Complain about a product or service

Emirates

Ahmer of Basis OTHER (07/02/08)
No care or concern for any of my requests. Kids next to my seat in the economy class were treated as business class. Upon my asking, the BUSBOY's (based on my experiences and the cheap level of service, this is what they deserve to be called) response, oh we are out .... I asked why were they treated and provided differently....oh we are out of stock! I had brought a kids stroller that they authorize to bring on-board, on both trips from London to Karachi and back, they were forced to be checked-in, no other means of stroller-type service was provided, they knew I am traveling with two kids (one infant).

Three hours of layover left me carrying the 3 carry-on pieces and holding the infant. The Emirates person at the counter in Dubai for filght Dubai-Karachi, intentionally without informing me changed my seats from front (where a bissonnette can be placed), which were already confirmed at the counter in Karachi, to elsewhere where no bissonnette can be placed. On-board I got furious of this and all your so called representatives had to say was ...oh we can't do anything!

I am thinking of filing a discrimination lawsuit. Everyone I meet from today on..will be hearing my experiences flying with Emirates.

Mrs of Colton OTHER (06/17/08)
My husband and I collected enough air miles each for a free trip to Dubai, last year we tried to redeem them and quite honestly it was more hastle than it was worth so we ended up not using them there were so many barriers in the way that it was near impossible to do this. My husband unfortunately died last year at 39 and I have since been trying to transfer his miles to my account I was the on line administrator on both our accounts. Emirates refuse to do this because my husband did not leave a will and therefore can not produce an order of probate or will, I have however produced the death certificate stating I am his widow.

I feel saddened that the company have treated me like this under the circumstances, I feel they have been unsympathetic and are using every tool they can not to transfer the miles. I have been unable to use my free flight because of this dispute which has been going on since Sept 07 in total 8 months and some of my miles expire July 08 so they now will not be able to be redeemed as I was wanting to redeem both of the free flights to take my children away this is now impossible.

My husband and I spent thousands of pounds travelling business class to accumulate these miles it is really wrong and I want to highlight what they are doing. I really dont wish to have anything else to do with Emirates they have been the most obstructive people I have come across since the death of my husband, I am so annoyed at their attitude that I have said I dont want anything else to do with them and to close my account along with my childrens accounts, I feel quite strong about this dispute because now being a single parent I was wanting to take my children away with the two free flights I had and now that is not possible because of them being so obstructive.

Paul of Weston Super Mare OTHER (06/11/08)
I can not believe how bad Emirates are, this is what happend to us, is there any advice you could give us we need to make a claim but they just ignore us. I would never fly with them they have to be the worst airline.

When we come to leave the Philippines my wife was refused to board as she did not have her old passport with her, but she did have a copy and her visa, income tax papers, copy of her old passport, bank statements, council tax, house bills, wage slips, p60, they abandoned her in the airport at 2am, I had to leave her because I had no visa to stay in the Philippines. The immigration & Embassy did not have a problem with her, they said she could go back to the UK, they told her to demand Emirates to take her back to the UK, she came home one week later costing 300 extra.

she was a lone female in Manila no family or friends she was left to defend for herself to find a place to stay at 2am with no help. They left her on her own did not get a taxi for her or get a hotel, she was very frightened. She had to get protection from a security guard, Emirates staff not helpful, very rude and thought it was fun to do this to her.

I contacted Emirates a 2 weeks later when she was home to complain, they had taken over one month too reply then to be told they do not take any responsibility for leaving her in the Philippines or for scolding her leg when they dropped a hot meal on her lap in the aircraft, all we asked is for them to say sorry and pay us out of pocket expenses. my wife had not seen her family for 8 years and this was ruined by them and cost us extra 1000,  all I asked them for was to say sorry and pay out of pocket expenses but we got nothing.

Rahul of Houston TX (05/13/08)
I have still not received any e-mail from Mr. Amarnath so I am sending this to your attention to show how Emirates is behaving towards the customers. Once I got mail from CA saying that they will pay me $155 but that is not going to cover all my expenses and losses. I have shown what I have lost and until now I have not heard from CA team. If Emirates think that not responding to the customers is their ultimate resolution to this issue I will move forward and then choose a legal route to approach the Emirates. Hope we can resolve this issue in a polite manner.

