Sky High Lunar New Year Meals
“Missing out on specialty Lunar New Year meals because of a long flight to London or New York? Fret not—one airline is ensuring passengers traveling for the festivities don’t miss out on the auspicious holiday spirit.”
Emirates is marking one of the busiest travel periods across Southeast Asia with a suite of festive onboard experiences and expanded insights into how travellers to and from Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are flying during the holiday period.
According to the airlines booking data, Malaysia’s inbound traffic during this period is led by the UK, UAE, Germany and the US. Inbound travellers are mainly solo (61%) and couples (20%), with families accounting for 10%. Outbound, Malaysian travellers are using the festive break to take longer-distance holidays, with Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo, London and Paris among the top destinations.
For Thailand’s Lunar New Year, travel patterns remain predominantly leisure-led, with inbound demand strongest from Germany, the UK, Russia, France, and Hong Kong.
Outbound, Thai travellers are favouring short-haul and regional destinations during the Lunar New Year period, with Hong Kong, Da Nang and Dubai ranking as the most popular.
Vietnam’s travel patterns are shaped by growing long-haul demand. Inbound travel to Vietnam is led by Germany, Thailand, the UK, the US and Russia.
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, Emirates is offering customers travelling over the Lunar New Year period a range curated festive experiences both on the ground and in the air. From 17 to 19 February 2026, travellers can enjoy special Lunar New Year-inspired hot meals and desserts in select Emirates lounges in Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN), Bangkok (BKK), Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG) and Hong Kong (HKG), where seasonal touches and celebratory flavours reflect the traditions of the season.
In the air, Emirates will bring extra festivity to journeys between 16 and 20 February 2026 on flights serving key Asian markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, with Lunar New Year-themed desserts and traditional red envelopes presented to guests as a symbol of good fortune.
Customers travelling on Emirates flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur during the Lunar New Year period can look forward to festive onboard treats across all cabin classes. Premium cabin customers will be served a lychee and rose mousse cake with white chocolate, while Economy Class travellers can enjoy a taro coconut sago dessert with sweetened fruits and red beans. In addition, traditional red envelopes filled with chocolate coins will be presented on selected flights as a symbol of good fortune for the year ahead.
Complementing the festive food and service touches, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, offers customers a rich Lunar New Year viewing and listening experience. Alongside a dedicated Chinese-language collection featuring titles such as “Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants”, customers travelling from Malaysia can enjoy a wide selection of movies, TV programmes and music available in Malay – allowing travellers to enjoy familiar stories and sounds throughout their journey.
