December 25, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: As December weekends are the most popular outbound travel periods within Dubai, Emirates has also dropped a travel advisory to ensure that passengers do not have to navigate the overcrowded airports and this is more so during the holiday season.

The 10 Things To Know Before Flying With Emirates By Travellers During The Holiday Season

Get Ready to handle Large Passenger Traffic

The weekends of December are one of the busiest to travel out of Dubai. This is to expect huge crowds, congested terminals and possible delays during check in, security, immigration and boarding.

10 Things To Know Before Flying With Emirates

2. Be Early- At least 3 hours prior to departure

Amongst the list of things to know before flying with Emirates, there is an advisory to the customers to report to the airport at least three hours before the flight. This allows sufficient time to overcome the check-in, security, baggage drop and boarding procedures with no stress.

3. Use Effective Transport- Think of the Metro

Due to the fact that road traffic and congestion around the airport may be very heavy particularly during holiday rush, Emirates recommends the use of the Dubai Metro to access the airport and avoid delays due to road congestion.

4. Check-in Online / Digital When available

Check in can be done via the Emirates App or by checking in on the Emirates Web site. The Digital check-in would allow you to receive a mobile/online boarding pass, which would accelerate your airport experience.

5. Enable Biometric Processing in Dubai international Airport (DXB)

One of the important things to know before flying with Emirates is to register on the Emirates App at the biometric section on the DXB Smart-Gate/Path, and not only can you pass through the immigration, boarding, and even the lounges faster, but it is a fantastic time-saving idea when traveling in large numbers.

6. Know Your Check-in Options

In case for some reason you do not want to check in at the airport itself, then Emirates does offer other check-in facilities:

Dubai Airport counters (24 hours prior to flights; 12 hours pre-flights to the US)

Check-in at ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC, City, (24 to 4 hours before flight; not on flights bound to the US)

Passengers of northern Emirates check-in Ajman Central Bus Terminal (24 to 4 hours before flight)

The alternatives assist in minimizing queues during the day of traveling.

7. Get Your Travel Documents in Check

The passport, or Emirates ID in case of nationals of the UAE, should have a minimum of six months to use, except when traveling within the GCC countries.

In case of renewal, Emirates has on-site passport renewal at Terminal 3 at Arrival Level Immigration which normally takes about 30 minutes.

8. Know Entry/Exit Regulations on Destinations -E.g. EU, India

Some important things to know before flying with Emirates:

To travel to the EU/Schengen Area: As of October 12, non-EU/Schengen nationals in short-term stays (less than 90 days) need to have biometric data captured under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). Provide more time on border checks.

To travel to India: The Non-Indian nationals should fill an online e-Arrival card 72-24 hours prior to boarding a flight. Otherwise, it might lead to the delay of immigration at the port of arrival.

9. Strict Adherence to Power Bank/Battery Rules

In case you have a power bank, you can only have one, but this should be in the baggage in your cabin. Its capacity should not be more than 100 Wh, and it cannot be charged onboard.

10. Digital Services + Plan Ahead to get the Smoother Experience

Emirates emphasizes that check-in ahead of schedule, contact details in Manage Your Booking, and biometric processing can all contribute to saving time and avoiding much longer lines, which is particularly helpful during the times when the airports are busy.

Importance of Things To Know Before Flying With Emirates

As the holiday season approaches, as well as several weekends in December, it is likely that the airports will become extremely congested, not just in the outbound flights but also in the incoming flights. It is predicted that over 10 million passengers will cross DXB during the month of November 27 to December 31, 2025.

The above-mentioned measures, and the list of things to know before flying with Emirates like arriving early, digital check-in and biometric fast-track, document and gadget compliance, and smarter transportation may make the difference between a pleasant experience and a stressful one in that case.