Flying Emirates? Start Training Now........

[Renato1]

........preferably in a sauna.

My wife and I aren't that unfit, we do lots of work on our acre property - gardening, splitting wood, lugging wood, mowing, chainsawing etc - and we always do lots of extra walking prior to our overseas trips. But we plainly weren't prepared for Dubai Airport.

Following is my complaint to Emirates, their response, and my next complaint.

I eagerly await their next response, wondering if it'll be another fob off.
Cheers,
Renato

My Complaint.
"Dear Sir/Madam,
My wife Judy and I waited in Dubai airport till our flight number and gate number came up. Departure was from gate A18. We made our way there and were boarded onto a hot bus which meandered its way around the airport for around 15 minutes or more while we were standing up and being jostled around like on a cattle truck. At the end of the trip we had to climb up stairs into the plane in 40C+ heat. My wife was unable to carry her luggage up and I had to carry it and mine up as well.

My wife was dizzy and exhausted by the time she got to the top. I barely made it up as I have a weak leg due to bulged discs in my spine, and almost felt like I was about to fall backwards when I got to the top. And my wife also wound up with a a very painful knee from an old injury which had previously subsided We had felt no ill effects from flying in the previous flights to Kuala Lumpur and later to Dubai. But suddenly, after the bus trip and stair climb we both got extremely swollen ankles which didn't start reducing in size till four days later.

All this from what is supposed to be one of the world's leading airlines! In sharp contrast, I flew Ryanair yesterday, where I walked less than 100m from the gate and up the short flight of stairs into the plane - nowhere near as onerous as what we got from Emirates.

I am in my late 50s and my wife is in her early 60s. Quite frankly, we are wondering why we were expected to put up with that discomfort and subsequent effects on our ankles in this day and age. When the plane landed I had extreme difficulty putting my slip-on shoes back on. Yes, people in their 20s to early 50s might not have a problem, but I opine that such an experience may well effect the health, well being and possibly be hazardous to the life of people older than us.

There was no warning on our air tickets that such a trial was to befall us - if there was, we may well have looked for another carrier that flies Melbourne to Venice (like Etihad and Qatar). My wife has demanded, and I concur, that I research other carriers to try ensure such does not occur in future.

Could you please advise me how in future I can be assured that I can take steps to avoid such treatment from Emirates again?
Regards,
Renato Alessio"

Emirates' Response
"Dear Mr. Alessio,

Thanks for contacting us.


I'm sorry to know about your recent travel experience. I understand that you're having difficulty to walk for long distances, considering your age and long walks to be done at the airport.


Allow me to inform you that we offer assistance to all our customers for pre-boarding and on-board our flights.


Our Dubai airport have the electric buggy carts that can be requested to transport you to your boarding gate or on the other concourse. There are dedicated desks at Terminal 3 between rows A and B in the Departures hall where it can be requested.


We can also provide wheelchair assistance at all airport locations and can assist you with transportation from check-in to the boarding gate, for your connecting flights and from the aircraft to the arrivals hall at your destination. You'd just need to contact us or call the reservation centre at least 48 hours prior to the flight so it can be requested for you.


If you have other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Regards,


MARY GUMBOC
Customer Sales and Service Representative
Emirates Airline"

My Second Complaint.
"Dear Ms. Gumboc,

Thank you for your prompt response, but you have totally avoided answering my questions.

Firstly, we had no problem getting to the boarding gate. The problem arose after entering the bus that took us on the ridiculously long tour of the airport until reaching the plane. And the second problem was that having endured that journey we than had to climb the plane stairs in over 40C heat.

Secondly, there was no one at gate A18 advising me that help could be needed, due to the long bus journey to the plane.

Thirdly, you have not advised me how you can ensure that this does no reoccur in future, or whether I can pick flights where this does not happen. Apparently, our suffering from swollen ankles for over three days afterwards is not a problem for Emirates.

If it is the case that passengers from Dubai to Venice will in future be treated as the third class passengers that I opine, please advise me of such, and I will look to another carrier in future.

Regards.
Renato Alessio"

 

[Deleted member]

I suspect you may be best advised to not hold your breath. I have resolved to avoid DXB as a transit point to Europe , the magnificent EK F lounge notwithstanding.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

........preferably in a sauna.

My wife and I aren't that unfit, we do lots of work on our acre property - gardening, splitting wood, lugging wood, mowing, chainsawing etc - and we always do lots of extra walking prior to our overseas trips. But we plainly weren't prepared for Dubai Airport.

