Transfers at Dubai

Hello all,
Flying VS400 LHR -> DXB
Upper Class, hand luggage only
Scheduled arrival 08:00

Then catching an Emirates flight at 10:50 to DAR

What do you think? Enough time? Pushing our luck? No luggage to collect. No immigration. Just a transfer.

Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hello all,
Flying VS400 LHR -> DXB
Upper Class, hand luggage only
Scheduled arrival 08:00

Then catching an Emirates flight at 10:50 to DAR

What do you think? Enough time? Pushing our luck? No luggage to collect. No immigration. Just a transfer.

Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

I found this an efficient airport - vs service is reliable and when I flew in the summer we were 30 mins ahead of eta.

Assuming VS400 isn't significantly delayed, we have transferred in DXB and even when departing from a different terminal have found 2 hours to be fine.

Thanks both, that is reassuring!

That should be more than enough time. We transited at DXB on an EK flight from BKK in April and due to a delay on the first leg we arrived with just a 45 min transit time. We had to change terminals as well but we made it by the skin of our teeth thanks to one of the great EK runners who's job it is to help speed things along on any unplanned tight connections. They meet passengers at their arrival gate and rush them through, all the way to the departure gate.

Overall an extremely efficient airport.

P.s - To my surprise, our bags made it too!

As other have mentioned DXB to transfer through is easy, will not be an issue unless your VS arrival is exceptionally delayed, but then arrangements would be put in place to sort that anyway. No worries

Just one word of warning.... whilst EK/QF to EK/QF transfers are easy (same terminal, the amazing T3), Virgin is in T1 - which is currently an absolute shambles of a building site. It will be slower than normal, I'm afraid.

Again, thanks all. Forewarned is forearmed. I may prime EK too.

Another caveat - EK725 is very often on a remote stand, so you may have a helluva walk from the T3 entrance, and they tend to board early - since they have to bus you to the aircraft. Don't hang around in DDF

[honey lamb]

Oh dear, transfers at DXB! If you arrive at a remote stand, be afraid! Be very afraid! It took 40 minutes to get from the plane to the terminal and that was on the bus for Business passengers.

Having said that, my connection (always tight) was tighter than a duck's backside thanks to a delay on the flight into DXB and when EK took me off the flight they rose to the challenge magnificently! Having put the fear of God in you, my original connection was much, much less than yours - an hour and a half, which dwindled to an hour but it was the remote stand that killed it! You should be fine!

Oh dear, transfers at DXB! If you arrive at a remote stand, be afraid! Be very afraid! It took 40 minutes to get from the plane to the terminal and that was on the bus for Business passengers.

Having said that, my connection (always tight) was tighter than a duck's backside thanks to a delay on the flight into DXB and when EK took me off the flight they rose to the challenge magnificently! Having put the fear of God in you, my original connection was much, much less than yours - an hour and a half, which dwindled to an hour but it was the remote stand that killed it! You should be fine!

An hour? Luxury! #1 daughter ended up with her 90 mins down to 15 mins at New Year (it was an anxious time watching on FlightRadar) and still made it but that was EK to EK flights.

[honey lamb]

Oh dear, transfers at DXB! If you arrive at a remote stand, be afraid! Be very afraid! It took 40 minutes to get from the plane to the terminal and that was on the bus for Business passengers.

Having said that, my connection (always tight) was tighter than a duck's backside thanks to a delay on the flight into DXB and when EK took me off the flight they rose to the challenge magnificently! Having put the fear of God in you, my original connection was much, much less than yours - an hour and a half, which dwindled to an hour but it was the remote stand that killed it! You should be fine!

An hour? Luxury! #1 daughter ended up with her 90 mins down to 15 mins at New Year (it was an anxious time watching on FlightRadar) and still made it but that was EK to EK flights.

Mine was EK to EK and my original 90 mins connection was reduced to a 30 mins one by the original delay; the actual landing extended it to an hour but it was the remote stand that banjaxed it! I arrived in the terminal 20 minutes before the departure time but the length I would have had to walk from the entrance from the buses to the gate mitigated against it.

A thought. Are you on one PNR? If you're not and VS run late, EK won't help you - you'll be offloaded if you don't show at the appointed time. Why not fly with a proper airline to DXB and save yourself the hassle?

Why not fly with a proper airline to DXB and save yourself the hassle?

That's the proper airline that insists on the same credit card being present at the same time in two different airports 180 miles apart if all parties are to travel?

Hassle takes different forms in the end to end experience. Flight experience with EK was great, booking experience a nightmare.

