Emirates, which resumed flight service to Nigeria a month ago has introduced free transit visas for the country’s passengers transiting through Dubai to other destinations.
In a message it sent to its prospective passengers, Emirates said: “We are pleased to offer 48 or 96 hour UAE visas to our passengers purchasing tickets during the month of November.”
This offer is limited to passengers travelling on Emirates flights from Nigeria, obviously an incentive to boost patronage, as the airline lost the segment of its market in Nigeria after two years hiatus.
The Group Managing Director (GMD), Finchglow Holdings, Bankole Bernard, said that the introduction of the free transit visas is simply to lure passengers to book Emirates tickets because the airline hasn’t been getting passengers since it resumed flight operations into Nigeria.
“What they have to do further is to relax the visa rules. People have moved on. Emirates is feeling the heat and they may still feel it more if UAE fails to relax its visa rules.
“They have to study their comeback to know which way they have to go. Emirates need to readjust themselves. They are also hard on the travel agencies,” Bernard said.
Other travel agencies that spoke to THISDAY indicated a similar observation, stressing that after two years, the Middle East carrier should expect a lukewarm response to its resumption of flights because travellers had sought alternatives and moved on.
“So, this promo is a kind of reawakening to entice people to look their way and now start patronising them. Knowing their efficiency and good service, they will increase their passengers from Nigeria but it will take some time.
“Maybe they will break the ice from Christmas season and the forthcoming Hajj. But Nigeria still have robust international passenger market. They have to fight to get their prime position back,” a travel agent told THISDAY.