Booked a business class flight EBL-NCE return a while ago and needed to change the return from NCE-DXB-EBL to LHR-DXB-EBL. I need to travel on November 7th.

I called the toll free number and spoke to reps in this order:

1) spent 45 minutes with a nice guy that finally told me I could take the 2200 from LHR on the 7th. I would need to spend all day the 8th in Dubai and then fly on the 6am on the 9th. that suited me fine (I have friends in DXB) and he priced the change at �100. I asked if I could leave earlier and he said yes, but it would cost �350. I said no worries, I would take the 2200. He confirmed put me on hold to finalise the details and I then got cut of.

2) Immediately called again. Second agent said I could still take the 2200 and quoted me �650. I explained my previous call and her robotic line was "prices subject to change". After 15 minutes trying to explain the situation and her refusing to put me through to a supervisor, I hung up.

3) Called back again. I was told that I could take the 2200 but had to take the 7am Flydubai flight to Erbil on the 8th!!!! I said that no other agent had told me this and I done want to take FlyDubai as I paid for a business class Emirates ticket. She said that "computer said no" and that this was my only choice.

I gave up and decided to call in a few days when I have more time and patience.

I love their in air product but I have to say their customer service is beginning to tun me off them. This is the second time I have had issues trying to do anything through the call centre.

Is it normal for this kind of inconsistency from Emirates call centre staff?

Unfortunately there are a lot of reports of similar experiences. I have had similar problems trying to sortout chauffeur drive bookings - although the se are clearly less crucial. Certainly worth calling back again - you may find it easier if you call in UK business hours (I assume you are UK based) as I have found that if calls route through to UK based staff there has often been more clarity.

Unless I'm missing something, the APD for LHR-DXB-EBL would come to 142GBP - that's the lowest you'll be paying on top of reissue/revalidation fees and fare difference.

Have you tried changing it online?

And to answer your question, it's only normal with EK.

If the OP is EK Gold, if he puts his Skywards number in, it will divert him to DXB. I would therefore refrain from doing this and call in as a normal J class customer to get the Manchester center

To the OP: yes - the agents pretty much follow the computer says yes/no script, yet still make elementary mistakes (e.g. charging a change fee in a different currency from the ticket rules!) and end up having to calculate costs manually.

They also don't practice anything like fare holds over the phone, so there is the possibility that between your calls, availability on the LHR flight changed.

Looking at the fare rules for your flight - reissue fees for non-Flex Plus tickets are 150 USD, as edy4eva states, you would also be hit for 142 GBP in Air Passenger Duty, as well as additional charges for LHR which would come to c. 50 GBP off the top of my head - I think the first agent's price would be incorrect. I'm inclined to believe the second agent's price is more in line if you needed that specific departure as there is only Flex availability on that flight at the moment (no O class saver).

As to taking FZ - EK do not fly to ERB on Sunday 8th, only FZ. EK departs Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The 2200 departure LHR-DXB, EK6 arrives at DXB on Sunday 8th at 0845 which wouldn't connect to that flight in time anyway!

If you want to fly onwards to ERB on EK949 on the 9th at 0625 you must ask the agent to construct a stopover in DXB, not a transit.

had the same experience, 4 calls, 4 different prices. The first call gave me the lowest price but was cut off when trying to make the change

If you haven't flown the outbound yet (EBL-NCE) expect a fare reprice to add to the sums. I suggest you call back EK when you land in NCE.

they are good at repricing upwards but not so much when they downgrade you.

Hi All, finally registered after much lurking.

Been seeing a lot of call centre topics and wanted to share my experiences, which have been mostly good. Last week calling into Mumbai to change a Y booking for my mother HAM - HYD (date change on the outbound) had a very helpful lady price it for me, just as I had given her all my CC details the call cut off (phone balance ran out, what an idiot I am). Thinking I'd have to run through the entire process again, I tried to quickly call back, but within 15 seconds got a call back from the same lady. I am EK Silver and was calling from my registered number so I guess it's possible.

Very positive experience. Other than that have had relatively helpful agents on all other calls, mostly for creating open-jaw multi-city bookings (as I mostly fly into CPT and out of JNB to India, sometimes via a 3rd country). Only one instance of blatant misinformation, when I was recently told it wasn't possible to book mixed fare even manually constructed by the agent on the phone (was trying a Flex/Flex Plus combination), though I've had such tickets issued to me before by the booking engine on the site.

They have also done a 72hr fare hold for me before via the call centre, they actually send you the booking ref and you can log intto MMB and complete the payment. I also am always greeted by name (when calling from reg'd mobile). Only issue is the stupid Phone PIN, which I never have in front of me.

I've actually had good call centre experiences with them, dealing with the Mumbai operation and the Dubai one. When I call in from my registered number (I'm EK Silver) They greet by name (even in the local call centre) and recently after pricing a date change and giving them all my credit card info the call dropped and they called me back within 10 seconds to complete the change.

Just once had some confusion about possibility of creating a mixed fare ticket, when I was trying to get a Flex/Flex Plus combination in Y as I was would've been 300 miles short of Gold otherwise. Worked it out in the end and was able to successfully book a 6-leg open-jaw multi-city JNB - DUB - HYD - CPT via the call centre on specific requested flights and fares without much hassle incl. a 72hr fare hold.

EDIT: To be fair, they stuffed up the above itinerary a tiny bit, by booking JNB - DUB - CPT with a nested DXB - HYD return in it (i.e. a 90-day stopover on the first inbound sector in DXB which connects on to HYD), which means now, where I've completed up to HYD I've not earned miles for DUB-DXB yet as I'll get those only when I complete the sector, i.e. DXB - CPT. This came to light when I enquired about upgrade cost DUB - DXB and was informed I'd have to upgrade DUB - CPT, even though the connecting flight to CPT is in January (and DUB-DXB was two weeks ago)...not a major issue though, going to lose 50 miles because of it (as opposed to DUB - HYD + HYD - CPT, as I am getting DUB - CPT + DXB - HYD RT)

EDIT 2: If anyone cares, flying Y Flex, DUB - CPT upgrade to J cost was around $800 one-way

So as an update:

Called back today and was told that I could get the 2200 on the 7th and then the 0625 on the 9th for �507.....yet another different answer!

So in any case I booked and will move on. I frankly couldn't stomach yet another call to see if the next agent would give me a better answer.