Lower fares briefly opened up after Eid Al Adha, but travel agents say the dip is likely temporary as the peak July–August travel rush approaches.
UAE residents who have yet to book their summer travel are being urged to purchase tickets now instead of waiting for last-minute deals, as travel agents warn that lower fare buckets are expected to disappear within days, with prices likely to surge in July and August.
“Book now, not later. The classic ‘last-minute deal’ logic does not apply this summer,” Rashida Zahid, VP – Operations at musafir.com, told. “The current market conditions mean that the waiting game would be tricky on most routes.”
She added that June remains a “pre-peak” travel period, with fares expected to climb sharply in July and August as school holiday demand picks up. While airlines have released more seats in lower fare categories after the Eid Al Adha period, she said this dip is temporary and should not be interpreted as a sustained drop in prices.
“For travellers planning trips in July or August, the window to secure lower fare buckets is closing this week, not next month,” Zahid said. “Booking two to four weeks in advance can lead to significant savings, especially on routes from Dubai to Europe and South Asia, which are typically among the first to see price increases.”
Imtiaz Hussain Nasir, CEO of Pinoy Tourism, echoed the advice, urging residents with fixed travel dates not to delay bookings.
“For travellers with fixed schedules, now is the best time to book,” he said. “While some last-minute deals may appear occasionally, this summer is marked by strong demand and capacity constraints on certain routes, making delays more likely to result in higher fares and fewer choices.”
Rising airfares
As the booking window narrows, travel agents say residents are already seeing significantly higher fares on several high-demand routes, particularly those used for family visits and homebound travel.
According to Zahid, fares are “meaningfully higher” than last summer across major travel corridors. Dubai–New Delhi tickets now cost around Dh2,293, compared with about Dh800 during off-peak periods earlier. Dubai–London and Dubai–Bangkok fares are currently around Dh3,560 and Dh3,360 respectively, while Dubai–New York has reached Dh4,890.
Nasir said fares to many popular destinations are up by around 20–30% year-on-year, with some peak dates seeing even sharper increases, driven by fuel costs, strong summer demand, school holidays, and regional airspace adjustments.
He added that demand is especially strong on routes to the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Thailand, Vietnam, and several European cities, with family travel routes selling out quickly during the school holiday period.
Zahid noted the sharpest increases fall into three categories:
- Arab regional destinations: July fares are expected to be 25–35% higher than June, with Cairo seeing increases of about 35%, Beirut around 30%, and Amman and Damascus about 25%.
- Europe, South Asia and the US: Long-haul routes such as London, Paris, and Mumbai are up by more than 30%, largely due to fuel costs and reduced airline capacity.
- Far East: Destinations including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and China are seeing increases of around 15–18%.
With demand building for July travel, agents warn that delaying bookings further is likely to result in fewer options, higher fare buckets, and limited availability on popular family and homebound routes.
