Business trips - am I being ridiculous about flight safety?

[ThomasRichard]

I'm genuinely unsure whether I'm being daft here, so bear with me.

I have several long-haul business trips scheduled next year and I've started booking flights where I know the dates. We use a business travel provider so we are limited to the options they give us (company travel policy says we have to use them). The cheapest options either:

• include waiting around a Dubai airport for up to 6 hours in the middle of the night between connecting flights; or
• have short legs on obscure airlines with dubious safety records.

I wouldn't feel safe hanging around in a deserted airport in a country that imprisons women for reporting sexual violence. Dubai/the UAE in general is not somewhere I would ever go on holiday and I would never go myself or ask my female staff to go there for business either. One of my male members of staff is going on a business trip to Dubai, but as he's been there previously on holiday it's not a concern for him.

The flights that avoid tinpot arlines and dodgy connections are more expensive. It's my travel budget and I'm happy to justify that to my line manager, but I wondered what other people's thoughts would be in that situation.

I’m stopping over en route to India in a few weeks. I specifically chose Dubai for change as it is so safe and easy to navigate and my husband will be flying ahead of me. The lounges are good and I can have a shower or even go swimming. Emirates are a good airline, in my experience. It’s a very busy, very glitzy and sparkly airport and much nicer than many others.

In the Emirates there are undoubtedly human rights issues and you do end up wishing hotel staff would let you press the lift button yourself but superficially it feels very safe and welcoming. As a middle aged, fairly boring married woman it’s a good place for a few days sunshine. If you’re gay, unmarried, like more than the odd glass of wine I’d say there are underestimated risks. I would never drive in Dubai. Not because I lack confidence but the risk of accidents is very, very high and the settlement process is not always reasonable or fair. It always goes in favour of native population.