Barcelona to Manila Emirates Flights

  About Barcelona

Snuggled up by the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Spain is the beautiful city of Barcelona. The Mediterranean metropolis is one of the largest in Spain and has global recognition as one of the best cities to vacation at. Barcelona is a world leader in the tourism, financial and cultural industries with a tremendous contribution towards fields of sports, entertainment, arts, fashion and science. Barcelona has excellent connectivity with various other European cities via domestic and international routes. In fact, through the port, many cities can actually reach Barcelona, in style.

The bustling energy of the city is something that can only be experienced in person and not just in movies. Barcelona's fervent atmosphere will marvel you, as will the enthusiasm of the locals.

Best time to visit Barcelona

Barcelona is a town of celebration which sees lovely hues and carnivals irrespective of the sticky humidity. The months from May to June are when the temperatures act extra favourable to the tourists and even the residents of the city. With temperatures close to 22 degree Celsius, the summers certainly add more charm to the place. Witness a flurry of festivities that envelop the city as the onset of summer brings varied hues with it. For people travelling from hotter countries, the weather would certainly be a treat. Thanks to the numerous carnivals that take place in the city during springtime, it definitely adds more reasons to visit Barcelona in the said season. Events such as Verbene de Sant Joan and Sonar are some of the festivals that you would enjoy during spring. Although the tourism activities drop come September, the temperature is quite pleasant as it ranges from 20 degree Celsius to 23 degree Celsius. With rains taking over the city, not many tourists are able to visit the beach. Being a coastal delight to many, the lack of beach time automatically reduces the tourist potential.

The summers easily become a high point in Barcelona's tourism. The months July and August especially see a throng of tourists relishing the Mediterranean sun while they hit the lush beaches. Due to this being the peak season, it is obviously going to come with some expensive flight tickets and accommodations. Events such as El Grec and Festa Major de Gracia further attract more tourists to the city. If you want a relaxing vacation which also falls under a good budget, spring is the time for you to fly to Barcelona. The city has exquisite accommodations and even Bnbs. You can book hotels in Barcelona's luxury hotels such as Almanac, W, Mandarin Oriental, The Serras, etc., or go for backpacking and check in to hostels. Either way, you will receive excellent treatment as the staff in Barcelona are quite friendly and happy-to-go.

Places to visit in Barcelona

Barcelona's beaches and coasts might take up most of your attention but do give the city's Catalan-styled infrastructure a peek too. The city has ornate churches, parks, museums and of course, sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea will marvel you. You can simply walk through the beautiful streets of Barcelona and check out some of their whimsical structures. Some of the flamboyant places to visit in the city include Park Güell, La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló. While you're venturing out to check out the city, do not miss Barri Gótic, which translates to the Gothic Quarter. These are the oldest parts of the city. The scenic city streets with alfresco cafes and clubs will definitely get your attention. To see the works of famed artist Pablo Picasso, visit the famed museum Museu Picasso, also located in the city. For the tourists who love the sport football and have a soft spot for FC Barcelona, visiting Camo Nu Stadium should be on your list of places to visit. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, Barcelona's Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) will amaze you with stellar acoustics and architectural features.

Things to do in Barcelona

La Barceloneta Beach is undoubtedly the best and the most popular beach in Barcelona that you should check out. There are various water sport activities that take place on the beach, which would entertain you. You can even take surfing sessions or parasailing, to name a few activities. The beach also has some amazing restaurants and food establishments where you will find lip-smacking seafood. While you're having fun at the beach, you should also sign up for a wine tour, especially if it's harvest season. Not only will you get to relish some of the finest wines made in the country, but you'll also get to interact with people from different parts of the world. The city also has a great nightlife with pubs and parties, some even held at the beach. A walk down Las Ramblas will be a fun experience for you since they have some amazing shops for souvenirs and local artworks.

Food and restaurants in Barcelona

Barcelona's cuisine is a perfect melange of traditional Spanish and Mediterranean dishes. From delicious gazpachos to Catalonian classics, you will get the best food experience in Barcelona. There is a lot of history infused in their cuisine which makes their food, a trip of its own. While the rest of Spain is big on dishes made from meat, the Catalonian food has more fish as the base for meals. It would help you tremendously to know what to expect in terms of food in Barcelona. With heavy investment in meat, you should make sure that you have enough room to try their varied cuisine. Catalans have a thing for mixing meat and experimenting with the flavours of diverse meat. It shouldn't surprise you to see chicken and prawns being served to you on a platter. That is just the way they roll. Paella is, of course, the biggest seller in terms of Spanish food in Barcelona. In fact, even Fideuà, a type of paella, is a rage in Barcelona and something you should try. The food culture is another reason why Barcelona stands at a high rank in the list of best places to visit in the world.

