Complain about a product or service

Emirates

Tom of Bath OTHER (04/16/09)
I am writing to express our disappointment with the service we experienced on our recent flights from Heathrow to Melbourne resulting in the loss of one nights accommodation.

We arrived at Heathrow and were informed that there was a delay to the flight of about an hour (which later turned out to be more like 4 hours) and were told that we would not make the connecting flight and had therefore been moved from the 0230 to the 0930 flight from Dubai to Melbourne. We were assured that due to this delay we would be offered hotel accommodation at Dubai as well as free refreshments. In total this resulted in a delay of around 12 hours.

Once we arrived at Dubai, we were told that we should speak to the ground staff who were expecting us and would help us out and look after us, however on departing the aircraft it was clear that Emirates staff were not willing to help us, nor did they have any idea what was going on and they certainly were not expecting us. Because of this we were forced to spend around 7 hours wandering around Dubai airport with no money (we didnt expect to need any for a planned 2 hour stop), no food and no water. This was also the middle of the night, and the promise of a hotel room never materialised. When I spoke to an Emirates staff member I was told we could have food at the restaurant but not until 6am. I asked for a glass of water but was refused!

At this point I was quite dehydrated after a 7 hour flight, and I was then forced to wait another 4 hours for the restaurant to open before I could get a drink. When we finally departed Dubai for Melbourne we did so on a 737 not the planned Airbus. As I said, I specifically booked a flight on an Airbus due to the extra space and the ability to fly from DXB to MEL non-stop.

To add insult to this we were told we had to stop off in Singapore further delaying our journey. We were told that we would be stopping for a maximum of 1 hour to refuel and that we should stay on the plane at Singapore. However, when we landed at Singapore we were told by the cabin crew that this plane was terminating at Singapore and we needed to get off. We then had to wait at Singapore for 2 hours before getting back on the same plane for another cramped flight to Melbourne.

What this resulted in, apart from the terrible service received from Emirates staff, was us losing the first nights accommodation of our trip, a night which we paid a premium for due to it being the Grand Prix Weekend (the reason for our trip). This also resulted in us having to go straight to the event from the plane, having missed 2 nights sleep because of the delays. What should have been an enjoyable once-in-a-lifetime trip, turned into a nightmare journey and meant we had to watch the Grand Prix suffering from stress and tiredness. The actual financial loss caused by Emirates is around 300.

Ritesh of Schaumburg, IL March 26, 2009

Ritesh of Schaumburg IL (03/26/09)
We lost our some items from the baggage. Actully Emirates staff anounced that we dont have enought space in the Air Craft at New York Airport, so please submit your hand Baggage at the Emirate Counter and you can pick up the hand baggage at your destination airport. we received our baggage, but we are missing my Brand new Cell phone and Digital Camera from that baggage. i complain many times. there is no reply from the main office.

Aparna of Cochin, OTHER February 24, 2009

Aparna of Cochin OTHER (02/24/09)
I traveled on 26/09/08 from Bangalore to Milan (via Dubai). But my luggage did not arrive on the same flight. For 2 days I had repeatedly called the local emirate Milan office to track my baggage status as none of the emirate staff had contacted me regarding this. On the 3rd day I was given a number of the courier office which was assigned to deliver the baggages, when called they said they would deliver it only the next day as their trip to the Milan city for the day is over. Finally my luggage arrived on the 4rth day around late evening.

This is the summary of what actually happened. Kindly note that the purpose of my visit was purely business and I was stuck without any proper outfits. After inquiring with the emirate staff on arrival, I was assured that I could make purchases until my baggage was delivered and the amount would be reimbursed later. I reconfirmed this twice later before making any of my purchases. Milan is a very expensive city and I had to buy formal wears, without which I really couldn't have attended my meetings (which was the sole purpose of my visit).

Now is the part of Humiliation I had to go through and is still going on (fighting for my reimbursement). When I called later to reimburse the amount, the Emirate staff- Milan said I will have to go all the way to Rome, and the staff gave me several other numbers, which passed me onto another set of numbers and this went on. Finally after loads of rude encounters with emirate staff, one decent staff said I would be eligible only for 100 (when I had to spend around 350EUR, all purchase were made only after confirming with the staff) since as per records I received my baggage within a day. When I told that I have proof that I received it only on the 4rth day, the Milan Staff told me that I can reimburse it only at Dubai while returning as that was the point where the baggage was held.