Matthew of Scarborough OTHER (04/09/08)
I booked a one year open return flight with Emirates to Thailand from the UK with the promise of one free date change. This is stipulated in block capitals on the invoice (AS PER SAM, I believe it says). I was volunteering in Thailand and got the chance to volunteer in Burma nearing the end of my trip. I thought it would be easy to go to the Emirates desk at BKK and change the date. Free. They refused.

They refused even to help, except to give me an incorrect UK telephone number. I had to ring my travel agent in the UK to get the correct number for the helpdesk. I spoke to Emirates UK, at great expense in the airport. Thet said that they may be able to do something but I had to call back in three days. Which I do not understand. Surely it is just a simple case of checking notes and changing a date

I have spoken to Emirates UK by email, and explained that I can't call them as I am now in Burma - I can't afford $6 a minute. I also can't afford $150 to change the flight as I am a volunteer, and also that my contract stipulates that I am allowed a free date changed . They have repeatedly told me that I the rules are simple, all changes are 75 pounds (UK), so I am left with $20 of international phones calls on my credit card bill -for nothing- and an impossible to pay fine to change my flight date. I know it does not sound like much, but my budget is less than $10 a day

I feel robbed, and disgusted by their (in)actions I recommend anyone wanting to go abroad to do this kind of work avoid Emirates like the plague. I could stay in South East Asia for almost a month doing volunteer work where it is needed if I didn't have to pay this ridiculous charge.

Kanika of Adlikon Zuerich OTHER (02/26/08)
On my return flight from Kolkata with Emirate EK 547 on 22.02.08 at 08.55am, on the way to Zuerich via Dubai, my digital Sony pocket camera was stolen from my handbag in Kolkata International Airport. I placed my handbag on the belt for security check and headed for body check for Ladies. I came back, picked up my handbag, and only in the plane I realized that my camera was missing. Either a passenger bound for Dubai or the security man (I suspect, since the zip of my handbag was partly open after the screening) stole it, but I was too fool not to verify my handbag there and then.

I have been traveling 30 years but never had such a bad experience. The sad thing is all the pictures taken along with my son, who visited after 14 years, with elderly grandparents, families and relatives are completely lost now. I feel really miserable. I would be really grateful if someone could at least retrieve my pictures which is more important to me than the camera.

Elroy of Chafford Hundred, Grays, UK (01/20/08)
After searching all across the airlines website for a complaints page I managed to find a local email address as a point of contact to file my complaint

I am a Skywards frequent flyer member and have travelled on a number of airlines and also on a number of Emirates flights and the flight EK303 from Shanghai to Dubai on 16th Nov 2007, was indeed my most traumatic experience

Let me recap the whole flight experience

Take off from Shanghai around 11 pm with a minor delay Dinner was served : the bread was cold and stale, the food was tasteless and there was no wine to accompany the food. When I did ask for a white wine to go with my seafood meal I was rudely told that it was coming. However by the time it did come I was done with the food (whatever that was palatable).

Clearance of the dinner plate : It was well into the wee hours of the morning before the dinner plates were cleared. When I did ask to take away the tray so that I could get some sleep, I was rudely told that they would be back but was quite some time

The flight entertainment was good, the only positive thing on the flight!

Breakfast was also quite tasteless and once again there was a delay in clearing the trays

I asked for a customer satisfaction form and made my feelings known about the service received, not knowing the worse was still to come

ETD Dubai was approx 0500 and we seemed to be arriving about 45 minutes earlier which we were happy about, however due to the fog the flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi After landing in Abu Dhabi we were asked to disembark the flight while Emirates coordinated return to Dubai, and that was the last we heard from Emirates staff for the next 7 hours.

While we waited at Abu Dhabi terminal like cattle, we had no information, no food, no drink (unless at personal expense). All other stranded passengers of other airlines were taken care of!

The airport authorities could tell us nothing. No Emirates staff to assist and advice whether we would fly back or road transport was being arranged (an hour away from Dubai by road).

After the 7 hour delay in the terminal we were asked to board the flight, which was still quite filthy after the previous 8 hour flight.

