Skip to content

Emirates Launching World’s Shortest A380 Flight

Nov. 01, 2016
2 min read
img-emirates-plane-featured
Emirates Launching World’s Shortest A380 Flight
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Just because your flight is a quick hop doesn't mean you can't travel in style — at least in the case of this new option from Emirates. Starting December 1, 2016, the carrier will operate the world's shortest A380 flight, from Dubai (DXB) to Doha (DOH).

Prior to this announcement, the airline already flew the shortest A380 route: Dubai to Kuwait. But now Emirates is breaking its own record; the distance between DXB and DOH is all of 235 miles, and the flight is blocked at 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

It's a short hop from DXB to DOH.

For the trivia fans out there, note that this isn't the world's shortest international flight. That record is held by Austrian carrier People's Viennaline, which operates a flight blocked at just 20 minutes.

DXB to DOH is one of Emirates' most frequently operated flights, with scheduled departures nine times a day and more than 700,000 passengers since January alone. Swapping in an A380 on this route will increase passenger load and, of course, give travelers the chance to experience Emirates' flagship aircraft.

The A380 operating this route will have 429 seats in economy, 76 lie-flat seats in business and 14 suites on the upper deck. And, according to Emirates, even though it's a short flight, passengers will still have the opportunity to try out that famous onboard bar. (Though there's no mention of whether the shower spa will be open, though it's safe to assume it won't be.)

An hour flight is just long enough to check out the bar.

If you want to add the flight to your itinerary, here's the schedule:

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
  • EK 841 — Dubai (DXB) 7:45am Departure ⇒ Doha (DOH) 8:05am Arrival
  • EK 842 — Doha (DOH) 9:50am Departure ⇒ Dubai (DXB) 12:00pm Arrival

Emirates notes that the timing of this flight allows for connections of less than four hours to destinations including Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Milan, NYC, Paris and Rome.

Would you go out of your way to book this A380 flight?

[card card-name='Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express' card-id='22035076' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

TPG featured card

4 / 5
Go to review
Rewards rate
1XChoose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
2XEarn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status + $300 of Bilt Cash
Annual fee
$495
Regular APR
26.74 - 34.74% variable
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Good Credit, Excellent Credit

Pros

  • Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
  • Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
  • $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
  • $200 Bilt Cash annually
  • Priority Pass membership
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Moderate annual fee
  • Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
  • Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 2X points on everyday spend
  • $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
  • $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
  • Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.