Sheikh Ahmed inaugurates new Emirates travel hub

The new Emirates Travel Hub, which started operating in mid-April this year, is open six days a week, Saturdays to Thursdays, from 09:00 hours to 18:00 hours. Its 17 manned counters, seven more than in the ticketing office that existed before, are designed to effectively service popular demand for the airline's operations worldwide.

The Emirates Travel Hub features stylish interiors, ergonomic and comfortable Italian furniture, and innovative ideas that maximize space.

While waiting to be served in the two spacious lounge areas, Emirates' customers can watch the bank of flat plasma TV screens, which continually showcase the airline's latest product information and destination briefs, or choose to access the private DVD lounge, where they can watch videos of prospective destinations to make informed travel decisions.

During peak periods, customers are served by additional sales staff who provide information and make travel bookings directly from their laptops connected wirelessly to Emirates' system.

Premium passengers are pampered with priority services. Both Skywards and Emirates Holidays have dedicated counters at the travel hub. Passengers can conveniently apply for membership to Emirates' popular frequent flyer programme Skywards, while members can redeem Miles for free flights, upgrades and other rewards. Experienced Emirates Holidays staff are on hand to guide customers through their latest offers and the World of Choice brochure that offer a range of luxury holidays.

Fans of the airline and its numerous sports sponsorships can buy souvenir mugs, T-shirts and other memorabilia sporting their favourite teams' logos at the renovated Emirates Souvenir Shop located next door.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "At Emirates, our passengers' first-rate travel experience begins before they fly in our modern fleet of aircraft. The new Emirates Travel Hub is a fine example of this, and is in line with our philosophy of attaining service excellence at all customer touch points."

He added: "We understand that even in this age of internet and phone bookings, many customers still prefer or enjoy face-to-face interaction, and our experienced, well-trained staff provide solutions to our passengers' complex travel requirements. The atmosphere at the new travel hub is friendly, lively and practical. I'm delighted with the success of the Emirates Travel Hub and the positive feedback we have received from our customers."