Hey Everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what can be done in Dubai on a 10 hour layover. Emirates has given me the free hotel, so I might as well explore they place. It is a day layover so cant do any night activities.
Also has anyone ever been offered an upgrade by Emirates from Economy to Business? Any Tips or Tricks? I am a giant and would hate to sit in the seat for the 14 hour flight.
Anyone suggestions on what sim to use while there?
Thanks in Advance
Jump on the Metro from the airport.
+1 Gold Souk but only worth it at night.
Burj Khalifa is incredible just to see in person, sadly we didn't get the opportunity to go up due to sickness on the day of our tickets.
Shopping wise, nothing is open until 10am at the earliest. Shops stay open quite late though… 11pm
10 hours isn't very long and clearing immigration can take a long time in peak hours, so allow some time for that on the way back into the Airport.
Thanks
Are the Gold Souk not as lively during the day? Also I was thinking of investing in a gold brick from Dubai, Would you get that from there?
Souks only really open at night. There's a few stores/stalls open in the day, but it'd be like 1 in 5 at best.
Plus the lighting seems to work better in the night for the Gold.
We had some jewellery made, but not at the Souk, rather at a Jeweller recommended to us by expat friends.
go see burj and the sheik mohammed centre, then check out dubai mall
Hire a Lamborghini
Hahaha if only i could afford
Eat at a posh restaurant. They do meat way better than anyone else.
Yeah, I have heard about the slow cooked lamb, will try that for sure
Eat Shish Tawook and/or Sharwarma, what we might call a Kebab/Giros/Yiros byut with a Middle Eastern Twist rather than the Greek influence we tend to have here.
Best food ever!
Also has anyone ever been offered an upgrade by Emirates from Economy to Business?
Yes, but I booked direct with them. I got an email for a cheap business class upgrade. I took it!
If you booked via a travel agent or a third party, then yeah I doubt you'll see one. But Emirates economy isn't too bad.
A380?
Yeah, I booked through emirates as well, but I used the Entertainment Book Voucher to get it even more cheaper, roughly how long before your flight did you get the email? and I think Boeing 737
It was a few days out when I got mine, strangely only on the return leg.
Makes sense doing it a few days before, they don't want to fill up the business class with cheap paying people, when real paying people might be booking.
Also from memory, you can request/pay for a upgrade from your manage booking page.
Oh 737…. not sure what they are like on Emirates, only ever done that A380 and that rocked! But I'm sure the 737 wiull be fine too!
I woudnt mind either, I am just so worried about my the 14 hours sitting in a seat, all stuck up.
I clicked on that button and it says "You must contact Emirates Office to Upgrade"
Any idea if I can upgrade at check in?
@Legend279: Not sure, but you can always ask at checkin or give them a call!
but yeah 14 hours is a long time, but you'll be able to get up and walk around etc but can get a bit looong towards the end.
How long is your layover actually? Is it 10 hour layover but you get in at stupid o clock, sleep, actually have 3 hours to look around the city before you have to be back at the airport? Or do you have 10 hours to kill?
I'd Head to Burj Khalifa
http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/observation/
Then the Dubai Mall
and get some food.
Also has anyone ever been offered an upgrade by Emirates from Economy to Business?
Well you can pay? They sometimes have cheap upgrade offers.
What you could do though is book an exit row.
Anyone suggestions on what sim to use while there?
Don't bother. Use international roaming. UAE has annoying rules like Japan for prepaid sims.
For 10 hours I wouldn't bother.
I've been put up by Emirates in Dubai before, what time does your flight get in as ours was around 10PM with morning flight the next day so nothing is open and you're buggered usually.
They'll put you on a bus to hotel, the restaurant is open so you get a feed before going to bed. Wake up call and bus waiting outside hotel in the morning, no real time to do anything to be honest.
If you have longer or timing allows, I would suggest you hit the Spice Market (Souk) and pickup some cheap quality saffron.
Consider Premium Economy upgrade?
Oh, I have been blessed with a good layover, i get there at 11am and depart at 9pm in the night.
How was the free hotel and the service?
What am i gonna do with the saffron ahhaha?
Whats the difference from premium economy and normal economy?
Was it originally 10hrs when you initially booked or is it because of a cancellation?
Maybe take a look at the deal here to see if you're eligible to get free lounge access if you don't have Veloce or priority-pass already.
Yeah, minimum stay was 10 hours or the next option was 18 hours, so I choose the shortest, hence the free room
If you have some money, you can go see the Burj Khalifi. Or you can go see the gold markets, its pretty cool.
I also recommend (if you can line up the time that fits in), a cultural tour in the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, I really like it.
Good thing about Dubai, its pretty small and a taxi can get you anywhere quickly and relatively cheaply.