While they do love their meat, the food served in Barcelona also sees a nice balance of grilled vegetables nestled against marinated meat. Vegetarians need not worry as there are dishes for your taste buds as well. One traditional dish that you should definitely check out is the escalivada, grilled eggplant tossed with red peppers, olive oil and garlic. Another recipe for the vegetarian folks is the pa amb tomàquet snack, which is basically a bread topped with crushed tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. Make sure to save some room for desserts as well. Savouries such as Mel i mató (extracted from goat cheese) to Cava (Catalan sparkling wine), these dishes complement the classic Catalan rendition of creme brulee, also known as crema Catalana. Some of the best places to indulge in the Catalan and Spanish cuisine are La Patsa Lab, The Coffee House Barcelona, BelleBuon, Billy Brunch. You can further explore more taste at Pizzeria Da Nanni Barcelona, Manna Gelats, Chaka Khan, La Cava Cakery, Don Kilo Restaurant, Teoric Taverna Gastronomica, to name a few.

How to reach Barcelona

By Air

Located on the South coast of Spain, the city can best be reached via air. There are many international routes connected to Barcelona via air, making travelling convenient. Barcelona El Prat International airport has brilliant flight connectivity from Barcelona to major international cities, including India. Although there are no direct flights to Barcelona from India, many flights connecting to the Spanish city with layovers in London, Zurich, Munich, Singapore, to name a few. As one of the biggest tourist attractions in Spain, the city of Barcelona sees a good number of tourists throughout the year. Flight tickets to Barcelona from India are a little expensive, especially round trips. However, if you manage to book your flight tickets beforehand, you might find some great online flight deals to Barcelona. This might even help you cover your accommodation expenses. As a city catering to tourists, often the hospitality and accommodation prices are quite steep. However, as long as you make prior hotel bookings in Barcelona, you will not have much to worry about. You can either opt for luxury stays or go for hostels and homestays.

By Rail

Flight tickets to Barcelona from India could be expensive since it is a high-priced city, to begin with. However, the flight tickets to Madrid from India are comparatively very cheap and affordable. What you can do as a substitute to save up on some euros and get the best of both cities would be to fly to Madrid and use Madrid's domestic rail route to Barcelona. There are many trains to Barcelona from Madrid, Malaga, Zaragoza, Seville and Valencia. Not to mention how Barcelona also has impeccable train connectivity to French cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and more.

By Sea

Considering how it is of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona has great connectivity from the sea as well. There are many ships and cruises that connect the city with other European cities such as Rome, Nice, Marseilles, Corsica, Sardinia and more. If you are planning to backpack across Western Europe, then taking a boat or ferry ride to Barcelona from one of these city ports would be a fun voyage. Not to mention how you'll have a good time cruising the Mediterranean Sea.

  About Manila

The highly populous city of Manila is the capital of the Philippines. The urban city is recognised worldwide as a city prone to the maximum number of natural disasters, owing to it attracting a high number of cyclones regularly. Despite being vulnerable to natural disasters, Manila is actually known to be a fast-growing city in the Philippines. Located on the bayside, the city has been tremendously influenced by the Spanish as it was once a colony.

Best time to visit Manila

Manila is surrounded by waters on all sides, giving it hot and wet weather. Hence, it is best advised to visit the quaint city during their dry season. Manila's dry months start from January and last up to April. The rest of the year is pretty hot and humid. The flipside of the dry months is that it comes with the summer sun. This basically means you'll have to deal with hot and dry weather when you visit Manila. However, it is still a better bargain than the wet months. March and April see the peak summer with temperatures ranging from 23 degree Celsius to 35 degree Celsius. The weather is perfect for hitting the beach and cooling down. That is always an option that many tourists opt for. Besides, one can always indulge in renting out bicycles and riding in the streets of Manila, exploring new crevices of the lovely city. Due to the months being peak season, the city is often crowded with tourists resulting in high hotel prices. During these months, the hotel rates in Manila spike up to an exorbitant amount. It becomes quite unfavourable for budget tourists to make their bookings for hotels and flights to Manila as there is already a lot of demand for the city.

