Emirates Airlines (Comments about Emirates Airlines)

I will never in my life fly Emirates. My very first experience with it was a living hell. I live in Lesotho, Southern Africa , and I boarded this plane EK 766 in October heading for London where many of my English friends anxiously waited for me to land. I boarded a plane from Johannesburg, and there I was in Dubai. I approached gate number 50 in order to connect to London , and this was my first trip to London.

This XXXXX guy looks at me with suspicion, takes my passport and tells me to step aside and he would call me. I waited, and time was running out. I went to him and asked as to what was wrong because it was late, he told me that the plane would not leave me. I felt so humiliated and belittled. He eventually told me that I was going to work illegally in UK so he would not allow me to pass. I tried convincing him that I have a very good paying job and have no reason to seek work in UK. I tried convincing him that I was just visiting for two week and coming back, but he would not listen. I showed him my return ticket, ohh, he would not listen.

He eventually told me that I did not have a visa to enter UK . Now this was terrible! I told them that UK immigration laws do not require me to have a visa, but they said I talked too much and from then, they avoided me. I stayed there like a Hobo sleeping on a bench, I don't even want to think about that experience. Actually they were just looking for any reason to deport me. They told me that they would deport me and would refund my ticket. I insisted that they should let me pass, and if there is a problem the immigration officials in UK would turn me back, but I only spoke to myself.

Let me tell you that I was deported back to Johannesburg , and surprisingly they are now telling me that I will not get my money back at all. What can I do to get my money back? If the UK immigration rules required me to have a visa, and I did not have it, I would understand if they did not refund me. But they deported me on the basis of their misconceived and apparently very wrong opinions. Please what can I do?

Shale

Horror Trip with Emirates from Bangkok to Hamburg 16/17/18 of Nov, 2007

Nice blog to read because I never thought that such an unbelievable experience could ever happen to me anyway….but when I go through these different mails I understand better the Way Emirates acts…..in short words: Make as much money as possible and do not care about any customers requirements…we were really not alone during last weekend at Dubai. punished by absolute incompetent, arrogant and rough treatment of Emirates Ground staff and also by Dubai Information Center.

Also interesting to read the "well well well" mail from a member of Emirates board staff

Does it clearly show how the attitude of the employees of Emirates to their "customers"(passengers pay your income !!!!!!) is and how they think , behave and care…..further I noticed unacceptable English knowledge and low education.. verified by my experiences with Emirates Staff Members during my unintended stay at Dubai during last weekend

Here is the Story:

We were booked on  

EK385 Economy 17^th of Nov, 2007 BKK TO DBX

Dept 01.30 Arr.05.00

EK205 Economy 17^thof Nov, 2007 DBX TO HAM

Dept 08.55 Arr 12.55

Departure Bangkok right in time, we were informed by the Captain in the early morning hours that Dubai Airport cannot be reached due to Fog (??) or stormy weather, that we would have to land at Muskat and wait for  better conditions.

We had been already 5 hours on the plane and did not even get a Breakfast.

After landing the aircraft stood 6 hours at Muskat. We couldn't leave the plane,  the information flow way quite thin and we did not even get any beverage. Finally some passengers went to the kitchen to ask for water, which they got and distributed by themselves. In the meantime the Captain said that it would be difficult to arrange catering service for such a large numbers of passengers shortly. In the Bord Menu Card Breakfast was mentioned but latest during the Airport hours at Muskat it became quite clear that there was no breakfast on board….means considered as a night flight by Emirates they do not even plan beverage and breakfast to the passengers. Looking out of the window meanwhile we could see 8 Emirates Aircrafts standing at Muskat waiting for further instructions.

After these 6 hours we took off again and landed at Dubai 1 hour later. No need to say that the connecting flight probably also did not start , but we couldn't find on the information display panel EK 205 . No gate, no time…nothing.

Checking with the Dubai Information Center we learned that Dept will be 1700 and we should check the panel constantly…Boarding cards are still valid. So we had to wait and starred at the expected changes.

When it became 1600 we asked again and where informed again 1700 Departure. Still no gate, no time on the panel.

When it became 1630 we become quite nervous due to running out of time and asked the Information Center again. Still he said 1700 ( no gate no time on the panel)

After 1700 still the same answer….we decided to check with Emirates Office.

The funny thing is that there is no Emirate Office except the business and first class lounge.

So we  went into the lounge and had to meet a lot of embarrassed and upset passengers asking for information. One older Gentleman shouted at an Emirates employee that he told him 11 times the same lie and he wants to speak to a competent manager……Answer: The manager is not on service.

Several also economy passengers complaint heavely to the staff getting no answers. After strong and unfortunately loud protest (normally not my style but here it's a must) we are told by an unfriendly Emirates Lady that the flight is probably delayed and we should check the display panel !!!! ????

Frustrated we returned to panel and saw to our surprise suddenly JFK New York which was the following destination of EK 205 after Hamburg boarding 20.30. So we moved to the Gate and waited with a lot of unsatisfied passengers listening to their experiences of the day.

You will not believe what happened then…..

Time 1930…. 2000…. 2015….boarding 20.30 blinked…..a man sitting a the counter and wait the same way we did (crowded area in front of the gate) and suddenly the blink stopped and he disappeared with out any words. It was a tumult situation of a lot of people shouting after him….and a big crowd moved to the lounge again. The scenes there are nearly indescribable….an American Lady shouted all over the people that the does not want to sleep another night on the ground of the airport   and  asked for immediate clarification when her flight will go……she got a lot of applause, women crying, enraged people shouting to the staff……business dates could not be fulfilled…etc etc

After a while we got trough to the same Emirates unfriendly Lady who now informed us that

we will have to change our boarding cards to tomorrow, but we are "only economy"

and so have to check at the economy counter. Until  then we did'nt even know  that there was an economy counter and she sent us to Gate 7 for clarification. We reached there round about 2100 but no one was there so we returned to the lounge   , waited and asked again. Now we were sent to Gate 18…..and this is such a horrible place nobody can imagine.

Understandable that this room is  n o t located at the so "beautiful" Dubai Airport with all the luxury shops and offers but in the first floor over Gate 18 in a very bad condition with " emirates economy counters". Hundred of People where standing in front of the counters squeezed like a audience in a rock concert. Childeren, old people, handicapped and what ever,   nobody takes care. The Emirates employees behind the counters work so slowly, unfriendly and arrogant that the impression of harassment cannot be debarred ( because this is "only" economy ).Old people fall down because they cannot stand such a long time, push to the front was apparently essential, consideration not to be seen.

Short example (there are a lot more) a French group presented 15 Passports asking for new boarding cards….the Emirate female employee changed 14 board cards and went to break for about an hour. The people had to stand in this rows hours and hours, some times it takes more then half an hour to change one single board card only.

What can I say, I stood there from 1000pm to 0600am next morning, means 8 hours and finally my girlfriend  came off and needed another hour until we received bloody simple boarding cards after total 9 hours of waiting.   Think a lot of passenger could't make it just because they were too late for boarding.

Ultimately we got out aircraft Sunday morning and reached Hamburg Sunday the 18^th of November, 2007 after more the 60 Hours without sleep and minimum beverage and food.

Trying to complain here in Hamburg at Emirates is not possible, because the phone Number, the Fax Number and the e-mail address is wrong and even checking with the local Airport Press effected no different results.

For me and my girlfriend it is quite simple to tell our final decision after this weekend of pain:

FLY EMIRATES ???

NO,  NEVER AGAIN