December 2018

Let me start from the beginning, when we arrived at JNB on 14/12/2018 for our flight, the man at the counter said that the flight was overbooked and if we took the next flight on 15/12/2018 Emirates would give us a free flight in 2019, we said no thank you as we would miss our connecting flights and cruise. (Had we know what was going to happen we would of accepted)

Here’s what happened; Flight EK 766 was so delayed that we missed our connecting flight EK660 to Male, when we arrived in DXB for our connecting flight there was a Emirates staff member there to meet us, she gave us hotel vouchers and new boarding passes for the next flight to Male, she told us that there would be a shuttle bus to take us to the Hotel and bring us back for our flight (NOTHING about what to do at passport control, we had printed e-visa’s for Dubai as we were coming back for a relaxing week after the cruise and India). When we got to passport control the man asked for nothing and we gave him nothing, we did mention to him we coming back in 2 weeks for our holiday, this is just a delay, he didn’t say anything (not very friendly) off we go to the hotel then.

We had lunch, dinner and a nap at the hotel before being collected at 23:45 to go to the airport for our new flight to Male, flight EK656, this flight was also delayed. Anyways we finally arrive in Male, the cruise liner had left the harbour and was out at sea, so we then had to find a small boat that could get us there, took most the day, but we finally got to the cruise liner at 4pm. (Missed both days of the Maldives and had been in the same clothes for 3 days) we were not impressed with Emirates. We were so jet lagged from all the flights, delays, lay over’s and time differences, that we slept most the next day, so we lost 3 days of our cruise.

However the story gets better…we had a enjoyable remainder of the cruise and a hectic India trip and just couldn’t wait to get to Dubai to our 4 bedroom apartment where we didn’t have to share a room with the kids and could just relax, we had worked our asses off and saved ALL year for this, and couldn’t wait to see the fireworks display on New year’s. Our flight EK507 also had a delay, but we didn’t mind as we were going to just chill for the next week, we finally arrive at DXB, we get to passport control, the man there say there is a problem with our visa’s we need to go to immigrations, we go to immigrations, they say they used our visa’s when we were there with the delayed flight, we tell them that’s not our fault, we never gave them our visa papers, they say as a e-visa it picks up on our passport and gets used immediately we should of given them the hotel voucher-visa from Emirates, but the lady never told us that so we gave nothing, the man then says take it up with Emirates, we walk to the Emirates counter the man there says they can give us a 96hour visa (at our own cost) and then we must change our flights to leave 01/01/2019, we say no we not happy with that it is Emirates fault as they never told us to give passport control the hotel vouchers and if the first flight wasn’t delayed this wouldn’t of happened. Please keep in mind that during this whole story I have 4 young irritated and starving children.

Emirates say there is nothing they can do we must go back to immigrations, we go back there and ask cant we apply again for a tourist visa which we do actually have and was valid for our trip and cost us R11 800.00, and I explain to them we have 7night accommodation that has cost us R 75 806.45 and what will happen, they say no sorry we can only have the 96hour visa and if we don’t leave on 01/01/2019 we will be fined and possible ******** charges At this point I just burst into tears and sit down in the airport and cry. After about 15min of crying, I wash my face but on my big girl panties and go back to Emirates to see if we can change our flights to 01/01/2019 and at least have a little bit of a holiday, they then send us upstairs to connecting flight ticket office.

Upstairs we ask is there a flight for 01/01/2019 they tell us yes at around 00:20 which would mean we would have to spend our new years in the airport, at this point is was 6pm on 28/12/2018 which would mean we would have such a short time it would be pointless, we asked when is the next flight to JNB they said 23:25, we said okay just put us on that flight home, they then wanted to charge us to change our flights we said no, so the man said speak to his Supervisor, we did, his name was Hassan, we told him our whole long story he tried to speak to people at immigrations and nobody could help us, he then said we have to pay to change the flights and then can claim back from Emirates when we back home but if we don’t pay they won’t change them, he then said we doing a better option leaving now on the 28/12/2018 as the pricing on changing flight to 01/01/2019 would be a lot more expensive. We then had to pay R4354.94 to change our flight to come home.

Due to Emirates, we missed the Maldives,3 days of our cruise, we lost our holiday in Dubai and a **** load of money, I had to tell my kids that the holiday they had been waiting for all year was cancelled, and we were going home, the disappointment in their faces was so hearkbreaking. I was and still am absolutely heartbroken at this whole story. I feel that you owe us half our cruise,and the money that it cost us on Visa’s, accommodation and ticket change fee.

I have filled in the online complaints form 3 weeks ago still haven't received anything not even an acknowledgment