Planning a family holiday? Emirates shares booking trends and Economy Class advantages
Early bookings, popular destinations and school holiday travel patterns revealed
DUBAI – As a new year gathers pace, Emirates has closed its busiest month for family travel bookings, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most preferred airlines for families flying in Economy Class.
January once again emerged as a peak planning period, with parents and group travellers locking in holidays months ahead of departure. Across 2025, Emirates reports that 84% of all bookings were made for Economy Class travel, underlining the cabin’s role as the backbone of the airline’s global operations.
Family and group travel accounted for a substantial share of those journeys. According to Emirates data, group and family bookings represented 64% of all Economy Class passengers throughout the year. Travellers showed a strong preference for planning ahead, particularly when travelling with children or in larger groups. More than 65% of group bookings were made at least three months before departure, while over 65% of families secured flights at least two months in advance.
Destination choices reflected a mix of leisure, religious travel and long-haul holidays. Dubai, Jeddah, Medina, Istanbul and Rome were the most popular destinations for group bookings, while families most frequently chose Dubai, Bangkok, Jeddah, Malé and Mauritius. Emirates noted that booking behaviour closely followed school holiday calendars, with January seeing strong demand for spring and summer travel, and further bookings expected during the summer months for travel later in the year.
The trends arrive as the UAE designates 2026 as the Year of the Family, with Emirates stating that its family-focused booking patterns and onboard services are aligned with broader travel demand driven by school terms and family holiday planning.
Economy focus
Emirates operates one of the world’s largest long-haul networks, with Economy Class passengers forming the majority of customers on board its flights. The airline has consistently invested in its Economy offering, applying uniform standards across cabin design, seating comfort, catering, entertainment and onboard service. These standards are delivered at scale across nearly 500 daily flights, creating a consistent experience regardless of route length or destination.
The airline’s Economy Class product is designed around long-haul travel, supported by a widebody fleet that includes Airbus A380s, Airbus A350s and Boeing 777 aircraft. Unlike short-haul aircraft configured for high-density seating, these aircraft provide wider cabins and aisles, larger overhead storage and improved airflow and cabin pressurisation, features that are particularly valued by families travelling with children.
Seats in Emirates Economy Class are ergonomically designed, featuring adjustable headrests and generous seat pitch to allow passengers to stretch out on longer journeys. Every customer has access to a personal entertainment screen, while cabin lighting is designed to support rest and relaxation, particularly on overnight services.
On the airline’s newest aircraft, the Airbus A350, Economy Class includes up to 259 seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. Each seat features a six-way adjustable headrest and access to a 13.3-inch 4K screen for Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system. In-seat charging is available for personal devices, alongside increased overhead storage and higher cabin ceilings. Washrooms on the A350 have also been redesigned to provide additional space and modern finishes.
A significant portion of Emirates’ fleet has undergone a $5 billion retrofit programme, introducing next-generation seating, refreshed interiors and updated cabin aesthetics. The programme aims to deliver a consistent, modern experience across older aircraft types while maintaining the airline’s established Economy Class standards.
Families benefit from a range of policies designed to reduce stress at the airport and onboard. Emirates offers priority boarding for families at international airports, allowing parents additional time to settle children into their seats. The airline also follows a policy of seating families together wherever possible.
Parents travelling with infants can request seats near designated bassinets for babies aged two years and below, provided they weigh less than 11kg. Approved car seats can also be used onboard, offering added familiarity and safety for younger travellers.
Global reach
Beyond the cabin itself, Emirates’ global network is positioned as a key advantage for Economy Class passengers. The airline serves destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australasia, with many routes operated as non-stop services. For families, this reduces journey complexity by limiting connections and minimising transit times on long intercontinental trips.
The airline’s hub-and-spoke model through Dubai provides standardised onboard products, consistent service levels and coordinated ground handling across regions. Emirates states that this approach contributes to smoother transfers and reduced disruption, particularly for families managing luggage, strollers and child-related travel needs.
Operational reliability extends to baggage handling, an area of particular importance for group and family travellers. Emirates handles almost 3 million bags every month and reports a 99.9% success rate for baggage handling through its Dubai hub. According to the airline, 99.9% of baggage originating from or transferring through Dubai reaches its destination on time and with the correct owner.
The airline’s baggage mishandling rate at Dubai is reported at 1.8 per 1,000 bags, covering delayed, lost or misplaced luggage. Emirates states that this figure is significantly lower than many other global providers, supporting its operational performance claims.
Cabin crew
Emirates employs cabin crew from more than 140 nationalities, collectively speaking over 70 languages. This diversity reflects the airline’s global route network and its multicultural passenger base. Crew members undergo extensive training focused on safety, service consistency and hospitality across cultures.
Onboard service flows are structured to create a calm and predictable experience for Economy Class passengers. Cabin crew follow set procedures governing meal service timing, lighting adjustments and comfort checks, allowing families to plan rest periods for children and manage inflight routines more easily.
