Checking in online - warning
 

So there we were at Dubai airport at midnight for an Emirates 2.30am flight to Melbourne. The woman at checkin then said that the flight was full but that there was another flight at 9am which she could try to get us on. Basically, we had been bumped. She reminded us that it is always best to check in online (yeh, thanks love). Hang on a minute I said. I booked this flight in February and had picked our seats back in June and even had an email from their customer services confirming the seat allocation numbers. I decided not to scream and shout and eventually she managed to get us on the plane and luckily for us, a couple swapped seats with hubby and eldest so that we could all sit together. What a nightmare and what a bloody cheek.

We had checked in online in Birmingham for the first leg of the journey but unfortunately we didn't have internet access so couldn't do it when we were in Dubai. We also had 4 legs so had to checkin 4 times (what a pain).
So one thing I would say to everyone is make sure you check in on line when it opens 24 hours before flying and don't just assume that turning up 2-3 hours before your flight will be enough.

PS, We later did it via our mobile phone which we hadn't realised we could do (don't know whether everyone does it or whether it's only Emirates?).

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Easier said than done if you are having a stopover in Dubai. We spent 6 days there, and do you think we could find anywhere we could use the internet. We gave up in the end.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Were you not able to check in straight through for all the other flights at the desk in the first airport? (or maybe not if you were stopping over?)

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Don't know where you were looking!

Many internet cafe's/shops and hotspots everywhere.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Hi Lorrielou

Thanks for the tip about internet check-in.
Apart from that, how was it flying with Emirates?
We are considering flying with them over to Perth since they have the 30kg allowance as opposed to the 20kg most other airlines have and are around the same price.

We normally always fly Singapore Airlines and know they are fab but they won't increase our allowance to more than the standard 20kg. (BTW I have asked about allowances for migrating but since we have Australian passports and are simply returning home after a long stint in the UK they won't budge - some much for customer loyalty etc)

Have you flown with Singapore Airlines and if so how does Emirates compare?

Thanks

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

You should have - my oh was ranting and raving and I was hysterical.....we were accommodated in a nearby hotel, then sent business class the following morning PLUS we got return tickets to Melbourne thrown in for free:D

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Bloody hell, if I'd known that.....! I'm not normally shy about letting my feelings known when I have bad service usually.

I was not impressed with Emirates at all. I've bored people on here with my experience of booking online with them (look away now if you don't want to be bored again). I mistakenly pressed a return date of 30 August instead of 30 July and rang them quickly when I realised what I had done. I was hit twice for my sloppy keyboard skills in that I was charged £300 to change the booking (even though it was 5 months before we were flying) and because it was for an August flight, and therefore more expensive, I clogged out. It cost about £1000. I'm a daft tart I know, but there you have it. What really hacked me off though was the complete couldn't care less attitude about it all.

On three of four of the legs we didn't get the seats we had reserved in the "Manage my Booking" bit online which was a real pain. On two of the legs the cabin crew really couldn't give a damn and absolutely everything was too much trouble. On the last leg, the headphone socket on my 4 year old's armrest was gone. I complained and was told that they were sorry. When I said that this didn't quite cut it and that I wasn't about to embark on a 7 hour journey with a bored child she said that she would try and find a seat in a different part of the plane for him!!! I refused this kind offer and they promised they would get an engineer to sort it out before we took off. This never transpired. However, the Purser arrived with a pen and managed to prise the armrest open and retrieve the socket thing. We then had to use sellotape that we had (luckily) packed in our hand luggage to keep it together. Really poor show. :thumbdown:

I am aware that many people travel with them and are very impressed, but certainly not us. We will definately try Singapore next time.

PS I asked about forward checking and was told that we had to do it as we went along which was a complete pain (although it could be we were misinformed!). Being able to do it from our mobile however was much better.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

So you couldn't check your baggage straight through either? This sounds mad. Every other airline I've flown with (a lot of different ones) have checked me and my bags through to final destination. How strange.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

We are Just about to book Emirates Glasgow to Brisbane.
Don't like the idea of not getting checked right through.
Espcially as we have young kids.
HKA

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Families, esp. traveling with kids, do get better treatment, first off, you have no chance to get bumped from an oversold flight. I used Emirates several times, if you have a toddler you can basically skip the queue at the check in, get to be the first one to board, etc - just ask the attendant and you will have it. I found them to be very accommodating.

NJ

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Just to clarify, I was meaning checking in as opposed to checking luggage through. We put our baggage on at Singapore and changed flights at Dubai for final leg to Birmingham and we didn't need to do anything with them, ie, it was taken care of and we didn't see them until we got to Brum.

