This should be merged with the larger STPC thread but I'll answer here anyway.

There are a number of variables that determine eligibility for Dubai connect; you must be on the shortest connection, be greater than 8h stopover in economy and have a minimum spend. The best thing to do is login to 'manage my bookin'g and you will see the Dubai connect link if you are eligible. If you need further clarification then you can call Emirates and inquire.

Travel agent issued itineraries can also qualify for Dubai connect if the criteria is met.

My reply got lost in the merge. To add to the above there must be no connection shorter than 8h (6h in J/F) available at time of booking, even if one is possible based on the timetable. The consideration is based on class of travel, so if a full fare ticket was available on an earlier flight in the same cabin you won't qualify. Also if you can take a later first flight resulting in a shorter connection you won't qualify. The minimum spend varies by market. In addition there are certain city pairs which always qualify due to the nature of the connection timing (mostly cities with just one flight a day connecting to another city with just one flight a day)

Thank you for the responses. I booked but they told me that I can not qualify since the cost of ticket without tax is less than 1000 USD. I have 15 hours of layover so it sure if there are other options

What's your routing?

IAD - DXB -BOM (7 hour layover)
AMD-DXB-IAD (15 hours layover)

You definitely qualify as an itinerary on the inbound (AMD-IAD) but there is a Minimum Fare Paid clause albeit vague

Check MMB anyway as sometimes DC appears when it shouldn't. Other option is to pay for a hotel yourself. If you need a visa for the UAE you can stay at the airside hotel

awesome75 already mentioned the fare didn't qualify from what EK said

This has indeed happened got me. Both mrs t and myself got DC offered on a trip with an 8 hour connection when there were several shorter connections available (it was to LHR). In fact our connection was the LONGEST on offer (and we selected it because it was the only one where a J Saver was available). We were on 2 different tickets (because she was on a different inbound flight), she on J Flex and I on J Saver. So completely independent. And we both got offered DC. No idea why, but we gladly took it (although I must say that 8 hours is about the minimum time for which a DC is attractive IMHO).

I have a couple questions about Dubai Connect eligibility. From reading through here, it seems that nobody knows for sure when a reservation will qualify. We have been "discussing" this for awhile.

For context, my wife and a couple of the children will likely be traveling EWR-DXB-ACC in July 2020. My questions are based off of that.

1. The earlier EWR flight (leaving at 11:50 AM) gives a 23h 10m layover in Dubai. The later flight would have a 7h 55m layover, just under the 8 hour cutoff. However, the fare is much lower for the earlier flight. The later one costs about $300 more. I don't know much about fare classes, but the earlier cheaper one would be book in (Q), and the later more expensive one in (U). Due to the difference in fare, considering that there will be at least 4 of them traveling, the difference adds up. We would book the earlier flight.

Will having a later flight under an 8 hour layover, but with only a higher fare available, disqualify the reservations from Dubai Connect? I would imagine it would qualify if the later flight would leave an 8 hour layover, but it is just under. However, we won't book the later flight/higher fare because of the cost difference. For the $1,200 we save in airfare, we can easily pay for a hotel and meals. We are Americans so we don't need to worry about visas. And a 23h layover is nicer in a way than an 8 hour layover. They will have time to see the city a bit and get some good sleep.

2. Is there a way to tell before purchasing if the reservation will qualify for Dubai Connect? I couldn't find a way to tell. I would probably just go ahead and book. Does Dubai Connect show up right away (if it does show up) after booking, or at least within 24 hours? If for some reason I decided to cancel, I would have 24 hours to do so with no fee. But at the moment anyway nothing else comes close to the fare we'd pay on Emirates, so there is really no competition there. We'll use them whether or not we have to pay for a hotel.

That said, we will be buying the tickets in about a month, around the end of November. We'll see what is available by then. That could change.

1) With the longer layover you won't be eligible for Dubai Connect at all, but as you point out you can definitely pay for a nice hotel and meals for far less. You may or may not have Chauffeur Drive in your booking as you are technically a layover and not a stopover, (<24h) but you should be able to arrange a car with EK manually over the phone or chat once you figure out where you're staying.

2) I don't book on the EK website so I can't tell they let you know before hand, but I can say that if your ticket is issued you will be able to see DC in the reservation. As the ticket is issued in the US it is subject to the 24 hour rule but I have never had to exercise it close to 24 hours (I only once did it a few hours after as I realized I had booked the wrong date).

I think this is an Economy ticket, so no CD :)

I'd take the longer connection, and get a hotel with the savings. What time does it arrive into DXB?

That's probably what we'll do. The flight from EWR arrives in DXB at 8:20 AM.

And who knows; there are anecdotal reports of Dubai Connect showing up when the rules would seem to indicate otherwise. :confused: We'll consider that a bonus if it happens.

Agree that this is the option I would choose.
And yes, I have had DC offered when I clearly did not qualify in terms of the rules. I don't think it happens often though, so no holding of breath advised.

Oops - i saw the $1200 airfare difference and my mind went to Business class fare differences. ;)

Need help booking (BOS to NBO) through Dubai
 

Hello everyone: my first post on flyertalk, I’m hoping someone out there can assist me! I’m helping my mother book a safari in Kenya. She leaves Boston on July 29th with a final destination of Nairobi and leaves Nairobi on August 9th. I was looking into a flight that leaves Boston at 23:10 on 7/29 and arrives in Dubai at 19:25 on 7/30. She would then have a 14 hour 50 minute layover in Dubai before departing to Nairobi at 10:15 on 7/31. It’s my understanding that Emirates would provide a free transit hotel in this situation? Most things I’ve read online say this is a service to all customers, while one article I’ve found say it’s only for first/business class. I’d really like to book through Emirates as I’ve heard great things but I was a little confused about how to go about booking this option, any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know if you need any more details about the itinerary that would clear things up. Thank you!