What's up with Emirates?

[Buzzard]

Avoid EK 777 in J and Y. A380 is the way to go if you're flying EK and most routes now have that aircraft these days..

Unfortunately not ADL

 

[Awesom Andy]

Unfortunately not ADL

Or any Asian destinations from Australia.

 

[zainman]

What about EK 77W in F ?

Same product as the A380 as I am sure you know without the shower of course. More personalised service though as the cabin is smaller. So yes, if in F I guess the 777 is fine

 

[opusman]

Well from my current perspective, in 1K on EK406 all I can say is they seem ok to me

 

[kevrosmith]

I posted this in another thread.

FCO-DXB-BNE-CNS. QF F Reward Redemption on EK. I had a terrible EK F experience in Rome. The EK Chauffeur driver was 40 minutes late for the pick-up; took me to the wrong terminal; received NO notification from EK that they had changed terminal (due to the fire at FCO a few months ago); no signage in the original terminal and Airport Info didn't know where EK were either; EK Check-in was mess and not clearly signed; no Fast Track security for F; had to walk to end of one terminal concourse to catch 15 minute bus to other Terminal concourse not affected by fire - no Priority Service; sent to Alitalia Lounge - only 2 showers in the lounge for this, their Premier Lounge; no ice at the bar (ice machine broken) and only Johnnie Red scotch available. After a full day of sight-seeing in Rome that day, this was not the experience I was hoping for. Fortunately, the F service onboard was fantastic, but their handling on the ground was far from an F experience. It has really put me off considering EK again, as the Airport experience is part of the whole flight experience for me.

As I mention, I couldn't fault the onboard service, though on my two 777 sectors (DXB-ZRH and FCO-DXB) I was the only pax in F. The A380 sector DXB-BNE, one FA was Aussie, and another Colombian (I think), and they were both professional, friendly and up for a chat.

My limited on-board experience has been fine, given the circumstances, though I found the ground-experience at FCO appalling.

 

[Borisdog]

I did EK777 J CHC to SYD in March. Thought it was very good, so if its degenerated to the level some here are saying then it's been a quick fall.

 

[levelnine]

Had a subpar CDG-DXB flight with EK this week. Flight Attendants were disconcertingly frantic (e.g. running through the cabin to make their positions for arming and cross check), disorganised (e.g. were at a loss as to where their fellow FAs were in the plane) and rude. DXB-MEL was better, but still subpar (e.g. telling people the wrong information regarding transfer procedure for MEL-AKL).

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Had a subpar CDG-DXB flight with EK this week. Flight Attendants were disconcertingly frantic (e.g. running through the cabin to make their positions for arming and cross check), disorganised (e.g. were at a loss as to where their fellow FAs were in the plane) and rude. DXB-MEL was better, but still subpar (e.g. telling people the wrong information regarding transfer procedure for MEL-AKL).

Did they wrongly tell pax they had to clear customs?

 

[amp-qld]

Avoid EK 777 in J and Y. A380 is the way to go if you're flying EK and most routes now have that aircraft these days..

We were supposed to be on an A380 for DXB-FCO on our next trip but EK changed the plane to a 777. My wife is claustrophobic and hates long flights so we split up trips to Europe into three legs with at least one night on the ground between each. Doing that means that we'll be in 777s the whole way. For our trip (in economy), we're trying the pairs of seats near the back. The seats are still the same (narrow) width but at least there'll just be the two of us. Just hope the dunnies aren't too much of an issue.

 

[possumFF]

Agreed. But this is not atypical of an organisation which has a strong brand and has expanded quickly, often with unlimited resources. Emirates are so successful that the front line has become complacent and its former strengths (customer service, new aircraft) become deficiencies. For service, I now look at Etihad, Qatar & Singapore. Also, QF have lifted their came (although I cringe every time I hear the safety video!).

 

[roadsn1]

My experiences with EK is limited to 6 flights in the last 4 years. My latest flights BNE-SIN-DXB on the EK 777 were horrific. Crammed in, rude and unenthusiastic cabin crew, limited drinks service and broken Onboard Entertainment combined to make it my worst ever. (1000 plus flights on multiple airlines)
My return flight on QF 330 was far superior. More room, smiling and attentive staff and better food and beverage service made the ride in economy very acceptable.

 

[ian747]

Yes, we have just been to Europe and back to Perth and what a disappointment.
We originally booked to fly DBX to PER on the return at 9.45pm. They then introduced the A380 to Perth and our flight was changed to a 777 at 10.10am the next day. I agreed to this, however, I asked them to cover an extra nights accommodation in Dubai as they change had been made for their convenience. No go, I was quoted their terms of carriage and they were not interested in any discussion.
We flew PER to DBX on a A380 - very comfortable. DXB to Budapest on an old 777 and the seat was the most uncomfortable I have every experienced - it seamed to have a broken back - as the flight was quite full no alternative was offered.
On the return it was a A380 LDN to DBX - very comfortable and the a new 777 DBX to PER - very comfortable, but considerably more squeeze.
All flights out of DXB were delayed some for up to an hour.
However, the inflight service was very, very ordinary, especially when compared to Qantas or Singapore Airlines. The staff didn't seem to care, they would bring trays of drinks down, run out halfway down the cabin and not return to finish the job.
They would call out something to you during meal/drink service and if you didn't understand them the first time you weren't given a second chance.
Yes. Emirates have lost the plot. Possibly grown too fast, too quickly and to aggressive to grab marked share.