Following is my complaint to Emirates, their response, and my next complaint.

I eagerly await their next response, wondering if it'll be another fob off.
Cheers,
Renato

My Complaint.
"Dear Sir/Madam,
My wife Judy and I waited in Dubai airport till our flight number and gate number came up. Departure was from gate A18. We made our way there and were boarded onto a hot bus which meandered its way around the airport for around 15 minutes or more while we were standing up and being jostled around like on a cattle truck. At the end of the trip we had to climb up stairs into the plane in 40C+ heat. My wife was unable to carry her luggage up and I had to carry it and mine up as well.

My wife was dizzy and exhausted by the time she got to the top. I barely made it up as I have a weak leg due to bulged discs in my spine, and almost felt like I was about to fall backwards when I got to the top. And my wife also wound up with a a very painful knee from an old injury which had previously subsided We had felt no ill effects from flying in the previous flights to Kuala Lumpur and later to Dubai. But suddenly, after the bus trip and stair climb we both got extremely swollen ankles which didn't start reducing in size till four days later.

All this from what is supposed to be one of the world's leading airlines! In sharp contrast, I flew Ryanair yesterday, where I walked less than 100m from the gate and up the short flight of stairs into the plane - nowhere near as onerous as what we got from Emirates.

I am in my late 50s and my wife is in her early 60s. Quite frankly, we are wondering why we were expected to put up with that discomfort and subsequent effects on our ankles in this day and age. When the plane landed I had extreme difficulty putting my slip-on shoes back on. Yes, people in their 20s to early 50s might not have a problem, but I opine that such an experience may well effect the health, well being and possibly be hazardous to the life of people older than us.

There was no warning on our air tickets that such a trial was to befall us - if there was, we may well have looked for another carrier that flies Melbourne to Venice (like Etihad and Qatar). My wife has demanded, and I concur, that I research other carriers to try ensure such does not occur in future.

Could you please advise me how in future I can be assured that I can take steps to avoid such treatment from Emirates again?
Regards,
Renato Alessio"

Emirates' Response
"Dear Mr. Alessio,

Thanks for contacting us.


I'm sorry to know about your recent travel experience. I understand that you're having difficulty to walk for long distances, considering your age and long walks to be done at the airport.


Allow me to inform you that we offer assistance to all our customers for pre-boarding and on-board our flights.


Our Dubai airport have the electric buggy carts that can be requested to transport you to your boarding gate or on the other concourse. There are dedicated desks at Terminal 3 between rows A and B in the Departures hall where it can be requested.


We can also provide wheelchair assistance at all airport locations and can assist you with transportation from check-in to the boarding gate, for your connecting flights and from the aircraft to the arrivals hall at your destination. You'd just need to contact us or call the reservation centre at least 48 hours prior to the flight so it can be requested for you.


If you have other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Regards,


MARY GUMBOC
Customer Sales and Service Representative
Emirates Airline"

My Second Complaint.
"Dear Ms. Gumboc,

Thank you for your prompt response, but you have totally avoided answering my questions.

Firstly, we had no problem getting to the boarding gate. The problem arose after entering the bus that took us on the ridiculously long tour of the airport until reaching the plane. And the second problem was that having endured that journey we than had to climb the plane stairs in over 40C heat.

Secondly, there was no one at gate A18 advising me that help could be needed, due to the long bus journey to the plane.

Thirdly, you have not advised me how you can ensure that this does no reoccur in future, or whether I can pick flights where this does not happen. Apparently, our suffering from swollen ankles for over three days afterwards is not a problem for Emirates.

If it is the case that passengers from Dubai to Venice will in future be treated as the third class passengers that I opine, please advise me of such, and I will look to another carrier in future.

Regards.
Renato Alessio"

Renato - the response from Emirates probably assumes you have traveled on an airplane previously, and are aware how airports work. Most airports around the world will use buses in the event gates are full. This isn't something specific to the Venice flight - it can be any plane that arrives without a gate. This can equally affect Qantas, Qatar, Etihad or any other airline. There would be no warning on tickets to this effect, and there is no real way to predict that your flight won't be affected.

The Ryanair plane is a lot smaller than the Emirates plane, hence the greater distance you had to walk up the stairs when boarding Emirates.

As Emirates points out, there were ample opportunities for you to contact ground staff and seek assistance.

Long bus journeys to get to planes are annoying, but unfortunately part of travel.

