Economy Class accounted for 84% of total bookings on Emirates flights over the past 12 months, while group and family travel made up 64% of all passengers in this class, with January recording the peak of the family travel season.
Emirates data showed a clear tendency towards early booking, as more than 65% of group trips were booked at least 3 months before the travel date, while more than 65% of family trips were booked at least two months in advance, according to a post on the airline's website.
Dubai, Jeddah, Madinah, Istanbul and Rome topped the destinations for groups, while Dubai, Bangkok, Jeddah, Malé and Mauritius led the destinations for families. This coincides with early demand indicators for 2026, in which the UAE celebrates the "Year of the Family", with spring and summer holiday bookings concentrated in January and an additional wave of summer season bookings later on.
The airline is strengthening its appeal to families through continuous investment in Economy Class, including operating widebody Airbus A380, Airbus A350 and Boeing B777 aircraft, along with introducing a modern cabin on Airbus A350 aircraft with up to 259 seats equipped with 13.3-inch personal screens and fast-charging ports.
Emirates also offers its ice inflight entertainment system with more than 6,500 channels of content, in addition to dedicated family services including priority boarding, a seating policy ensuring family members stay together, special children's meals and an unaccompanied minor service.
The growth in family travel bookings reflects continued demand for long-haul leisure travel, supported by the airline's expanding route network and its direct options to key destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa.
To view the post on the Emirates website, click here.
