# Emirates air - poor service?



## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

is it just me that has noticed how bad the service on emirates airline has become, i have been using them for years but the last couple of years the stewardesses have become quite rude and service is awful. i have started using qatar and changing at doha - the difference in service is amazing, the qatar staff are much friendlier.


----------



## Free_Spirit (Aug 30, 2009)

wandabug said:


> is it just me that has noticed how bad the service on emirates airline has become, i have been using them for years but the last couple of years the stewardesses have become quite rude and service is awful. i have started using qatar and changing at doha - the difference in service is amazing, the qatar staff are much friendlier.


100% true, i was flying 5 days ago and it's disaster, having another flight tomorrow will give them another chance...


----------



## CarlZA (Nov 12, 2008)

Etihad FTW!


----------



## stewart (Jun 21, 2009)

"stewardesses have become quite rude" 

I am a regular flier with emirates and yes I do agree but I have flown on a lot worse.
The service was above and beyond in the past but has decreased to the same as other airlines, which just makes the service normal.
I have never found the the above quote to be true though. Staff have always been polite to me.
This is my experience with Emirates, I am sure every one has their own experiences.


----------



## jimbean (May 4, 2010)

I've been flying with them for 5 years and haven't noticed any deterioration. They are certainly leagues better than most of the US and European airlines I've flow with this year (United, AA, BA, Lufthansa, Swiss, KLM) but they certainly charge more and the difference between their ticket prices and those of their competitors just seems to be growing wider...


----------



## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

But Emirates do keep their employees happy....

Well not according to 2 mates that I spoke to (both work there) this morning.

ek made a billion dollars profit it's highest ever this year, but cut the bonus paid to staff members - when i was there it made 25% of this profit yet all employees got 5 weeks basic salary as a bonus. Now it makes 4 times that figure and gives just 2 weeks bonus.

Are you surprised that the employees aren't happy?

The horror stories I could tell about that company....

(Needless to say I'd rather walk than fly ek.)


----------



## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I wouldn't go so far as to say that the staff are rude as they have been quite helpful on the few occassions that I have flown EK. I guess they can only work with what they've got!

However, based on value for money, I find that the fares are ridiculously expensive, the seats are uncomfortable beyond belief (took 3 days to relieve the neck ache caused by a 4.5hr flight) and the food provided is simply not fit for human consumption! Terrible, terrible! When I do have a choice as to the airline I fly with, let's just say that EK does not sit on that list.


----------



## SwedeUAE (Dec 28, 2009)

*Airlines*

I think we just have to accept that airlines have realized that in reality service quality does not drive sales anymore, captive routes or large corporate deals while screwing the consumer does work, so does low price with no service.

Good honest airlines with good service don't make it.


----------



## _DXB_ (Jan 15, 2010)

My partner and I we're on the Emirates flight from Heathrow to Dubai in January when the plane was grounded because of the drunks! They we're rubbish in terms of telling us what was going on, arranging trip back from the plane to the terminal, food/drink etc...
Qatar - what an airline!


----------



## vincetruong (May 10, 2009)

Yikes, I just booked a 17 hour flight back to LAX but no one else flies direct to LA that I know of.


----------



## Free_Spirit (Aug 30, 2009)

2 days ago i entered the plane with a sleeping baby on my shoulder, laptop, handbag... business class... what do you think they did? they told me good evening, mam )))) i was so furious! do you think it was logical to help? i think so, but EK staff did not ))) anyway, so far there are not so many options to Moscow, Aeroflot is even worse...


----------



## Guest (May 16, 2010)

vincetruong said:


> Yikes, I just booked a 17 hour flight back to LAX but no one else flies direct to LA that I know of.


Going to LA you will likely be on the 380, if that's any consolation. It's a great plane - I recently went to Canada on it and it really made a difference compared to the 777. Service was also pretty good, although the food wasn't anything to write home about


----------



## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

To be honest any airline you fly with will have the same sort of good and bad experiences. I've never flown Emirates or Qatar but work in the Industry, used to fly as Cabin Crew for BA in fact and now do something a lot less customer facing (which is good for me and the public! :wink: ). From what I hear of the two airlines mentioned Qatar Airways employees live in permanent fear of of a bad review and Emirates crew are suffering from a degredation in their terms and conditions, both of which are bad but have differing effects on the level of service staff may feel they wish to offer on behalf of their management.

It's a tough industry and consistency is the bain of any airline manager. European and US legacy carriers have extremely high employee overheads as compared to those here (arguably the oil prices for middle east carriers are more favourable to) which leads to a greater investment in product. That said as EK has expanded the nice little touches that a passenger might once have enjoyed start to become prohibitively expensive accross a much a larger fleet. A bit like why you will have a glass glass in premium economy aboard a Virgin flight and a plastic one on a BA flight. The two airlines are not comparable really as they differ vastly in the passenger numbers they carry and the ammount they pay crew.

Anyway enough of my rambling ideas on it all, usually a smile and a cold beer is enough to make the difference between a good and bad flight for me!


----------



## sdh080 (Jan 20, 2010)

sandypool said:


> Anyway enough of my rambling ideas on it all,* usually a smile and a cold beer is enough to make the difference between a good and bad flight for me!*


Exactly

arty:


----------



## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

vincetruong said:


> Yikes, I just booked a 17 hour flight back to LAX but no one else flies direct to LA that I know of.


