Emirates has opened a new venue at Dubai International Financial Centre’s ICD Brookfield Place, featuring a groundbreaking robot check-in assistant called Sara. At the Emirates City Check-in and Travel Store, customers can access a host of services, such as flight booking, city center check-in, luggage drop-off, travel shopping, and time-saving amenities.
Emirates has launched its first-ever city check-in facility in Dubai, located at the bustling financial district of ICD Brookfield Place in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The facility, called Emirates City Check-in and Travel Store, provides a range of services, including flight booking, check-in, luggage drop-off, and travel essentials shopping.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ COO, expressed excitement about the launch, noting that the state-of-the-art facility offers customers a new level of privilege by allowing them to avoid airport crowds and minimise wait times.
As of Thursday, April 27, Emirates’ new facility in the ICD Brookfield Place at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is fully operational. Customers can drop off their luggage as early as 24 hours and up to 4 hours before their flight, and visit the space to check-in anytime between 8:00am and 10:00pm daily. This marks the first time Emirates has launched a city check-in facility within Dubai, providing customers with added convenience and allowing them to avoid queues and busy periods at the airport.
Passengers can choose to check-in using self-check-in kiosks, dedicated desks with Emirates agents, or the world’s first-ever check-in robot assistant named Sara. Equipped with facial scanning technology to match passengers with their travel documents, Sara can print boarding passes and move around to assist those who need help. Future versions of Sara will even have arms capable of transporting luggage.
Pilot project
As per Al Redha, the Emirates’ City Check-in and Travel Store at DIFC is a pilot project, and the airline will assess its success and demand before considering expansion to other locations.
The facility is equipped with interactive screens, including a 2.5-meter LCD screen displaying the latest Emirates destinations, providing customers with a stress-free and elevated check-in experience.
Visitors can receive advice and offers on popular destinations, while travel consultants can assist with various services like purchasing tickets, managing bookings, upgrading seats, selecting preferred seats, and arranging extra baggage.
Customers holding valid boarding passes with Emirates will be provided with complimentary access to some of the lifestyle facilities in the famous ICD Brookfield Place to relax or explore the area before their flight. The passengers will also be eligible for exclusive discounts and special offers across a variety of restaurants, gyms, and luxury stores.
After that, passengers can conveniently travel to the airport by taking a taxi or Emirates chauffeur service, or by walking a short 10-minute distance to the Financial Centre Metro Station, which connects smoothly to the Airport Terminal 3 Metro Station.
ICD Brookfield Place is situated on Al Mustaqbal Street and was designed by globally renowned architects Foster + Partners. It has been crowned ‘World’s Best Architecture’ at the International Property Awards and is renowned for being one of the most sustainable buildings in Dubai. It is certified LEED Platinum and has set a target to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