One can simply opt to make prior hotel and flight bookings to Manila. Although tourists tend to visit the city all-round the year, the safest ones are from January to April. From June to November, Manila is pretty much hot and humid with monsoon taking over. The weather gets rather unpleasant to indulge in tourist activities. This is one of the major concerns which makes tourists opt for the peak season. Monsoon is pretty bad as during this time, the streets get flooded, and the torrential rains destroy quite a lot of the habitat. Since Manila also attracts cyclones and other such calamities, it is best to avoid the wet season. It is essential to check the weather and all the reports before you make your flight and hotel bookings in Manila. Sure, the bad weather and lack of tourism does bring down the hotel prices in Manila. But it definitely wouldn't be worth it as you wouldn't be able to enjoy the city's spirits and tourist attractions. The best thing to do would be to make prior bookings of flight and hotels in Manila for the dry season.

Places to visit in Manila

As a country with some of the largest urban gardens and parks, you can start your tourist rendezvous in Manila by visiting some of them. Rizal Park is a popular garden in the city which was earlier called Bagumbayan, attracts a lot of tourists every year. The garden was built during the Spanish Colonial Period and has been a structure of historical significance. The park is beautiful and comes with lush green grasses and alluring sights. Next from here, you can visit some of the monuments in the city. You can check out Fort Santiago, a citadel created by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a known Spanish navigator and governor. The defense fortress is recognised for its historical relevance of serving as a prison during World War II. San Agustin Church is another beautiful Roman Catholic structure which is acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Aside from the usual, you can always make room for visits at the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Manila Zoo and Casa Manila, to name a few highlights.

Things to do in Manila

There are many things that you can do in Manila, starting from the Manila Baywalk. The promenade overlooks the Manila Bay and offers a pristine view of the waterbody. You can actually take up carriage rides by the promenade. In the evenings, there are also some performances by locals and live band performances. Not to mention how the area has lovely cafes which serve multi-cuisines. Visiting the Manila Ocean Park should be on your list of things to do in Manila. It is an oceanarium and is owned by the China Oceanis Philippines Inc. The institute is located in proximity to Rizal Park. The place is beautiful as you get to walk through the oceanarium and view some exquisite and rare marine life. To learn more about the history and cultural heritage of the country, you should visit the National Museum of the Philippines. It falls under the government authority and is maintained by the officials. The architecture and exhibits preserved by the Philippines government in the museum will pique your interest. You can also indulge in some fine dining and relish the lavish cuisine.

Food and restaurants in Manila

The cosmopolitan city brings flavours from around the world in their cuisine. You will not miss any international cuisine as the Filipino food in itself has been derived from inspiration from aboriginal, North American, Chinese, Indonesian and Spanish cuisine. Most of the dishes in Manila would seem familiar, be it the flavours or the style of cooking. Manila's eclectic spread of food establishments is perfectly balanced with upscale restaurants and budget food joints. Wherever you go, you will be met with exquisite and memorable food. You can start with a buffet spread at Spiral Restaurant. It features some of the finest gourmet dishes with food inspired by 21 diverse countries. There's a Japanese station as well as a French station with fun cooking scenes. The place is high-priced so best to fill up your pockets before visiting the place. Another luxurious fine dining experience that you can check out is at Café Ilang-Ilang. This food establishment also has a buffet setting with cuisines such as Italian, Asian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese and Western.

You can also opt for dining with a great view of the Sky Deck View Bar. The aerial view of Manila from the rooftop restaurant is beautiful. For a quaint but authentic Filipino food, head to The Aristocrat. Barbara's Heritage Restaurant is another such place which serves Filipino food as well as a spectacular vibe. Some more establishments that would put a smile on your face are Ilustrado Restaurant, Harbor View Restaurant, Movie Stars Cafe, Bistro Remedios and My Kitchen by Chef Chris. Your food expedition in Manila would be quite an experience as there are far too many places to pick from.

How to reach Manila

Flight connectivity to Manila from India is extremely good. There are many flights that fly to Manila from India. Most of the South Asian countries have impeccable flight connectivity with Indian cities. Even Manila sees regular flights flying from Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, to name a few. The most popular route to Manila chosen by travellers is from Singapore and Hong Kong. The flight connectivity to Manila from these international cities is immaculate. Airlines such as Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Dragon Air, Philippine Airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are some of the prominent names that have flights reserved for Manila. There are no direct flights that fly to Manila from India. There are mostly connecting flights and layovers that take place in international cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. International routes connecting Manila from cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and even Bangkok are more favoured. The number of flights in service are more, plus the duration is also less time-consuming.

