Sure, completely coincidental that after the fuel tank hit, all foreign airlines were banned, long haul flights need to depart from an alternative airport, or have to make fuel stops because there is not enough at DXB to fully fuel them. So now your flight can be cancelled or delayed for hours or days at any time due to airspace closures, it may or may not operate to/from the airport it from which it was originally scheduled, you may have to stop at another airport enroute to get enough fuel to make it to your final destination but nothing to see here, and may need to dodge a few missiles or drones. Otherwise everything is just fine.

Reading all of this stuff makes me more and more scared to open the news…

I don’t think the unthinkable would be a 9/11-like event for the industry globally, but it would set the industry back years and the Gulf carriers decades.

You simply don’t continue to operate in a war zone, and when your hub was hit 3 times in a matter of weeks. This is so irresponsible.

Whoopsie forgot to screenshot the source of the foreign airlines ban:
https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/dubai...l-19869652.htm

And: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../129614698.cms
Might be handy as evidence for refund / changes/ reasoning etc....


Another interesting source for gaining insights about EK's handling of the situation are by the reports submitted on Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.emirates.com


Obtuse.

Everything is not fine. I am resident (although was happily caught away from Dubai when it started) and have friends and colleagues there. People are understandably worried, but there is enough going on without anyone having to make stuff up.

The fire was not kept from anyone and was reported, by official sources and the press, to whatever extent that’s independent in the UAE. Your claim was false.

Presumably safety precautions meant if a fuel tank was on fire fuel flow would stop. That’s not a fuel shortage, and there’s no evidence there is one.

Apart from the evidence that some EK flights are popping into Saudi airports, presumably to refuel.

I'm going to make an attempt at keeping this thread from being moved into OMNI -- I've successfully completed my first leisure trip out of DXB (to MXP) since this all began. I would appreciate if we kept this thread informative for those seeking assistance on Emirates / DXB related developments; I would expect most visiting this thread are already aware of the risks involved with DXB travel at the moment, and therefore there is no need to hash it out.

To answer some common questions I think many will have:

Before you Fly

• Speaking with an agent is the fastest way to resolve something -- they've more or less been empowered to make whatever changes are necessary within the guidelines.
• Be proactive -- whenever you get a flight change e-mail, it will say "accept change". If you do not like the change, contact EK immediately. If you do not contact EK or click "accept change", you will not have a confirmed booking ! I tried to select a seat once before clicking "accept change" and the app said my reservation had not been ticketed yet.
• Currently, the full schedule for EK is still loaded starting 29 March. [My personal conjecture, pure speculation based on what I saw in previous weeks] is that starting 23 March, they will take a decision on flight modifications. Normally they would do this 1 week before (22 March) however this is both a Sunday and the long weekend of Eid, so I expect nothing will be done.
• I have noticed that cities with multiple frequencies pre-conflict that are currently operating on one flight a day (e.g., MXP, KUL, CGK, CDG, ZRH, BCN, etc.) that get schedule-changed, are changed according to the old schedule timings. E.g., if EK 101 (overnight to MXP) gets cancelled and moved to the afternoon, it becomes EK 91, and if it gets moved ot the morning, it becomes EK 205 (this one continues to new York). I had an EK 342 (daytime to KUL) change into an overnight, which became EK 346.
• Endorsing between EK / FZ is difficult, but can be done in some instances. I've enquired about MXP being exchanged for BGY and BKK for UTP, and was told this would require additional approvals. I did not go through with either change.
• Only a select few B gates are open, and those without B gate departures will not be allowed in B gate lounges. Most flights are departing from A and C, so expect to walk a bit more than normal. They had signage for a train towards the C gates (the signage said "A +C gates" pointing towards the train, with the "+C" part literally written in marker on a white sheet of paper) however I did not take this option. I have another flight this weekend and will report back if you can indeed take a train to C gates.
• All shops & restaurants are open for business in the terminal.
• Lounges are quite full in DXB especially during morning / evening peaks.
• Are flights cheaper? Not from what I've seen in Y, J, or F. My usual routes are the same price.

