Me and my wife have just flown with Emirates all the way from BHX to Singapore via Dubai and returned via Kuala Lumpur to Dubai with a 2 night stopover.

I was scheduled to fly back from Dubai to BHX on saturday afternoon's flight. I had already completed online check in.

when I arrived at the airport it was absolute chaos, aparrently 16 flights were cancelled, Due to the baklog of flights and delays the airport was over packed and crowded.My flight was cancelled even though there was no fog now. Other flights were flying out, apparently my fight was expendable.

I was told after getting to the baggage drop desk that the flight was cancelled.

I then waited in line for over 2 hours to get some sort of update as to what is happenning and finally was booked to fly back on the Monday morning flight.

I had to endure four hours of wasted time at the airport. Had to wait ages for a taxi amidst the chaos and the boiling heat. I have then had make various phone calls regarding my new arrival, and on top of that my wife and I have had to take unpaid leave at work.

Even when i arrived for the flight on Monday morning I was told that it was over booked and could not depart. I had to argue for 15 mins and wrestle for a boarding pass with the other remaining passengers.

I was even told indirectly that I was lucky to get a ticket by a member of staff, ( they are doing me a favour for going home 2 days late!)

I wish to claim for compensation and would like assistance as to how to do this. Should I seed an email? If so to Dubai customer affairs ( who dont sound too good) or to Uk based.

What compensation can I claim and am I entitled to? I stayed with a friend who are subletting an apartment, can I claim expenses for this?


All advice will be appreciated, as for travel insrance, what can I claim form them?

I am not completely au fait with the European regulations but it seems you are due at least €600 compensation unless they classify fog as 'extreme circumstance'.

I hope you get what you are entitled.

You'll have to consult the text of your contract (from whichever company you purchased your policy) for those details.

If you stayed with a friend, then I'm not sure what expenses you are expecting to claim. You should be able to get taxi fees, and maybe meals. Emirates should have provided hotel accommodation, but you don't state if that was offered. They probably won't be liable for EU compensation, as the weather is 'beyond their control'.

I would have thought that your insurance policy would pay you for meals etc. But you may have to provide receipts.

Cheers,
Rick

Contacted the travel insurance people. As Emirates did actually get me home and that I didnt purchase another flight this is classed as delayed and not cancellation.

They will pay me a paltry �30 per 12 hour period per person. The most I can expect is �200 in total for the 2 of us. This is meant to include Meals, accomodation and other expenses.

Absolute joke,

As for Emirates, were and how should I complain?

If the travel insurance is not living up to the terms of its policy, you should pursue the matter. But if �30 per 12 hour period per person fulfills the terms you agreed to when you purchased the policy, I don't understand why you now feel it's an "absolute joke".

Here's a link that will provide you with the closest Emirates office to you.

http://www.emirates.com/us/english/h...s_offices.aspx

As always, when complaining, you should be as objective as possible and concise.

Sounding resonable always helps, too. Imo this would include NOT requesting reimbursement for expenses you did not incur, such as bunking at your friend's apartment for 2 nights.

Yes it is in the term and conditions. How is �30 per 12 hours meant to cover hotel costs and meals?

It barely covers food! They are assuming that I was delayed, but in fact it was cancelled therefore I had to leave arrange taxi's make calls and get accomodation.

Will have to investigate this further.

As for Emirates do you recomnend an email or letter posted out?

How about customer relations in Dubai?

a miserable experience, shared by many others. Emirates must be the most over-rated airline in the world. Underneath a very fine veneer of sophistication, there is an incompetence about this airline that is quite remarkable. Customer Service? Sorry, there isn't any. Hype, yes. Slick marketing, definitely. The customer? forget it

I found this post to be useful, hopefully the email address provided will be of help to you.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...40&postcount=4

Unfortunately most travel insurances are a rip-off, inadequate and over priced particularly if purchased from a travel agent of part of a package tour.

Also unfortunately the weather (act of God, whatever your faith) are beyond the control of Airlines but as you stated you were due to fly out Saturday evening and by the the fog had cleared, as I understand EK037 was canceled and EK039 was very late arriving about 19:hrs at BHX.

Possibly a good lawyer could argue that the cancellation of your flight was due to inadequate resources as your plane was not on station because it had been allowed to depart DXB very late for the previous flight instead of canceling that flight.

BB

i agree with the poster above, ur flight was not cancelled coz of fog/weather, it was cancelled coz of emirates ineptitude...

Definetely the flight was cancelled because Emirates couldnt keep up with already demanding schedules from Dubai airport.

Certain flights were allowed to continue such as London and Manchester.

Emirates were probably hoping to re-route the passengers on the other flights to BHX Manchester and LHR and thus save cost's and sort out their schedule!

Then why on earth did you buy the insurance? It's no use complaining about the lack of cover after the event.

Emirates were responsible for getting you a hotel and arranging for meals, but you chose not to go this route, and stayed with friends instead.

Maybe I'm wrong, but you just seem to be on a compensation hunt. In this instance. I doubt you'll get anything from Emirates (maybe some miles) because you chose to make your own arrangements, and you definitely won't get anything from the travel insurance.

Cheers,
Rick

I would agree with this post, I would also ask if Emirates made any alternative offers that would have got you back to BHX sooner such as flying you to another UK airport and busing you to BHX.

I flew last weekend and must say I was very lucky, I departed BKK on time, 01:30hrs Sunday morning, and my flight DXB to BHX was delayed 1 1/2 hrs and a 100 or so pieces of luggage were left at DXB fortunately not mine.

I must also say that in such circumstances the front line staff often take a lot of flack for for situations beyond their control.

BB

I certainly agree that it is not front-line staff who should take the flack for management incompetence. At the same time Emirates was throwing extravagant parties announcing their new acuisitions and orders, Dubai Airport and the airline were in utter disarray. It is the CEO who should be summarily dismissed for failure to adequately manage a chaotic situation, costing countless PAX millions of $ through no fault of their own. I hate to think what will happen when this mob gets their hands on a few 380s. They will not be able to cope. They don't have adequate systems and thier 'management' is sub-standard