News

Emirates Adding Free Helicopter Transfers to Monaco for First-Class Passengers

You might also like:

List your rental for FREE on HolidayLettings

Plan your trip with CheapTickets. Buy airline tickets, read reviews & reserve a hotel

Fly to Germany, Italy, UK or France at attractive low fares with Lufthansa

Visit the world's must-see destinations with P&O Cruises

Eurocamp offers an excellent choice of camping holidays across 189 parcs in 10 European countries

Emirates has had a busy week, to say the least. We found out that the Dubai-based carrier was one of nine airlines subjected to the US security directive, commonly referred to as the electronics ban. Then, we found out that the carrier was the only one of the airlines affected that was planning to allow its travelers to “gate check” their electronics, in an attempt to keep passenger disruptions to a minimum. Now, the carrier is upping the ante in the luxury travel space even more by adding a complimentary helicopter transfer for first class passengers on one of its existing routes to Europe.

Just yesterday, Emirates announced that it was beginning daily A380 service between Nice, France (NCE) and Dubai (DXB), beginning on July 1. The route is currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, so the bump represents a capacity increase of 44% on the route. The timing is perfect for the busy summer travel season, and the carrier is taking it a step further by allowing travelers to transit between NCE and Monaco via helicopter.

Emirates is partnering with Monacair, which offers six-minute helicopter rides between Monaco and Nice, so travelers can get from the A380 to the luxe city-state in style (and in very little time). In addition, Emirates will offer passengers a limo service from Monaco’s heliport to their final destination.

TPG is a fan of Emirates’ first-class suites product.

Even if you’re not flying in first class, you can get a taste of the good life. Here’s how the cost structure breaks down for the helicopter and limousine service for all Emirates passengers:

First Class: Complimentary
Business Class: €79 per passenger (~$85)
Economy: €109 per passenger (~$118)

This is another example of Emirates constantly trying to provide unique and luxurious experiences for its passengers — it already offers its first and business-class passengers premier chauffeur service. For those not flying in first class, the rates for the helicopter rates actually aren’t that bad. And considering that the drive between Monaco and NCE takes about 30-40 minutes, you could also be saving a decent amount of time.

As mentioned, Emirates will launch A380 service on its existing DXB-NCE route beginning July 1. Here are the details of the service: