KT analysis found that travellers with flexible schedules as summer holidays approach may still save hundreds of dirhams by shifting departure dates
With the Eid Al Adha weekend starting on May 22 for some UAE residents, travellers are still weighing whether to book flights immediately or wait for a couple of days in hopes of lower fares, as air ticket prices fluctuate across key routes.
A media review of one-way fares listed on flight booking websites on May 21 found that ticket prices on several popular routes varied by departure date, with some sectors showing drops on select travel dates.
The analysis found that travellers with flexible schedules as summer holidays approach may still save hundreds of dirhams by shifting departure dates by just a few days, although prices on several high-demand routes remain high.
Among the steep fare differences observed was the Dubai-Islamabad route. One-way fares for May 25 departures ranged from Dh1,684 to Dh1,882, while some fares for May 29 departures dropped to as low as Dh669.
A similar trend was seen on Lahore routes, with flights departing on May 26 priced above Dh1,000 in several cases, while fares on May 28 and May 29 dropped to around Dh688 to Dh723 on select options.
Istanbul fares also showed significant fluctuations, with direct flights from Dubai on May 25 priced above Dh2,100 on some airlines, while fares for May 28 and May 29 departures were available from around Dh1,400.
Cairo routes also showed lower fares later in the travel week. While several May 25 departures were listed close to Dh1,900, some fares for May 29 departures were available from around Dh816.
However, not all destinations showed major reductions. Routes such as Kochi remained expensive across multiple travel dates, showing strong demand from residents travelling home during the Eid break.
According to Binsiya Ferbin, director at Wings and Wonders Tourism, many UAE residents are booking earlier this year to secure better fares before prices rise further.
She said, “Travellers from the UAE are generally booking earlier this year compared to previous Eid periods, especially for family and long-haul trips.”
She also said that some residents are still waiting for last-minute deals on short-haul routes.
“Destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Maldives and Turkey continue to see strong Eid demand, alongside family travel routes including India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon,” said Ferbin.
She added that airlines are expected to add extra capacity on busy routes closer to Eid, particularly to South Asia and popular leisure destinations, which could create limited promotional fares on select sectors.
“Small fare drops may appear if airlines add more seats, but overall the trend is upward as cheaper fare categories sell out quickly,” she said.
Another travel industry executive said booking patterns this Eid season differ from previous years, with some UAE residents becoming more cautious about spending due to ongoing regional uncertainty and business concerns.
“Most UAE residents are being more careful with spending this time, as travel is considered a non-essential expense for many families,” said Jaffer Manu, MD, Bonvo Tourism.
He added that while popular destinations are much in demand. “Popular vacationing spots like Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkey traditionally witness strong Eid demand; more residents are now exploring shorter and comparatively budget-friendly options such as Salalah,” said Manu.
Despite some fare drops appearing on select dates and routes, industry experts said that overall airfare trends are still expected to remain high over the next seven to 10 days as Eid and summer travel demand continue to build.
Recent travel insights released by Skyscanner also showed growing Eid travel demand from the UAE, with outbound travel searches surging by 51 per cent on May 26 compared to the previous week.
The platform said travellers are becoming more flexible with dates, routes and stopovers as they try to balance convenience, budget and overall travel value during the busy holiday period.
