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Emirates Airline

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Consumer complaints and reviews about Emirates Airline

Brenda* Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

Most visit visas issued in the UAE are issued through the Dubai International Airport and are sometime mistakenly reffered to as a Dubai visa.

TRAVEL ADVISORY: (For a smooth entry in the UAE)
1. Make sure that you are holding a confirmed return air ticket.
Elena S Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

The reality is that I had to buy the ticket to apply for the visa, and it was non-refundable. Believe me, I spent enough time arguing this point with the travel agent, the airline, and the visa center that it should only be a booking, as you say, and not a purchase of a non-refundable ticket, but this is what was actually required - I was to present a real purchased ticket, and it was non-refundable. If you'd like to understand more about this practice which indeed deviates from any common rules I can present you all the correspondence between the parties involved.
The 2nd important point is that I was not given a choice to book another airline to apply for the visa, although there are at least 2 other airlines that offer direct flights to Dubai.
I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm not in a position to argue about the semantics of the word 'force', but as its meaning includes 'to compel, constrain, or oblige (oneself or someone) to do something; to bring about of necessity or as a necessary result' it's a good enough word to describe the situation for me.
Bellamie Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

I am aware you need to have your flight booked and you must submit the dates and a valid passport - but there is nothing that states that it must be a NON REFUNDABLE ticket - that is what I am saying. There are no rules that state the ticket must be non refundable. Therefore you were not FORCED to buy a non refundable ticket - the point I was trying to make.
IronMuffin Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

The OP was returning to Russia.
Strunk Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

2 bellamie - how long have you been in the travel industry because what the OP described is pretty standard practice, especially in the Middle East. I'm not in the travel industry and I know hat...
Elena S Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

That's correct, Russia. Here's the link to the Dubai Visa Processing Center http://www.dubaivisa.net/Russia/duration90days_check%20list.html that lists a Confirmed Emirates airline ticket photocopy as a mandatory document. The ticket was non-refundable - we were advised so by the airline.
Elena S Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

First, I was FORCED to buy a non-refundable return ticket from Emirates to apply for the visa. On the way back from Dubai, I came 2.5 hours before the flight. They asked me and another 16 people to wait till 1 hour before the flight, but closed the flight 1.15 mins before the departure. Mind you they pawned off by offering a compensation - 9 hours at an airport hotel + a free return ticket to Dubai in the future, but I consider it useless and insulting provided that they ruined 2 days of my life (I arrived home at 2am on a working day, instead of 5pm the day before) and offered me something I don't need. They refused to provide a monetary compensation instead (as was the case with Air France once), refused to give me ANY contacts at the customer service I could talk to about the situation. I didn't get any upgrade, moreover, the seats we got had a broken entertainment system, flight attendants were ignoring our calls for 30 mins 2 times in a row when we were trying to find out whether it'd ever work. Net net, one of the worst experiences with an airline in my life.
Bellamie Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

I doubt you were forced- did they hold a gun to your head?
Elena S Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

Buying a non-refundable return ticket is one of the conditions for getting a visa to Dubai.
Bellamie Send email
 
Mar 15, 2012

Refused boarding, flight overbooked

That's news to me. I work in the travel industry and I have never seen a visa that required a non reufundable ticket - what country are you travelling from and what's your nationality - because I cannot find anything about this in visa requirements.

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