Facts:
1- Bad treatment by LAX ground staff where I lost my wallet and money. I thought EK would stand with me, but they kept demanding that I pay date change fees and ticket fare (not more than $300), even though I presented police reports.

2- GF is flying to Taif on 15th Jan.

3- You don't feel special anymore with EK.

4- GF FF is more generous than Skywards.

5- GF gives loyality points for code share flights

Result: Good bye EK, welcome back GF!

Correspondence from GF:

Dear Mr. Al Omar,



In an attempt to recognize discerning members like you, and giving what you really deserve � the best, I am delighted to inform you that we have upgraded your Tier status from Blue to Gold.



As a Gold member, you will enjoy variety of exclusive privileges that are designed to treat you as a premium member and pamper you with exciting benefits. These benefits include, but are not limited to generous extra tier bonus miles, quick and flexible redemption, guaranteed seat, generous baggage allowance, unlimited lounge access�.etc.



While your new membership card is being dispatched, you may like to print your temporary card which is available when you log on to your account online at gulfair.com.



I am sure you will enjoy your new Gold membership status and we look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.





Yours sincerely,

I am sure EK don't want to lose a customer but good luck getting to LAX on GF!

I don't mind stopping over in CDG or LHR to connect to a code share flight with GF. That would give me miles and loyalty points too. Its a relief to get rid of that busy supermarket experience (EK terminal 3 business lounge) everytime I fly out.

I am confused;

the airline wouldn't let you rebook without paying the change fee and so they did something wrong?

It isn't the airline's responsibility to handle a lost credit card issue is it?

The LA ground staff issue was a long irritating story that I hate to discuss. to Sum it up, they refused to help me get on the evening flight since it was fully booked even though I explained I needed to get to the consulate in the morning and get a letter that could work as a passport since my passport was lost/stolen. I was forced to contact personal connections during the evening in saudi and ask them to contact a friend of theirs in the consulate to come late and open up the consulate and give me that letter and catch the morning flight. He was puzzled that EK didnt help.
EK can book you on a flight provided that you pay at the airport. Luckily, that guy from the consulate refused to let me go to the airport alone and came with me to see me off. After facing LA staff stupidity, he paid the differences himself. I felt my Gold status worth nothing at the time.
I paid SAR5000 to fly with EK Saudi-USA when there was other cheap and valuable choices worth SAR3000, just because I though I should be loyal. But now, no more....

They can book and indeed take payment at the airport but your complaint seemed to be that they actually wanted payment for the flight, which seems perfectly normal to me


I really don't see why someone would expect gold status to make any difference to this

We are not talking about responsibility here. We are talking about human circumstances that require humane reactions. I need an airline that could value a customer more than the business level. As much as I value the airline personally, I expect the same on their part too.

Whereas they simply expect that you will arrange to get hold of the money before your flight or , perhaps, get someone else to pay and then reimburse them

I think that there is no merit to a complaint that the airline would not allow travel without paying for it

I agree, there is no merrit, that's why I have not complained to them. Its just an experience where I felt vulnerable and faced airline greed for a time change fee and a fare difference that can easily be waved. Plus other facts that were mentioned in my first thread. This, along with prior experiences were enough to convince me to leave this airlines. Good luck with it..

In the circumstances, and you being a Gold i would expect them to waive the fee or at least ask you to pay it only on return to Saudi. i would also expect them to make every effort to get you out on a different flight I have had an experience like this I missed my flight out of Moscow for reasons beyond my control to do with the russian mafia, and a call to vienna eresulted in a rebooking without any charges by Austrian airlines, on other metal, sicne they were full.

I expected that too, if not more. I believe the bigger the airline gets, the less personal and warm they become.

Do tell

And this is where, dear and gentle readers we will call it quits.