Just booked my flights for December with Emirates

[blue1878]

As my title has just said I have booked my flights for December with Emirates.  And it'll be my first trip in 3 years 🥳.  And the flight landscape with Emirates is now different compared to pre-covid times.  Emirates have less flights and not all flights use the A380 planes.  In fact only 1 of my 4 flights use the A380.

I fly from Manchester UK so it takes me 2 flights to get to Thailand.  So I fly Manchester to Dubai.  And then Dubai to Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok

With Emirates I always like to book there morning flight at 08:50 from Manchester to Dubai and after spending only 2 hours 45 minutes in Dubai I fly Suvarnabhumi and land at around 7:30am Thai time.  So I'm always get to my Pattaya in the morning.  I like getting to Pattaya (my 2nd home) at this time.  I can take my time unpacking and in the afternoon I can visit Soi 6 for a ST.  And then go back to my hotel for a rest before going out in the evening.  In fact the last time I visited Pattaya I got a couple of girls to visit me for a 3some

Anyway at the end of my holiday I like to book the Emirates flight that takes off from Bangkok to Dubai at 20:35.  I then only spend about 2 hours in Dubai before flying to Manchester.  And I arrive in Manchester around 7am

Things are different now

For the Manchester to Dubai flight I was able to book the 08:50 flight BUT once I land at Dubai I have to wait 7hrs 15mins for my connecting flight.  So I don't land at Suvarnabhumi airport till 12:05.  So I won't get to my hotel in Pattaya till about 15:00.  

For my return flights there is no 20:35 flight.  So I have booked a flight at 01:05 and at Dubai I am only in Transit for 2hrs 10 mins before I fly to Manchester at 11:15.  About 4 hours later than I normally fly.

One thing I forgot to mention was that in 2020 I had booked my flights to Thailand with Emirates before Covid hit.  So in 2020 I had to cancel my flights but didnt ask for a refund.  I kept the ticket.  So when I did this booking I was able to use my 2020 ticket.  This is actually good because it looks like prices have gone up,

Over the next few months I'll check to see if Emerates add any flights.  Flights that hopefully be more convieniant.  If that happens I'll look to change my flights but I might have to pay a surcharge.

Anyway I am made up I've got my flights booked for my first trip in 3 years

One more thing is my usual hotel has not yet reopened but I believe its reopening later in the year.  So I'll wait a little while to see if it does reopen or book into a new hotel

[cheetzie]

How much was your flight with them? I flown with them a few times. First time was from Manchester in the mid 90s when they first started flying to MAN. Their plane was an Airbus 300 to Dubai and the smaller Airbus 310 from dubai to BKK. Dubai airport was alot smaller back then! Whilst onboard, I bought a plastic model of the Emirates Airbus 300 the first time I flew with them and still have it stored somewhere with their older but striking livery. They have always been great airline. 
 

I really like Oman Air but they have no flights currently so have booked Austrian and Finnair for my next flights. 

Edited May 14, 2022 by cheetzie

[jaynewcastle]

You're very lucky you have a choice of 3 Emirates flights any day of the week Manchester/Dubai, as well as the options of both Qatar & Etihad too

Newcastle only has 1 Emirates flight, and thats dropped from daily to just 5 days a week & less convenient flight times too for me

Flying out, why didn't you choose the 1:10pm flight out of Manchester so you just had a 2:40 transfer through Dubai, instead of several hours ?

I am certain Emirates will increase the number of flights on the DXB/BKK route before the end of the year, from the current 2 back to 4,5 or 6, giving far more options, as European passenger numbers substantially increase the rst of 2022 & into 2023

Enjoy your trip. I had 7 weeks in Thailand in Jan/Feb 2022 & will be booking my Jan/Feb 2023 flights, once Emirates prices drop back to more normal levels (fingers crossed)

 

 

[taylor1975]

I usually do the early afternoon flight from MAN ...1 or 2pm? which then connects with the dubai flight you are on, with only 3 hrs connection.

I think they use A330 which are fine, but not as good as a380.

Enjoy!!

[penboy]

3 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

 

Flying out, why didn't you choose the 1:10pm flight out of Manchester so you just had a 2:40 transfer through Dubai, instead of several hours ?

 

 

 

He says 2:45 stopover?

[jaynewcastle]

18 minutes ago, penboy said:

He says 2:45 stopover?