During/After your Flight

• Loading is uneven. Leaving DXB, the flight was full in Y and W, about 60% (I was told) in J&F. Coming back to DXB, F was 4 pax + 3 deadheading pilots (50%), J was empty (11 pax), W was 5 pax, and Y was about 70% full. Transit passengers are accepted, and the purser told me my flight was ~60% transit pax.
• Catering is normal in all classes, including special diet catering (vegan, low sodium, etc.). Regular deadlines apply for booking said meals.
• In Dubai, if you use a Chauffer Drive / Taxi to leave the airport, please be patient with them, and if you know the route, help them out with routes / exits. GPS spoofing in Dubai has made driving a bigger nightmare than normal as they can't always follow the map. My CD's GPS screen showed us drowning somewhere in the Persian Gulf for most of the drive.
• If transiting, expect to walk a bit more as well -- not all transfer stations are open.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to ask or send a PM.

Dubai Airports CEO on CNN a few minutes ago:

https://x.com/BeckyCNN/status/2033959264314634537?s=20

My flight from Dublin through Dubai has been delayed by 72 hours. Has anyone had luck claiming expenses (like hotel stays) under EU rules?

I just did my cancellation on this using the online form, without another call, my rationale was as follows:

1. Safety. In no way do I feel that EK/UAE would not do their utmost to keep us safe, but the reality is all the things I have to protect against this situation (i.e. insurance) wouldn't be valid due to the "war", so the consequences for my family if it went wrong is very different than a normal flight somewhere
2. Seems an unwillingness to accommodate the miles upgrade, so why bother letting EK hold my money. I could book a replacement airfare for the same price now and chance getting an upgrade later - but without the same booking period restrictions (I was happier when they moved the deadline to 31 May). Or I could have tried HUCA and pressing agents more, but then the chance is high the flight can't be taken anyway
3. Which then comes into game theory: This flight would have upgraded me to gold, instead it seems likely I will drop from silver to pleb in June. When things do get back to normal I am hoping for some combination of "double points" and/or "big discount sale" to help fill those planes, that I will get the same benefits of booking later, and I don't need EK status really

Please send us more reports after your trips. Hands on quality experience reports re DXB and MENA are rare at the moments!

Dear All,
I need some advice, please.
I'm due to fly F from STN - AKL on 30th March, with an overnight stopover in DXB and will be returning to the UK later in April. I am considering all the options EK is offering.

If I go for re-routing using other airlines, will EK put me in the same cabin with the other carrier/s?
Would I have to pay anything extra on top of what I've already paid? (I've noticed that fares using alternative airlines are currently more expensive.)
When I made my booking last year, I also arranged dates & times for the cars. Even though another airline/s would be taking me, would the cars still be included?

Cars won't be provided if you are flying with another airline that doesn't offer them.

Thank you for that, though I don't think re-routing on another airline is now an option.
Have looked at the alternatives and there's no mention of this being offered.
It's either re-booking or a refund.

Try to get hold through live chat (I was remarkably successful in reaching them yesterday and they were very helpful).
Ask them about rerouting on a different carrier. They have been known to do it, but only if there is no other viable option.
F might be a big ask as no airline has as much F availability as EK have. And I think (but maybe I am wrong) that there is no other carrier that offers F to AKL.....

Many thanks for that information.
I'll give it some thought.

To add to this, if placed with other carriers, the cabin remains the same, but the fare class should booked into the lowest available (e.g., J Flex Plus on EK becomes Business Light on CX) fare bucket on the partner airline.

As for F to AKL, I tihnk SQ 285/286 has F cabin, although I am not sure if it has F in April? I did a random check and couldn't seem to find it.

SQ has F all the way through but not on EK's OAL list (if that matters).

QF/JL to SYD then onwards in J? Both OAL partners. Or CX as far as HKG then J?

Many thanks for the advice.
Having looked at EK's recent notifications, there's no mention of re-routing on other airlines. So, I can't see one of their agents offering this to me.
As it stands I can either re-book to travel at a later date or wait until the 28/2 - 15/4 date is extended so that I can apply for a refund. I'm due to fly back on the 16th.

Oh sorry missed that. EK68/448 is still scheduled to operate on 30 March and OAL is only offered if your flight in cancelled. So cancel and refund, wait and see, or fly EK are your options

To be honest, it's very unstable out there and I don't see any improvement in the foreseeable future.
If I choose to re-book & travel on EK at a later date, what guarantee is there that it won't erupt again and I'm back in a similar situation?
I think my best option is wait for that date extension and cancel.

Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating from sunny KUL, where popping noises at night are fireworks and not interceptions! :D

EK has loaded its updated flight schedule for 29 March until 30 April, with a schedule that's about 85%-90% (by my estimate) of the full schedule. Most multi-frequency destinations have at least 2 flights per day, and once-a-day flights all seem to be there as per random checks.

