Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 15, Edition 128

Here’s your latest edition of Dubai news, deals & tips, every Friday, in 10 mins or less.

⬇️ Etihad prices dropped by 50%?

➡ Emirates extend refund waiver to 31 May

🚨Will more Dubai hotels temporarily close?

🏃‍♂️1 in 8 🇬🇧 UAE residents are away

❌ Foreign airlines limited to 1 daily flight?

PS. You can always email me here also.

PPS. Whilst the conflict/ceasefire/situation is ongoing, I’m tweaking the newsletter to focus more on a ‘bulletin’ style i.e. curation and comment.

I feel it’s more important to post updates and information that may help inform decisions about travel to Dubai and the UAE. I may also add the odd ‘comment’ piece about my thoughts, as I have this week on the short-term future of Dubai hotels.

This may mean less links, topics and words temporarily - please bear with it and let’s hope for positive improvements soon 🙏

Please note: some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, and will be denoted with an asterisk (*). This is a link to a partner site that may pay me a commission - at no further cost to you - and if so, helps to support me & this newsletter. For more info, please see Disclosure and Policies

Dubai views the ceasefire with cautious optimism, reports Gulf News.

The Financial Times report one in eight (30,000 of 240,000) British UAE residents are currently ‘outside the UAE’ since the conflict started. (Archived page here).

Reuters are reporting that Dubai Airports are apparently limiting ‘foreign’ airlines to one daily flight until 31 May, whilst Emirates and Fly Dubai continue to build their schedules.

The article indicates the limit was communicated to the Indian government, whereas blogs are suggesting other carriers may have been contacted.

In some cases, it may be academic given current carrier suspensions, such as KLM extending further.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Cmmerce Marketing (DCTCM), says “Dubai's events calendar remains vibrant and executable”, whilst some event organisers may “reschedule to maximise attendance and impact”.

Airports Council International Europe (ACI) warns the continent could face a jet fuel shortage in three weeks unless the Strait of Hormuz ‘opens up’.

Would you book flights for June via the Middle East, asks Simon Calder of The Independent?

Here are his thoughts on what ‘peace in the Gulf may mean for airlines and passengers’.

🔗 Latest airline flight cancellations

As in the pandemic, Dubai hotels are pivotting to other means of ‘ancillary revenue’ as occupancy is lower, whilst offering more promotions such as staycations.

Dubai hotels are even offering rental car deals for long stay (over 30 day) guests!

Whilst there are expectations, hopes (archived page here), PR spin etc. that travel demand may return over the next few months, the ‘elephant in the room’ is the question about how hotels are coping now, and what they may do next.

Given Dubai hotels traditionally drop pricing from mid-May to mid-September, and then even drop further over the off-season, I would not be surprised to see hotels scale even further down.

My guess would be, they may see the low prices/occupancy, the reduced operations, the uncertainty and the likely timescale for confidence to return as an opportunity to effectively bring forward shoulder/summer season and consolidate operations, or even temporarily close.

As reported in a previous edition, this is exactly what Park Hyatt Dubai has done, and framed it as a ‘refurbishment’ period. It could be hotels that have long-held refurbishment plans may decide this is the best time to do them.

Cluster hotels may consolidate guests and operations.That is, hotels that have ‘sister properties’ may decide to shift guests and close wings or even entire properties. Why have 20% occupancy across two hotels when you can have 40% in one? After all, some hospitality companies have temporarily relocated staff to other countries and reduced the number of open outlets, so further consolidation is a logical step.

Top Tip - if you have a hotel booking for the next six months, I would strongly consider ‘keeping across’ trusted, objective sources such as their official website, loyalty programme, apps and their social media as often, when operations are reduced, hotel chains don’t always make a fanfare in the press.

For example, Park Hyatt Dubai will close from 01 May for ‘approximately’ six months. Keep that in mind if you see promotions such as this AmEx Fine Hotels & Resorts offer for the hotel!

Another example: bear in mind many lounges in Dubai hotels are currently closed, including some of the ‘biggies’ e.g. Conrad and JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. As regular readers will know, this is why I always recommend calling a hotel to check current operations status rather than trusting a travel agent who may sell a lounge as a benefit, even in good faith, without knowing if it’s actually open.

As of 1230 GMT Fri 10 April, Emirates has extended their rebook or refund waiver for passengers travelling up to 31 May.

Rebook - another flight to the same destination, or or another in the same region, up to 15 June.

Refund - complete the Refund Request form, unless you booked with a travel agent, in which case contact them.

Customers booking flights from 02 April will be allowed one complimentary date change, though fare difference fees may apply.

Be sure to check Emirates Flight Schedules to see which flights are currently scheduled.

🔗 Emirates Travel Updates

🔗 Emirates Refund Request form

🔗 Emirates Flight schedules

Following last week’s sale, Etihad continue to offer low prices even without a sale or promotion.

Several sources claim Etihad are pricing up to 50% lower on certain routes around May and June.

Hattem Mattar calls on UAE influencers to support local businesses by paying for meals.

A man from my own heart 👏.