Thursday, January 12, 2006
EMIRATES AIRLINES DISTURBING EXPERIENCE
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard - SVM <richard@svmny.com>
Date: Jan 12, 2006 7:11 PM
Subject: EMIRATES AIRLINES DISTURBING EXPERIENCE
To: omarghaleb@emirates.com, customeraffiars@emirates.com,
customeraffairsny@emirates.com, nick@arrowtravel.com
Cc: anil sadarangani <anil.sadrangani@timesgroup.com>,
JAWAD@alumni.washington.edu, JULIAFINNEY@aol.com,
FEEDBACK@travelbirmingham.co.uk, Aneta Bartos <abartos1@nyc.rr.com>,
RICHARDNG@emirates.com, NIGELPAGE@emirates.com,
MOHAMMADMATTAR@emirates.com, TERRYDALY@emirates.com, Richard - SVM
<richard@svmny.com>, scott@emperors.uk.com
Dear Consumer Affairs,
ATTN:
CUSTOEMR AFFAIRS NY
OMAR GHALEB
RICHARD NG
NICK@ARROW TRAVEL
We recently flew with Emirates airlines and was severely disappointed
with how we were treated, I will list a brief as possible, decisive
email of my experience:
We unfortunately traveled without my India visa from USA to India, via
Dubai. I was not informed on boarding either plane that a visa was
needed, how ever I am to understand this is my responsibility. I
visited the customer affairs office in Dubai upon our rejection from
India and prompt return to Dubai to explain the situation, to see if
we could purchase new tickets and change our final return date.
Emma Quai was the Emirates staff member who addressed this situation.
Within a brief conversation I was attacked by her accusing me of being
I quote 'Typical of the English and their Imperialistic ignorance'
following an explanation that we no longer have global dominance. I
was called directly 'ignorant' without reason and very unfairly as I
never mentioned England or any form of Imperialism, I live in America.
After asking her why she is attacking me without any relevance of
conversation or situation? she stood up panicked after realizing her
actions, walked out without an apology.
I walked next door with my girlfriend and changed our return date from
29TH December to 8th january. We were told the ticket has been
requested, please call us on 2nd Jan or visit Emirates Ticketing to
confirm our seats, the ticket change is in the system, we were issued
a reference number.
I call 9am Monday providing the supplied reference number, my
girlfriend's ticket was confirmed however strangely they had no record
of both myself or my ticket change? I was informed that it is company
policy if you do not turn up for a flight you lose your ticket, there
is nothing Emirates will do, and they have no record of my ticket
change? I changed both my girlfriends and my ticket together,
Additionally paid for these tickets, how does my ticket 'vanish'?
On the 4th I arrive into Emirates office in Bombay India to discuss
where my ticket has gone? They inform me I never called on the January
2nd and therefore lost my ticket?
I inform them when I called they did not know who I was and the
reference number was not valid, thus the frustration is apparent. Now
they know about the ticket change we made?
I contact Arrow Travel whom I purchased the tickets from originally
for both myself and my girlfriend, they call Emirates NY (USA)
Emirates confirm with Arrow travel our ticket is in the system, it is
confirmed on the 8th as originally requested, I am given another
reference number to confirm this. When I enter Emirates office again
they inform me this reference number is not in the system and again I
have no flight.
I contact Arrow travel again, Emirates confirm my ticket is indeed
there and confirmed.
Next day I go to Emirates, again they tell me I do not exist, it is
now the day of the flight. They offer no help, only to put me on
standby but expressed that I am certainly not a priority and it is a
busy flight.
I fly to Dubai on a new tickets from Cathay Pacific as I lose hope
with Emirates.. We arrive on the 8th for the flight to NY. My
girlfriend is offered her seat, AGAIN I do not exist in the system
refused entry on the flight.
We are forced to cancel my girlfriends ticket, 2 days later we find a
seat on Emirates airlines to finally return home to NY.
Emirates prides themselves on customer service and are keen to improve
their service, I was very satisfied on my journey onboard the service
was exceptional, it is extremely unfortunate that once on the ground
the service was 'cruel' for lack of a better word.
The experience consumed every day of my vacation, and entirely ruined
it, and added great expense. Both my girlfriend and I are extremely
upset and surprised at how we were treated, I have never experienced
such horrible treatment before.
I am looking for a full refund of both our tickets as our trip was
entirely ruined, we spent a fortune on hotels and cancelled flights
within India as we could not travel as every day we were spending our
time trying to correct this situation. An additional incentive to
travel with Emirates again would not be a bad suggestion to repair our
confidence and maintain 2 good customers.
We are extremely upset at how we were treated, the last few days
bought both my girlfriend and I to tears, I hope never to experience
such treatment again.
The below people were additionally contacted to share our experience
with Emirates airlines:
http://www.airlinequality.com/main/feedback.htm
http://www.purchasing-consultants.co.uk/complaints.htm
watchdog@bbc.co.uk.
www.adviceguide.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/hardcash
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/php/a_report.phphttp://www.geocities.com/jasghar_2000/emirates.html
http://www.epinions.com/content/write.html/tnode_~6950327168
kimshep@hotmail.comhttp://travel.theemiratesnetwork.com/contact.php
jdonahue@globaltravelerusa.com
http://www.globaltravelerusa.com/contact.php
India Times Magazine
New York Post
Please note we are both involved within the media industry, we have
already began conversation with relative publishers to give us
coverage (share) our experience, fortunately in this case we are both
to a degree able to do this at comfortable level, and the support is
offered has been greatly welcomed and certainly fair due to what we
went through, I did not list all the awful things we were told and
went through. I sincerely hope we can settle this quickly and fairly,
We look forward to your prompt response,
Yours Sincerely,
Richard Wheeler
p.s Emirates lost our luggage too.
