Your travel advice LON-DPS with Emirates in Y (DXB stop over Y/N)
 

Dear All

I am contemplating to fly to Bali end of September with EK in Y.

After checking flight prices I can see that it won't make any difference to stay over a night in Dubai when flying out/ flying back/ both legs.

What would you do - considering I have enough Marriott points to get a free night/ nights - taking a break in DXB eg. arriving late PM and then continuing to DPS with the 1am flight roughly 30 hours later? Fly LON-DXB-DPS with a 1 hour connection in DXB just to get it done and arrive in DPS as soon as? Or have a stop over only on the way back (arriving at 11pm and then going back to LON at 2am - 28 hours later) to stretch out the vacation?

I understand there won't be a 'right or wrong' and heavily depending on personal liking but I am just wondering of your thoughts. Please also let me know if you consider the 1hr 50 connection as too risky in DXB.

I will be EK silver (so can't guest my wife into EK lounge) but I have a Priority Pass card as well.

Many thanks!

If you have the points for the hotel, or even consider paying cash (DXB hotel rates can be surprisingly reasonable) I'd go for it, if you don't need a visa.

Same here... I generally always choose to break the flights by a day or two.

And I can recommend the Le Meridien near the airport for your stay. Your status will get you upgraded to the new(ish) Le Royal Club building. The club lounge is great - and you can get free food more or less all day (I'm typing this from there!).

You also get free Airport transfers. I got an Audi A6 last night.

I'm not a big fan of Dubai, so my preference is to use it as a pure transit point and make my way to final destination as soon as possible.

I did not know that

Another thing to consider is that the flight that connects on to/from Auckland may be a lot busier than the direct DXB-DPS flight (this was the case when I travelled a few weeks ago). I would probably prefer a tighter connection if that meant a better chance of an emptier flight. I'd also prefer to spend more time in Bali than Dubai!

Hasn't the DPS-AKL flight been canned?

It was only just introduced?

Currently operates Su Tue Fri Sat

Hi All

Thanks for all your input.

So in the end I have booked ourselves on a 30h stopover in DXB outward/ return given that we will be in Y.

Also I will be on the AKL flight from DXB - I was not aware that this one will continue further but had the best departure/ arrival time for us (and not an EK expert as of yet - one flight away of Silver :)

Yeah - sorry, I must have been getting confused. A heavy night last night with the Chavs :D