Emirates Airline offers cheaper fares to 85 destinations

Emirates Airline, based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is offering cheaper fares for flights to 85 destinations for those passengers who book between now and February 15, 2009, to travel till May 31, 2009.

The revised prices are applicable to tickets for first class, business class and economy class  issued in the the United Arab Emirates to destinations, including cities in India, China, the United States, Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Middle East, Africa and Australia.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airline’s senior vice-president (commercial operations for the Gulf, Middle East and Iran), said in a statement that the current revision was the carrier’s third fare revision since October 2008. He added that the move was prompted by the decline in the prices of fuel.

Kazim, however, did not specify the percentage of reduction in fares.

Though travel demand has slowed after the peak holiday season, Emirates’ “convenient connections and high-quality service continue to attract customers seeking good value for money,” the statement said, adding that “our seat factors in the region remain strong, and we are expecting growth in some markets.”

In December 2008, Emirates Airline had said that it would be adding flights to three cities – one flight each to Riyadh and Jeddah and two to Amman – from February 2009. This announcement came close on the heels of Emirates raising the number of services to Damascus in December 2008 from 9 flights a week to 11 flights a week.

At present, Emirates Airline flies to 14 cities in the Middle East, with about 180 flights a week – thus offering, what the airline describes as “the best connectivity in the region.”

Emirates Airline, using its fleet of 126 wide-bodied aircraft, currently operates flights to 101 destinations in 6 continents, from its international hub in Dubai.

The Emirates statement added: “Emirates offers passengers of first and business class a complimentary personal airport transfer in a chauffeur-driven car from home or hotel to the airport, and on arrival, to their ultimate destination in 43 destinations.”