Despite the EK backlash found on FlyerTalk (and the countless negative experiences related about EK's poor service) Emirates Airline is doing very well. Its flights are full, its making money and its status as a premier airline is not going anytime soon.
As EK executives keep on making money, they won't be dismissed. EK is now one of the world's Top Ten International Carriers. Why would managment listen to complaints if they're making money anyway?

So what would you have them do to improve it? These sort of things happen all the time at the big airports, and there are always lots of irrate passengers. ORD/JFK get snowed in a couple of times a year. LHR has strikes, terrorist alerts. DXB has fog.

You just can't magically make planes appear and disappear at will.

And please don't say that BA/AA/UA handle things better, because they don't. I was stuck on an AA flight for over 5 hours before it got cancelled due to snow at EWR. There was absolute chaos when we eventually got back to the gate, and it took hours to sort things out.

Have you read about the lost luggage problems with BA? Try phoning them up, and you just get a pre-recorded message. It's a lottery whether or not people eventually get their luggage.

Just put it down to a bad experience, and take your business elsewhere.

Cheers,
Rick

What the last person fails to understand is that I was not offerred anything.

Can you imagine that 16 flights were cancelled so the chaos was uncontrollable along with the lines at the Emirates ticket office.

Once I did finally get my turn I asked for alternative options and I was given none as apparently all other flights were full. I asked about compensation, hotel, meals etc and I was told that this will not be discussed at this point. I was told that I would have to contact Emirates customer relations after.

SO basically it was take it or leave, u cant go on Saturday but Monday is available.

Well, I travel internationally, to multi-destinations, around 8 times a year( and have done for the past 25 years). I have never struck an airline so utterly useless as Emirates. The systems appear to be hopless, the communication skills zero, the home-base airport a joke ( read the Ermirates website and see what they say about the pleasure of arrival in Dubai..and contrast that with the reality. Lost baggage....Garuda manages to deliver it to the Hotel if it is mislaid....but Emirates....go back to the airport and pick it up yourself. I have one sector left on this trip with Emirates ( of whom I had great expectations in advance) and that will be it

I think I am missing something [genuinely, not tongue in cheek or anything.] Since the delay was due to weather, doesn't EK not owe you anything? I have had weather delays (and cancelleations) with AA/BA/AC and my choices were i) full refund ii) suck it up and wait for what we give you [most gave no hotel, meal etc. though some did and AA gave miles as a goodwill gesture]

Cheers,

???

I recall on landing a BHX last Sunday that we were told that all delayed baggage would be forwarded on to it owners at Emirates expense.

Maybe there is different policies for different countries due to customs policies and the reliability of the local couriers.

BB

For flights which end (rather than start) in the EU, the regulations only apply to European carriers and therefore not to EK.

I was in Dubai and flew with EK to Oman........ Oh my it was HORRIBLE... the airport is a nigtmare of lineups and hopeless service the flight was delayed 3 hours because the baggage belt broke.... the return flight to DXB was much better... I did love Dubai... but I am not impressed with EK ground service...
Also until the new airport hub is open... I wont be flying back throught Dubai.

I would like to let people know about the poor treatment of passengers by
Emirates during my recent return from Japan. Due to fog at Dubai, our
flight was initially diverted to Karachi, Pakistan (~30mins), then
Muscat Oman (~12hrs). The Muscat landing required a change of crew which
took ~6hours to arrive from Dubai 38minutes flying time away. (Surely
the same crew could have flown the last half hour or so?) An additional
delay of ~5hrs was caused by our departure being prevented by a group of
Nigerians who prevented us from boarding because they felt our flight
had been given precedence over theirs by Emirates. During the ~12hrs on
the ground, getting information as to what was going on from Emirates at
Muscat was near impossible. I find it unacceptable that Emirates via the
authorities at Muscat permitted this to happen. I was phoning Dubai for
info. Also, during this time we were only given a cool drink.
Arrival at Dubai was another nightmare. Lots of flights had been diverted
with the consequence that thousands of people had to re-book flights and
get new boarding passes because they had missed connections. The transit
desk at Dubai was hopelessly understaffed resulting in people standing
in queues for upto 12hours. Thankfully I am still OK but can imagine
that old people or families would have found this ten times more
difficult than I did. One got the cynical impression that this was so to
prevent Emirates having to foot the bill for hotel costs due to the
unscheduled stay at Dubai Airport. They prefferred us to struggle for
hours in the queues. On arrival back in Johannesburg 26hrs late, my
luggage didnt arrive. Apparently the first flight out of Dubai had no
luggage on board. Subsequent flights contained lots of luggage but not
necessarily that of the people on the flight. I estimate about only 60%
of the people on my flight got their luggage. Emirates was then
reluctant to assume responsibility for delivering my luggage when it
finally arrived on the 21st of November. Emirates used to be my carrier
of choice. Now I see them as a bunch of "Smelly-rats" and will avoid
flying with them if possible.

