Emirates and Etihad chauffeur service: who gets a free car

Is the Emirates chauffeur service free, and for which tickets?

Emirates calls its free airport car Chauffeur-drive. Its terms limit it to Emirates-operated flights with a confirmed, ticketed booking in First Class, or in Business Class on a Saver, Flex or Flex Plus fare. Waitlisted passengers and tickets collected on departure do not qualify.

Your ticket	Chauffeur-drive included?
First Class on an Emirates-operated flight	Yes, up to the city’s free distance
Business Class Saver, Flex or Flex Plus	Yes, up to the city’s free distance
Any other Business Class fare	Not named in the terms, so check before you book
Skywards Classic Reward in Business or First	No
Economy to Business upgrade, with Miles or complimentary	No
Complimentary ticket	No
Codeshare where Emirates only sells the seat	No
Booked with Qantas, since 1 May 2022	No
First or Business ticket issued by another airline	No, except tickets issued by Air Mauritius, Hahn Air or Etihad Airways
Economy or Premium Economy	No car, but Emirates runs a coach from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

Stopovers count only when your fare allows a stopover. In a city where you connect within 24 hours, there is no Chauffeur-drive.

How far will the Emirates chauffeur drive you in the UAE?

Each city has its own free distance, shown on the map on the Emirates Chauffeur-drive page. Emirates calls that map an approximation. Its website does not check your address against the limit when you book, so the responsibility sits with you.

• Going further: you pay the Chauffeur-drive partner for the extra distance at local rates. They contact you within 96 hours before departure by email link or phone.
• Sharing a car: two travellers going to the same address can ride up to 50% further at no extra fee.
• Not covered: rides between terminals, rides between two airports, and in many cases rides across a national border.

That last rule matters in the UAE. A connection from DXB to Al Maktoum International (DWC), about 61 km, or to Zayed International (AUH), about 131 km, is outside Chauffeur-drive. Our Dubai to Zayed International guide covers that run by road.

How and when do you book it?

1. Add Chauffeur-drive when you buy the ticket, or later in Manage Your Booking on emirates.com.
2. Book at least 10 hours before your flight.
3. After landing, check in at the Emirates Chauffeur-drive desks.

The pickup time is strict. The driver waits up to 15 minutes after the scheduled time, then leaves for the next job. Each adult gets one car. Travellers under 18 cannot ride alone, and 12 to 17-year-olds need a parent or guardian in the car. A larger vehicle or a child seat costs extra.

In Dubai, First Class passengers ride in a BMW 7 Series and Business Class passengers in a BMW 5 Series Touring, subject to availability. Departing First Class passengers are driven to the private Emirates First entrance at Terminal 3.

Does Etihad offer a chauffeur at Zayed International?

Yes. Etihad’s UAE chauffeur runs between Zayed International Airport and any address in the UAE, so a Dubai hotel is within reach.

Etihad rule	What the chauffeur page says
Tickets included	The Residence, First, Business Comfort and Business Deluxe
Where it goes	Between Zayed International and any UAE location; no border crossings
Booking deadline	At least 12 hours before the flight; changes up to 12 hours before departure
Waiting	Up to 60 minutes for arrivals, 30 minutes for departures
Not included	Flights operated by other airlines, codeshares sold by other airlines, instant airport upgrades, transit bookings

Business Deluxe bookings made from 26 February 2026 can also use Etihad’s chauffeur in some cities abroad. Etihad Guest members on Business Comfort Saver Awards qualify depending on tier. Etihad changes these rules from time to time, so check your booking before you rely on a car.

Etihad flights arrive at Terminal A, where passenger flights at AUH moved in November 2023. Our guide to Terminal A arrivals walks through passport control, baggage and the meeting points. For the drive into the emirates beyond the capital, the Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai guide compares the bus, taxi and private car.

When does booking your own chauffeur make sense?

An airline car solves one ride for one adult. These trips fall outside it.

• Economy and Premium Economy tickets. The Emirates coach links Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to DXB Terminal 3 only, on set departures. Book it 48 hours ahead, with a ticket number starting 176.
• Reward tickets and upgrades. Classic Rewards and Economy to Business upgrades carry no car.
• Families and groups. One adult means one car, and a bigger vehicle costs extra. An Assure Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats 6 with 4 large cases, and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter seats 13 or 19.
• Extra stops. A shared Chauffeur-drive car collects and drops at one address. A private car can stop at a hotel, an office and a second hotel.
• Abu Dhabi to Dubai runs. Downtown Dubai is about 115 km from Zayed International, so check it against the Abu Dhabi limit first.
• Airport to airport. A connection between DXB, DWC and AUH is excluded from Chauffeur-drive.

For board-level guests, our limousine service covers the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series in the Assure fleet. For a full day of meetings after you land, a chauffeur by the hour keeps the same car and driver. The business trip transport guide maps out a typical week.

Airline chauffeur vs private chauffeur

	Emirates Chauffeur-drive	Etihad UAE chauffeur	Private chauffeur with Assure
Who can book	First, and Business Saver, Flex or Flex Plus, on Emirates-operated flights	The Residence, First, Business Comfort and Business Deluxe on Etihad-operated flights	Anyone, any airline, any cabin
Booking deadline	At least 10 hours before the flight	At least 12 hours before the flight	No fixed deadline, answered 24/7 on WhatsApp and phone
Where it goes	Within each city’s free distance	Zayed International to anywhere in the UAE	Any UAE address, quoted per trip
Waiting on arrival	Up to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup	Up to 60 minutes	Follows your real landing time, free waiting time stated in the quote
Car	BMW 7 Series (First) or 5 Series Touring (Business) in Dubai	Set by Etihad	Lexus ES 300h, S-Class, 7 Series, GMC Yukon, Escalade, V-Class or Sprinter
Stops	One pickup and one drop-off address	One trip per flight sector	As many as you plan
Between airports	Not available	Not stated	Available
Price	Free within the city’s distance limit	Included with the ticket	Quoted for the whole car before you fly

What sets an Assure price is explained in our guide to what a chauffeur costs in Dubai.

Where does the Emirates chauffeur meet you at DXB Terminal 3?

Emirates sends Chauffeur-drive passengers to its Chauffeur-drive desks after landing. Dubai Airports has no pick-up lane at arrivals: private cars collect from the car park at each terminal.

An Assure chauffeur works differently. Your chauffeur waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, past passport control, baggage claim and customs, holding a board with your name. VIP guests are welcomed there personally. Terminal 3 also has DXB Greet and Go, a QR-code meeting point that Dubai Airports opened in July 2025 for licensed limousine companies.

Our Terminal 3 arrivals guide follows the walk from the gate, and how meet and greet works at Dubai airports explains the name-board pickup. Every Assure DXB arrival is set out on our Dubai airport transfer page, and the UAE airports guide covers the other six airports.