If you are flying within this period, double check your itinerary hasn't been jiggled with -- I had to move around a number of flights as the default seems to be moving you onto the next available flight (I.e. +20 hours instead of -4h on a daily flight).

I also have an F trip NZ to LHR for April. I have booked NZ to UK on SQ in J as a hedge - mostly J availability AKL to SIN to AKL but odd day with F - eg. 2/5 and F available SIN to UK - but very expensive. If not much more stable by Easter, I will refund or move EK flights. There is no guarantee it won’t flare up again, but think I will move single time to later in year and see.

Friend who is travelling BKK-DXB-BRU on 03APR has received an email now about their flight changes. It's an involuntary change (obviously) resulting in a later departure and arrival of +/- 9 hours.

To be honest, it's not that bad and I think EK is managing this very well. But -- since their original flight is basically cancelled -- can they now try to have it rebooked on another airline (direct flight, or another connection bypassing the Middle East) ?

I'm not sure what their policy regarding OAL is right now. Anyone has a recent update about this?

I don't believe they are doing this at the moment as of now -- until 29 March I've been told that foreign airlines are not being given landing permission in DXB or DWC, and this could very well be extended to include your dates.

Just made three attempts at rebooking the 03APR BKK-BRU booking on OAL.

Agent 1: yes of course, I will do that for you, providing there is availability. Couldn't find it on TK or CX. Then the line got disconnected.
Agent 2: no, only possible 72hr before your flight.
Agent 3: no, only possible 72hr before your flight.

So it seems they are only rebooking on other arilines within 72hrs of your cancelled flight. Just sucks that the first agent was about to do it anyway when the line got disconnected :(
Flights will probably be fully booked 3 days before on this busy route.

Stansted still showing as only 1 rotation which affects me late April. I’ll contact emirates and move to Heathrow I think. Very impressed with them generally, given the situation. Flying from Bangkok tomorrow and offered new flights if I wanted so I’ve moved myself to a much better timed flight no problems. All checked in online easy peasy.

A huge blow if true (don't have a WSJ subscription but they do have an article related to this incident).

https://x.com/asadnasir2000/status/2035717101902795022?s=20

I was booked to fly out from STN on 30/3 & leave for home on 16/4. As it was not essential travel, and it wasn't worth invalidating my travel insurance by going against UK Government advice, I decided to apply for a refund. I've noticed that the 4 flights I was scheduled to fly on have been taken down from the app.

Who is this ? He either does not comprehend englsih well or is purposely trying to cause a bit of drama. Most foreign airlines have moved their frames out of DXB.

The WSJ article states, and I quote:

I've now completed 2 round trips from DXB since March started, and was able to sample Y (x1) , J (x1), and F(x2) cabins. Some observations / me being nosy with the staff:

• Loads are pretty full in Y in all flights, most people are in transit. On my most recent flight in J, there were 3 pax (of ~300) whose destination was DXB, me included.
• Many people are moving or outright missing their flights. The manifest showed 40 in J, 25 showed up; 7 in F, 1 showed up, 286 in Y, ~220 showed up, etc.
• I haven't done that many F flights, however on both my flights the attendants mentioned more than once I could have a glass of wine from the J cabin as well -- not sure if they were pushing for it as they loaded lighter on the F wines, there was only one bottle loaded of the Poyferre which I drank fully about 3 hours in. The menu is also no longer bound in leather but thick like a magazine.
• There seems to be a shortage of F men's pajamas ? Both flights (MXP-DXB, DXB-KUL) only had women's pajamas (without the hoodie pouch) so I had to size up. I was 1 of 4 F pax on MXP-DXB, and 1 of 3 on DXB-KUL.
• The DXB F lounge in the B gates has become the only EK lounge (J+F) in the B gates -- the J lounge is closed & guarded (pics below). Within the F lounge, a small subsection consisting of the dine-in area and 3 couches + 6 armchairs (I'm not joking) are reserved for F passengers. If you are in F, you can also seat yourself anywhere in the J section.
• The DXB F lounge food to order is closed 2am - 4.30am for cleaning -- again, not sure if this is because it was Ramadan, because it's reduced service, or if it's normal. The buffet remains open during this time. Perhaps someone who is a regular in the F lounge can advise?
• DXB public seating areas & PP lounges are bursting. I walked past the C gates PP lounge and heard passengers being told 1.5+ hour long waits. It seems many people are showing up 6+ hours to the airport as they expect difficulties leaving. In the terminal, people are camping out on the floors next to their departure gates, however for unused gates the seats are empty.
• As an update on the train to the C gates, this is not the case -- the sign in the J check-in area pointing to the trains actually just points you to the long walking route that merges with the Y passengers going to the C gates.
• Although I upgraded to F from J Flex, I was given F Chauffer Drives (the BMW 7 series) on both pick-up and drop off from/to DXB. Both drivers mentioned that they were busy doing drop-offs, and that pick-ups were very rare.
• Gates B10 - B20 (ish) are hoarded up on the even-numbered side of the terminal.
• Fix Chocolate (originators of "Dubai Chocolate") finally have less of a line, if that's important to you.
• I was told that if a missile alert happens, all passengers are ushered to the ground floor away from the glass, however during the times i was there, I never received an alert, so I cannot vouch for its accuracy.