Firstly, welcome to FT!

Do you know if other carriers were flying MCT-DXB or were all flights waiting for the fog to clear at DXB?

Although EK crew standards are lower than that of other airlines, there is still a strict amount of maximum hours that crew can fly. This is presumably because after a certain amount of time they will not be as alert in an emergency.

This is quite unacceptable. Did the pilot/FAs/desk person make periodic announcements or anything?


While I agree that Emirates is at fault, I think this is more of MCT airport issue. Due the delays, I assume that Muscat was overcrowded and perhaps staff weren't at their best.

I don't think EK carries more food than it needs for a flight, especially when going back to it's hub.

I can only imagine! DXB is bad enough when everything is running smoothly

I think DXB really lacks in this respect. They have recently introduced the strollers but care for families at DXB is extremely poor. Once my mother asked for assistance when boarding with my young sister (then 8 months old) and was told something along the lines of 'your child, your problem.'

I may be completely wrong but (as I stated earlier in the thread) I don't think EK is liable to provide any compensation / hotel etc since the delay was due to an 'act of God' rather than something EK could control.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I certainly hope that all my future flights with Emirates are smooth sailing.

Cheers,

Yes, the fog was an 'act of God'. But EK's behaviour wasn't. Lots of people were delayed and had to compensate themselves. So in order to avoid the ensuing chaos, they should have been more alert, called in extra people to help with transit lines. Seems that its communication infrastructure is really weak and prone to instability anyway. Throw in a fog and tens of flights diverted and thousands of people thrown off-track and you get this result. Every airline will have a similar problem at their hub (e.g. UA at Washington because of the snow etc.). EK has a problem at Dubai because of the fog. Solution? Make sure that there is a sufficient reaction in anticipation of any 'Godly change of weather'.

In theory that sounds all good and well. But in reality, EK can barely manage its operations at DXB on a regular day. There isn't enough room / infastructure / resources to make sure everything runs smoothly in case of fog.

Cheers,

Ahhh...Emirates, Dubai and its fog... every week the same bad joke...
I let you imagine if Dubai had Vienna or London weather...

I had the same bad experience last week on a Dubai-Paris. Huge delay and finally cancellation. rebook and (re)cancellation... 14hours in the terminal without hotel. We were finally rebooked on Austrian Airlines to Vienna and then to Paris. In Vienna there was a snow storm (no joke!). Our luggage was lost and we got it 4 days later...broken.

We sent a complaint by mail and email to Emirates but I have no hope to get anything regarding their total absence of management and customer service.

Once in Emirates, not twice!

Every week? I think not. I haven't experienced fog there (having lived there for 6 months), and traveled there numerous times. Fog does happen, but it's a rare event.

Have you ever seen what happens at Heathrow when there is a bit of snow or fog? The whole airport grinds to a halt. A lot worse than happens at DXB.

Cheers,
Rick

This was the reason they gave me last week for a flight at 3pm (find the mistake) and it seems it is the same this week.
I agree this is not, for sure, every week, it is just ironic. But this excuse seems to be a little too common (twice in two weeks) for a "rare event"...

How many times a year? What I have seen is that on many other places, planes are usually able to land and take off even in case of snow or fog. Airports have appropriate equipments.
In Dubai, if they can't face such an event, they could at least treat the passengers another way as they usually do.

14 hours in the Dubai airport for a morning fog....I won't bet my salary on this assertion.


I confess that I am upset about this company since my last experience and my point of view is maybe not objective. But I shouldn't be totally wrong