Gulf carrier Gulf Air currently offers heavily discounted business class tickets from Manchester to Middle Eastern destinations Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait City in Kuwait, and Muscat, the capital of Oman. With a stop in Bahrain, you can reach these cities for as little as €1,195 (~£1,025).
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price. It will forward you to our flight search, where you’ll find the cheapest online travel agency. You can also be redirected to Gulf Air’s website, where you’d pay around €1,395 (~£1,197).
These are the prices for each destination:
- Dubai: €1,195 (~£1,025)
- Abu Dhabi: €1,195 (~£1,025)
- Kuwait City: €1,258 (~£1,079)
- Muscat: €1,269 (~£1,089)
Gulf Air uses Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the long flights between Manchester and Bahrain. The airline flies a 2-2-2 seating pattern up front but still provides all passengers with direct aisle access. You can find a review of the product here.
The same aircraft type would take you further to Dubai. Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, and Muscat receive Airbus A321 service from Bahrain. These planes also offer lie-flat seats in their business class.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, these tickets are on sale until September 30, 2023 for travel before February 29, 2024. Availability is fairly good within the travel period. You can also add a stopover in Bahrain of up to 7 days for free.
Google Flights helps you find additional flight dates. While online travel agencies sell tickets much cheaper, you should be aware that booking at the airline has significant advantages, especially when it comes to premium tickets.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Gulf Air issues tickets for all flight segments in booking class I. To give you an example, you can earn the following for a roundtrip ticket to Dubai:
- 9,288 Miles on Etihad Guest
- 8,930 Award Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
Feel free to use our miles calculator to find out how many miles other routings would get you:
Destination
Most European citizens can enter the United Arab Emirates without applying for a visa. For travel to Oman, getting an e-Visa is advised – even though touristic travel for up to 2 weeks is possible without it.
Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Abu Dhabi
Although overshadowed by much more famous Dubai, Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Like its northern neighbour (the cities are roughly 70 minutes apart by car), the Emirati government didn’t hesitate toi invest billions in petrol dollars to make Abu Dhabi an attractive city, for tourists in citizens alike. Among it sights is the huge and splendid Sheikh Zayed mosque and the luxurious Emirates Palace hotel. The Ferrari World theme park is famous for its breath taking high speed roller coasters.
Best time to visit
Abu Dhabu reaches temperatures of up to 45° in summer, and even in winter, the weather is hot. The best time to travel is from November to March when temperatures are comparatively low.
From the airport to the city
Abu Dhabi Int’l airport is home to Etihad Airlines and offers numerous international nonstop services as a result. Five bus lines connect the airport to different parts of the city center, costing 4 AED (roughly €1) while taking up to 45 minutes. Since a lot of flights depart late in the evening, these buses run 24 hours, seven days a week. Further, Etihad Airways offers shuttle bus services to Dubai and Al Ain. A Taxi downtown is much more expensive, as you can expect to pay up to AED 80 (approx. €20) for a trip to the city center.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Airhub. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The best eSIM for Dubai & Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 Compared (United Arab Emirates)
→ All Dealz for Abu Dhabi
Information & Tips for Dubai
Thanks to oil billions, Dubai has created a world of splendour and glitter that is second to none. Whether it’s an artificial island or skiing in the desert, everything is possible there. Thanks to Emirates, there are non-stop flights to many destinations worldwide, from Europe you can reach Dubai within 5-6 hours even with cheap flights.
The Best Time to Visit
Dubai reaches temperatures of up to 45° in summer, and even in winter, the weather is hot. The best time to travel is from November to March when temperatures are comparatively low.
From the airport to the city
A taxi from the airport to Jumeirah Beach (where many hotels are located) costs around €13 – €17. By metro, the journey to Burj Khalifa takes about 20 minutes and costs only €1.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Airhub. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The best eSIM for Dubai & Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 Compared (United Arab Emirates)
→ All Dealz for Dubai
Cover Picture: Selim Mohammed auf Pixabay