When I finally reached Dubai, the Emirate staff took a written complaint from me (which I realized later was only a formality). They then asked me to contact Bangalore, since I started my trip from Bangalore. Finally when I contacted Bangalore they told me the same old lie, that I received my baggage within a day. I wouldn't have contacted regarding reimbursement if it was only a matter of a day. But this was a case of 4 days. And to top all that the extreme rudeness and irresponsible behavior of the EMIRATE staff. And calling their customer a lair in order to save their back. I am still waiting for their response.

Nagarani of Madurai, OTHER January 29, 2009

Nagarani of Madurai OTHER (01/29/09)
I was travelling from New York-JFK to Chennai via Dubai, with 2 checked-in's and one carry-on on Dec 27, 2008. At Dubai (there the date was Dec 29, 2008), the crew asked me to hand over the carry-on and collect it when I board off at Chennai. The crew said there was no space, but they did not even try to see whether the carry-on could be put into over cabin. Moreover, it was a regular sized pullman with allowed dimensions for carry-on. In there, I had a laptop and some clothes. The crew tied a tag to it and handed the half of the tag for identification. I was under impression that the the pullman would be kept in some closet within the cabin, and would be kept at the exit when I borad off.

For a disappointment, I did not see any of the baggages outside nor my pullman when I exited. I asked about my pullman, and I was told that it was checked-in and I would collect at baggage claim. I collected my pullman along with my other check-in luggages and went home. When I opened my pullman, I did not see my laptop. But, the power cord for the laptop was still there. I rushed back to the airport. I was back at the Emirates airport office within 2 hours. I told them that the laptop was missing, showed them the power cord too, and explained them it was a carry-on, and I was asked to handover to the crew before boarding at Dubai. I was asked to write a complaint, which I did.

I was told that I would be contacted in 2 weeks. But no, they did not contact me. I had called them after 2 weeks to see the status of the claim. They did not have an answer, but said, a letter will be sent in next 5 days, they seemed polite, and it seemed like someone else, not these folks who talked over the phone, was looking into the claim. The days passed, no letters, no call. I called them up again, they again said they were sorry for the delay, the claim was still being looked at, and I would be notified in 5 days. I told them that it was my laptop and i need some action, some responsibility shown. They said, this time surely I would get the letter in next 5 days. But nothing again.

I called them today (Jan 29, 2009), they said, it was my mistake to bring valuables in checked-in luggage. Come on, I did not check-in the pullman that had laptop in it, but you, Emirates, did. How could I be responsible for that action? What you, Emirates, did, resulted loss of my laptop which is worth USD 900. But they kept denying they could not do anything about it. It was a very bad experience, and it was the first time I flew Emirates. The days to come are going to be very tough for me to digest this.

Selasi of Accra, OTHER November 3, 2008

Selasi of Accra OTHER (11/03/08)
my first time of travelling emirates from china to ghana then we had a transit from dubai with flight no. EK787. at dubai airport, befor we embarked on the plane, a flight attendant in airline uniform collected ma hand luggage ostensibly to make me comfortable on the flight. which i did, there andthen she use a security seal to lock my luggage, when i was about to board the plane she took the luggage at the entrance to th plane.

on arrival at he accra airport i realize my bag has been tempered with, which the security seal has been broken, when i open the bag a small sack containin 8 mobile phones and 25 wrist watches were gone, i reported to the information desk immediately and a lady in a uniform check and comfirm it, she then took my tag on the hand luggage and asked me to write to the station manager and list the missing items, which i contacted my lawyer and he did, and up still now i have not heard from anybody not even a reply of the letter witten to the office am highly dissapointed,

am lodging this complain now because if i dont hear from them, with any good reason i would ask my lawyer to take any neccesary action then would proceed to the media in ghana.

Nadeem of Viena, VA October 25, 2008

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