 

[Pushka]

I understand your physical issues but we are in your age group and I've had surgery for a ruptured disc so I know the leg issue. I gain kilos just through feet swelling every-time I travel os. But if the stairs to the plane caused so much distress then I'd be calling out for mobility assistance - its just a small flight of steps? This was the flight Dubai - Venice? We took this flight last year. In the middle of summer (45C and Ramadan). I didnt even notice the stairs tbh. More amused that we had to board at the rear as we were Y, even though in the first row of Y and we had to push through to the front of the plane as only J pax entered from the front.

 

[Renato1]

I suspect you may be best advised to not hold your breath. I have resolved to avoid DXB as a transit point to Europe , the magnificent EK F lounge notwithstanding.

Thanks - I can understand why you have made that choice.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Renato - the response from Emirates probably assumes you have traveled on an airplane previously, and are aware how airports work. Most airports around the world will use buses in the event gates are full. This isn't something specific to the Venice flight - it can be any plane that arrives without a gate. This can equally affect Qantas, Qatar, Etihad or any other airline. There would be no warning on tickets to this effect, and there is no real way to predict that your flight won't be affected.

The Ryanair plane is a lot smaller than the Emirates plane, hence the greater distance you had to walk up the stairs when boarding Emirates.

As Emirates points out, there were ample opportunities for you to contact ground staff and seek assistance.

Long bus journeys to get to planes are annoying, but unfortunately part of travel.

Thanks, but what I am thinking is that if I fly and avoid Dubai (perhaps using Abu Dhabi instead) I may avoid this problem.

And there were zero opportunities to contact ground staff and seek assistance.
No where was there any indication that we would be on a hot bus for 15 to 20 minutes (I didn't time it, it is my estimate) to do a huge, slow meandering tour around the airport in order to get to the plane. And one doesn't know when starting up the plane stairs if one is going to have difficulties - especially if one has never done the ridiculously long bus ride before.

Back in 2007, we got on the bus to do a two minute trip to the plane. That wasn't an issue for us.
Regards,
Renato

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, but what I am thinking is that if I fly and avoid Dubai (perhaps using Abu Dhabi instead) I may avoid this problem.

And there were zero opportunities to contact ground staff and seek assistance.
No where was there any indication that we would be on a hot bus for 15 to 20 minutes (I didn't time it, it is my estimate) to do a huge, slow meandering tour around the airport in order to get to the plane. And one doesn't know when starting up the plane stairs if one is going to have difficulties - especially if one has never done the ridiculously long bus ride before.

Back in 2007, we got on the bus to do a two minute trip to the plane. That wasn't an issue for us.
Regards,
Renato

Avoiding Dubai is not going to solve your problem.

You can be asked to take a bus at Melbourne airport prior to boarding a Qantas international flight. Or at Heathrow before taking a British Airways flight. At hong kong before Cathay Pacific. Pretty much any airport, anytime, you could be on a bus to your plane.

Then again, you might transit Dubai another 100 times and never have to take another bus.

There was an opportunity to contact ground staff when the bus stopped at the aircraft and allowed passengers out. Alternatively one of you could have remained at the bottom of the steps with all the hand-luggage while the other went to the plane and told cabin crew you needed assistance.

A B777 door is about 5 metres off the ground. It might seem like a long way, but it's not really.

 

[TomVexille]

Unfortunately I don't think that you are likely to get a satisfactory response. Nor do I think that EK are a leading airline.

I also believe that you are just as if not more likely to have to take a bus to your aircraft in AUH and DOH.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Renato - the other issue to consider with your letter to Emirates is that they may decide to prevent you from flying on the return leg without a medical certificate.

You may be asked to arrange this in advance of arriving at the airport, or have it completed by the airport doctor before you are allowed to check-in. Depending on how quickly the doctor can see you, and what tests they might need to do, you could end up missing your scheduled flight.

 

[Renato1]

I understand your physical issues but we are in your age group and I've had surgery for a ruptured disc so I know the leg issue. I gain kilos just through feet swelling every-time I travel os. But if the stairs to the plane caused so much distress then I'd be calling out for mobility assistance - its just a small flight of steps? This was the flight Dubai - Venice? We took this flight last year. In the middle of summer (45C and Ramadan). I didnt even notice the stairs tbh. More amused that we had to board at the rear as we were Y, even though in the first row of Y and we had to push through to the front of the plane as only J pax entered from the front.

