Hello,

I booked my flights from return trip, BOS to BOM (halt at DXB) flight by Chase points & cash for 1 adult & 2 kids for 66K points + $2175 for Aug 14th 2014. I had a flight from Boston to India and connection in Dubai. After 13 hours of first flight. I had less than 2 hrs before next flight to BOM in this huge Dubai airport. My 4 year old son was sick, throwing up, in the first flight which was delayed in the first place by 25 mins or so and we were last to get out as my son was sick & tired. After getting off the first flight, I had to clean him multiple times at DXB bathroom, feed him & my daughter a bit as he had nothing for 20 hours since leaving home and had to run to the next flight gate.

I reached the next flight gate 25 minutes before departure time the attendant at the gate said its closed when I saw the last person walking in, she asked me to go 15 minutes walk to another counter, I pleaded her & the next counter, apologized, she did nothing, said just go to the Emirates transfer counter in the next terminal. They did not help me even check if the flight can still take me in. Both places I pleaded that my mom had surgery next day, I had to get into this flight, explained my son sickness.

Instead of even trying they bounced me for hours and because I was trying to hurry, one lady got mad and it seemed charged $800 each for me and my 2 kids because I'm from USA, so biased that felt!! She put that in the system & said I can only get onto the next flight only after I paid $800 per person ($2400 for late fees or no show fees for myself & my 2 kids age 4&7!!) , I asked explanation & all she said was because my ticket was booked in USA!

The whole return ticket 3 passengers paid in FULL was less than the no-show fine!! The same trip Dubai to Mumbai new ticket price was ONLY $90 I checked online. The no-show fees were $800?? No-one explained me what the fees were, it was not noted in the receipt I got?? Why was the billing not explained to me or in my receipt? Really $800 per person while me kids and I was harassed?!! Hours I spent explaining, with my 2 sleep deprived sick kids & that too when I had reached the open gates. Someone said the flight was overbooked & they took other passengers!! So why charge me??

I was with 2 crying small kids, running to different counters for 6 hrs after midnight trying to contact any manager, but they all said someone had put in the system $800 pp & they could not cancel that. There was no manager midnight to 2 am, I felt the people in charge harassed, mistreated me & my kids, never tried to get me on the flight when I was to board on time 25 mins before gates closed, maybe a few minutes late, but no one even tried to get me on the plane or rebook me. They could see my kids were crying, throwing up, had fever were sick, some showed compassion but no one helped! Not sure why, instead of putting me on next flight or even calling the same flight to check if I can still board, charged me so much. The flight took off it seems 45 mins after departure time as per someone at one of the counter told me, they could have easily took me in. Not only was I delayed (my flight was at 9.50 & the next flight I got in was at 3 am or so), I was harassed and charged horribly & threatened that if I did not pay up, I would be stuck at Dubai airport with my kids. Was this harassment because I came from USA? I travel a lot and it was my first time I traveled on Emirates. This is terrible customer service!! I emailed Emirates after coming back & called them, and one lady called me back to just listen to me and said they cannot do anything, I was late. I asked if $800 was no show fee, even though I was 25 mins before departure time. My Chase credit card customer service support agreed it was bad service, but they could not cancel the charges after 3 months especially when the airlines said they provided service to me. It was like paying 2 times with Emirates & still not getting into the flight.

Can anyone please help me how to proceed with this & advice?

Thanks-Priya