On my last flight to Dubai I was seated next to a gentleman with a connection to Singapore. We were only about 40mins late out of MAN, but this made his Singapore connection very tight. He was first off the plane in DXB (I was second) and there were Emirates staff waiting at the end of the jet-bridge with signs for passengers with tight connections.

On approach into Dubai, they were displaying as much connection gate information as they had on the IFE system too.

I guess as Emirates don't require you to clear immigration on a connecting flight in DXB, they are prepared to gamble a bit on connection times (they also have full control of the baggage handling system through dnata - effectively their parent company). I remember a few years back we tried to book MAN-ORD-EGE on American - they would not let us book it without an overnight stop in ORD as the connection time was deemed too short to allow for US Immigration / transfer between terminals in ORD.

Why not fly with a proper airline to DXB and save yourself the hassle?

That's the proper airline that insists on the same credit card being present at the same time in two different airports 180 miles apart if all parties are to travel?

Hassle takes different forms in the end to end experience. Flight experience with EK was great, booking experience a nightmare.

You're all talking about same airline transfers. As I said, if the OP is on two PNRs, one for VS and one for EK, the latter is NOT going to do the 'staff at the jetway to get you through' service.

Your nightmare is - VS running a bit late. Not uncommon on this route, due to congestion this end. Looooong walk from the wrong end of T1 - that's a given, VS always park there. Should be ok on the transfer security. Then one helluva walk if you've got a remote stand - which on the 725 is likely. Boarding early due to the long bus trip to the aircraft.

Good luck....

1hr 25 is the minimum EK to EK connection time, in that EK will not allow you to book one of their flights with a lesser connection time. You of course can do that if you wish, but that's just an idea of how big/long DXB is.

It is possible, with everything running smoothly, that you will make your connection with time to spare. VS now arrive at the jet bridge in T1. T1 and T3 are connected airside. As above there is normally a shuttle to a remote stand for your onward connection.

If you wish to relieve a little of the stress you can look at using Marhaba services, who will meet you at the jetbridge, just after the escaltor and assist you through transit security (normally in a private lane), and then escort you to the next gate. If your connection is tight then they use a buggy for this purpose.

https://www.marhabaservices.com/source/ ... rvice.aspx

That's a really good idea, Dubaiification. I've used Marhaba many times, and they really can find a way through things. The sheer size of the Dubai terminal is pretty daunting, and it's all in a straight line, so from one end to the other is a hike

OK, thanks all.
I'm sorry not to be going with VS, but this is too important a vacation to mess up. So:

cancelled VS400 -full refund of miles, lost £30
cancelled DXB-DAR and return: too expensive to just add on Man leg! (go figure)

Rebooked MAN-DXB - DAR//DAR-DXB-MAN (for the same price as we paid for BXB - DAR!)

MAN-DXB arrives 1h earlier than VS, in same terminal, and they now have an obligation to sort if problems.

All would have been seamless, other than the IMPOSSIBLE EK payment process. Elected to pay by PayPal I (like the anonymity) but payment is now in limbo. That being said, EK have issued tickets, so assume all is well.

I suspect we'd have been in time, but 10days in S. TZ on safari - not willing to screw up. Selous and Ruaha, here we come!

[honey lamb]

My personal point of view is that it is a wise decision. Much as I love VS when it came to economics, EK won out big time and as what happened on the return trip proved it to be so.

On a return trip of DUR-DXB-DUB the DXB-DUB connection was 90 minutes but......well read all about it here. Following that incident, I was talking to a young man (heck, they're all young men these days! ) from the town who is a pilot on the A380s with EK and even he was impressed with the lengths they went to to ensure I got home when I needed.

Thanks hl, I am feeling reassured now.

I agree - a really good decision. EK will get you there, no worries. T3-T3 transfer, if there is the slightest risk you are late for the 725 they will meet you at the jetway off the UK flight. Short transfer as well.

If there is no-one looking for you at the top of the jetway, assume that you have enough time - not LOADS of time - so don't meander around the shops

I used to run an airline in Tanzania, and I know the country well - you will have an amazing time - enjoy!

[honey lamb]

Thanks hl, I am feeling reassured now.

OK, so now you've transferred to EK, here's a tip. When you are coming in to land at DXB - well a bit before it, the IFE will start to flag up the gates for onward flights to different destinations. Given the size of DXB there will be at least four pages of connections. If yours is at the end of the list and says to check in the terminal, the chances are that you will not make the connection. Hopefully that will not happen

Arrive 7.05' dep 10.50'. Should be ok, surely, all in T3?