We didn't have the issue going up the steps back in 2007 - but that was after a two minute bus ride. I doubt we'd have had the issue had the trip been the same as back then, rather it was the long bus ride that did us in.

And yes, we got into the plane at the back, and had to make our way to the front.

The air stewardesses were fresh as daisies, and plainly hadn't been on the bus ride. I did ask one what the story was with the long bus ride, but she didn't answer me.

We usually get swollen feet after a long 22 hour flight, which lasts about a day. We've never had anything like the swollen feet we got this time. And, most annoyingly, we had actually broken our flight with a stop-over in Kuala Lumpur so as to avoid getting our one-day swollen feet.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Pushka]

Agree it was a very long bus ride. Clearly that's the boarding area for that Venice departure.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks - I can understand why you have made that choice.
Regards,
Renato

Renato,

Being older than you I do sympathise with you and your wife on mobility issues, but as others have said, this is an issue for any airline not just EK. If the plane is at a far park then the same will apply. We've done BA from Heathrow to Venice and this involved a seemingly endless bus ride to a very far off parking space then up the stairs onto a 320 with about the same number of steps as a 777.

I would suggest that that next time, whatever airline it is, that you ask the airline for assistance. As someone who travelled back from Europe on EK with leg in a brace last Xmas and in anticoagulants, we requested assistance from EK and received excellent priority service from the curb, through the airport, through DXB, with boarding and deplaning and luggage in BNE. And in fact this included assistance coming down steps from the EK 777 in DXB to board the bus.

 

[Renato1]

Renato - the other issue to consider with your letter to Emirates is that they may decide to prevent you from flying on the return leg without a medical certificate.

You may be asked to arrange this in advance of arriving at the airport, or have it completed by the airport doctor before you are allowed to check-in. Depending on how quickly the doctor can see you, and what tests they might need to do, you could end up missing your scheduled flight.

Thanks for the heads up.
Well, that would be interesting.
At least I'd know that there is some ridiculously long bus ride coming up, and be prepared for it.
Schedules aren't a worry, as I'm retired.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Avoiding Dubai is not going to solve your problem.

You can be asked to take a bus at Melbourne airport prior to boarding a Qantas international flight. Or at Heathrow before taking a British Airways flight. At hong kong before Cathay Pacific. Pretty much any airport, anytime, you could be on a bus to your plane.

Then again, you might transit Dubai another 100 times and never have to take another bus.

There was an opportunity to contact ground staff when the bus stopped at the aircraft and allowed passengers out. Alternatively one of you could have remained at the bottom of the steps with all the hand-luggage while the other went to the plane and told cabin crew you needed assistance.

Every day during cool weather, I lug two buckets of firewood - weighing seven or eight kg each - from the bottom of my gully, up a slope and then up stairs to the second floor of my house. The height is easily three times higher than the stairs up to the plane. Under normal circumstances, carrying my and my wife's luggage up the stairs, I wouldn't have thought a problem.

So I'd have had to ask for assistance half way up the stairs.

Much better if they'd just parked the plane closer, or had decent air conditioning in their bus.
Regards,
Renato

 

[DC3]

The more that I read about that airline (and DXB), the more that I'll try to avoid.

 

[Pushka]

Every day during cool weather, I lug two buckets of firewood - weighing seven or eight kg each - from the bottom of my gully, up a slope and then up stairs to the second floor of my house. The height is easily three times higher than the stairs up to the plane. Under normal circumstances, carrying my and my wife's luggage up the stairs, I wouldn't have thought a problem.

So I'd have had to ask for assistance half way up the stairs.

Much better if they'd just parked the plane closer, or had decent air conditioning in their bus.
Regards,
Renato

If you can do this then the bus ride really isn't that long. Like I said we were there in mid July - very hot and I feel the heat. I'm sure Emirates would like not to have to do this but it isn't like they have a choice, such is demand.

 

[smit0847]

If you avoid every airline because theres one thing they dont do perfectly youll never leave home again. Ive been at stand off bays in major airports all over the world with multiple airlines.

 

[DC3]

We all have our reasons why we fly/don't fly an airline, or transit through an airport, just as others may not care less.

 

[PLANT]

Next response will read...
Drink heaps of water..... Take light carryon luggage....
Marry younger woman
Enjoy your next flight with us...

 

[PLANT]

Looks like Emirates have improved..... My only flight with them was down the back.... Back.... Back..... Smoking was allowed on flight and the Arab alcoholic smoked and drank his way from Dubai to Australia!!!!