It takes about eight hours and fifteen minutes to reach Manila from India. However, the only way you will get to reach so early would be if you pick the fastest flights with exorbitant ticket costs. The popular flights to Manila have tickets at the price range of INR 20,000 to 27,000. The difference in duration of flights is also barely of an hour or two, making these options more affordable. There are cheap flight tickets to Manila, and if you book in advance, you might be able to get some benefits of discounts too. There are countless deals that take place online, and you can easily avail some flight deals to Manila by snooping around the web. In fact, there are combo deals of flights and accommodation too that is recommended. You can get a cheap flight and hotel bookings in Manila, as long as you make prior reservations and find good deals online. The peak season might see a tremendous change in the flight ticket cost to Manila as well as the hotel prices. During the wet seasons, the hotel prices in Manila drop to an all-time low, making budget travelling possible.

  About Emirates Airlines

Emirates, based in Garhoud, Dubai, is a state-owned carrier airline of United Arab Emirates. It is a subsidiary of the Emirates Group, wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates is undoubtedly the largest airline in the Middle East which has operations of more than 3,600 flights in a week from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, the hub of the airlines. It connects to over 150 international cities spread across 80 countries and has flights to six continents. With a fleet carrying about 300 aircraft along with cargo activities that fall under Emirates SkyCargo, it easily becomes one of the biggest and important airlines in the world.

The airline came into existence in 1985 after Gulf Air decreased the flight services to Dubai. Emirates was originally backed by Dubai's royal family as well as two flight services from Pakistan International Airlines on wet-lease. The start-up capital of the airlines was $10 million and operated independently from the government. Further on this, Pakistan International Airlines also enabled training services to help Emirates' cabin crew. The following years saw some tremendous expansion and put Emirates on the map of the top airlines in the world. This has been possible thanks to the leadership of their current chairman, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The airlines have managed to expand their fleet size as well as the number of destinations.

Dubai International Airport even constructed a new terminal building dedicated to Emirates in 2008. All operations concerning the airport have since been moved to Terminal 3 of the airport. Emirates currently operates a mixed fleet which includes Boeing wide-body aircraft along with Airbus among them. It has been recorded that Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380, as of 2019, with about 115 aircraft service. The airlines plan to add eight more to its fleet. Ever since the introduction of Airbus A380, it has become an indispensable part of the Emirates fleet. It is perfect for long-haul international routes. Along with Airbus A380, Emirates is also known to be the largest operator of Boeing 777 in the world with 144 aircraft functioning from under the airlines.

Fleet size of Emirates

The fleet size of Emirates currently stands at 259 aircraft. The airline is the only one in the world to operate the largest fleet of massive aircraft, Boeing 777 and Airbus A380. The two aircraft are known for their gigantic sizes. Along with the two major aircraft, Emirates also accommodates A319, which flies as an executive jet. Since 1995, the airlines have not accommodated single-aisle aircraft as part of its mainline fleet.

Back in February 2019, Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to add 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s to their fleet. Simultaneously, they also plan to reduce the total number of Airbus A380 aircraft to 123. Post this, Airbus plans to cease production for A380. However, the same year, the airlines announced to order 50 instead of 30 A350-900s for a sum of USD16 billion. In the same year, Emirates also ordered 30 787-9s which values at USD8.8 billion. Deliveries of the same will commence in 2023 as the fleet further plans to reduce the order of 777Xs from a total of 150 to 126.

The livery on all Emirates flights features the flag of United Arab Emirates painted on the vertical stabilizer along with a white fuselage and the word Emirates etched in golden. The same design was introduced in 1999 and was first featured on the Boeing 777-300 as well as on all the Airbus A330 aircraft. The complete repainting of the fleet to the said design happened in 2005. An Arabic version of Emirates is also painted on the livery but has been etched in a smaller size.