If you re-read the post, thats what he used to do, but things are different now

 

"Things are different now

For the Manchester to Dubai flight I was able to book the 08:50 flight BUT once I land at Dubai I have to wait 7hrs 15mins for my connecting flight.  So I don't land at Suvarnabhumi airport till 12:05"

[ronthebrummie]

I’m looking at a Feb 23 trip flights are horrendous £800+ from Brum not sure if that is fuel related or them stopping the 2 A380 flights a day think I’m going to hang on I believe they are moving back to A380 in autumn?

[blue1878]

4 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

You're very lucky you have a choice of 3 Emirates flights any day of the week Manchester/Dubai, as well as the options of both Qatar & Etihad too

Newcastle only has 1 Emirates flight, and thats dropped from daily to just 5 days a week & less convenient flight times too for me

Flying out, why didn't you choose the 1:10pm flight out of Manchester so you just had a 2:40 transfer through Dubai, instead of several hours ?

I am certain Emirates will increase the number of flights on the DXB/BKK route before the end of the year, from the current 2 back to 4,5 or 6, giving far more options, as European passenger numbers substantially increase the rst of 2022 & into 2023

Enjoy your trip. I had 7 weeks in Thailand in Jan/Feb 2022 & will be booking my Jan/Feb 2023 flights, once Emirates prices drop back to more normal levels (fingers crossed)

 

 

I'm going to keep an eye on Emirates website to see if they put on extra flights between Dubai and Bangkok.  If they do I will get in touch and change my flight.  So that hopefully I'll only have a 3 hour wait in Dubai rather than 7hrs 15mins.

I could have booked the later flight from Manchester so I don't have to wait long for my current conecting flight but if they do put on extra flights I'd have to change 2 flights and pay a surcharge for changing two flights BUT as it stands I'm hopefully only going to pay one surcharge.  I know I'm taking a chance but I'm OK if it doesnt happen. I'm just happy to visit Thailand for the first time in 3 years

[blue1878]

One thing I noticed when the Emirates emailed me the booking.  Is that they are asking me to check in at Manchester airport 4 hours before flight.  It's normally 3hours.  I think this will change nearer the time.

Also in the past I always get to the airport just over 3 hours early. And once I've got through security I head straight to the bar for a beer or two.  The bar I visit normally have 4 different cask beers and I usually try 3 of them.  Before my last trip which was December 2019 I decided I'd try all 4 cask beers.  Sadly when I got there only 2 cask beers where on.  So I just had 3 pints 2 of one and 1 of the other.  So I said to myself the next time I fly to Thailand hopefully all 4 casks will be on and I can try all 4.  Little did I know that my next trip would be 3 years later

[blue1878]

5 hours ago, cheetzie said:

How much was your flight with them? I flown with them a few times. First time was from Manchester in the mid 90s when they first started flying to MAN. Their plane was an Airbus 300 to Dubai and the smaller Airbus 310 from dubai to BKK. Dubai airport was alot smaller back then! Whilst onboard, I bought a plastic model of the Emirates Airbus 300 the first time I flew with them and still have it stored somewhere with their older but striking livery. They have always been great airline. 
 

I really like Oman Air but they have no flights currently so have booked Austrian and Finnair for my next flights. 

Cheetzie I didnt have to pay this years prices.  I booked a flight for December 2020 before covid hit.  So when covid happened i cancelled my flights but kept the booking.  So yesterday when I booked the flights I just quoted my 2020 booking reference

[Firecat]

2 hours ago, taylor1975 said:

I usually do the early afternoon flight from MAN ...1 or 2pm? which then connects with the dubai flight you are on, with only 3 hrs connection.

I think they use A330 which are fine, but not as good as a380.

Enjoy!!

As far as I know Emirates only have Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.  Last time I looked the 2pm afternoon flight out of Manchester (EK18) is still the A380.  But the Dubai to Manchester connecting flight EK384 is disappointingly only the B777. These are the flights I normally use.  Emirates current prices are out of my reach (~£3400 for business).  I have booked KLM instead.  This will be my first time in KLM business class, I am not expecting it to be as good as Emirates A380, but hopefully will be better than Premium Economy.

Edited May 14, 2022 by Firecat
spelling error

[blue1878]

19 hours ago, Firecat said:

As far as I know Emirates only have Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.  Last time I looked the 2pm afternoon flight out of Manchester (EK18) is still the A380.  But the Dubai to Manchester connecting flight EK384 is disappointingly only the B777. These are the flights I normally use.  Emirates current prices are out of my reach (~£3400 for business).  I have booked KLM instead.  This will be my first time in KLM business class, I am not expecting it to be as good as Emirates A380, but hopefully will be better than Premium Economy.