The airline applies a single global hospitality standard across its network, with specific procedures in place for families, unaccompanied minors and passengers requiring assistance. Crew members are trained to manage full cabins and high volumes of family travellers, with the authority to adapt service delivery where appropriate.
As part of the onboard experience, Emirates cabin crew regularly capture family moments using instant Polaroid cameras. The photographs are presented to customers in limited-edition Emirates frames, offering families a keepsake from their journey.
Dining onboard
Emirates provides complimentary meals and beverages on all Economy Class flights, regardless of route length. Menus are designed to reflect regional flavours and destination-inspired preferences, with meals prepared fresh before departure.
Economy Class catering typically includes multi-course meals accompanied by complimentary soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages for passengers who wish to partake. Emirates states that it invests more heavily in Economy Class catering and wine programmes than many airlines, aiming to deliver consistent quality across its network.
Additional treats are introduced on selected routes, including complimentary popcorn, ice-cream tubs or warm cookies, depending on sector length and timing. A wide range of special meals is available on request, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, supporting dietary requirements for families.
All standard food and beverage offerings are included in the ticket fare, reducing the need for onboard purchases. The only optional paid offering mentioned by the airline is the ability to purchase a Moët et Chandon Champagne bottle with a cake for celebrations during the flight.
Children’s meals are offered on almost all Emirates routes and across all classes. These meals are designed to be both nutritious and appealing, presented on colourful trays featuring Emirates’ Little Travellers characters. Snackable elements are included to suit younger passengers.
For infants, Emirates provides organic baby food, milk formula and baby bottles onboard on a complimentary basis, available upon request. These services are intended to support parents during long-haul journeys without the need to carry additional supplies.
Entertainment systems
Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system is positioned as one of the most extensive in commercial aviation. The platform offers more than 6,500 channels of content and has consistently ranked highly in global airline awards and passenger surveys.
The library includes nearly 3,000 movies in 50 languages, more than 200 documentaries, over 150 Arabic films and television series, and more than 300 Bollywood and South Asian titles. Content partnerships include HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, BBC, Bloomberg Originals, Discovery+, Food Network, BBC Earth, Animal Planet, HGTV and Spotify.
For families, ice provides a wide range of children’s programming from platforms such as Disney+, CBeebies, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Popular characters including Paw Patrol, Bluey and Hey Duggee feature prominently. Children receive specially designed headphones to ensure a comfortable fit and improved audio experience.
Gaming options include up to 100 video games, some of which can be played by two passengers seated in different locations. Older children and teenagers also have access to a music library featuring more than 3,000 albums and over 600 curated playlists.
Emirates is currently upgrading inflight connectivity with Starlink satellite internet. The service is designed to deliver consistent, high-speed connectivity at cruising altitude, allowing Economy Class passengers to stream content, video call, work online and access social media at no additional cost.
Added comforts
On long-haul flights, Economy Class passengers receive complimentary amenity kits developed in partnership with United for Wildlife. The collectible kits highlight endangered species and include essentials such as socks, eyeshades, earplugs and dental items.
Children receive their own age-specific amenity kits, with separate designs for ages 0-2, 3-6 and 7-12. The kits draw inspiration from Emirates’ global sponsorship portfolio, covering sports such as football, tennis, basketball, cricket and rugby, alongside music and literature themes.
Babies are provided with dedicated infant amenity kits containing items such as nappies, a bib, lotion and a changing mat. Aircraft washrooms are equipped with baby changing tables, while pillows and blankets are available for children in Economy Class to rest or sleep comfortably.
At Dubai International Airport, Emirates offers complimentary strollers for families travelling with infants and young children. For children aged 5-11 travelling alone, the airline operates an Unaccompanied Minors service, with dedicated ground staff and cabin crew support throughout the journey.
Unaccompanied minors have access to a dedicated lounge featuring video games, free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, children’s bathrooms, snacks and drinks while waiting for their flights.
For passengers requiring accessible travel support, Emirates provides a range of services and tools, including an Accessible and Inclusive Travel Hub on Emirates.com. Cabin crew can provide sensory products and fidget toys onboard, while the airline offers more than 600 movies with closed captions and over 200 titles with audio description.
Loyalty benefits
Families flying in Economy Class can also benefit from Emirates Skywards, the airline’s loyalty programme. Skywards offers four membership tiers: Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with each tier providing increasing benefits and privileges.
Members earn Miles on Emirates and partner flights, as well as through a network of global partners. Miles can be redeemed for flight tickets, upgrades, hotel stays, retail purchases and exclusive experiences.
Children aged 2-17 can join the Skywards Skysurfers programme, earning Miles on every Emirates and flydubai flight. Families can pool Miles within a shared account, allowing rewards to be accumulated and redeemed collectively.