Well, the fine line would be that the product sold and confirmed is a suite! Not a First "seat". Thats why in J if I get a lie-flat or recliner its all the same since the confirmation came as "Business" at time of payment.

My etickets say CLASS FIRST , they do not say suites

Dave

If you search by schedule when booking it says Private Suite

The ticket shows nothing other than 1st class and EK doesn't charge a premium for suites. During process it is a description of what the flight is currently offering. If flying on a route where either is offered, there isn't ime any fare saving of suite vs non suite, so nothing to refund

I am very pleased that Tim Clark's statements in the Bloomberg article that basically states that passengers' expectations do matter (which is relevant to Ung1's thread starter) and that passengers are being offerred compensation. In addition, this confirms that to his mind, air travel is more than a contract which basically states that a passenger will be successfully transported from A to B.

Kudos to you Ung1.

Couldn't agree more. And the airline should meet those expectations when passengers have paid a correct and valid fare...

But where did Tim Clarke admit in the Bloomberg article, that air travel is more than a contract which basically states that a passenger will be successfully transported from A t B. The way I understand it is that EK compensated full paying J or F customers, (who were originally booked on the A380) and who couldn't be accommodated through no fault of the airline as a gesture of good faith.

I got mail
 

I am travelling on the cheapest ticket possible from HKG via DXB to CPH on a 777. A week ago I got a mail about equipment change to a 380. Should I then pay more because I get a superior product? No. I got the info I needed, and the product promised. I would not expect an compensation, even if it was from a 380 to 777 in economy. As long as dep and arr is the same.

However Emirates changed a flight 36 hours back, which gave me 40 hour layover in LOS without any compensation! That is a REAL problem.

Exactly, as well as on the final booking confirmation it has that.

Recent booking I searched mentions EK854 KWI-DXB A332 - First "connecting" EK001 DXB-LHR A380 - Private Suite

So, is EK marketing a specific product during process and not confirming that same specific product after payment. I agree with you but like I mentioned before, it is a grey area with what they are doing in regards to confirmations of F tickets with Suite/non-Suite products. Personally, when I search my flights I go for Suites, if its not available I go for J as to me there is no difference between cruisers and lie-flats. If I get recliners then fine no "biggy" for me as I prefer day flying.

However, after payment not guarenteeing the product is a problem. Ek has suites on 777 and a380's. And they do mention at time of booking that aircraft changes do occur. But, at least changes have to be consistent with delivering an equal hard-product as to what I have searched and paid for. That is my issue, it has nothing to do with payment or refunding a "premium".

And there I was thinking that in marketing "bait and switch" is illegal in many jurisdictions. Clearly not in EK's book sometimes. A380 issue apart.

40 hours unscheduled in Lagos - you poor sod!

There is no bait and switch; if you buy 1st class and get 1st class you got what you paid for; pay for business and receive business, again what you paid for

EK does not guarantee a specific interior when booking.

This is true, but EK do make a big thing about the A380. There are billboards up around Manchester showing the bar area on the A380 (I think are some showing the suites also).

So, people will book expecting what is advertised. It's disappointing when you get downgraded to B777, especially when you get the old recliners (or Sjycruisers in F).

The thing is, most of these substitutions are for the wing cracks at the moment, so that's understandable. However, EK have a reputation for changing equipment willy nilly.

Not in your book maybe but when I buy a First Class suite and end up with a Skycruiser I feel "baited and switched".

Me too. And they frequently do in their 777-300ER fleet (no wing crack issues, purely operational - oversold heavily I guess !), selling the seat as a "Private Suite" and delivering it as a "Sky Cruiser".

My own recent experience
 

Hi all,

After abstaining for a while, I thought I will post my own recent experience

Me and family (two adults and a child) flew from a KHI-DXB for a short trip. Returning, family were supposed to take the 8:00AM flight from DXB-KHI while I planned to take the 8:20 departure to LGW to then get a connection to NUE on a separate airline.

They cancelled the 8:00AM flight to KHI and put them on the 9:55AM flight. All this done without informing me, which is not what I would expect from EK. At least they should call and ask!

Nevertheless, not wanting to leave family back in DXB I called EK office in KHI and explained to them the issue. They said I could I either take the EK-29 to LHR at 9:40 or the afternoon LGW flight (which would mean I would miss my connection to NUE) so I had no option but to go for the 9:40 AM EK 29 to LHR and then transfer from LHR to LGW to get my connection.

I was even willing to go through this trouble of going from LHR to LGW so I asked the EK agent to change it. He punched a few keys and comes back 'there is no fare difference but you will have to pay the change fees'. I couldnt believe it. All this was being done because they cancelled my family's flight to KHI and all I hear is 'Oh but there is no issue with your itinerary and flights'. He goes back punches a few more keys and comes back saying 'You still have the first change available for free, shall I use it?'

Now it is not a matter of free change available or paying the small change amount of PKR 2000. The fact is, I was having to change things because EK cancelled a flight.

In the end, I just took the free change option but was not pleased with EK.