What was most surprising was that the crew were changed. Emirates took care of their crew by sending them home to Dubai but their paying passengers were left hanging like lost baggage with no knowledge of where and when they would be attended to. This was most appalling. Considering that a flight crews responsibility is to take their passengers safely from port of embarkation to port of disembarkation this treatment was quite appalling

Some passengers decided to walk out of the airport and the new crew had no idea of how to locate these crew and this resulted in another few hours delay

After taking off and landing in Dubai the airport bus which transported passengers from the plane to the terminal did not communicate any information that the first stop was for transit passengers only and that there would be second stop outside immigration for all pax disembarking in Dubai. Everyone got off at the first stop!

Baggage took so long to come out and even the information board stopped displaying EK303 which resulted in panic that our bags were lost Finally walked out of Dubai airport 12 hours after original ETA

Overall an absolutely horrible journey and well below the expectations I had of Emirates, which few years ago was considered to be the best airline in the world. Having flown with EK before I absolutely believed it but after this experience I am furious with the airline and its concern for its passengers.

The best and most effective form of advertising is known to be word of mouth and after this poor management on EK303 Added a new perspective to the Emirates tag line Keep Discovering!

After my complaint, two weeks later I received a response from the Customer Service, surprised about my taste in food and claiming that the incident was beyond their control...was taken aback by their response by which they tried to wash their hands of any responsibility, and as a so called goodwill gesture offering me air miles....whatever makes them think I would want to travel with them again!

Rajesh of Mumbai OTHER (01/02/08)
While returning to India my luggage got delayed (more than 2 days), and upon receiving the same number of items were missing. I have sent about 15 reminders to airline's customer affairs division, but as of today I have not received any reply and about 2 months have already elapsed. It is shocking and surprising to understand the manner in which so called reputed airlines operate . My file number was dated 8th November, 2007 .

On May 17,2007 my family and i took flight#206 from JFK New York to Iran Tehran. when i purchased the ticket i made several calls to Emirates reservation center to receive are confirm baskin seat for my infant son. when we arrived at the gate i found out they have changed our seats. They put my wife and son on front and put me on the back away from my family When i asked the Emirates Representative at the gate she said to me, the plane is full.She can't do anything about that. And this is what it is.

When I complained again and ask her. How could you do that to us? Would you like somebody do it to you and your family? I want to sit with my family? She responded seems like you are problem and trouble maker. let me take your luggage off the planeI got more upset and i said, i work at one of the JFK airport hotel. i am manager, Don't tell me that i am a problem or trouble maker.

we flown to Dubai via Germany with out a basking for my son. this happened again in the Germany.when i asked for the seat with baskin,no help there either. it was very uncomfortable to have my son sleep on our lap for almost 14hours. when we arrived in Dubai for connecting flight to Tehran, i asked them again for a basking no luck there either in front of our eyes the flight attendant clime over our seats to give a basket to the passenger in front of us, when i asked her why we can't have one for my son. with an apologies she shut the door to our faces.

when we got to Tehran Airport,I found out our luggage was missing. when i request for inquiry, they told me to come back tomorrow morning to see if your luggage is here or not. our next flight will be here 2.45am Sunday morning but call us at 7 am.. we had purchased tickets to travel to holy city of Mashhad to see my ailing uncle.Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip because we had nothing to wear.then we bought some clothes and dippers for my son. we had to pay a penalty for cancellation.

After 3days in Tehran we received 5of our suitcases. they were damaged. when i asked for somebody to look at my luggage from airline, they told me to come back in the morning.I had to travel between Tehran to the airport which it was almost 40kilometers each way and pay for a taxi. we wasted time in Tehran and end up paid for the room which we did not want to stay. after long frustration, i spoke to a gentleman who is a representative for your air line at Tehran airport.. He assured me that he will find my luggage or he will make a Case and will offer me $200.00 US dollars for me to drop my troubles to drop my complaint in these matters. he asked me to go ahead with my travel in Iran and give him a call in the morning.

we did that almost every single day. i came back to Tehran to follow up on this matters and i went to the Emirates office and i spoke to a lady who she said she is in charge of lost luggage. she asked me what was in side the suit case? i replied i have no idea. the only thing i remember is a video camera, one bijan perfume and one men's boot. she insisted that i write these three items only and i refused to do so.when i asked her to be honest, if she was in my position can she remember what was in that suit case?her answer was no. before i met this lady,somebody from Emirates office at air port called me for a fax # to send a claim forms and i gave them a fax # . in my disbelief the fax arrived 2days before my return to U.S.A. i had that fax with me when i met that lady in Emirates office.

i chose Emirates because they are one of the best airline in the world. with my experience,you have made my vacation a disaster the worst experience ever. still i did not receive a word from Emirates regarding my luggage. i am writing to you with respect and i want my compensation for the inconveniences,loos of time,money and valuable gifts. i was so embarrassed to face my family empty handed.

