How to transit at Dubai International Airport is certainly valuable information for those of you who are not used to traveling alone. The difference in language and atmosphere is clearly a distinct nuance when you travel to another country. As one of the international airlines with the widest coverage, it is not impossible that you will use Emirates someday.
Landing at Dubai International Airport
When you land, you will generally be directed straight to Terminal 3. This terminal is for international arrivals. Upon entering the terminal building, you may see signs for ‘Connection’ and ‘Baggage Reclaim’. Both signs indicate the same direction.
Follow the path that has been determined.
If your connecting flight time is short, there will be an attendant waiting for you with a special sign (see image below). Pay attention to it; the attendant will make sure you reach your connecting flight on time.
The attendant will call out the name of the flight. Usually, this happens because the flight is about to depart or boarding has begun.
On your way, you may see the RED SIGN: ‘Passengers with Boarding Pass’ … ‘Passengers without Boarding Pass’. If you are transiting in Dubai, most likely you already have a boarding pass. Follow the sign ‘Passengers with Boarding Pass’.
At this moment, you are on the way to the security checkpoint. On your way to the security checkpoint, you should pass Emirates’ information counter.
Pass through the security check and follow all instructions given by the officers at the security checkpoint. Below is what the security check for connection flight looks like:
Take the escalator or elevator after passing the security checkpoint to go to the upper level.
Once you are on the upper level, you are inside the terminal building. If you haven’t found your connecting flight gate, check the screen near you. Once you are confirmed, follow the signs to reach your gate.
Please anticipate enough transit time if you are traveling with a large number of family members, especially children or a baby.
You are most likely to need some time to reach the gate for the connecting flight. This is simply because Dubai International Airport is huge. You are going to take a train to reach the gate from your arrival terminal.
Here’s my advice:
Once you pass through security, confirm your gate for the next flight, and follow the signs to reach it. Once you reach your gate, you can go sightseeing at the airport, shop, eat, or do whatever you want. Don’t forget to pay attention to the boarding time.
If your next flight is 3 or 4 hours away, usually the gate information hasn’t appeared on the screen. To find it, you can go to the information desk located at many points.
Or you can check the Flight Information Display, which is usually available at several spots in the airport. Below is what the display looks like:
Information Desk
There is no particular information desk with a dedicated officer at Dubai International Airport. The sign for the information center is the letter ‘i’ (in capital) inside a yellow circle. Several information centers are digital. Below is what the information center looks like:
You can also scan your boarding pass at dedicated machines available at the airports. By scanning it, you will find information about your flight time, the distance from your current location to your departure gate, how long it will take to reach your departure gate, and so on.
Check Through Flights
Usually, you will have checked-through baggage when transiting at Dubai Airport, especially if you are flying with Emirates from your previous flight. What this means is that you don’t have to bother moving your luggage from one plane to another. Airport staff already understand this when you check in at the previous airport.
The important thing is that you use the same airline when transiting in Dubai. The check-through process will be done automatically if you fly using the same airline (Emirates) when transiting in Dubai.
Suppose you fly from Europe to Asia using Emirates. Your baggage only needs to be dropped off in Europe when you check in and picked up at the airport in Asia after you have passed through the immigration process in the arrival terminal.
That is how to transit at Dubai international airport. Flying alone using Emirates should not worry you.
Remember the steps:
- Exit the plane.
- Find your gate through the flight display information or boarding pass scanner machine (if your boarding pass does not tell you the gate).
- Follow the sign for connections
- Pass security check point.
- Find your departure gate.
- Enjoy the rest of your time until your boarding time.
Note: If you experience a delay that shortens your connecting time, pay attention to the attendant waiting at the arrival entrance.
