I was flying JFK-DXB-MEL in First (with a stop off in Singapore on the way to MEL). My flight from JFK arrived DXB around 7:45am much earlier than our anticipated 8:10am arrival. My flight to Melbourne via SIN was scheduled for 9:20am departure so plenty of time. Because of our early arrival, we did not have a gate, and they put an A380 with 550 people, at a remote stand. They then sent buses to pick up all the passengers; I think eight buses in total. I had to use the bathroom right when we landed very badly, which ended up leading to a nightmare of series of events, and was a piss I certainly could have postponed. It’s funny how one little decision can completely ruin everything.

So after I finished in the washroom, I ended up missing the first class bus. Instead I hopped on one of the Business Class buses. There were two of them. There was someone with a sign that had destinations on it for a particular bus motioning people over. My destination (both SIN and MEL) were not on the sign for that J bus. So I took the other bus. The airport operations manager later claimed I was lying about this (more to come).


On the way to the terminal on the bus, there was an accident on the route. Dubai Police were called, and we were stuck on a two lane road for 45 minutes. I did not get dropped off until 8:50am at terminal 1. Unfortunately, my connection was in Terminal 3. I am somewhat familiar with DXB and knew this was not good. I ran like mad to make the connection, got to the gate at 9:07, and the door had already been closed and there were no gate agents.

I went to the rebooking line, in hopes of making the 10:05 non-stop to MEL, or the DXB-AKL-MLB at 10:25. There was a long line even for first class so at 9:35 I got an agents attention and told her my situation. She then went to the back office to go “investigate.” Finally around 15 min later this overweight, grumpy, short, middle-Eastern looking man wobbled out to the counter from the back office. This was probably one of the rudest supposed “supervisors” I've ever come in contact with in aviation customer service history frequent flying in 25 years. I have no idea how someone like this would ever get in a managerial role legitimately.

Instead of quickly trying to rebook me so I could get to my destination and make this a simple fix, he blamed me for missing the flight. He blamed me for getting on the wrong bus, he questioned the veracity of my story, he berated me in front of other people. He had a counter point for every issue I brought up when I told him what and how it happened. Eventually I said to him, “why are you doing this? We are not in a court, and you are not a lawyer for Emirates.” Instead of applying a quick remedy to get me on the 10:05 or 10:25 when I tried to explain to him the situation, it was more important to him to make sure Emirates was not at fault, and I was solely to blame, and he was on an agenda to make that clear. It was my fault I didn't get on the right bus. He wanted to know how I knew about the accident (uhhh... cause I was there) thinking I was lying. It was my fault I didn't run fast enough. I also have asthma, and had I ran any faster I probably would have lost breathing ability. Every time I tried to explain what was going on, It was my fault. The supervisor began to literally yell at me, and quickly escalated this quick fix situation.

I was being as respectful as possible to him, but there was not a lot of time so I was trying to rush things along, but I was in no way rude. He was so angry, and it was so important to him to make sure Emirates was in the right that he began to be extremely verbally abusive and was yelling. Finally I asked him to please stop yelling at me, and to calm down. He said there were 10 other passengers on my JFK flight connecting to the same flight, and they all made it so they were ruling me a "no show". Yes, they all made it because they were on the right bus, and didn’t deal with an accident on the tarmac.

He spent so much time yelling at me, blaming me, and berating me, the 10:05 flight to MEL was now gone, and he didn't put me on it, why I have no idea. Then I asked if he'd put me on the DXB-AKL-MEL at 10:25 and said only coach was available. He did all this arguing with me, and escalated a situation when there was an easy fix and he couldve just put me on the non-stop to MEL, and it wouldn't have costed him a dime.

I did not understand why it was so important for him to make sure to win this futile argument that I was at fault, and EK was totally not at ANY fault which ended up letting the flights I could have departed on leave? I assumed so they wouldn’t have to buy me a ticket on another carrier and save the airline money. But, if he had just rushed me onto the 10:05 departure like any sane person in airline customer service would, it would’ve been problem solved.