Inflight services

First-class cabin services - In the first-class cabin, it has been segregated into two types of seating, one that is fully enclosed suite with a floor door extended to the ceiling and the second, also with doors but not the kind that extends up to the ceiling. The suite ensures complete privacy with in-flight services such as a coat rack, mini-bar and ample storage space. An ICE entertainment system has also been installed with a 23-inch wide LCD screen. The seat can be converted into a fully flat bed too. Interestingly, Emirates' in-flight services for first-class and business-class cabins also include lounge areas with a bar, shower-equipped lavatories and a spa. A 13-inch tablet to communicate with the cabin crew or call for room service is also available to upscale the first-class scenes for travellers.

Business-class cabin services - Emirates' in-flight services for business class cabins include a 2-meter long recliner that stretches up to 79 inches lie-flat bed. Some of the amenities present in the cabin include partitions for privacy, a winged headrest that has a six-way movement, individual reading lights, in-seat power supply, RCA socket to connect laptops and ICE entertainment system, to name a few. Business-class cabins of Airbus A380-800 aircraft accommodates flat-beds and personal mini-bars. However, due to the awkward layout of the cabin, some of the beds stretch only up to 70 inches instead of 79. Business-class travellers are also given access to the on-board bar which is located at the rear of the aircraft.

Premium economy class services - While no other aircraft of Emirates' fleet accommodates a Premium Economy Class, the same is available in their first Boeing 777X. The seats have been curated to fit the design of what can be found in Airbus A380s and Boeing 777-300ERs. These will be introduced in the aircraft that is slated to release in 2020-21. Details of the same are yet to be revealed by the airlines.

Economy class services - Emirates' economy class is not blessed with all the world-class features that their other cabins do, but it still has enough to keep the passengers comfortable. The seats offered on Airbus and Boeing 777 aircraft is approximately 34 inches. It has ten seats lined up in a row with adjustable headrests and an ICE entertainment system that offers 3000 channels. Not to mention how the seat also comes with a laptop power outlet in some of the newer aircraft. An additional recline is also available in A380 aircraft.

In-flight entertainment and dining services - Emirates prides itself on being the first airlines in the world to propose a personal entertainment system on commercial aircraft. The same was introduced in 1992, right after Virgin Atlantic brought forth similar ideation along with an entertainment system. Emirates' in-flight services include personal entertainment system which is of two types, ICE and ICE Digital Widescreen. Larger high definition screens have been installed in all classes of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet. ICE is information, communication and entertainment and an in-flight service offered by Emirates. ICE also provides communication services which include sending and receiving emails for USD1 per message.

There are provisions to access mobile broadband services in flight as well. The same was introduced in 2008 and had been functioning well since. The airlines also offer scrumptious meals during the flight. Catering for the same is done by Emirates Flight Catering service, which operates one of the largest facility for airline catering in the world. Emirates strictly follows a halal dietary guideline and all meals are prepared accordingly. Much recently, Emirates also signed a million-dollar venture with Oakland-based Crop One Holding. The deal is to build and maintain the largest hydroponic growing facility that would provide yields to Emirates' fleet.

Baggage allowance

As long as you are able to meet the weight criteria, you can carry as many baggage on Emirates flights as possible. Depending on the class ticket that the traveller has purchased, the flight does have weight allowance segregated. As per the economy class' rules, the baggage on Emirates should not weigh beyond 32 kg. The weight concept applies to all international routes chosen by Emirates. As for first-class and business-class, the weight is 50 kg and 40 kg respectively. Emirates does not have baggage allowance with respect to numbers but requests passengers to adhere to the weight.

Popular routes and top cities for Emirates

Emirates has impeccable connectivity with respect to flights within the Middle East. Some of the domestic routes chosen by Emirates include countries such as Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Melbourne, Dhaka, Cambodia, Beijing, Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo-Haneda, Singapore, Seoul, Male, Karachi, Christchurch, Auckland, Seychelles, Colombo, Hanoi and Bangkok in Asia, are some of the top cities that the airlines have flight operations in.

In terms of global reach, Emirates flies to international routes such as Addis Ababa, Cairo, Lagos, Cape Town, London, Istanbul, Zurich, Moscow, Lisbon, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, Rome, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Copenhagen, New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City to name a few.

Why travel by Emirates?

On a global scale, Emirates is the fourth-largest airline in the world in terms of passenger-kilometres flown and the second with respect to freight tonne-kilometres flown. The airlines have over the years built a name for itself to be the best with respect to comfort and connectivity. You can book Emirates flights online on all travel websites as well as the official site. Plus, you can find Emirates' flight schedules and check flight status on the website as well.