Flights to Dubai

[ineedanewnametoday]

We are looking at a holiday in Dubai end of December. We will be flying out from a European airport (not im the UK) roughly 7 hour flight, 3 kids aged 4, 7, 10.
We have the option of landing at 1.40am, 6.40am, 7.00pm or 11.00 pm. I cannot for the life of me decide which will be best. Originally thought landing at 6.40 would be best as flying night time kids would sleep, til I realised that would 3.30am our time without the time difference so possibly a horrendous time to wake them?
But the thought of them being awake for the whole flight is also tough!
Anyone care to share their experience and any advice?!

Land at 7 pm, by the time you have cleared custom, collected luggage and done check in at the hotel, everyone can go to bed and be fresh the next day.

Unless you are flying business, kids that age don't sleep that easily in economy . They can watch movies for 7 hours, it is not a very long flight . I live in Australia but travel often back home in Monaco, so it is always 3 flights and a minimum of 27 hours . 7 hours is nothing !!

7pm. You don't want to land early morning, the only way you can guarantee getting into a hotel room first thing in the morning is if you pay for the night before and spending the whole day with tired DC is not the best start to a holiday. Agree with Cormoran, they won't sleep in economy for much of a 7 hour flight regardless of what time of day or night it is. Presuming an early start for a 7pm landing but that's probably still the most preferable - early to bed the night before if at all possible and if really tired from an early start they might fall asleep whilst glued to the entertainment.

We've done Dubai twice now and both times did the 7pm landing. First time my DDs were 18months and 3.5 and then one year older. It worked really well. We landed and got to the hotel in time for dinner and then bed.

We keep them on UK time to allow them to stay up a bit later and this also works well.

Have a great time - it's one of the best places I've been for being child friendly and accommodating kids. It makes life easy.

💯 a daytime flight - the 7pm arrival.

I've done night and day flights to the Middle East and feel so much better after a day flight!

Can never have a decent sleep on the plane - too uncomfortable and it's too short a flight- between the crew doing the meal service (lights, clatter) and then putting all the lights on for landing prep you only get a few hours!

I think 7PM is the best for you. You can eat dinner at the airport or directly proceed to your hotel for dinner and bed. 7hr flight with the kids must be so tiring.

I think the 7pm landing is best but I disagree with other posters that kids won’t sleep on a night flight. We have done long haul night flights in economy, premium and business and my DCs have slept through them all. The problem with the Middle East is that the flight is too short for them to get enough sleep, which is why the 7.00pm flight is better. Mine always wake up no problem though.

That's unanimous, thank you everyone!
Makes sense as well about not getting the hotel room straight away if you land so early.
And yes 7 hours is not really long, when you take into account take off and landing, meal service two films...so outbound flight sorted!

For the return flight we could get a 3pm flight which I'm guessing would be best as could get up, get ready, have breakfast, sort last bits out and then leave. Any thoughts on that option?

3 pm is perfect!! Lazy breakfast and closing suitcases without rush and even a last swim before going to the airport. Just remember to keep a plastic bag or two out for the wet swimsuits.
Go for it!

Yes 3pm is perfect- no early start or rushing round in the morning and when you get home it will be bedtime!

Brilliant, thank you! That's so helpful 😊
Hopefully get that all booked this week!

We used to do a daytime flight when our kids were v small but we now go for the 6:40am landing. They are tired (sure we all are) but we doze on sunbeds and it's feels like a free extra day of the holiday for us and we love it! Agree on 3pm return. Have a great trip

Winning in Dubai at the end of December? 😦

Sorry - swimming

@Gingerboy22 why not? it is Dubai, several hotels have heated/cooled pool all year round . And the sea is not that cold.
You want cold water, come to Sydney in December! I will never get used to the water temperature !

Yes definitely a heated pool (and an indoor one) at the hotel!

It is cold at that time of the year as is the air temperature too.

@Gingerboy22 what is cold for you?

I am so confused by the Brits. I am reading the Florence in July thread, and everyone is " oh 30 degrees without AC , too hot, cancel" and here on the Dubai in December, " oh too cold, you can't swim" . 25 degrees cold, water low 20s?

I was there for a wedding in December. Daytime is warm. After 3-4pm , it cools down. Nights are cold, but 12pm in the sun, bloody hot.

I lived there for 18 years. I know what I am talking about. When you live in 40 degrees plus for a large part of the year then yes it is cold in December. Early morning temps might be 15. We used to laugh at the visitors in the pool in December😃while going to out Christmas brunches.

We lived there too. When you live there you get used to the heat - your body adapts and acclimatises then the winter temps feel chilly. I remember seeing a baby in a snow suit in Creek Park on news year's day and laughing. The following year we kind of understood... although I still think a snow suit was excessive. Even then we still swam in the pool and the sea all year. After the misery of the lukewarm sea in the summer I actually preferred it in winter. And the JOY of being able to open a window and cool-ish air coming in...

My children used to think 25 degrees was freezing cold and would moan - now they live back in the UK they think that temp it is nice and warm.

You will be fine OP. You might find the evenings a bit chilly, especially if you go on a desert trip where temps drop quite a bit in the evening but swimming will be nice.

We are going on Sunday…we land at 7pm and we leave at 2pm. We’ve been to Dubai many times before and always get those flights as the times work really well.

You’ll be fine OP. Their absolute peak season is New Year. Maybe need a light sweater for evenings. never known it chilly in the morning, except every now and then you get a day or so of cold weather and rain in Dec — but most if not all of the weather will be good. And much better than summer in the U.K.!

@Gingerboy22 didn’t you have anything better to talk about at Christmas brunch😂

You've obviously never been out on a golf course in the early morning in Dubai 😁

The talk of it being cold in Dubai in December is madness for most people in the uk. I was there in dec 2021 and it was perfect weather for beach and swimming!

Well this has been an interesting discussion!
Anything over 20 degrees is going to make us all very happy!
We've actually slightly changed our plan now though and have booked Abu Dhabi instead. Flight times are almost exactly the same but got a much better deal overall. Dubai was turning onto a v expensive option at that time of year.
We will hopefully go to Dubai for the day though, so any suggestions on making the most of one day there would be really appreciated!