Qantas aligning with Emirates is not turning out to be a good move.

Next European flight will be with Singapore Airlines.

We flewo, her

 

[por930]

We just got off a Brisbane-Dubai-Paris-Dubai-Brisbane flight with EK 380. The whole experience was great. We went J to Paris and F back. Driver picked us up on time and got us to the airport. The Emirates Lounge in Brisbane is fantastic compared to QF. Boarding from the lounge made it even better. J flight was good. Meals hot and the choices not great, but sufficient. Service was good. Purser came around with her Ipad introducing her self to us..A bit false effort!! In Dubai, a bit of a scramble do get to the transit area as many aircraft arrive at the same time. We had a 3 hour wait in the J lounge A gate area. Lounge was very busy and it seemed most people can only sit next to walkways which were busy. Food was in good supply, and staff walking about every where. Our flight to Paris was good with no issues. Good cabin service.It seemed every few hours some one would walk about with hot towels, which was good. Driver waiting for us at departures, complete with water bottles for the trip and got us to our hotel very efficiently. Trip back home was in First. CDG do not have a F lounge, so we used the J lounge, which was good; not overly big, but sufficient. Food service was great. Flight to Dubai was excellent. Service was good. Chief Purser came by and basically wanted a chat to ask how our flight has been and other flight experiences. She took notes. In Dubai we were in gate A First lounge....What a difference between the J lounge. It was like the whole lounge(which is massive) was deserted. Due to its size, people have so much space, you do not see that many other pax. Food service at the various stations was fantastic. The sushi bar we found was super enjoyable. Best of all was the quiet area dark rooms which had day beds. As we had a 10 hour lay over, and arrived at 12.20 at night, much appreciated. Our flight was delayed due to an unserviceable aircraft and we ended up with a different aircraft and gate. The B first lounge is a very tired and in need of refurbishment. Cloth couches were thread bare, but I must say, very comfortable as day beds for long stays(several pax were asleep) as being smaller than the A lounge, was also busier. Flight home was good. Great service. Even up until a hour outside of Brisbane, I ordered meals ok. So, we would fly with them again. The A380 is a very stable and spacious aircraft, though...I have never tried Y, which looks cramped.

 

[Alanslegal]

Yes, we have just been to Europe and back to Perth and what a disappointment.
We originally booked to fly DBX to PER on the return at 9.45pm. They then introduced the A380 to Perth and our flight was changed to a 777 at 10.10am the next day. I agreed to this, however, I asked them to cover an extra nights accommodation in Dubai as they change had been made for their convenience. No go, I was quoted their terms of carriage and they were not interested in any discussion.

Sorry to hear, however if you stood your ground and said the time change was unacceptable, things may have worked out more positively for you.

All flights out of DXB were delayed some for up to an hour.

It's not uncommon for delays into and out of DXB. If I recall correctly, over at the Ask The Pilot thread, AFF resident pilot jb747 who flies into/out of DXB may have wrote about this* *please correct if incorrect.

However, the inflight service was very, very ordinary, especially when compared to Qantas or Singapore Airlines. The staff didn't seem to care, they would bring trays of drinks down, run out halfway down the cabin and not return to finish the job.
They would call out something to you during meal/drink service and if you didn't understand them the first time you weren't given a second chance.
Yes. Emirates have lost the plot. Possibly grown too fast, too quickly and to aggressive to grab marked share.

Maybe so, I have had poor service on other airlines too - and not just in economy. We had a poor experience with BA in the CW cabin including the crew telling my partner "Did you hear me??!" during meal service when asking her what meal she wanted. Also a poor Thai Airways First Class experience - where the crew was really either disinterested or just didn't want to be there.

Qantas aligning with Emirates is not turning out to be a good move.

Next European flight will be with Singapore Airlines.

Well you can burn your Qantas points to fly Emirates - so to me, that is a win in itself. I can't even get a decent premium award tickets on a Qantas flight - so if this gives me more opportunities, then it's a win.

I am flying Emirates on 06AUG JFK-DXB and 10AUG DXB-BKK so I will come back here with my feedback. I know it will be a tough ask for EK to do better as I had three really enjoyable experience flying Singapore Airlines flying SYD-SIN-NRT-LAX just two weeks ago.

 

[ian747]

Sorry to hear, however if you stood your ground and said the time change was unacceptable, things may have worked out more positively for you.




It's not uncommon for delays into and out of DXB. If I recall correctly, over at the Ask The Pilot thread, AFF resident pilot jb747 who flies into/out of DXB may have wrote about this* *please correct if incorrect.



