Emirates Flight EK409 (Melbourne – Dubai)

Emirates’ daily EK409 service from Melbourne to Dubai is a seamless way to fly from Australia to the Middle East and a popular first leg when connecting onwards to Europe. Taking off from Melbourne early morning, you’ll be soaking up the glamour of Dubai by lunchtime local time. Talk about an easy journey!

This flight also codeshares with Qantas as QF8409. If you’ve booked this flight with the QF flight number – instead of as EK – you’ll be eligible to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits, provided it’s a cash booking.

We dive into everything you can expect on EK409, including seating, lounge access and how to book this flight using points.

EK409 flight time

Each day EK409 departs from Terminal 2 of Melbourne Airport at 6:15 am. The flight takes just under 14 hours – 13 hours and 50 minutes to be exact – and arrives at Dubai International Airport at 1:05 pm the same day.

Note that when daylight savings ends, EK409 reverts to its scheduled 5:15 am departure from Melbourne. While this has no impact on the flight time or arrival time into Dubai, it impacts your lounge options before this flight, which we cover more about below.

EK409’s arrival time into Dubai is ideal if you’ve got a connecting flight, particularly to Europe. Many Emirates flights bound for major European cities such as Vienna, Amsterdam and Paris depart mid-afternoon. These short transits provide ample time to make your way to your departure gate, but also enough time to stretch your legs between flights.

If your final destination is a bit further – say, New York, Chicago or Toronto – you may wish to book a transit hotel as you’ll have at least 12 hours between EK409’s arrival and most flights to North America.

EK409 aircraft type and seating

EK409 is serviced by an Airbus A380 with three cabin classes – including Emirates’ renowned First Class – from Melbourne to Dubai.

First Class on EK409

Located on the upper deck, the First Class cabin offers 14 closed suites in a 1-2-1 layout. Passengers enjoy a whopping 23-inch seat width, plus an 86-inch seat pitch – that’s more than double the space in Economy!

And of course, you’re in First Class – so all seats convert into a comfortable flatbed. And when you’re not relaxing, there’s so much to discover in your First Class suite en route to Dubai. First up is the pop-up minibar, filled with assorted beverages to quench your thirst. Then there’s the luxuriously soft moisturising pyjamas, a hallmark of the Emirates First Class experience. And not to mention the unlimited caviar, the Dom Perignon and the onboard shower… the 14-hour flight will whizz past in no time.

We won’t give too much more away – flying in Emirates First Class is an unrivalled experience. But if you’re curious about what’s in store, you can read all about it here: Mind-blowing luxury in Emirates A380 First Class.

If you need to stretch your legs during the long journey, head to the back of the upper deck. Here you’ll find a bar area exclusively for First Class and Business Class passengers, with free-flowing Champagne, cocktails and nibbles. With dazzling lighting, cushy seats and lots of standing room to dig into canapés, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in an upscale bar on the ground!

Business Class on EK409

Business Class shares the upper deck with First Class. The 78 seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, with all passengers enjoying direct aisle access.

The Business Class seats convert into 70-inch flatbeds, so you can squeeze in some shut-eye during the long flight. When you’re not snoozing, you’ll enjoy an 18.5-inch wide seat and a 48-inch pitch.

If you’re travelling with a companion and want to book ‘honeymoon’ seats – two seats in the middle that are immediately next to each other – look for seats E and F in rows 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23 and 25.

Business Class passengers also have access to the onboard bar. But given that this is located directly behind the Business Class cabin, you may want to opt for a seat closer to the front for less foot traffic. Alternatively, choose a seat at the back to stay close to all the action.

Also read: Emirates A380 Business Class between Australia & New Zealand – Flight Overview

Economy Class on EK409

A 14-hour flight in Economy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But when you’ve got Emirates’ exceptional hospitality coupled with a spacious cabin onboard the A380, it’s definitely much more enjoyable.

For starters, the Economy Class cabin takes up the entire main deck, split across four smaller cabins. The 399 seats are arranged in a 3-4-3 layout. Speaking of which, the seats are a roomy 18 inches wide, with a varying seat pitch between 32-34 inches.

If you want extra legroom, nab a seat in rows 43, 52, 67 or 80. Or, opt for seats 68 A or K, or 81 A or K. And for the best chance at a quieter experience, the back of the plane is where you’ll find the smallest of the Economy Class cabins. But be aware that you’ll get the last pick during meal service. And you’ll also be the last to disembark – particularly important to note on such a large plane!