I started flying with Emirates again in 2016 and I must admit I like the A380 aircrafts.  At the moment only 1 of my 4 flights for my December trip is on a A380.  I'm OK with that.  It might be unlikely but over the next few months there could be a big increase in people wanting to fly to Thailand.  This could mean Emirates changing the 777 aircrafts to the 380's 

[semi-retired member]

On 14/05/2022 at 22:32, blue1878 said:

One thing I noticed when the Emirates emailed me the booking.  Is that they are asking me to check in at Manchester airport 4 hours before flight.  It's normally 3hours.  I think this will change nearer the time.

My wife flies home from Gatwick on Emirates today, and they are still asking for check-in 4-hours ahead, perhaps they'd like more time to check the extra vaccine/Thailand-Pass/insurance paperwork, especially on the A380 ?

But I agree/hope that it will get back to normal eventually.

[sl4ppy]

On 14/05/2022 at 16:32, blue1878 said:

One thing I noticed when the Emirates emailed me the booking.  Is that they are asking me to check in at Manchester airport 4 hours before flight.  It's normally 3hours.  I think this will change nearer the time.

Also in the past I always get to the airport just over 3 hours early. And once I've got through security I head straight to the bar for a beer or two.  The bar I visit normally have 4 different cask beers and I usually try 3 of them.  Before my last trip which was December 2019 I decided I'd try all 4 cask beers.  Sadly when I got there only 2 cask beers where on.  So I just had 3 pints 2 of one and 1 of the other.  So I said to myself the next time I fly to Thailand hopefully all 4 casks will be on and I can try all 4.  Little did I know that my next trip would be 3 years later

7 pints before the flight!  Glad I won't be next to you 😀

[blue1878]

13 minutes ago, sl4ppy said:

7 pints before the flight!  Glad I won't be next to you 😀

I only ever have 3 pints but the last time I flew I was going to have 4 pints because the bar in T1 that I go to always have 4 cask beers on the go.  Sadly 2 of the casks were not available so I kept to my 3 pints before a flight routine 🤪

[sl4ppy]

24 minutes ago, blue1878 said:

I only ever have 3 pints but the last time I flew I was going to have 4 pints because the bar in T1 that I go to always have 4 cask beers on the go.  Sadly 2 of the casks were not available so I kept to my 3 pints before a flight routine 🤪

Ahh, read it as 2 pints of each of 4 🤣 Enjoy ...

[blue1878]

Update

Back in May I decided to be positive and book my December flights.  With Emirates I always book the 08:50 flight from Manchester.  And when I'm in Dubai I normally only have to wait 2hrs 45mins for my connecting flight.  Back in May I booked the 08:50 flight but Emirates because of Covid hadnt reintroduced my normal connecting flight which would have got me to Suvarnabhumi for about 07:30am.  So I had a wait of 7hrs 15mins in transit which is no good at all.  Since May I have been hoping Emirates would reintroduce my Dubai to Bangkok flight.  Sadly they have not.

So yesterday I phoned Emirates Manchester office and asked them if they could book me on the 13:10 flight from Manchester.  They were able to do this and didnt charge me.  So now I only have a 2hr 40 wait in transit at Dubai instead of 7hrs 15mins.  My Dubai to Bangkok flight will get me to Bangkok at 12;05pm.  

Hopefully next year Emirates will reintroduce the flight I like because I love flying from Manchester early and arriving at Bangkok airport early.  This allows me to get to my Pattaya hotel in the morning and have a ST inSoi 6 in the afternoon.  And then have a rest before going out at night

[jaynewcastle]

Good you were able to change for free to a flight with a much shorter transit time, funnily enough the one I suggest nearly 5 months ago  :). Maybe next year, your normal flight will be re-introduced on your route

In early Jan 2023, Emirates still only have 3 flights a day DXB-BKK, but nobody expected flight prices to increase so much, which will have restricted demand a lot

In late Feb, Emirates now have 5 flights a day BKK-DXB route, which is very promising going forward

 

The DXB-NCL flight times returned to their normal times a couple of months ago. The new flight times during Covid were great for those just going to Dubai & back, but I didn't like them at all much for when just transiting through & on further to SE Asia

Pleased things are starting to get back to normal, just need the prices to drop back to what was normal as well 

[toonboy]

Yep, NCL-DXB-BKK flight times back to ‘normal’ next month.  Suits my needs just fine.  Pattaya by hotel check-in time!  It’s been a while.