I was meaning checking yourself in for flights, which you would normally do a couple of hours before flying.

It would be worth contacting Emirates direct to find a conclusive answer about whether you can check in all legs of any journey. The bird I spoke to said that the idea was that you are giving a confirmation 24 hours before you fly that you are actually going to turn up (presumably to give them an indication of whether they can flog your seat!) and that to check in for a flight in 3 weeks time for example wouldn't be feasible. Checking in from our mobile was actually quite easy, so can recommend that if you can't get internet access.

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We were travelling with kids (age 4 and 8) but this made no difference to them. It was nice to be first on (which BA does too - hopefully other airlines do also?). There are so many people on here who have had nothing but praise for Emirates - just not us unfortunately.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

But the bags are checked in at the desk and they check you in at the desk too unless you've done it online previously. I'm confused now.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Dunno about "checking in" three weeks ahead of time, I can only relate that to Singapore Airlines (I singed up for loyalty program just because of that, too) - you can pre-book your seats, then 48 hours ahead of your flight you can check in properly on-line, or just come to the airport to confirm, that you do want the seats you booked - makes the line at the check-in a little easier to bear with.

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It may not be available at all airports, but I can swear I saw the "bag drop only" desks in Singapore airport - I was only in transit there twice and both time a bit hung over :blink:. Otherwise, you just stand in the same line to drop off your luggage, you just confirm to the ground staff that you are already checked in and want to have the seats you picked online, get your claim tickets as per usual.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

My family and I flew Emirites from Johanesburg via Dubai to Brisbane in March with 3 kids.The ground staff,flight crew and generally anyone involved were rude rude rude.The planes were antiques with entire sections of several rows with TV screens that were broken,the food was appauling ,one of our seats had a piece of wire poking through the list goes on.We have flown with many airlines over the years and by far the worst to date has gotta be Emirates by a long mile.I'd sooner have a hot poker stuck in my eye than be subjected to that nightmare again:thumbdown:

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Look shirl,just say how you feel girl and stop holding back!!:rofl:

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Certainly not in the area we were staying (Jumeirah Beach), not to mention the shopping malls. We actually asked a couple of locals to point us in the right direction of an internet cafe and were sent to a couple of places where you needed your own laptop.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

Hi

We have just returned from a trip to the UK and a stopover at Dubai and was able to check in online on each flight with no problems, you can only do this from 24 hours before the flight right up to the last couple of hours.

We stayed at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and we were able to print out the boarding passes at the business centre at the hotel. We got all the seats I had reserved when I made the initial booking.

We have not flown with Emirates before (used Qantas and Malaysia before) and they are definitely the better of the three in my opinion. The long leg to Dubai from Melbourne was not the most comfortable (A340) but then I don't think it ever is great in economy. The A380 was nice, with a but more seat width which helped.

Overall, the meals were pretty good, they always served my son first and he got a snack box too. The entertainment system was very good with touch screens and a good choice of films etc.

Sam

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

:rofl::rofl:I think I just did.

Re: Checking in online - warning
 

We flew Emirates out here last month, didn't have any problems checking in or getting the seats together and their inflight entertainment was the best system we've used with the touch screens and variety, although they could do with a few more things for little children. My 3yo watched that same cartoon 10times over (and enjoyed it every time!!) however the camera on the nose and underneath the plane provided a superb (and different) view of take off and landing

We had problems with the food for my youngest though, she's a year old, we booked her a seat (done the long flights with her on lap -never again!) and requested a childs meal for her. On the London-Dubai leg the meals came out and there was nothing for her, there wasn't even any suitable baby food. A tiny jar of sweet potato mush for a 4-6m old was offered but that would have been it. Obviously as we'd booked and paid for the seat and pre ordered a meal I only had small snack things with me which wasn't enough. We complained to them and luckily there was a child who had declined their meal so she got one. We only got her food on the Dubai to Sydney leg after protesting loudly and being awkward at check in as apparently babies aren't entitled to food. Fair enough but we bought a seat!

We also had our pushchair damaged. This pushchair has been around the world once, been to Florida, been to Sinagpore, been to Bali. So is well travelled and has never been so much as marked. It came off the Emirates flight ripped and with the catch ripped apart so it wouldn't stay closed. Apparently this was within the acceptable damage criteria so they wouldn't help.

Was equally unimpressed with the cabin crew, they would cancel the buzzers rather than answer them, if they did answer it took at least 10-15mins after buzzing.

We'd flown with Singapore a month earlier and the experience was far better; the staff were friendly and helpful and actually spoke to the children and asked their names which were then used each time which made my 3yos day! Wish we'd gone with them again. We have flown with many different airlines and Sinagapore definately are the best!