United Arab Emirates

The desert canyons and fabled mud-brick town of AlUla oasis yield street eats and Michelin-star dining in a remote corner of Saudi Arabia.

Stopovers in Dubai just got better for Emirates passengers. For the first time, the airline is opening the doors of its first-class and business lounges to economy passengers in exchange for a relatively small fee.

Qantas’s deal with Emirates could save the Aussie airline or make it a mere sideshow, says aviation writer Clive Dorman.