You have 24 hours to kill in a third country before you board a connecting flight. Why not get out of the airport to explore the city? Many countries allow this with a transit visa. Emirates now offers even a free stay at Dubai for flights from Bengaluru to Europe, the Americas or Africa.
But the ease of getting a transit visa differs from country to country, airline to airline, according to a Bengaluru-based visa consultant. “For every country, there are specific guidelines to be followed. There are nations that insist on the visa even to change flights within an airport,” he explains.
The Emirates offer is this: Passengers travelling First and Business Class with the airline in October, November or early December get two nights’ free accommodation at a Dubai hotel.