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TonyT's 7th Thailand blog:
A month in and around the country:
March - April 2024.
Page 11
THE BIG DUBAI FARCE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE
Page 11
THE BIG DUBAI FARCE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE
I was not intending writing a Page 11 (this one), but what Emirates put us through necessitates it being written about.
The initial problem was caused by a severe storm in Dubai with the highest rainfall in a day in over 100 years. This disrupted the airport and caused a lot of damage. OK this was not Emirates fault but what they did and, more importantly, didn't do caused us and 100's of others enormous stress. and very severe discomfort.
THURSDAY 18th and into FRIDAY 19th.
The brief version of the story is…
We left Bangkok after 5 hour delay. Knock-on effect from the storm flooding at Dubai.
It was at this point that Emirates made a fundamental blunder. With the 5-hour delay it was patently obvious that we would arrive at Dubai 3 hours AFTER our connection flight was due to lift off. Why then did Emirates fly us into an airport already at a standstill? It was here in Bangkok where they should have found us a hotel and wait until the chaos died down. In the event, we landed at Dubai into that scene of utter chaos.
First off the plane was stuck on the apron for 30 minutes because an aircraft was already in our designated bay. The plane was diverted to another bay and it just stayed there for nearly an hour. The cause was there was no ground-staff available to operate the air-bridge and so the plane just sat there isolated with its passengers stuck inside. When we eventually did disembark it was too late to catch our Manchester flight… and that’s when the absolute chaos cut in. Emirates told us in Bangkok that we would have to collect our Manchester leg Boarding cards in Dubai and that presented a further raft of problems. Big queues = no boarding pass; no boarding pass cannot be put on new flight. Catch22-ish.
We were told to queue at the Connections Desk which had an almighty queue already there and it was going nowhere. There were 100’s & 100’s of people clambering with the Emirates staff trying to process them. I stood in the massive queue for 3 hours and made about a 3 feet with at least 100 in front of me. The queue was a bout 30-40 long but at least 40mts wide in front of a long desk. [See Photos below]. Aom & I did turns as my feet were pretty tired.
I got fed up and accosted a guy in uniform saying I was an old git with wonky legs and a 9-year old with me. He made an enquiry and said we qualify for a free hotel and to go down to Arrivals and join another queue there. This one was even more chaotic with Arab pushy yobs jumping the queue. Another trick was when they got near the front they’d beckon their mates over sometimes a dozen at a time… absolute crap-show. I eventually got to talk to someone but she was about as much use as a ashtray on a motorbike.
By this time we’d been queuing for 11 hours.
We were told to go down to another desk and yet another queue for a bus to a hotel…. It never happened. All available hotels were full.
We ended up sleeping on the floor like refugees until 6:30am. Grabbed a coffee and went in search of our luggage but was told it would be transferred when (IF) we got a flight which is where we are at time of writing. We have to wait until 10am to try and book another flight to Manchester. If we have to pay I can reclaim.
The overlying thing about this entire debacle is the absolute shambles caused by Emirates staff not being present, No information anywhere, No support, No anything… I’ve never come across anything close to what has happened absolutely disgusted.
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TOP LEFT: The absolute chaos at the Emirates Connection Desk.
TOP RIGHT: Aom & Jack forced to sleep on the floor. Is this the 21st century??
BOTTOM: A large number of the local populace were also affected.
FRIDAY 19th
After a whole hour's sleep we woke from our dossing place on the floor and wandered off to get something to eat and drink. A nearby Costa fitted the bill who did some tasty heated ciabattas and, of course coffee.
Time to face the queues again! This time I approached a 'normal' check-in counter and got precisely nowhere. In spite of explaining our predicament the Emirates lady insisted the next flight to Manchester was full but was told to return just before the check-in closed to see if there were any no-shows. Of course there wasn't. So it was down to sitting around very, very tired and depressed for a further few hours.
By now I was so very angry that I waited until the next check-in opened and went straight to the check-in supervisor and explained in very certain terms that she HAD to get us on a flight. To give her her due, she did manage to get us onto the 14:10 flight. OK we were separated but at least we had Boarding Cards.
A bit more elated now we stopped off at a bar/restaurant for food and drink. feeling better we joined the queue to board the plane. I asked one of the stewardesses if we could be seated together and, surprise surprise, she did just that.
As passengers boarded it soon became clear that there was a lot of empty seats; this is in spite of being told the plane was full.
There was 30 minute delay in take off and it was then I twigged onto the reason for, A, the delay in take-off and, B, the reason for the empty seats. It was because they were waiting for connecting flights which, like ours the day before were never going to arrive in time. So much for computers. They told the check-in staff all seats were taken when in reality there was half a plane free. Get rid of the human common sense and rely on computers that cannot reason results in chaos.
We finally touched down in Manchester at around 7pm where friend Pete was there to take us very gratefully home.
A very unfortunate and irritatingly unnecessary bad end to a fantastic stay in our second home.
Emirates... you really messed this one up BIG TIME!!
A VERY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND VERY SAD END TO AN OTHERWISE FANTASTIC TIME IN OUR SECOND HOME
If, perchance, you enjoyed reading this blog, you just might wish to take a look at my original ones written in 2013, two in 2015 and another in 2017 which details, amongst other things, the trials and tribulations of applying for a visa so as my wife can stay in the UK. If so, take a look at our original 3-month visit around Thailand which can be viewed at:-
All photographs and contents
TonyT's 1st Thailand blog, 2013
The other blogs of our Thai escapades which can be viewed at:
TonyT's 2nd Thailand blog, early 2015
TonyT's 3rd Thailand blog, late 2015
TonyT's 4th Thailand blog, 2017
TonyT's 5th Thailand blog, 2018
TonyT's 6th Thailand blog, 2022
TonyT's 7th Thailand blog, 2024
TonyT's 8th Thailand blog, 2025
© Tony Tollitt April 2024
Feedback? ...email me at [email protected]