Dubai International Airport, a major hub for global travel, boasts several luxurious lounges across its terminals. Emirates aims to provide a more rewarding experience at the airport through its lounges. The renowned lounges in the Emirates hub are the First Class Lounge, Business Class Lounge, and Marhaba Lounge. Additionally, there are worldwide lounges and partner lounges which cater to the needs of a lot of adult passengers. But, what about the children, though?
Most people might be unaware that Emirates looks after unaccompanied children at the Dubai airport serving a special lounge dedicated to minors. When a child is flying alone with Emirates, they offer an Unaccompanied Minors service to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. Let’s take a look at how Emirates does that.
Where is Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Lounge located?
Emirates now has a new space for the young ones where they can relax and wait for their flight. The newly upgraded unaccompanied minors lounge is conveniently situated near the check-in area at Dubai Airport Terminal 3. Specifically, it’s located next to Emirates’ First Class Lounge in Concourse B. The lounge is open 24/7 and offers:
- Drinks and snacks
- Comfortable seating areas
- Fun video games with free Wi-Fi
- Bathrooms designed for kids.
What assistance is there for unaccompanied minors at the airport?
Parents or guardians who have pre-booked Emirates Unaccompanied Minor service can drop off their children at this dedicated lounge. Emirates’ airport team will handle the check-in process right there, ensuring a smooth experience for young travelers.
A specialist member of the team will meet the child at the Unaccompanied Minors check‑in desk. Once the check-in is completed, they’ll stay with them through the airport to help them with security and immigration, onwards to the departure lounge until meeting the cabin crew at the aircraft door.
What age restrictions are there for unaccompanied minors and young flyers?
The unaccompanied minors lounge at Dubai International Airport typically serves children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Since children between the ages of 12 and 15 can technically travel alone, they don’t require the unaccompanied minors lounge service. The lounge is for Young Passengers (YPs) — children aged 5 to 12 — as part of Emirates’ unaccompanied minors service. However, a special request for the service for solo travelers aged between 12 and 15 can be made.
Priority Boarding and Support Upon Arrival
Families and young flyers board the plane first. Emirates cabin crew help young flyers at the aircraft door and help them find their seats and settle in for their flight. Upon arrival, a team member welcomes the child at the aircraft door.
Photo: Emirates
If the young passenger is flying on a connecting flight in Dubai, they will be taken care of during the transit. The team member ensures all the ground safety procedures are followed and takes them to the unaccompanied minors’ lounge.
In-flight Care
Once onboard, young flyers can look forward to delicious meals and snacks designed for their palates, toys, and activity packs. Here are a few things on offer for unaccompanied minors once onboard:
- Over 50 Disney movies
- 130+ TV channels organized
- Catered to any special dietary requirements
The cabin crew makes sure the young passenger has a fun, comfortable, and memorable journey. Furthermore, the parents can inform whether the minors would like to sit by the window or the aisle. Additionally, if it’s their birthday, the airlines can order a cake almost two days before the flight so that the kids can celebrate together with the Emirates crew.
What is the fare for an unaccompanied minor?
Children over 12 travel on an adult fare without the service and can travel alone without an Unaccompanied Minor service. Here’s what the fare for unaccompanied minors looks like:
- Children aged 5 to 11 travel on an adult fare with the Unaccompanied Minor service.
- An additional fee of USD 50 for each leg of the journey has to be paid if one is to book the service for children aged 12 to 15.
- If the minor needs special assistance or specific care, they must be accompanied by a fee-paying guardian who is 16 years old or over.
- The service is free for all young passengers flying from Japan to Dubai.
A Brief Look At Emirates’ Terms and Conditions for the Unaccompanied Minors service
If the minor is connecting to another airline (as a part of his/her itinerary), the maximum connection time allowed at the airport is 4 hours. However, the airline does dictate that:
“The maximum connection time allowed is 8 hours if your child is transferring to another Emirates flight at Dubai International (DXB). If the connection time is above 8 hours, this will be subject to approval from Emirates.“
A few of the other terms and conditions dictated by the airline are as follows:
“The service must be arranged separately for the outward and return journey. A Young Passenger cannot stay overnight at their connecting airport unless an adult guardian is arranged to meet and care for them at the transit point. This will be subject to approval. It is the customer’s responsibility to check-in with Emirates for the service at the airport.”