Richard of New York NY (01/12/06)
We recently flew with Emirates airlines and was severely disappointed with how we were treated, I will list a brief as possible, decisive email of my experience:

We unfortunately traveled without my India visa from USA to India, via Dubai. I was not informed on boarding either plane that a visa was needed, how ever I am to understand this is my responsibility. I visited the customer affairs office in Dubai upon our rejection from India and prompt return to Dubai to explain the situation, to see if we could purchase new tickets and change our final return date.

Emma Quai was the Emirates staff member who addressed this situation. Within a brief conversation I was attacked by her accusing me of being I quote Typical of the English and their Imperialistic ignorance following an explanation that we no longer have global dominance. I was called directly ignorant without reason and very unfairly as I never mentioned England or any form of Imperialism, I live in America. After asking her why she is attacking me without any relevance of conversation or situation? she stood up panicked after realizing her actions, walked out without an apology.

I walked next door with my girlfriend and changed our return date from 29TH December to 8th january. We were told the ticket has been requested, please call us on 2nd Jan or visit Emirates Ticketing to confirm our seats, the ticket change is in the system, we were issued a reference number.

I call 9am Monday providing the supplied reference number, my girlfriends ticket was confirmed however strangely they had no record of both myself or my ticket change? I was informed that it is company policy if you do not turn up for a flight you lose your ticket, there is nothing Emirates will do, and they have no record of my ticket change? I changed both my girlfriends and my ticket together, Additionally paid for these tickets, how does my ticket vanish?

On the 4th I arrive into Emirates office in Bombay India to discuss where my ticket has gone? They inform me I never called on the January 2nd and therefore lost my ticket?

I inform them when I called they did not know who I was and the reference number was not valid, thus the frustration is apparent. Now they know about the ticket change we made?

I contact Arrow Travel whom I purchased the tickets from originally for both myself and my girlfriend, they call Emirates NY (USA) Emirates confirm with Arrow travel our ticket is in the system, it is confirmed on the 8th as originally requested, I am given another reference number to confirm this. When I enter Emirates office again they inform me this reference number is not in the system and again I have no flight.

I contact Arrow travel again, Emirates confirm my ticket is indeed there and confirmed.

Next day I go to Emirates, again they tell me I do not exist, it is now the day of the flight. They offer no help, only to put me on standby but expressed that I am certainly not a priority and it is a busy flight.

I fly to Dubai on a new tickets from Cathay Pacific as I lose hope with Emirates.. We arrive on the 8th for the flight to NY. My girlfriend is offered her seat, AGAIN I do not exist in the system refused entry on the flight.

We are forced to cancel my girlfriends ticket, 2 days later we find a seat on Emirates airlines to finally return home to NY.

Emirates prides themselves on customer service and are keen to improve their service, I was very satisfied on my journey onboard the service was exceptional, it is extremely unfortunate that once on the ground the service was cruel for lack of a better word.

The experience consumed every day of my vacation, and entirely ruined it, and added great expense. Both my girlfriend and I are extremely upset and surprised at how we were treated, I have never experienced such horrible treatment before.

hotel and flight costs of $6000 and a nervous breakdown, and absolute entire ruined holiday.

Mahmood of Orlando FL (09/16/00)
i was coming from pakistan after my vacation with my family. my family was put on hostage at dubai airport by emirates airlines personnel.

emirates people stopped us from boarding the flight right in front of the plane. we were held at the airport without any sort of assistance. My family (including a 80 year old lady) was had to spend the night at airport with out any warm clothing. They forced us to buy complete new ticket. as a result of the cold both my sons got fever, my wife was crying whole right with shame and i was running all over the airport trying to find what to do. the forced us to buy new ticket at about US$5,000.00. the person in charge impliedthat if we don't buy new ticket all of us might end up at dubai jail. i was so stressed that after returning at orlando, fl, i wnet to see a doctor and the doctor prescribed me some sort of medication.

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