I'd booked a flight with them 6 months ago for a flight yesterday, in C, DXB-ADD-LHR. Hoped they'd be *A by this point and I'd earn miles, but it wasn't to be. No biggie. But here is my customer service experience that I'd like to share so folks can know what to expect if IRROPS.

My flight was scheduled to leave DXB at 1715, leaving me a 6 hours layover in ADD, flying to LHR at 0115. Now, this was booked as a one-way only, as I leave on another leg tomorrow morning back across the pond, seperate itinerary. I figured the ~24 hour layover would be fine.

Wrong.

I received an email notification at approximately 1200 yesterday informing me my DXB-ADD leg would now be departing at 0245 the following morning (cehckin to open at 2245) from the Dubai office. While the delay was annoying, it was great to know before I'd left for the airport and could try to call and get rerouted.

Enter ICC hell. Mind you, I'm in paid C class. I ask what my options are.

ICC: "We can get you in on the flight the next day and you can spend the night in Addas, maybe we get you hotel, ok?"

Me: "Uh, not ok. Maybe you can get me a hotel? How about rerouting me on another carrier?"

ICC: "Hold please, I check."

(10 minutes on hold)

ICC: "Ok sir, we can get you into LHR on same flight tomorrow, ok?"

Me: "No, you just offered me that last time, can you ask about a reroute on a different carrier? I'm a paid business class customer, come on."

ICC: "Ok sir, I check, hold please."

Aaaaand then we repeated the above exchange two more times before I asled if cancelling with no cancellation fee was possible. This was, I told her to cancel the ticket. I asked this to be processed immediately (knowing that wasn't going to happen), and when that didn't happen asked for a confirmation number. She could not give one, but said an email would be forthcoming "within 30 minutes". That was 28 hours ago, still no email.

I popped on Kayak and found a routing on QR in coach for $500. It was one of about 30 options in that price range out of either DXB or AUH which ET refused to consider.

At this point I hope the refund will be processed, but I'm not too confident. I'm not posting this as a "woe is me" tale, rather outlining the customer service us *A folks can expect to receive as we inevitably try ET on routes following their ascension to full membership.