Observations GLA-MEL return
 

We've just returned from a few months in Oz and travelled business on EK. Overall it was a good experience but it didn't start that way. Despite putting in a seat request 6 months before the flight and checking a few days before we travelled (seats 9J and 9K booked for all flights); when we got to the airport and checked in we were allocated seats in the middle rows of 4. When I showed them a printout from booking manager they said sorry, the plane has been changed and someone else has those seats. The flight was full so we had to stay in the middle seats.

We arrived at MEL at 0230 as scheduled, went through customs etc and out into arrivals hall with all the EK drivers lined up with the names of pickups - none for us!!!! One of the drivers made a phone call to his company - no booking in our name. I'd also booked this and checked on it before we flew - another victim of the late plane change. We were advised to try the Emirates office in the airport - locked of course at that time. Ended up getting a taxi at extra expense and advised in a phone call next day to just go to the Emirates office in the airport when we returned to get a refund. When we flew back the Emirates office was shut at 4.00 pm!!!! We just proceeded to the flight and home to the UK.

I presume it's too late to do anything now but I will phone customer services and complain about the unadvised change to seats and dropping chaffeur request and not getting compensation for the taxi.

Other than that everything went well - smooth flights in 777-300 ER's all the way, good food and service, excellent visits to lounges in DXB twice, KUL, SIN and MEL on the way back with MEL lounge easily the pick of that lot with SIN and KUL close behind.

Sorry to hear about your issues. It seems the regular 3 class aircraft was substituted fro a 2 class on that day (A6-EBD) and I would expect that's what has caused the issues.

Seat numbers tend to stick to the booking when this happens and your Row 9 would be in Economy Class on a 2 class flight, so you've effectively had no seat allocated until you've checked in and had to make do with what was left.

Your story does make me feel a little better about obsessively checking my booking for any changes in the run up to a flight.

You should still write to Emirates as I would expect you would get your taxi money back as well as some miles compensation. Be brief and ask for exactly what you want.

I do the same thing.

Hate the changes especially when I lose seats 7 J and K.

Why can't they just transfer them over to the new flight?

I have heard from friends/family of a similar 'loss' of pre-selected seats on a variety of airlines following last minute (and perhaps unavoidable) equipment changes, so it's certainly not unique to Emirates.

However, that in no way excuses a casual approach, and (as per m3red's comment) it shouldn't be beyond the wit of any self-respecting carrier to stop these mess-ups happening. If management are truly serious about service standards & quality, then the focus must be maintained at all stages of the 'customer experience'.

On the matter of taxi expenses in MEL : I would definitely insist on these being reimbursed, and would agree that additional compensation is also appropriate for all the hassle suffered.

When EK proudly advertise the chauffeur service, they do not say anything along the lines of "there may or may not be a car for you, depending on how efficient our admin staff happen to be" ; it is, quite simply, a service that you have paid for within the (considerable) cost of your business class ticket and as such EK have put themselves under an obligation to provide it.

Because on a 2 class, its rows 1 to 6 and I guess the computer system has a meltdown and cant cope if it thinks you are row 7 business and it can only see up to row 6 business so makes out you are sitting on the floor or the pilots lap.

I dont suppose there is a human being around until check in to spot stuff like that.

ok so it did this for my A380 swap to the 2 class 77W - had row 11 E and F and it put me in 6 J and K (the last single awful row on its own in the new J layout).

For GVA a swap from a 773 LR to a 77W the same layout it just ditched my seats and I ended up with 7 a and b - (I don't like the left hand side of the plane I have no idea why and its probably irrational).

Still annoying.

Thanks for that. I booked the seats as per the seat plan in manage a booking which showed up to row 11 in business and it was showing seats 9J and 9K for us for GLA-DXB virtually up to the day of departure. It also said chaffeur booked for MEL on arrival the day before we travelled.:confused: That was one hell of a late change by EK and no email to advise of change of details of booking despite this being set up.

I will write to them on principle, A$75 for the taxi is neither here nor there.

What's galling is that I picked 9J and 9K 6 months before we travelled. I actually hadn't looked at the boarding card issued at the airport to see it was 4C and 4D and I said to the people sitting in 9J and 9K 'excuse me but I think you might be in the wrong seats'! I also wondered why the steward said turn left rather than across and left. :D

I don't like the left hand side of the plane either - it's strange isn't it peoples habits!

2 or 3K are always my choices (as I'm always on 2 class flights on the BHX route)

I've gone for row 2...

I always take 2K on my 2-class flights too! Don't mind taking it on 3-class flights either :)

Interesting enough, last night's DXB-GLA (my flight) was a 2-class 777ER as well rather than a three class. Business was full, economy had 6 seats spare.

This seat change has only happened to be once on a CMB-DXB. Called and was told that somebody in Singapore (where the flight was starting SIN-CMB-DXB) had selected my seat and it couldn't be overridden. I was pretty annoyed. The nice lady over the phone at EK did get me a nice seat afterall however.

I'd be more raging about the taxi. 100% get them to pay. Keep us posted.

Never had a 3 class do my 2 class route yet so I don't know if first class would be 'open' just to sit there if I pick 2K or if they would just close it off completely.

I'm thinking the latter.

One of my usual sectors is always 2 class. It's been served by a 3 class aircraft once or twice, but F was just closed. They did a couple of "op-ups" but gave J service. It was an old aircraft too, no suites, so quite similar to J anyway.

Lessons learned:

1 Check the booking right up until the last minute to make sure it hasn't changed. :D

2 Change our preference from back of J class to near the front of J class e.g. 2J and K.