Which date do I enter for a flight that lands after midnight?
The date you land in the UAE. If you leave London late on the 20th and touch down at 02:10 on the 21st, your arrival date is the 21st. Dates are easy to mix up on an overnight flight, because the departure date on your ticket is not the date a driver needs.
The quote form on this site carries a reminder for the same reason: check the date is the landing date. If you are unsure, send the flight number and the team will confirm the date with you. Pickups run 24/7, so a landing at 02:10 is a normal request.
Is the time on my ticket UAE time?
Usually the itinerary shows each airport in its own local time, so the arrival time listed for Dubai is Dubai time. Check anyway. The UAE keeps Gulf Standard Time, four hours ahead of UTC, all year round, and it does not move its clocks for daylight saving. Your home country may change its clocks twice a year, so the gap between you and Dubai can shift by an hour without any change on the UAE side. If you are booking a flight that crosses a clock-change weekend at home, double-check the arrival time in your airline’s confirmation.
Always give us the arrival time in UAE time. If your email shows two times, pick the one next to the Dubai airport code.
What if my delayed flight crosses midnight?
A flight due at 23:40 that slips to 00:25 now lands on a different date. We follow your flight’s status, so the team sees the change, but say so as well if the delay is large. A short message such as “now landing 00:25 on the 21st” lets us check that the pickup details still match.
The flight delays and waiting time guide covers what to tell us and when.
What should I prepare for a tired arrival?
A few small jobs, done before you fly, make a 3 am arrival much easier:
- Warn your hotel or host. Check that reception is staffed or a key handover is arranged. For a villa or apartment, find out how you enter: gate, lift, keys or code. A driver can bring you to the address, but getting inside is arranged with your host.
- Charge your phone and carry a charger. Your meeting message and the driver’s number live there.
- Save the full address in English and the map pin, in case a driver or hotel needs to check it.
- Keep your documents together. Passport, hotel details and anything your airline asks for at the desk should be easy to reach. Dubai Airports lists a GDRFA visa office in Terminal 3 arrivals that is open 24/7 if you have a visa question on arrival.
- Tell us about children or assistance. A tired child, a pushchair or a wheelchair may call for a bigger vehicle or an extra pair of hands.
What about a departure just after midnight?
The date trap works in reverse. A flight shown as leaving at 01:15 on the 21st usually means the car collects you on the evening of the 20th, not the morning of the 21st. Write down the pickup date and time you actually want, in UAE time, and keep the flight date separate. Check both dates twice before you send them. Our departure pickup planning guide explains how to work out the pickup time, and the quote checklist shows where each date goes in your request.
How does the meeting work at night?
The same as it does in daytime. Your driver waits in the arrivals area holding a name board, and our team sends the exact arrangement and the driver’s contact before your flight. At Dubai International Terminal 3 the arrangement may differ because of the airport’s QR pickup system, so follow the instructions we send. The meeting your driver guide explains both.
Once you have your bags, take a moment to read our message again, find the board and wait inside arrivals. If you cannot spot the driver, message us rather than walking out. Anyone who approaches you offering a ride and does not match our message should be politely declined.
If you are heading to a hotel, hotel transfers covers pickups and drop-offs at hotels.