Which airline would you recommend for Dubai?

Hello,

We’re planning a cruise to the UAE/QATAR/OMAN starting from DUBAI, with flights departing from Paris CDG. Which airlines would you recommend for round-trip flights, with or without a layover? We need assistance for check-in and boarding/disembarking (my husband is a mobility-impaired traveler who uses a cane and/or a walker). We’ve done a cruise return from Dubai to Paris CDG before in 2016, with a layover in Istanbul, but we booked the transfer and return flight with COSTA. For our current plan, it would be with Celestyal, which doesn’t offer round-trip flights from Paris to Dubai. Should we book very far in advance, or is a few months before departure enough (4/6 months)? We’re thinking of arriving the day before the ship departs, so we’d need to stay overnight in Dubai—either on the way there or for the return flight, depending on the flight schedules. Could you recommend a hotel not too far from the airport, and how to get to the port from the airport?

Thanks so much for your advice. Have a great Sunday! Mum49

Emirates is the airline whose hub is located in Dubai. Otherwise, Air France also offers direct flights to this city.

Regarding assistance, you might want to check directly with the airlines. On Emirates' page: https://www.emirates.com/fr/french/before-you-fly/health/accessible-travel/

I booked in November for April (but I was just stopping over in Dubai—I was heading to Japan during a very busy time there).

For the journey between the port and the airport, according to Rome2Rio, there’s a subway line. https://www.rome2rio.com/fr/map/A%C3%A9roport-International-De-Duba%C3%AF-DXB/Port-Rashid-%C3%89mirats-Arabes-Unis#r/Subway

Good evening Marina,

Thank you so much for your information. We’ll check out the sites you mentioned. Have a great evening! Mum49

Hi Marina,

I checked the websites of Emirates, AIR FRANCE, and Turkish Airlines—though the latter doesn’t have direct flights. All three offer assistance for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM). Given the current situation, wouldn’t it be better to book with AIR FRANCE, if only to handle potential delays, rerouting, or refund requests more easily? I read that there are "flex" fares marked as "refundable," but I couldn’t find the exact conditions on Air France’s website. The agency is supposed to call us Friday about the flights—isn’t that too early for a departure on 02/25/27 and return on 03/06/27 or 03/07/27? Should we sign up on a site for price alerts? Either way, we’ll book through the agency, hoping they do it directly with the airline. We’re not very comfortable doing it ourselves... Thanks for the advice from the users of this site: Guylène

Hello,

Celestyal just canceled the cruise we had booked from 02/27/27 to 03/05/27 in the UAE for "operational" reasons. (Scheduled stops: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, Doha, Khassab.) The alternative itinerary they offered in the UAE didn’t work for us (2 days in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Sir Bani Yas). The cancellation happened the same day our agency requested airport-to-port transfers. Thanks for the airline recommendations you shared earlier—they’re unfortunately no use to us now. Have a great Sunday! Guylène

Hi Guylène,

Keep this info tucked away somewhere. You never know what the future holds—maybe you’ll get a chance to go back.

Early 2020, I’d started researching a trip to Japan when Covid hit. I thought all that work had been for nothing until 2023, when I picked up my research again.

Hi Marina,

Thanks for your message, but given our ages, we’re going to stay a bit more cautious (87 and 75) and stick to traveling around Europe. Have a lovely end to your day! Guylène

Hi there,

Given the geopolitical situation, the only airlines operating in the region are the Gulf carriers. Air France and KLM have canceled their flight programs in the area until June 28 inclusive. So only Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai, and Saudia are operating flights to the UAE.

Hi Jean, Thanks for your reply, but as I mentioned in a previous message, Celestyal canceled this cruise. Have a great day! mum49