Dubai to Colombo flights

When fares to Colombo are lowest

Fares to Colombo are usually lowest outside the busy weeks, so aim for quieter dates if your plans allow it. The live fare calendar on this page shows this month's lowest fares, and the Slashtel Fare Index tells you whether now is a good time to book: 100 is the usual monthly fare and 85 or under is a good time to book.

Fares move with demand, and demand on this route follows family visits and school breaks. If you can travel outside Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 14 April and outside the December and New Year period, you usually have more room to choose.

Here is how to use the tools on this page:

1. Open the live fare calendar to see this month's lowest fares on the route.
2. Check the Slashtel Fare Index for your dates. Anything at 85 or under is a good time to book.
3. Compare nonstop options with the airlines that appear with a stop before you decide.
4. Set a price alert so you do not need to check every day yourself.
5. Book once the fare is well under the usual price for your dates or under your own target.

The route has a 12 month fare calendar, so you can look well ahead for the school breaks in July and August and the winter break in December.

Direct flights and airlines on the route

Airlines on the route include Emirates, FitsAir, SriLankan Airlines and flydubai flying nonstop from Dubai to Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB). This is not a complete list, and some low cost services leave from nearby Sharjah. Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways and SalamAir appear in our fare checks with a stop.

For families and workers flying home, a nonstop flight removes the stress of a connection and keeps the journey simple. The nonstop list above covers the main carriers we see on this route, but airlines change their schedules, so check the options on your dates.

Some of the low cost options we see come with a stop. Jazeera Airways and SalamAir appear in our fare checks with a stop, and some of these are self transfer routes on separate tickets. That carries risk if a flight is delayed, because no airline is responsible for getting you onto the next flight.

Busy weeks on the Dubai to Colombo route

The busiest weeks on this route are Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 14 April, Christmas and New Year, and the UAE school holidays: the winter break in December and the summer break in July and August. Fares and seats are under more pressure in these weeks, so book earlier if your trip falls in one of them.

These dates matter to Sri Lankan families in the UAE because they line up with school holidays and with the times many people travel home. The April new year period is a fixed date, so plans around it are easy to make in advance.

The December and New Year period and the summer break in July and August are driven by UAE school holidays, which means demand rises across the whole route. If you must travel then, set an alert early and watch the fare index rather than waiting.

Arriving in Colombo: phone, data and entry

Sri Lanka is 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of the UAE all year, so change your watch on landing at Bandaranaike International. Mobile networks in Sri Lanka include Dialog, SLT-Mobitel and Hutch, and 4G is the network generation to expect. Sort out entry rules for your passport before you fly.

Many travellers want data ready before they leave the airport. A travel eSIM or a mobile top up for Dialog, SLT-Mobitel or Hutch means you can call family as soon as you land, without hunting for a shop.

Entry rules depend on your passport and can change. Check the official rules for your passport before you fly, and do it well before your travel date rather than at the airport.

How to get a price alert for your dates

We check fares every day and email when they fall well under the usual price for your dates or under your own target. Set your dates and your target once, and the alert does the watching for you while you get on with work or family life.

This suits people flying home for 14 April or the December school break, when fares can move quickly. You do not need to open the page every morning.

Use the alert alongside the Slashtel Fare Index. If the index shows 85 or under for your dates, that is a good time to book, and the alert will tell you when the fare drops.