Finally I asked to speak to the operations manager who came and just parroted what the supervisor had said, which I had anticipated. It was one of the worst customer service experiences I have probably ever had.

I'm just wondering if there is any recourse I have in filing a complaint with the DOT, or any other agency that I should pursue? Or was I legitimately in the wrong? This was clearly a series of unfortunate events that happened to me, and instead of being nice about it, and just quickly rebooking me on the flight 45min later, or the one an hour later, they argued with me and told me this was all my fault. I was really astonished this was how they treated a First class passenger on Emirates.

In the moment going back and forth with this “supervisor” I did not realise this, but after I entered the UAE and went to a hotel I had booked, I thought why didn’t this supervisor just say “ok we don’t know whose fault it was, we’re sorry some bad things happened to you, we’ll put you on the 10:05 Flight lets go, quickly.” It would have cost him nothing, and it would’ve just solved the problem. But instead he chose to make this into a disastrous situation yelling at me, with the customer missing my flight. I have absolutely no idea how someone like that ends up in a managerial role?

No, since I was labeled officially by EK a “no show,” AS then had control over the ticket.

It was not that way in the beginning as he was asking if he got me to Singapore, could I buy a ticket from there, which was ridiculous. They had spent so much time trying to say “we right, you’re wrong”, that the ability to get me on the 10:05 had passed. So they had the ability to put me on one of their own flights had they not been so stubborn and insisting this was all my fault.

This was actually something the supervisor and operation manager were surprised at, but still insisted it didn’t matter.

The 3am departure EK408 through AS. When EK labeled me a “no show” control of the ticket then went back to AS. No fee since 75K get free changes.

If I knew the guy was not going to help, and label me a no show, I should’ve just called Alaska to begin with. Now I know if I get labeled a “no show” in the future what to do.

Could’ve been? We got dropped off, there was a connections desk there, cleared security, then I had to take a train to the B gates. I’m not so familiar with DXB other than it’s huge and not fun to connect in at all.

How should I describe him? Should I lie and say he sort of resembled Brad Pitt? Would that make you feel better? In your world how do you describe an individual you come in contact with without being “racist?” How is describing a person in a set of events that you come into contact with a “racial stereotype.” That’s one of the most absurd statements I’ve ever heard. If you want to read into as being “racist” that’s your pejorative. I don’t live in politically correct fantasy land.

That’s how he looked. This was the individual. I’m describing a person that interacted with me in a chain of events. It’s not a stereotype to describe how somebody looks, that’s how he looked. If I adorn his LinkedIn picture in here would that make you feel better?

With your logic anyone who ever writes a description of a person they interacted with is racist. So every author of newspapers, magazines, stories, blogs... literally every piece of literature where a writer is telling a story of fiction or non-fiction is a “racist.” Give me a break...

I wonder what his description of you would be....

How did the description add anything to your story? It’s completely irrelevant, as well as being insulting.

1. I had thought they were treating me this way because it was an Alaska award, but the airport manager walked over with me to the Reservation desk to get the ticket reissued, and he said “don’t worry too much, with first class the fee shouldn’t be that much.” Which is when I realized the people calling the shots were not aware it was an AS award. Either that, or they were good actors. Because when we got to the Reservation desk and the airport manager was standing there with me talking to the agent behind the counter she said “this is an Alaska ticket. There’s nothing we can do if he’s a no show. He has to call Alaska.”

2. Also the hour layover, yes you are right it’s close call. The thing is I figured if something really did go wrong I could just tske the one 40 min later, or the one through Auckland 75 minutes later. Little did I know Emirates would act so disgustingly.

I haven’t a clue how he’d describe me. That would be his business. I really don’t want to play politically correct police on FT, so this is the last I will be addressing this issue.

The reason I described him that way and included was 1. That’s how he looked 2. I think my description of him “wobbling” over as oppose to running and saying “ok we got you on the next flight it leaves in 30 min, quick let’s go!” demonstrates just how apathetic he was to the situation and did not care to help.