Maybe so, I have had poor service on other airlines too - and not just in economy. We had a poor experience with BA in the CW cabin including the crew telling my partner "Did you hear me??!" during meal service when asking her what meal she wanted. Also a poor Thai Airways First Class experience - where the crew was really either disinterested or just didn't want to be there.



Well you can burn your Qantas points to fly Emirates - so to me, that is a win in itself. I can't even get a decent premium award tickets on a Qantas flight - so if this gives me more opportunities, then it's a win.

I am flying Emirates on 06AUG JFK-DXB and 10AUG DXB-BKK so I will come back here with my feedback. I know it will be a tough ask for EK to do better as I had three really enjoyable experience flying Singapore Airlines flying SYD-SIN-NRT-LAX just two weeks ago.

Flight change compensation:
There where several very polite and constrained emails involved and our travel agents even got involved, however, all to no avail.

Poor Flight Inservice:
I have also experienced below average inflight service, but not on all four sectors.

Qantas Points:
I have 1.1+ millions Qantas points, however, six months out there where no seats available other than Economy and with points and cash these where much, much more than a flight deal we had with Viking River Cruises. Since my retirement I have been reduced to Bronze status

 

[muliama]

Living in Bangkok, I often went to Hong Kong for the weekend with Emirates in J class. Most times the flights there and back were great because as soon as the seat belt sign went off, we made a dash to the inflight bar and stayed there, the inflight dinner being singularly unattractive.
However on two occasions on the HGK-BKK flight, the bar was packed up before the flight deck advised descent would be soonish. Upon returning to our seats (no seat belt sign on) we requested another wine and were told, sorry, the bar is all locked up....40 minutes before landing!

However, I am happy to give EK another go. Being a QF Platinum with zillions of points I am off to SFO (CX F) and back via Dubai flying first, for my first time. I know I shall be squeeky clean, and if the bathroom is unavailable I shall just have to sponge myself with DOM.

 

[por930]

Being a QF Platinum with zillions of points I am off to SFO (CX F) and back via Dubai flying first, for my first time. I know I shall be squeeky clean, and if the bathroom is unavailable I shall just have to sponge myself with DOM.

The FA comes around, often while still on the ground asking for bathroom(shower) bookings to make sure you get your chance using the shower, which is restricted to 30 minutes. Also in first, they seem a lot more relaxed about the meal service times when closer to the destination. And the Dom is very nice, though I am sure the hot towel service would suffice in place of the DOM....should the need arise.

 

[Jurahn]

We flew EK in Y for our first trip to Europe 6 years ago (Perth-Dubai-Zurich, Vienna-Dubai-Perth), and were so put off by the experience we've never flown with them again. The planes we flew on all 4 sectors were old, seat edges frayed or coming apart, tray tables wouldn't lock in properly, IFE had issues, just all around not exactly a great travel experience but I mean after all you can't expect shiny new planes every time. However the in-flight service was very ordinary, the flight attendants were very "off-hand" when dealing with passengers and they tended to "disappear" for most of the flight. The worst part was the flight back from DXB-PER. Mr Jurahn doesn't normally get travel sick, but for some reason he does on planes so always takes meds. Unfortunately he developed a very bad case of air sickness a few hours into the flight - we think it might have been a combination of sitting at the back of the plane and also miscalculating when he should have taken his meds because of the time zone changes on the way back. The poor sod knows I'm a "sympathetic chucker", so kept heading off to the toilets next to the rear galley, where many of the FAs seemed to spend most of the flight, having a good old chat. Even though he was quite obviously ill (constantly clutching a sick bag both when waiting for the toilet and whilst in his seat would have been a clue!), not one of them bothered at any time to ask him whether he was OK or if they could get him anything. They completely ignored him - not that they could probably have done a lot for him, but even the offer of a drink of water or a damp cloth or even just checking if he was all right would have been the norm you would think but no.

Maybe we were just unlucky but wouldn't touch EK with a bargepole after that, SQ's our airline of choice when flying to Europe.

 

[UP4014]

It seems unless ou've spent $20K the service is no better than any other. I think QF has set themselves up for a long term problem. The theory and reality aren't matching up.

While I use QF domestically and trans pacific, I do not use Emirates/QF going the other way.

Matt

 

[gaz0303]

My experiences with EK is limited to 6 flights in the last 4 years. My latest flights BNE-SIN-DXB on the EK 777 were horrific. Crammed in, rude and unenthusiastic cabin crew, limited drinks service and broken Onboard Entertainment combined to make it my worst ever. (1000 plus flights on multiple airlines)
My return flight on QF 330 was far superior. More room, smiling and attentive staff and better food and beverage service made the ride in economy very acceptable.

This could have been a quote from me. My EK 777 from BKK to SYD is the worst flight I have ever been on. Not looking forward to an upcoming DXB-MAN trip which has the 777. I am hoping for some of the reported EK love to QF FFs to get a J upgrade.