Planning and preparation for your Maldives trip might be in full swing. But what about booking your flight tickets to Maldives? Make sure to know when and how to book your flights to make your journey hassle-free.
Remember, to find the best airlines and travel dates to book flight tickets, several airline offers are making you stressed; we have got you covered. Here, you will get an insight into the best airlines, cheaper flights, direct flights, connecting flights and the best time to book tickets. Whatever comes to your mind related to the Maldives arrival and departure flights, get all the answers to your queries here.
Remember that, it is all about using the right strategy to book flights rather than just confirming the first flight you see. As Maldives is one of the most popular holiday destinations, there are prime times for booking. Browse through the flight offers available and see which one offers you the best deal for Maldives flight travel.
Many domestic and international flights operate at an affordable price that you can choose to travel to the island nation. Among them, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines are the popular airlines. India also runs major domestic carriers to Maldives including IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, GoAir and SpiceJet. To confirm your flight tickets, go through all the airlines listed and book the most convenient one. It depends on your location to search for availability.
Maldives is a great island nation where you can take a trip all year round. However, if you ask about the best time to travel to this magical destination with clear sandy beaches and mesmerizing landscape, then the vote will go to the November to April months when the rainfall is less and the weather remains cooler. As these are the most popular months, booking in advance is ideal during these months due to its high demand. For budget travellers, May to October will offer you an enchanting stay at a cheaper rate.
Important Things to Know
Maldives attracts like a magnet to marine life enthusiasts for its archipelago of multiple coral islands and breathtaking beauty. Before you head to the country, know some important things.
Buy Return Tickets
To board a flight to reach Maldives, you need to show proof of your onward ticket. Therefore, you can no way book a one-way flight. Even if you book a one-way flight to Maldives, buy separate return tickets to get allowed to enter the country. Besides, it is simple and economical to purchase round flight tickets. In addition, try to book your tickets with an airline that generally allows passengers to change flights in the event of extending their stay in Maldives. Luckily, several airlines offerthis service.Even though you will get plenty of options in alcohol once you reach your hotel or resort island, the Maldives is a Muslim country that restricts certain things, including alcohol and pornography, even on a flight. This list of things you cannot do/carry on a Maldives flight includes worshipping idols or bringing paraphernalia to insult Islam. Be mindful of picking up things and bringing them to the country.
Plan your Arrival time
When booking arrival flights to Maldives, try to find flights that land before nightfall. Once you reach the international airport of Male, you will need to take a boat, domestic flight or a seaplane ride to reach your pre-paid private island. However, seaplanes don’t operate at night and domestic flights don’t fly to all resort islands. So, it’s a perfect idea to discuss the transfer possibilities while booking.
Visa Process
Enjoying the crown of being one of the most sought-after destinations, the tourism department offers different visa options including work visas, marriage visas, dependent visas, meeting visas and, most importantly, tourist visas for all nationalities. When planning to make a trip to the island of serene beauty, know about the visa process.
Grants are given on all tourist visas for people of all nations on arrival to the island nation. There’s no need for a pre-approved visa for foreigners who want to travel to the country. However, it is best to meet the basic requirements for entry and get immigration clearance upon your arrival.
- A valid passport or a travel document with MRZ (Machine Readable Zone). The document should have at least a month of validity. Passengers who have an extended passport validity won’t be allowed to enter.
- Your entire travel itinerary consists of the confirmed return tickets, a prepaid confirmed booking at a registered hotel, proof of sufficient funds to back your stay or a pre-approved visa sponsorship of Maldives Immigration.
- Submit the Traveller Declaration form online within 96 hours to and from your Maldives travel
- Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate, in case of application. Children below 1 year are exempted from it.
- Minors/Children must have a passport to enter the island nation
All these are basic requirements and don’t guarantee entrance to the Maldives. Grants will be given at the entry port post-determination of admissibility by the country’s Immigration officers under Sections 7 and 8 of the MIA, 2007.
Visa On Arrival
Opt for the visa on arrival if you have the essential documents like a valid passport, prepaid accommodations, sufficient funds and a return ticket to your country. Take note that, a visa on arrival is only applicable on the Maldives Tourist Visas on a valid passport with a validity of at least six months. This no-cost tourist visa is valid for 30 days. With the Government’s permission, you may extend the Maldives visa to 60-90 days by paying a fee. The conditions for entry and exit may change even at short notice.
Flights to the Maldives
It’s better to plan your flight reservations to visit the Maldives. Multiple flights arrive and depart from this island nation flying from the major airports around the world. So, it won’t be difficult for you to avail flight tickets either cheap or expensive.
Airlines flying to Maldives
Regular flights run to the country from India, Thailand and Italy and land in Malé, the capital city of the Maldives. The Malé International Airport, located on Hulhule Island, serves flights to the nation. Arriving at Malé is a must to visit anywhere in the country. From here, you will have to take a seaplane or a speedboat to the island pre-booked for your accommodation.
If you want to travel by direct flights, Air India operates them from Bangalore and takes you to Maldives in just 2 hours.
Airlines like Emirates, British Airways, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Air Astana, Oman Air, Gulf Air, SWISS, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Vistara, Turkish Airlines and Cathay Pacific operate connecting flights to the country. Airports like Haa Dhaalu, Addu City, Maamingili and more are well-connected to countries across the world via direct or connecting flights. Find the best deals on flight ticket booking, but direct flights are quite limited.
However, there is no direct flight from the United States of America. So, travellers from the States need to think about some changeovers. Usually, these changeovers happen in Europe. Check a European airline that lets American customers fly to the Malé Island. It takes around 18-19 hours to travel from the United States of America to Maldives via flight. Many people spend even longer travel time before they arrive in the island nation. Again, this depends mainly on your booking flight dates.
Because of its close geographic proximity, countries like Sri Lanka offer direct flights to Maldives at a much shorter flight time. Using any nearby Sri Lankan airport, you can land in the Maldives in just two hours. Nonetheless, here are some other countries that offer flight operations to Maldives.
- Russia (about 32 hours)
- United States (18-26 hours)
- United Kingdom (10-12 hours)
- Chile (18-20 hours)
- Switzerland (9-10 hours)
- China (7-9 hours)
- Malaysia (4-6 hours)
- Singapore (4-5 hours)
- Thailand (5-6 hours)
- Dubai (4 hours)
From this list, you can see how flight times significantly vary depending on the country a person will travel from. The return flight time is no different. So, plan the same timeline. Also, book your flight tickets in advance for affordable tickets on comfortable flights.
