Airfares between the UAE and London look set to remain high for the rest of the summer, with direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to London averaging more than Dh4,000.
But travellers who can bide their time and fly later in the year will be able to take advantage of lower average fares. October is the cheapest month for flights to the UK capital from the UAE, according to data from Skyscanner shared exclusively with The National.
“October is currently showing the best-value deals for direct economy return flights from the UAE to London with prices starting from £568 [$669],” a spokesperson from the online travel agency said.
And travellers willing to fly indirect can find even better deals, with one-stop economy return fares from the UAE in October starting at £219.
In August, the cheapest direct flights from Dubai to London available are with British Airways, where prices start at Dh3,350. Fares on the same route start at Dh4,425 with Emirates. From Abu Dhabi, travellers will have to pay more than Dh6,000 to fly non-stop with Etihad Airways.
Rising airfares on the route are a culmination of passenger demand, fuel costs, pandemic-related operational issues and recently imposed passenger restrictions at Heathrow Airport, which limited capacity for airlines.
To avoid high summer flight prices, some travellers are opting to fly indirect to the UK. This strategy can save passengers up to 26 per cent, according to Skyscanner's data. Cheaper fares are available on one-stop routes to several European airports, including Dublin, Istanbul, Paris and Zurich.
Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner's destination and trends expert, said: “Current pricing is reflecting the return of travel demand and in the short term we expect to see fluctuations as we return to seasonal norms and head closer to the peak summer travel period.”
Summer airfare deals to Oman, Greece and Pakistan
Despite the rising fares, there are still deals to be found on flights.
“Prices aren’t rising on every flight route, nor at the same rate. There are still deals to be found for travellers who can be flexible on their dates, time of travel, and airports, and who are open to exploring less popular destinations.”
To find the best-value fares, those planning a trip should “compare and contrast dates, providers, departure airports and destinations”, said Lindsay.
“Our data shows those who are flexible on both dates and locations will unlock the best-value deals available.”
Travellers hoping to book a last-minute summer getaway before the end of the month can find low-cost airfares on several routes from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Skyscanner’s "Everywhere" search function shows that the cheapest destination for travel from Abu Dhabi in August is Oman, with direct return fares from Dh214. The sultanate enjoys Khareef season until late September, making summer one of the best times to visit southern Oman. Farther afield, non-stop flights to Armenia, Greece, Albania, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Jordan are available in August for under Dh1,000.
From Dubai, holidaymakers can fly to Oman, Pakistan and Kuwait, with fares starting at less than Dh1,000. European destinations are also within reach this August, with return flights under Dh1,500 from Dubai to Romania, Turkey, Greece and Hungary.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
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Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A