I was travelling in J class from TRV to AMS, and my TRV -DXB flight was delayed by half hour ( no reasons given ), flight landed 0740hrs local time DXB. AMS flight departs at 0825hrs but upon exiting flight I was called in and told that I would miss the connection. I said I would try to get the connection even if I had to lose my baggage on this flight as I was not prepared for a stop-over unfortunately. But I was given only two options, one to take the next day flight, another one is to travel via Athens to which I agreed. But after few calls they found that there is no more tickets from Athens to Amsterdam, so gave me no choice but to stay in Dubai for a day. I was pampered well enough, no complaints.

But as said, I was not prepared, and this time around this stop-over costed me very dearly financially. I booked tickets which AMEX so will see if there is any insurance comes along, but is it worth asking Emirates for any sorts of compensation ? If yes, what can I ask for ?

A few Skywards miles.

Sorry to hear of your troubles. One thing that always puzzles me when questions like this are posted - if the meeting(s) in AMS were that important and as you say, the delay cost you dearly, why would you not travel the day prior? Could you not leave India any earlier?

You are well within your rights to ask for something, as you were delayed 24 hours, but as you say, the airline looked after you (I am assuming they gave you adequate accommodation and meals etc)

Dont be surprised if the airline responds with something that doesnt meet your expectations...

I know if it was me, I would always book with adequate connection times or leave a day earlier if the meetings were important.

I would say you may have better luck with Amex or any travel insurance that you had booked separately than the airline. That is what travel insurance is for.

The airline can simply wash it hands off saying that it was a 'delay' beyond their control - ATC congestion, weather, etc. And besides, they looked after you at DXB so they have a right to say you were adequately compensated.

Very fair to say this, just that my situation didn't gave me the opportunity to be flexible. I don't want to be dramatic, but the reason I traveled is to attend the funeral of my uncle thus the tight schedules.

All the four segments of the flight I took was delayed for reasons like air-bridge not working, auxiliary power not working inflight ( really ? and they found out after boarding was completed - for the flight landed the previous night ), sick passenger travelling etc.

And then when I realize that I'm not even given the opportunity to try to catch the connecting despite of having a clear 40 mins to scheduled departure really irked me. And I was soo soo irked when I later realized that my missed flight departed half hour after schedule.

Can't the captain/Emirates waited a max 5 minutes for a passenger who already landed in C gate to reach the A gate in 20 mins ? As they said no, I think I should compensated as I sat through flights which were delayed for x many reasons, and see my actual flight flying delayed.

I don't think it is fair on your part to expect EK to hold a flight for you but assuming that you were traveling without bags, you are well within your rights to demand a seat on your booked flight so long as you were at the gate 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Unfortunately, current security regulations demand that your bags travel with you so if EK thought your bags would not make the connection, they probably have a valid reason to off load you. That the flight left 30 mins late is something in hindsight.

I had the exact same problem last year coming in from MAN connecting to KWI. We arrived late and were told on deplaning we were offloaded, told the agent meeting us at the MAN flight gate that we had 45mins to go, and literally ran from the B gates to C gates. When we arrived at the gate the last passengers were still boarding, yet they wouldn't let us onboard becuase as they put it "the network operators offloaded you before arrival, also you can't travel without your bags." To add insult the next flight was 6 hours away and departs around 7:45am, but they put us on the 12pm flight! A lot of arm waving later we got back on the 7:45 one.

And being late for work the next morning I missed out on some oppurtunities (with actual financial loss). Sent an email to EK got a "tough sh*t" reply from them. Shot them back with a cancel my gold card and skywards because of their crap attitude. 2 hours later got called back by a representative with a good will offer of some miles. Since then I haven't flown that much with EK or paid the premium they demand on their flights. Unless they are the only option with seats available.

Anyways, what you can do is demand compensation. Holding status may help, or even a skywards account. But, I doubt anything other than miles will materialise.

Slightly off topic but I find it bizarre that airlines deliver the same old BS line about you cannot travel without your bags when in fact thousands of bags miss flights and then the bags usually catch up with their owners later by coming on another flight and yet according to the logic of their argument you would have to fly back to where your bags missed the connection or missed the flight in the first place (or were misrouted) to then travel with them on the same flight. What is that all about? I do not recall anyone being off loaded because it was discovered that their bag had not been loaded come departure time which is in effect the same experience as has been recounted above in that they could not travel on the flight as their bags were not on board. Perhaps all such delayed baggage travel on special flights or cargo flights which have no passengers on board?

Like you said it is BS, as a month before it I was on the same routing and had arrived even later on EK18 and was allowed onto the connecting flight. Low and behold at KWI no bags arrived and were told that they didn't make the connection.

What pisses me off is that as per what most of the ground staff say it is up to the network operator handling the flight to decide whether you can make the connection or not! And it was mentioned that they start offloading if you are not in DXB with 60min to spare. So my travel plans on a 90min connection are all altered by a 30min delay, and the judgement of some guy in a back office somewhere!

From the airlines point of view, they have to make a cut off point to allow time for all the despatch paperwork to be put in place.

Whatever point they decide on will always hurt somebody who falls just outside it, and it's at this stage they post here on FT crying foul.

If we all agree there has to be such a cut off (as we'd never fly otherwise), we should also be able to accept that we may occasionally fall on the wrong side of it.

It is not permitted for passenger and bag to knowingly not be on the same flight - this is not new and not some EK special thing but a standard safety requirement

As far as misdirected bags etc, that is a different situation and they go through additional screenings to iirc

As far as running to a gate after being informed that due to delay had been offloaded, not surprising that found was unable to board due to having been offloaded

Trip for funeral of uncle..and costed dearly financially...

How typical..! Trying very hard to read between lines just for a sake of irking someone, get a life.

Though what you try to portray isn't going to change a thing for me, but just for the sake of my free time..

I never said about the price I paid for the tickets, only when I was asked about the tight schedule, I gave an answer. And then the financial cost I mentioned is because of the stop-over which I care for myself and thought Emirates could have helped it, thus the reason for starting this thread.

Honestly I was not aware of this '' bags travel with you '' clause. Still I think its bizarre when many times both bags and traveler travel days apart.

Thanks..!

It is standard procedure now everywhere, including the US. That is why they've increased the minimum 'check-in' time cut-offs (60 mins for international flights at most places), so that there is enough time for your bags to 'make' it to your flight after check in.

No denying that.