Dubai: Are you still unsure of which FIFA World Cup games to travel for? Don’t wait until the last minute to make your choice because you will end up paying a high price for your flight to Doha.
For flights from the UAE to Doha, prices have risen to over Dh5,000 per person, and they may continue to rise depending on how popular those match days are. Shuttle costs are actually less expensive than a day or two’s stay in Doha if the return is scheduled within 24 hours of the initial departure.
The average cost of a round-trip flight from any location in the UAE to Doha is between Dh2,900 and Dh5,000. When a traveler chooses to remain in the city for a minimum of two days or longer, this occurs.
On the other hand, return match-day shuttle services are typically between Dh1,500 and Dh2,000 on UAE airlines flydubai, Air Arabia, and Etihad. Shuttle flights on match days cost, on average, Dh2,527 on a Qatar Airways flight from the UAE to Doha.
Remember that the majority of these flights are non-refundable and that in order for the return flight to qualify as a shuttle flight return ticket, it must be booked within 24 hours.
According to Raheesh Babu, Chief Operating Officer of Musafir.com, “flydubai charges approximately Dh1,500 for a match-day shuttle, with a flyer having the option to return within 24 hours.” “Those who want to stay in Doha for two to three days must pay between Dh2,200 and Dh5,000.” (Only Hayya cardholders may purchase tickets for flydubai’s shuttle flights to Doha on match days.)
After December 1st, airfares drop from Dh1,300 to Dh1,400 before rising once more in the final few months of the year.
Most football fans would see the benefit of returning the same day because, according to Babu, hotel rates in Doha are extremely high and a hotel stay in Dubai would be less expensive. Additionally, check-in baggage is not included in the prices. Nevertheless, you are permitted to check up to 14 kg of carry-on luggage with every airline.
flights coming from other GCC nations
The GCC is home to flydubai, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air, and Saudi Airways, which all run shuttle services. The cheaper alternative, match-day shuttle flights, is a GCC-wide trend, according to Babu. For example, the average cost of an economy class ticket between Riyadh and Doha for departure on November 25 and return on November 28 is Dh 2,430.
A shuttle flight on a match day, on the other hand, costs Dh 2,290.
However, during the FIFA World Cup, Dubai is the most well-liked location for day trips to Qatar. According to Anic Priye Singh, head of flights at Cleartip, “it is also the most popular among travelers heading to a follow-up destination after Qatar.”
Additionally, “bookings from the UAE to Qatar during the match period have increased seven times over the previous months, so most of these visitors would be making short day trips to Doha to check out the games.”
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