Emirates is poised to bring lower business class fares to travellers based in northern Germany and Scandinavia. The Dubai-based airline inaugurates a daily service to Hamburg on March 1 and plans to add flights to nearby Copenhagen on October 29. Both routes will be flown by Airbus A330 craft.
Flights will depart Hamburg at 15.35 arriving in Dubai at 00.45 the next morning. Inbound services will depart Dubai at 08.55 to reach Hamburg at 12.55.
For the Copenhagen route, Emirates' daily flight is set to depart from the Danish capital at 14.55 to reach Dubai the next day at 00.05. The inbound flight will leave Dubai at 09.25 and arrive in Copenhagen at 13.25.
Currently there are practically no long distance flights from Hamburg so passengers have no choice but to make an en route plane change. Long-haul flight coverage from Copenhagen is limited.
Emirates is set to provide passengers from both cities with a large range of destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Australasia thanks to its Dubai hub. With the exception of Australia and New Zealand (where an overnight stop is required on the outward leg) there are good connections.
Hamburg's catchment area covers Hanover, Bremen and cities as far east as Berlin. Besides Denmark itself, Copenhagen services southern Sweden (thanks to the 7,800 metre long Oresund Bridge). It also enjoys excellent air links with other cities in Scandinavia and the Baltic.
It's too soon to finalise prices from Copenhagen but those from Hamburg are exceptionally keen with Emirates' business class rates undercutting rival carriers.
When Business Traveller checked return business class fares with emirates.com from Hamburg for travel in March to Sydney we were quoted Euros 2,637 whereas the same ticket with British Airways via London would cost Euros 7,102 – almost three times as much.
A return ticket for Hamburg-Dubai will cost Euros 2,152 with Emirates as against Euros 2,705 with Lufthansa via Frankfurt, although on most of these flights you would have the choice of B747 and A340s.
Other examples include: Hamburg-Mumbai Euros 2,370 (Emirates) compared to Euros 4,010 (Lufthansa) and Euros 3,755 (Air France). Or Hamburg-Singapore Euros 2,321 (Emirates), Euros 3,586 (Lufthansa), Euros 3,552 (Air France).
For more information go to www.emirates.com
Report by Alex McWhirter