N.B. will add photos later today -- left the phone with pictures at home !

they close half of the B terminal because of the airpot attack on day 1 include J lounge, elevator after security check area. current they move J pax to lounge in C and will have boarding call for pax walk back to B gate for boarding

This flight has already been cancelled. I asked Emirates this morning about the Los Angeles fight’s opening date and they were unable to provide an answer. I’ve checked until the 15th of April and the flight is still not showing. The only options are flights to San Francisco with a domestic flight by United to LAX.

Anything going on in Dubai today?

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...87107707ab.jpg

Do you happen to know the status of the airside hotel, and also the Sleep Fly facility (I'm guessing the one at B14 is closed?).
The reason I fly EK is because they offer these sleepover options, but I'm wondering if they have now shuttered them?

It's raining, and since the city, for the most part do not have conventional drainage underneath, it is therefore also starting to flood/pool in many parts. I harbour a sneaky suspicion this is Dubai's secret initiative to create an alternative waterway to the Strait of Hormuz.

I am waiting for a swarm of locusts to complete my Biblical Plague Bingo.

Thank you very much, it is useful to have actual information from someone who is 'on the gound' so to speak.
We are transiting DXB early on 1 April, CPT to LHR. Were originally on the early CPT flight and connecting to an LGW flight, but up to about a week ago neither of those was operating and I was concerned that once 28 March arrived there would be a flurry of rebookings if one (or both) of those were not reinstated. So I changed to the later CPT flight (which was the first one to resume after the initial problems) and to an LHR flight (as there were already 6 flights operating at that time vs. 2 to LGW). Got through on direct chat easily and changes were made without problems. Built in 4 hour connection in DXB, just in case CPT is late arriving. Glad I did that, as the CPT flight looks very full at the moment, I am on a Flex fare and only J bucket available on Expert Flyer.
That's all I can do, fingers crossed.
Only 'issue' is that I am in J and my fellow pax in Y and I am only Silver (until after this flight anyway), so no lounge access. Worse things have happened and are happening. Are duty free shops in B concourse open, or only in A? My wife needs a new iPhone which we are planning to get in DXB so that should at least take away some of the time we are there.

Correct, the Sleep n Fly in B gates are not available. However, the ones at the C gates are available.

A and C concourse DIH are open, however I do recommend making a reservation ahead of time as I saw a backpacking couple exiting the lift as it was at full capacity -- they were not accepting walk-ins.

Photos, as promised:

B gates J lounge closed (expand spoiler tag to see photos):

F Lounge menu (expand spoiler to view):

I believe the Y passenger can pay for lounge access, and you are likely to receive a number of offers for cash upgrades although I haven't found them particularly tempting offers.

Yes, DDF is open, however the electronics section next to the B gates lounges (in the direction of Concourse C) is temporarily closed as are some of the exchange services in the affected area -- you'll need to head to the electronics section further down. Concourse A & C shops are mostly open -- there were some food outlets that were cloesd both times I was there, but I suspect this may be a staffing / cost cutting issue and not an airport issue.

Regarding the iPhone -- I am an Android user so I'm not familiar with what a "new" iPhone entails, however note that the Apple stores in both Mall of the Emirates & Dubai Mall have been closed / operating severely limited hours for the last two weeks due to both logistics / import issues as well as the imminent threats on American presence (and the ubiquity of glass in their store designs) in the region. I would consider pre-ordering or calling ahead to ensure availability: +971 4 505 3555 / https://www.dubaidutyfree.com/howtopreorder

Sitting in EK764 in F about to depart.

what’s this ICE lite?

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2144b7d96.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...57eb875f9.jpeg