check-in points.
In a statement this morning, the carrier urged passengers to reach Dubai International Airport at least four hours before departure and to complete formalities online or at its off-airport facilities. Customers who drop luggage at the Emirates City Check-In & Travel Store in DIFC—or at the City Check-In in Ajman—before 15 January will earn 2,500 Skywards miles per booking. First-class and Platinum Skywards members can also schedule free home check-in across Dubai and Sharjah.
To make sure those passports and visas are in order before heading to the airport, travelers can also lean on VisaHQ, which offers fast online visa processing for the United Arab Emirates and dozens of other destinations; its step-by-step platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets individuals and corporate travel coordinators upload documents, monitor application progress, and arrange secure courier pickup, saving valuable time during busy travel periods.
The airline has coordinated with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to ensure 24-hour metro services to Terminal 3, but it still warns of congested car parks and longer immigration queues during the four-day peak. Additional staff and volunteers have been rostered to fast-track families and travellers with tight connections.
For corporate travel managers, the advisory means that staff transiting Dubai early next week should leave extra layover buffers, pre-select seats, and confirm that passports and visas remain valid beyond the busy period to avoid re-issue delays at immigration counters. The airline’s bonus-mile incentive may also offset costs for companies willing to direct employees to remote check-in points.