Hi Vince

Emirate's business class is still fine and really very comfortable. 

-


----------



## VitaEsMorte (Apr 26, 2010)

There is nothing I can say about the cabin service about Emirates. However, we are in contact for about two months due to a bug in their credit card payment system and I am really bored. I always have to pay a bit much since my credit card is not accepted. I don't know why they are unable to solve the problem...


----------



## KD4 (Dec 18, 2009)

_DXB_ said:


> Qatar - what an airline!


I agree, Qatar is really a good airline to fly with (I haven't flown with Emirates before so I cannot comment on that).


----------



## ns0035 (Apr 9, 2010)

Can you still get a decent sleep in Business Class on a 13-hr flight? Qantas have a very good Business Class - with full length sleeping 'cabins', but have never flown Emirates at the pointy end before. Any thoughts?



Elphaba said:


> Hi Vince
> 
> Emirate's business class is still fine and really very comfortable.
> 
> -


----------



## Guest (May 19, 2010)

ns0035 said:


> Can you still get a decent sleep in Business Class on a 13-hr flight? Qantas have a very good Business Class - with full length sleeping 'cabins', but have never flown Emirates at the pointy end before. Any thoughts?


Yes, especially on the 380 which is amazing and I would guess that this would be the plane they would use for a 13 hour flight. The 777 with the lie flat beds is good too, if it's one of the newer planes.


----------



## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

ns0035 said:


> Can you still get a decent sleep in Business Class on a 13-hr flight? Qantas have a very good Business Class - with full length sleeping 'cabins', but have never flown Emirates at the pointy end before. Any thoughts?


The newer Emirates planes are very comfortable, but Etihad business is even better.

-


----------



## Guest (May 19, 2010)

Elphaba said:


> The newer Emirates planes are very comfortable, but Etihad business is even better.
> 
> -


Do Etihad have the 380? I think the Emirates 380 is unbelievable, hard to imagine it could get any better, but if so, I'll try them next time I have to make the 14 hr. journey


----------



## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

nola said:


> Do Etihad have the 380? I think the Emirates 380 is unbelievable, hard to imagine it could get any better, but if so, I'll try them next time I have to make the 14 hr. journey


I don't think so, but their business class beds go fully flat and are 6'4" long. I use them for my NY flights and have slept pretty well.

-


----------



## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

Etihad's A380's plus 100+ other aircraft they have on order will be arriving over the next few years with current orders arriving up until 2020 I believe.


----------



## Guest (May 19, 2010)

Here are 2 websites to go on to find the best seats on a flight

Home - SeatPlans.com 

Airline Seating Charts - Best Airplane Seats - SeatGuru


----------



## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Despite getting a discount through work I rarely travel Emirates but not due to the service. I don`t travel with them as I hate beeing ripped of by their fare structures. We can usually travel anywhere we want to go on other airlines for the half the EK price. Just yesterday I was booking a return to Beijing and as usual I started off with Emirates just in case they had any deals on. Not a chance, rtn economy 5145dhs, who pays that? Then went on to their Chinese web site and made the same booking in Chinese which brought the price down but still ott. Ended up booking with China Hainan, who I travelled with before, for 1950dhs.
Don`t even get me started about the price difference between travelling to London and travelling from London. Who pays these Emirates fares with their own money??


----------



## thedevil007 (Jun 6, 2010)

wandabug said:


> is it just me that has noticed how bad the service on emirates airline has become, i have been using them for years but the last couple of years the stewardesses have become quite rude and service is awful. i have started using qatar and changing at doha - the difference in service is amazing, the qatar staff are much friendlier.



send ur sugesstions to some VP in the emirates airline....say the samethin tat u hav started switchin to qatar airways, n then watch the fire burn under them


----------



## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

I mentioned the unfair pricing for journeys starting in Dubai to a very senior management. The reaction was simple, why would we reduce our fares to be competitive when the planes have such a high load factor. 
It`s actually 500dhs cheaper if you put your departure airport as Abu Dhabi even though Emirates don`t fly from there and this includes Emirates picking you up by bus from Abu Dhabi and driving you to the airport!! Priceless, lol!!


----------



## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

thedevil007 said:


> send ur sugesstions to some VP in the emirates airline....say the samethin tat u hav started switchin to qatar airways, n then watch the fire burn under them


Don't agree. We've tried it many times, didn't work. They have rules and procedures (read excuses) for basically every incident that upsets a customer!
That being said, I still prefer Emirates to other airlines.


----------



## VitaEsMorte (Apr 26, 2010)

thedevil007 said:


> send ur sugesstions to some VP in the emirates airline....say the samethin tat u hav started switchin to qatar airways, n then watch the fire burn under them


Unfortunately, they are a bit lazy on suggestions and complaints. I am writing for about three months about a complaint, and there is no any solution


----------



## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

VitaEsMorte said:


> Unfortunately, they are a bit lazy on suggestions and complaints. I am writing for about three months about a complaint, and there is no any solution


You should have written to me to sort it out. With my newspaper hat on, I get responses within a week.

-


----------

