Don't Fly Emirates - but why?

Old Jan 26, 2008, 5:16 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 994
Originally Posted by Guy Betsy
It's not just EK - it's the UAE !
It's not just the UAE - it's the entire Gulf.
moocherx is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2008, 11:41 am
  #17  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, AC *S, Marriott Gold Elite, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 9,688


For next time, if there is one, never accept paying at the airport - it's a recipe for disaster. It merely means the the phone agent is too lazy to do it for you. I have fallen for it a few times but now I always insist that it is done on the phone. Just recently, I tried to change a VS flight on an EK issued ticket. The agent said "call VS," I responded with "VS won't change it without a VS PNR#, can you give me that?" (they couldn't)

then they said to to go to VS at the airport to revalidate the (EK) ticket. I hung up and called back till it worked out.

Cheers,
sadiqhassan is offline  
Old Jan 27, 2008, 9:17 pm
  #18  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ZRH / MUC / VIE
Programs: M&M basic / happy Wizzair+ user :-)
Posts: 6,490
Hello,

two years ago I recognized the fact that EK had a good reputation (at least in Germany...), attractive J-Class-fares and attractive destinations in India. With big expectations I flew MUC-DXB-HYD, but was not impressed at all. 2-3-2-seating in biz (A330) with plenty of obviously op-uped passengers, overcrwoded and noisy lounges at DXB, and not really motivated staff on board.
This airline, as well as the airport at DXB, are highly overrated - in Germany mostly by casual cheapo Economy-flyers for which LH is too expensive and by some travel magazines because of EK's attractive student-fares.
As my experience was pretty medicore, I decided to not join their FFP, but may be using them again from time to time if the fare and the timetable are more convenient than with my home-airlines.

Than there came the announcement that they are proud to offer mobilephone-reception on board - my feeling that mobilephones were used very excessively and rudely at the airport at DXB and the thoughts of being cramped between such yelling businessmen on the plane let me made the decision that EK will be a strict NO-GO-airline for me in the future.

There are really better alternatives around - even many US-airlines.
rorschi is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2008, 3:30 am
  #19  
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,554
Originally Posted by rorschi
There are really better alternatives around - even many US-airlines.
Arf!
DYKWIA is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2008, 9:02 am
  #20  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Emirates Blue - 80k miles :-(
Posts: 29
i'm sorry to hear that you won't be flying with them again. And here's me wanting to offload 80k miles. You're making me second guess if its worth spending the cash and doing an upgrade....

on a side note i once got Emirates compensation of an "anywhere (return) one class upgrade" which i used for a trip from UK to Sydney and back. After all they lost my luggage for three days from J class! and i was using Emirates Tours to boot.
tweetyduck is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2008, 1:38 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Life Plat, various others of little note
Posts: 2,762
I have been tempted to fly EK a few times because of attractive fares in C. The flights were OK, but the couple of times I had problems the attitude and service were so bad (yes, worse than US carriers) that I'm really reluctant to do so again. If it's on the Company dime no way, on my own I think the flights would to be just about free, or really cheap with no connections, checked baggage, or anything else that would give them the opportunity to create problems which they would then proceed to not solve in a highly annoying manner.

And the cell phone thing is a complete non starter, that's going to be a nightmare.
Boghopper is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2008, 3:09 pm
  #22  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: *wood plat bagold ekgold dlgold cogold usair aalifegold
Posts: 39
I used to fly Emirates as well

as a gold skywards member who only flew f i did not care that the mileage program is really nothing impressive. However the F suites were a big plus. Recently they are really not available JFK-DBX. unless of course you want to fly through Hamburg - not sure it is even available on that flight

Yesterday I see an ad on the Wall Styreet Journal website for the F suites. in small letters, on selected flights -- which flights. why are they pushing a product that is really not available.

The lie flat seats in most of F is so "last year" that it is a real turn off when you have people climbing over you or you have to climb over other people
travelbrook is offline  
Old Feb 8, 2008, 1:00 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ KF
Posts: 163
This is my reason for avoiding EK, at least with any transit in DXB.
tshep is offline  
Old Feb 12, 2008, 3:23 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Don't fly Emirates

My wife and I took our first and last flights with EK last year. I have to say it is the worst airline I have ever flown with. For me the biggest issue is the comfort, or lack of it. I am not all that tall, only 183cm, however when the seat in front is retracted my knees were jammed up against it - and after 12 hrs this gets extremely uncomfortable. I hate to think what the tall blokes were going through. I'd like to see the stats on the legroom because in my experience EK has the least of all. Other minor issues are that the inflight service was poor most of the time and never came back when you asked them for anything. I won't even begin to list my thoughts on what a dump Dubai is. 90min to travel 5km every day - what a bloody joke. Not even the traffic in Cairo is that bad. I fail to see what the attraction with Dubai is. All of the hotels I've stayed in are over rated ie - they claim to be 4 or 5 star and are nothing like what a 4 or 5 star hotel should be like. I had a much better time camping in the sand dunes. Next time I will pay the extra $150 and fly QF via Frankfurt because Emirates and Dubai are not worth the pain.
redcard is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2008, 12:54 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: VS Au, Skywards Au, BA Exec Ag, HH Diamond, Taj Au
Posts: 1,389
Absolutely.

EK has gone massively down hill in the 18 months since I started flying with them. I made Skywards Au within 4 months then renewed it too. Lost bags, delays at DXB, inattentive and surly cabin crews, huge variance in comfort and standards between planes and routes, lack of gates at DXB, all are beginning to fail to compensate for the attractive fares when connecting.
slinky09 is offline  
Old Feb 24, 2010, 6:37 pm
  #26  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1
Never again with emirates

Flew first class with emirates last year from Gatwick to Singapore and even as a premium passenger they could not give me my main course of choice and the plane was practically empty. Did not get a satisfactory response to my query about this nor did I receive any token of apology, so if you are flying economy I dread to think how their service is going to be like. Can't comment on Qantas because I have never flown with them.....but I am sure that I will never fly Emirates again.
moder is offline  
Old Feb 24, 2010, 7:03 pm
  #27  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Spain
Programs: IB Plat - Hilton Gold - Marriott Gold - IHG Ambassador
Posts: 460
Well, maybe I am used to flying United Airlines a lot and that is why I enjoyed so much EKs F in the A380 DXB-BKK and EKs C in the A380 in my way back to DXB. Great service, incredible entertainment (anything is better than UA, except LH in economy of course), food was very nice (not my main interest) and the plane...OMG...amazing really. And for USD 4000 FRA-BKK return (FRA-BKK in F and BKK-FRA in C, the fare is very reasonable.

You can go to UAs forum and complaints there are a thing of every
chejus is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2010, 6:21 am
  #28  
HB7
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Exec Club, SIA KrisFlyer, Qantas FF, Emirates Skywards
Posts: 1,848
As a person who has generally enjoyed flying with emirates I have to agree with much of the sentiment here. I started flying emirates in 2002 and loved it, and have been flying every year with emirates since then.

Recently though, they have been terrible, and this is in reference to their onboard service, their on the ground service and the customer service (I have spoken to people in the Melbourne, Dubai, Munich, Dammam and Paris offices). I have on many an occasion said to the agent that I spoke to that "and u wonder why guys have dropped in skytrax ranking to 5th in recent times and are no longer top.."

Does anyone here think that the people at the top at emirates will wake up and realize that they are dropping and will continue to lose passengers if they don't get their act together and soon?
HB7 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.