BEWARE FIRST CLASS AIR TRAVELER
This is to alert first class air travellers of serious problems with EMIRATES AIRWAYS. Main reasons for concern are poor ground services, rude staff, maintenance problems in first class cabins, not taking care of luggage entrusted to the airline. My reasons to bring this to traveller’s attention are I want to prevent others from experience to problems I and my wife have encountered.
My main reason to use EMIRATES Airlines was the direct service to Dubai, which we visit every 4 to 6 weeks on business.
Here is a list of what I encountered
24/03 Melbourne to Dubai
My wife’s “Apartment” was a disaster, as neither her so called “Advanced hand-held controller” nor anything else did work.
She had to suffer for 14 hours without TV, Lights or being able to adjust her seat. No other seat available, as the plane was full. We changed “Apartments” every few hours to allow my wife to get some sleep. Apologies from Emirates and 10, 000 extra miles (23, 093 are the miles earned for that flight anyway)
25/03 Dubai to Amman
The plane used was old and first class bottomless seats which we fixed by sitting on our pillow. Not even as good as Etihad Airways economy class seats. OK, it was only 3 hour each way.
2/04 Amman to Dubai
Better aircraft with bottoms in the seats
7/04 Dubai to Melbourne
Home journey went without any problems.
3/10 Melbourne to Dubai
At check in Melbourne we were told in no uncertain terms that “ONLY ONE CARRY ON PIECE PER PERSON”. When I pointed out that we are in First Class a supervisor intervened and two pieces were allowed.
4/10 Dubai to New York – OK
12/10 New York to Dubai
What a disaster with our luggage. We had four suitcase checked in but none arrived with us in Dubai. Late afternoon we were informed that three cases had arrived, but only two were delivered. It was midnight when the other two cases arrived, but to our horror many items had been stolen from our locked Samsonite cases. Police and security was informed, as our total documented loss was AED33, 410 or around US$9, 600.
After month of investigating our claim we received a short email in January advising us that as Emirates is not a common carrier they reject our claim and we should claim on our “Home Insurance”!!
Our own investigation in Dubai revealed where the theft occurred. In the lost luggage office, which has no video camera observation, all goods are just on shelves in the storeroom behind the counter. Goods can be taken straight out on to the street without any security checks. When lost luggage arrives in Dubai it is X-Rayed and a security strap fitted around each item. This also explains why only two cases arrived in the afternoon with the security straps intact and the other two cases at midnight without any security straps. The X-Ray must have revealed what the contents in each case was and so the two cases with newly purchased items were held back for a session of “Look what is in here for me (The thief).
I had booked and paid for return flights February, but after this disaster a cancelled the flights, but had to wait 5 weeks for a refund.
We then started using Etihad Airways, which took a little longer, as we had to fly Melbourne to Sydney and then travel by car to Dubai.. But what a SERVICE from a new airline.
On travel agents advice I booked again in February with Emirate, as I had to work in Dubai one week, go to Amman for an exhibition for 6 days, go back to Dubai for one week and also go to Oman. To avoid unnecessary travel from Melbourne to Sydney and then 4 car trips between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
24/03 Melbourne to Dubai
My first class seat from Melbourne to Dubai only returned half way back, made loud creaking noises when I tried to tell it to go back and even when the staff tried to reprogram the computer to make it work it would not budge. So I had a rather “Forward “ position during landing.
29/03 Dubai to Amman
Slow and poor service in first class
4/04 Amman to Dubai
Got back to Dubai at 10pm and went to get my hotel transfer by Emirate Car service and was quite rudely told by a female counter attendant that I did not have a booking. When I asked how to get to the hotel, she pointed at the door and mumbled something like “TAXI”. Well that was it and I had to wait in a queue for 50 minutes before I got a taxi for which I paid my AED50 and got to the hotel at 11.15pm.
As I cannot get a first class seat out of Dubai to Melbourne with either Etihad or my old favourite Singapore Airlines, which all round are the best, I am dreading my flight with Emirates back home. In the past 5 month I have travelled all over the world, but never experienced the rudeness from airline staff anywhere as I received here in Dubai.
The latest today 6/04 at 7.30pm
Whilst checking on my flight details via the internet I have just discovered that my confirmed reservation on the 10/04 Dubai to Melbourne was not there Even all my past history files with Skywards have been wiped out. When I rang reservations I was informed that I had a “NO SHOW” and all my PAID for flights have been cancelled. I don’t know about a “NO SHOW”, as I did fly with Emirates back on my booked flight from Amman to Dubai. When I asked where can I complain I was given Emirates phone number 047 083 611. Rang that number and got a recording that the office is only open from 7am to 3.30pm. So the saga continues.
0 comments