New Emirates flights to Copenhagen: one-stop from Australia, better connections for some

Emirates has announced flights to Copenhagen in Denmark: good news for business travellers heading to the pharmaceutical and IT hubs in Denmark's capital city and nearby southern Sweden, just over the bridge.

Some travellers from Australia to Copenhagen will see improved connection times, but check the timetables carefully: some flights have handy connections of under three hours, but others have a nine or ten hour transit in Dubai. 

Travellers to Copenhagen are used to spending four to six hours connecting in Bangkok or Singapore for a one-stop flight on Star Alliance members SAS, Thai and Singapore Airlines, or connecting twice, once in Asia and once in Europe. 

The flight to Copenhagen, EK151, leaves Dubai at 0830 and arrives in Copenhagen at 1310. The return, EK152, leaves Copenhagen at 1455 and arrives in Dubai at 2315. Emirates will use their A330-200 aircraft on the service.

All four of Emirates' Australian destinations have good connections to reach Dubai in time for the 0830 EK151 flight to Copenhagen. Here are the best connection options from Australia:

• Brisbane flight EK435 arrives at 0520
• Melbourne flight EK407 arrives at 0540
• Perth flight EK421 arrives at 0525
• Sydney flight EK413 arrives at 0520

In the other direction, flight EK152 from Copenhagen is timed to hit the "Dubai rush-hour" around midnight, leaving Copenhagen arriving at 2315. Not everyone has a decent connection at that point, though. The best options to Australia are:

• Brisbane flight EK432 leaves at 0245
• Melbourne flight EK408 leaves at 0300
• Perth flight EK420 leaves at 0240
• Sydney flight EK418 leaves at 0905

So travellers to Sydney have a long connection -- the best Sydney connection is just under ten hours.

New Zealand travellers only have good connections into Copenhagen. Fom Christchurch, EK419 leaves at 1700 and gets into Dubai at 0555. From Auckland, EK 407 departs at 1850 arrives in Dubai at 0540.

The reverse is a much worse connection for Kiwis -- while the Copenhagen flight arrives into Dubai at 2315, NZ flights leave ten or eleven hours later. To Auckland, EK406 leaves Dubai at 1010 and arrives at 1345. To Christchurch, EK 418 departs at 0905 and arrives in Christchurch at 1515.

Even with some long connections, travellers are likely to benefit from lower fares as the Star Alliance carriers start competing with Emirates for one-stop travel from Australia to Copenhagen.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.