Disappointed with Emirates
 

I am just back from my first ever flights on Emirates: AMS - DXB - AMS in business class.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I found the in-flight experience mediocre and the DXB airport and Emirates business class lounge far below average.

The hard in-flight product is OK - however I found it confusing that there are so many different cabin lay-outs on the B777-300ER which makes it quite a job for a non-frequent EK flyer to select a good seat. I found the service very mediocre: on AMS - DXB the cabin crew disappeared after lunch never to be seen again. The menu listed a "drink service" before arrival which never materialized, and I had to press the call button to get a drink. Also, the cabin crew weren't particularly friendly and it seemed they didn't really like their job. I was wondering if, given that there are so many nationalities in the cabin crew compared to most other airlines, they cooperate less well and have less fun on the job?

On arrival we taxied to a remote parking position and had to take a long bus ride to the terminal - we only set foot in the terminal some 40 minutes after touch-down which is the longest I ever experienced anywhere in the world. (and I am used to long taxis to and from Amsterdam's infamous Polderbaan runway)

The check-in process for the return flight was fine, however once entering the transit area I realized how bad and overcrowded Dubai airport is. What a mess! I hoped to find peace and quiet in the EK business class lounge......unfortunately, the lounge was completely overcrowded with long lines for the toilets, difficulties to find an empty table/seat (or even share with other passengers), and a non-functioning wifi. A huge disappointment and not expected from a quality carrier at it's home airport.

I had heard good things about EK but found the experience very mediocre even compared to airlines which don't have an excellent quality image such as KL, AF or LH.

Sounds about right.

Emirates is a creature of marketing glitz. They spend lots of money on "bling" and hope that the reflection blinds you to the rest of the shortcomings.

Its sad when there are just as many showers for the use of 16 passengers on a single A380 as there are urinals for 2000+ passengers in their Business Class lounge.

Couldn't agree more. Recent F experience was v poor with dirty plane, indifferent service, poor food. Crew more keen to feed themselves than look after pax. I'm voting with my feet and not flying with them again. You should, too!

That bad now, eh, even in F? Wow!

Business class service is very hit or miss. The OP's trip report is spot on. It's not a matter of nationalities, but rather training AND EMIRATE'S PAYING NO ATTENTION TO CUSTOMER FEEDBACK.

Even in F, service is fine - but nothing great. You have to press the call button for each and every little thing, aside from refills on champagne.

Would you rather the call bells removed and have a FA call in on you every 5-10 minutes checking to see if you need anything?? That would get pretty tiring pretty quick, i would much rather ring a bell everytime i want something and be left alone the rest of a time!
Its not hard to push a button.

+1

I like to be left alone and go hiding in the cabin so I have no issues with having to call the FA if I need something.

Even in F, one has to admit that the service standard is inconsistent. I haven't seen dirty and badly worn planes (even though some of them are close to qualifying) but a lot of the quality of service boils down to how experienced and motivated the particular crew happens to be. Some crews are just awesome but some leave quite a bit to desire. I am not claiming statistical significance or a representative sample, but a lot of this appears to boild down to the nationalities of the crew members and different levels of professionalism.

Actually... and I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to say this aloud, but my major dislike to Emirates is the way their first class on the Australian routes has become a major bogan bus experience. Call me a snob, but I would hope for a bit of a standard of appearance in the first class. Thongs, board shorts and wife beaters IMHO are not appropriate.

Money truly doesnt bring class with us Aussies :D
But seriously Centrelink really must be paying the unemployed too much that they can afford First now lol :eek:

Me too, very disappointed. Promised an A380 trip to my son and booked for both of us in J and never regretted such an expense more. Picked them over Lufthansa because of flat beds.

In one instance, I walked to the bar to pick some nuts but they did not have any napkins. I asked for one and the FA there said he will find some from the galley. Fair enough. But he just stood there and started a conversation with someone else. Never bothered to even ask any of the other FA walking by to fetch one. Can go on and on, including my three attempts to get an aspirin.

Thought of even giving away those stupid 34,000 miles earned from that trip, but did not want to wish Emirates on anyone I know. That was the first and last time with Emirates. If I am going to pay that kind of money, I'd rather give it to an airline that is trying.

I survived because of two FA who appeared to be professional and cared about doing their jobs well.

Yea, a napkin makes a trip. how would you have felt if you had a heart attack after taking an asprin? hence why drugs will not be adminsitered on a plane. geniune criticisms are well and good but this is absolute nonsense in my opinion

I take the uniform as a warning sign. A bit like worms are bright red to indicate they are of not much taste so predators will go and seek for an alternative dinner.

OK, this is far and out OT. Now, what were we talking about?

Last week on EK404 there also were no napkins with breakfast in F. I was slightly irritated but not enough to bother with pressing the call button and asking for one.

I have successfully acquired panadol on an EK flight but have never specifically asked for any specific pain killer. It is not clear whether the LandingGrea was specifically asking for aspiring and did not get any [assuming there was none onboard], or whether he/she was just trying to get _any_ pain killer without the requests being entertained.

:)

^^^:D
Agreed.

Well...... since we don't know each other.......

;)