Emirates short-change

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  • traveldoc1
    Participant

    Sounds like pretty dreadful treatment by Emirates. Only £150 ($200) reimbursement for being downgraded from First to Business???

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/booked-first-class-plane-seats-emirates-downgraded-us-business/


    capetonianm
    Participant

    On the face of it, they have been treated shoddily, as you might expect with Emirates.

    It might also be that they paid a heavily discounted F fare, and the difference between that fare and the C class fare may have been the amount they were refunded. Whilst that is not the way to calculate a refund for downgrading according to EU261, in this case EU261 would not be applicable as it was an inbound segment, leaving the airline to treat the passengers as they do when something goes wrong, with contempt.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    [quote quote=990678]Sounds like pretty dreadful treatment by Emirates. Only £150 ($200) reimbursement for being downgraded from First to Business???[/quote]

    Another factor to consider is that Emirates, being a sixth-freedom carrier, may sell destinations beyond Dubai for *less* than the fare to Dubai itself.

    And so it is in this case.

    Two first class return tickets London-Dubai would cost around £12,000 when booked with Emirates.com

    I was unable to read the entire Telegraph piece as it lies behind a paywall. So unable to comment further on the actual fare, ticket type and so on.

    And as capetonianm notes EU261 would not apply in this case.


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Here is the article :

    ‘I booked first class plane seats and Emirates downgraded us to business class’

    Katie Morley Consumer Champion

    17 February 2020 • 7:00am

    Dear Katie,

    My wife was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had to have two major operations and chemotherapy. When she finally received the all clear, we went on holiday to celebrate. As a special treat, we booked to fly first class on Emirates to Dubai, and then on to Phuket, Thailand.

    Our seats from Phuket back to Dubai were downgraded to business class for “operational reasons”. The aircraft did have a first-class cabin, which we only saw as we disembarked. We saw a number of seats were unused, so we could have sat there.

    We have received a £150 refund, which is insulting, considering we paid £9,400 for the round trip. We complained and have been fobbed off with air miles.

    BF, Surrey

    Dear BF,

    This was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime to celebrate your wife’s good news, so you wanted everything to be perfect.

    I do understand why you were annoyed when it wasn’t, although many reading this will think having to sit in business class sounds like a rather lovely problem to have. Online reviews say Emirates business class barely differs from the first class experience anyway.

    Emirates has been cagey about why you were downgraded, which has aroused my curiosity. I wonder whether your seats might have been needed to make way for an important politician, or royalty even? Perhaps you saw empty first-class seats because the VIPs were ushered off the plane before everyone else?

    I asked Emirates to check if you had been refunded correctly, as a quick online search suggested you may have been short-changed.

    However, I had Emirates provide a full breakdown of costs, and I’m afraid it is adamant that no mistake has been made. Sorry to disappoint you. If you’re still unhappy you can complain to AviationADR, which arbitrates unresolved Emirates complaints.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Thank you capetonianm.

    As you say any further compensation under EU261 would not be forthcoming as Emirates is a non-EU carrier.


    thebigseats
    Participant

    This is typical of the way Emirates treats such cases. AVOID!

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    I didn’t think Emirates flew planes with First Class to Phuket as its a holiday destination?? May be wrong but Etihad and Qatar do not so would have thought Emirates would do the same?


    SimonS1
    Participant

    [postquote quote=990791][/postquote]

    They do fly F to Phuket. Quite a popular route with locals. I dont think Emirates has been known to copy others…..


    AFlyingDutchman
    Participant

    With regard to Qatar, I actually dont think they have First Class on that many of their long haul aircraft in the first place, I thought it was only on their A380 which isnt on the Phuket route, but perhaps I am mistaken.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Quite correct AFlyingDutchman – Some time ago QR removed F class from its entire fleet with the exception of its A380s.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    esselle
    Participant

    [postquote quote=990829][/postquote]

    Remember, though, the QR have premium seats on some of their single aisle fleet which they sell as “First”.


    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=990800][/postquote]

    I stand corrected SimonS1 no intention to mislead… For me makes no difference won’t fly them unless I really really have too!


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    They have a couple of 380’s without First class. If they use this plane as a substitute you are downgraded. Happened to me once DXB -MXP, but I had all the perks of the First Class lounge in Dubai, check-in, bigger car to/from airport etc. No refund as it was a special fare and actually cheaper than the business fare when I booked. Didn’t really bother me as it was a day flight and I gave my seat to my son and sat in a row of 4 empty seats, upper deck in Economy. He was delighted as he watches movies so loved the big screen, small bar etc. Interestingly, the bathroom was the same size as that in F, but without the shower. Crew were very kind and gave me the meal from Business as well as the mint tea not usually available in Economy.


    nevereconomy
    Participant

    Dont and wont fly any ME carriers – apparently a good choice. Dont care how good their seats are andfrom all the talk that seems to be about the only advantage, apart from from longer flights with a stop in the wondeful ME.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    capetonianm
    Participant

    They are cheap which is a drawcard for many people, although recently I notice that if I compare fares EU <-> ZA, TK and BA are usually the cheapest at least in C. All are cheap for a reason and I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole with an IATA inspector and an ICAO inspector on the end But like Ryanair, they suit a lot of people, keep other fares competitive, and that suits me fine.

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