Also read: Emirates A380 Economy Class (Dubai – Munich)

Lounge access when flying EK409

Passengers bound for Dubai on Emirates flight EK409 have a number of lounges to choose from in Melbourne, depending on your eligibility.

Emirates Lounge

The airline operates its own lounge in Melbourne Airport, which is naturally the first choice for eligible Emirates passengers. The Emirates Lounge in Melbourne caters to Business Class and First Class flyers with a hot buffet, business centre and spacious seating arrangements. To gain entry before flying EK409, you’ll need to meet one of the requirements below:

• First Class and Business Class passengers (except when booked on a Business Class Special fare).
• Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers.
• Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum frequent flyers.
• Single-entry day pass from USD$137.50 per adult.

Qantas International Business Lounge

Melbourne’s Qantas International Business Lounge also opens its doors to eligible flyers before EK409. It’s slightly larger than the Emirates Lounge, but can also fill up quicker. Though you’ll still be able to enjoy many of the same amenities like a buffet spread and a business centre, and there’s even a Joey Club Zone for kids. There are several ways to access this lounge, but we’ve only included the requirements that are relevant when flying on EK409:

Qantas International First Lounge

The superb Qantas International First Lounge in Melbourne sits high on many frequent flyers’ bucket lists. The on-site spa, sprawling tarmac views and restaurant-quality dining are worth chasing Qantas Platinum status for, particularly as you don’t need to be flying on a Qantas-operated flight to gain access. So if your journey to Dubai is with EK409, meeting one of the criteria below will grant you access to this impeccable space:

• First Class passengers.
• Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers.
• Emirates Skywards Platinum frequent flyers.

Single-entry Qantas First Lounge Invitations are also accepted at this lounge (these passes can be obtained from the Qantas Premier Titanium Card) and can be redeemed if your Emirates flight from Melbourne to Dubai has a QF codeshare. In this case, it’s QF8409. But if your boarding pass reads EK, you’ll have to save those passes for another time.

Similar to the International Business Lounge, the International First Lounge also has a 5:15 am opening time. You’ll have just enough time to poke your head in before EK409 departs (and maybe snap a brag-worthy photo). But if the flight’s schedule doesn’t align with the opening hours of this lounge, you’ll know it’s there for next time.

Booking EK409 using points

Despite Emirates hiking up its reward seat carrier charges, using points can still be an economical way to fly from Melbourne to Dubai. Here’s how you can get booking.

Using Skywards miles

Emirates flights can be booked using the carrier’s own points currency. Emirates Skywards members will need to fork out the following to fly from Melbourne to Dubai.

	Economy	Business	First
Melbourne to Dubai	41,900	96,000	180,500

Using Qantas Points

Most Australians may find it easier to earn Qantas Points. Happily, as a Qantas partner, Emirates flights can be booked using Qantas Points. Here’s how many you’ll need for a Classic Reward.

	Economy	Business	First
Melbourne to Dubai	50,300	119,200	170,800

When searching for reward seats on the Qantas website, you may see points totals higher than what we’ve outlined above. These are Points + Pay seats, which are instead the cash value of the fare converted to points. Always ensure your search is filtered to ‘Reward seats’ only to view Classic Reward availability, which yields much better value for your hard-earned points.

And if you’re short a few Qantas Points for your trip to Dubai, you could top up your balance with a credit card sign-up bonus.

Alternative flights

If your travel plans don’t align with EK409, here are some other Emirates-operated routes from Melbourne to Dubai to consider:

• EK407 direct from Melbourne to Dubai, departing at 10:15 pm.
• EK405 from Melbourne to Dubai via Singapore, departing at 3:25 am.

Alternatively, Emirates operates direct routes to Dubai from other Australian cities:

• EK413 – Sydney to Dubai
• EK415 – Sydney to Dubai
• EK417 – Sydney to Dubai
• EK431 – Brisbane to Dubai
• EK435 – Brisbane to Dubai
• EK421 – Perth to Dubai

On the return leg, Emirates flights EK406 and EK408 will whisk you direct from Dubai to Melbourne. And if you’d rather break up the trip and explore the Emirates Lounge in Changi Airport, EK404 flies from Dubai to Melbourne via Singapore.

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Featured image: ZQ Lee, Unsplash

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