Dubai Connect

[AIRwin]

EK reinstates Dubai Connect:

Emirates offers a free hotel stay with your Dubai layover | CNN

The United Arab Emirates flag carrier is resuming its Dubai Connect service on December 1, making travel a little easier for people navigating flight schedules altered by the coronavirus pandemic

www.cnn.com

 

[Oneworldplus2]

As my previous post, l would err on the side of caution regarding Dubai Connect.

 

[jettim76]

Dubai Connect appears to be a product that Emirates treats almost as a scam. I just went through a 48 hour ordeal with Emirates call centre, where each of the agents would come up with a different excuse, for not offering the service.
My "favourites":
* The first leg arrives to Terminal 2 (While in fact it arrives to Terminal 3)
* The ticket cost is under $100, while in fact it costs $2600
* The stay is shorter than 10 hours (it is actually 15 hours and the minimum is 8)

When the first agent admitted that there was an error in the system, we were promised that they'll organise the hotel + transport via Dubai Connect and to call back in 24 hours.

After 24 hours, they didn't hear anything back from DC and asked to call in 6 hours but with no guarantee that we'd get it as all over sudden, the flight was not eligible... again.

So this continued over a period of 2 days, until the flight was about to depart in less than 12 hours. Then the new excuse came up:
* It is less than 24 hours before the flight.

Every single agent would then either hang up on me or promise to call back but never would.

If this isn't a scam, I don't know what is.

I'd expect this kind of a behaviour from a low cost airline or a small shop on the street, but not from a company like Emirates.

Shame on you, Emirates.

 

[RooFlyer]

That sounds quite Qantas-esque! Would you believe I had the same experience years ago - fortunately handled (unsuccessfully) by my travel agent. A perfectly eligible transit denied and denied.

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

I enjoyed my emirates flights this year, but their supporting services leave a great deal to be desired.

I was waiting for my car in the UK. Properly booked, uk phone number supplied. Imwas waiting for 30 minutes PAST the time booked. Usually they turn up 15 minutes early at least. I was starting to get worried.

It was absolutely impossible to phone them, or contact them in any way whatsoever. No email, no phone answered, nothing.

The address was slightly ambiguous, and the car had been wait around the corner. Luckily, when he left, he passed me, and I waved him over. He had been trying to contact me.

Unfortunately, their system doesn't allow them to actually call the customer, just passing it through their own system somehow. The call obviously didn't connect, and he couldn't contact them to ask why.

Totally abysmal service, despite their fantastic lounge and flight services.

I will say, however, that when they changed my flights to a different flight time, making the connection over 10 hours at Dubai (and so making me think of using the Dubai connect service), they fixed the problem immediately, saving me a 6am flight departure (and 3am to arrive at the airport)

 

[AIRwin]

I managed to book Dubai Connect even though I did not select the shortest connection time but ended up doing a First class lounge run instead

 

[AndrewL]

Thought I'd share my recent experience with Dubai Connect in case it helps anyone.

I was flying business and originally had short (3 hour and 4.5 hour) layovers in DXB in each direction. EK made changes to the connections a few days out from each flight which meant the layovers became 10.5 and 15 hours. I contacted live chat and asked about Dubai Connect but was told I wasn't eligible because there was a shorter connection available - I was on EK435 leaving BNE at 9pm and could've been on EK431 leaving at 3am the following morning. I pointed out that when the flights were originally booked I was on the shortest connection (flight leaving before EK431 arrived) and that EK changing my flight out of DXB had created this situation, not me. They wouldn't budge.

When I arrived in DXB I tried my luck at the Dubai Connect desk. As an aside, I didn't find it well signed and ended up having to backtrack through security to find it. It's downstairs, immediately before passport control - look to the right as you come down the escalators.

The staff at the desk weren't very helpful in my opinion, certainly not what I would expect at the desk allocated to First and Business passengers. There were actually 3 of us travelling together, different PNRs but same flights. For some reason I was told my booking wasn't eligible but the other two were. They couldn't explain why. Whatever, I'll share a twin room with one of the others. To make it even more puzzling, they said I would be eligible on the way back, and issued a voucher then and there. Go figure.

Through passport control, from here it got easier. Off to the chauffeur desk just before leaving the terminal. Given a voucher, out the door to a rank full of EK chauffeur drive cars ready and waiting. Off to the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, roughly 20-30 minute drive from memory. Nice hotel. Easy check in. Meals covered depending on time of arrival and departure (not mine since I was sharing someone else's room, but the other two had theirs covered). Buffet was decent quality. Chauffeur drive back to the airport was prebooked at check in, ready and waiting when we checked out. Back to the airport and straight forward from here.

The process was much the same on the way back. Happy to answer any questions if it might help.