Emirates reports a surge in UK and Europe flight bookings this June, July and August with more than 120,000 Australians already trading winter chills for summer thrills in popular cities. And they’re also flying premium in unprecedented numbers.
The latest EK booking data shows London, Dublin, Rome, Athens, Paris, Edinburgh and Lisbon are trending as the most popular destinations for Aussies keen to escape winter for a European summer.
The Middle East airline has also seen a significant increase in flight bookings to Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria during the summer period.
EK flights out of all five Australian gateways on its Airbus A380s are perfectly timed to provide connectivity via Dubai to 40-plus European destinations, including multiple daily flights to London, Paris and Frankfurt.
Emirates also reports demand for premium travel options such as Premium Economy (15%), Business Class (4%) and First Class (6%), reflecting a desire for comfort and luxury on long-haul flights.
Premium Economy continues to exceed expectations in Australia – now available via two daily services from both Sydney and Melbourne and a daily service from Brisbane plus a third Melbourne service just launched on 30 March 2025.
Couples (43%) and families (25%) are driving the surge in bookings, highlighting the appeal of Emirates’ family-friendly services (such as nannies) and packages.
Dubai also continues to be a popular stopover destination with 41,000 Australasian visitors in January 2025 alone. The airline also recently celebrated 25 years of flying to Sydney.
Emirates Divisional Vice President Australasia Barry Brown said: “The Australian appetite for travel remains incredibly strong in 2025, with nearly 120,000 Emirates passengers expected to fly to Europe for summer sun this year.”
“Our open-jaw itineraries are proving particularly popular this year, allowing passengers to seamlessly fly into one destination and out of another, further expanding the opportunity for travel and adventure.”
Read our recent review of the Emirates Economy service from Sydney to Lisbon here.
For more info, head to emirates.com
