eternaltransit

Offtopic: do you know what was wrong with your e-gate card? I just had a similar problem with a smart gate the other day, but it turned out that the thing was just broken and another gate worked even though my Skywards card was expired (!)

m3red

4 months - that is a lot of long haul travel (or 4 long haul F trips ).

If my egate doesn't work I just go to the dude there who deals with those issues.

ft101

Although DXB is all about EK, I don't think you can really blame the airline for any ground handling shortfalls.

If the airport management can't fix it, perhaps Marhaba services should get a call.

lighthand

I always found that most direct sales businesses, always seems to start very good. Then just go down hill from there. Not sure if this is due to internal KPIs (get more money with less cost)?

But back to Antdenatale's comment about ground handling stuff. I honestly don't think you can blame this one on EK. It's kind of like saying the 5* restaurant you ate at should be responsible for your cab ride experience home. Separate entity (sins of father... you know).

eternaltransit

Of course at outstations it's understandable that the F ground handling might not be exceptional, but at the hub where ground services are run by dnata, which is in the Emirates Group and a close working relationship between senior staff at Emirates Group and Dubai Airports (apart from the obvious ) I'm not so sure I buy the argument that EK can't do anything at the hub to improve the F ground handling experience. Rightly or wrongly, the main tenant at an airport should be able to have a decent relationship with the airport operator to facilitate things - it is simply whether they want to demand such things and pay for them.

What it is, of course, is that EK do not want to spend the extra money on it (e.g. paying for additional staff or equipment like, I assume, buggy transfers) - and given that EK have solid F demand already with the current experience there is a reasonable argument to be made that it would be a waste of money to improve the ground service given there is less scope to charge a corresponding premium for it.

In a way it reminds me of LHR T5 and BA - when the airport operator delivers poorly (such as "Fast" Track security there, or connections chaos) BA gets blamed by passengers, even though it's nothing to do with them. In this case though, I think EK have a better working relationship with their airport and ground handling "contractor".

ioto1902

+1

Arrived earlier this week to DXB with A388.

Onboard service was totally average. Nobody asked me for the lunch time. I had to ask for food when I finally got hungry ... four hours into the flight ...

Disembarkation : I was troubled to see that lots of YCL were already out while I was the first FCL pax off.

E-gate : it was indeed not working. Fortunately 'fast track' was quite empty. <= EK cannot be blamed though.

Baggage claim : had to wait 14 minutes after first baggage (which happened to be JCL) was delivered ... ...

I can overlook many things at outstation, but, it's totally inexcusable at DXB ...
Would have it been my first EK experience, clearly, I'm not sure I would fly EK again.


This said, worst was avoided : at least, it was not remote stand ...

m3red

What route was this?

Agree that sounds like a sub standard experience in first.

ignorantcow

You know... maybe it's because I've grown up with the asian carriers and spoilt but I'm always very underwhelmed by those too

I've not done TK in Y but their J catering was unexpectedly great

ioto1902

CDG-DXB.

Onboard experience was not surprising. It's always lottery.

But it's the first time I have all bad conjunctions at arrival (well, yeah, OK ; no remote stand)
I didn't mention that I got scanned at customs first time ever at DXB ! Well, pax wandering around almost half an hour at baggage delivery is indeed quite suspicious ...

m3red

Like the time we were two of about 4/5 in first the rest op ups who got shower slots before us...

Small details EK is bad at.

ioto1902

You could have shared the slot.
You can be two in the shower room.

Dave Noble

They got the slots because they asked 1st ?

Once onboard, all passengers in 1st class should be equally treated - how someone got there should have no impact on the service provided

m3red

I completely disagree.

People, who paid for tickets should get meal choices and shower slots etc first over op ups. I know you like a debate Dave but I'm adamant about my views on this.

Susiew237

I'm torn between agreeing with Dave (does anyone ever ) and m3red... everyone should be treated equally, but it would be nice if the F staff duly noted who was an op up (as opposed to an upgrade with points) and ensured that those were given some priority. But then again, I see the flip.

I guess those who might be getting their first flight in F as an op up will be a little excited and want to know all the details so get in early for the showers. That's what I was like on my first flight, wanting to know all the details - grin as wide as the plane, and that was a paid flight!.. (if I ever get to fly F again I will tell a fib and say first time as I think (some of ) the staff quite like that little bit of excitement from the newbies)

Antdenatale

I have no idea what was wrong with it, wouldn't work in any of the gates no would my passport scan in the other gates, strange thing is that it worked perfectly this weekend!

Also, agree with your comments about ground handling, for all purposes, T3 is EK's home, if they cannot get the ground handling right there what chance do you have for the rest of the network.

It just leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth that as a premium passenger you are just 'dumped' at aircraft gate and that is the end of your First experience.

On the plus side....twice in the past month my bags have come out before the I/O's