Abu Dhabi/Dubai issue due to Emirates flight change
Discussion
Wondering if anyone has any advice or tips as to how we can mitigate or deal with the below situation.
We are having a holiday in Abu Dhabi from 20th November at the HIlton Yas Island. We are flying into Dubai with Emirates from Newcastle airport which is only about 30 mins from our home. There are two adults and a 3 year old travelling.
Initially the flight times were great, basically an overnight flight so good for the child to sleep and then arrive at the hotel towards lunchtime. The problem is emirates have changed the flight time since we booked so we will now arrive in Dubai at midnight and I assume the hotel around 2/3 am with no room to check into until that afternoon.
This wouldn’t be much of an issue if there were just two adults but what the hell are we meant to to with the child?
The holiday is an Emirates package however they have declined to do anything at all to help because in their terms and conditions as the flight change is less than 12 hours it’s a minor change!
We have contacted the hotel ourselves to try to arrange an extra nights accommodation (which in effect will be half a night) and they initially said they were fully booked but then back tracked and said we could book a room but it would be £2000!!!!!!! for the extra night! This doesn’t seem reasonable or fair however as it’s the F1 in Abu Dhabi that Sunday it’s apparently par for the course.
Any ideas as to how we mitigate the situation? I was thinking turning up at the hotel at 2/3 am and making the lobby look untidy might result in us being offered a room early?
We have considered airport lounges at Dubai but that seems a non starter because we haven’t got another flight to board and emirates won’t change the transfer times.
I have even emailed one of the emirates directors and was basically fobbed off.
We are having a holiday in Abu Dhabi from 20th November at the HIlton Yas Island. We are flying into Dubai with Emirates from Newcastle airport which is only about 30 mins from our home. There are two adults and a 3 year old travelling.
Initially the flight times were great, basically an overnight flight so good for the child to sleep and then arrive at the hotel towards lunchtime. The problem is emirates have changed the flight time since we booked so we will now arrive in Dubai at midnight and I assume the hotel around 2/3 am with no room to check into until that afternoon.
This wouldn’t be much of an issue if there were just two adults but what the hell are we meant to to with the child?
The holiday is an Emirates package however they have declined to do anything at all to help because in their terms and conditions as the flight change is less than 12 hours it’s a minor change!
We have contacted the hotel ourselves to try to arrange an extra nights accommodation (which in effect will be half a night) and they initially said they were fully booked but then back tracked and said we could book a room but it would be £2000!!!!!!! for the extra night! This doesn’t seem reasonable or fair however as it’s the F1 in Abu Dhabi that Sunday it’s apparently par for the course.
Any ideas as to how we mitigate the situation? I was thinking turning up at the hotel at 2/3 am and making the lobby look untidy might result in us being offered a room early?
We have considered airport lounges at Dubai but that seems a non starter because we haven’t got another flight to board and emirates won’t change the transfer times.
I have even emailed one of the emirates directors and was basically fobbed off.
ED209 said:
Any ideas as to how we mitigate the situation? I was thinking turning up at the hotel at 2/3 am and making the lobby look untidy might result in us being offered a room early?
I can't imagine that would work and can't offer any decent advice. I guess from 7am you can sit round the pool and get some breakfast but that doesn't make the night any easier.My wife and son had something similar earlier this year into Abu Dhabi, travel agent cock-up so they had to go onto a flight 12 hours earlier for a bigger cost. They ended up going to a cheap hotel at 2am, getting a few hours sleep then breakfast and sitting around the pool then moving to the original hotel at lunch time. Not ideal but the best of a bad situation.
bennno said:
Cant you just stay for a night in a hotel in Dubai near the airport, think theres one at the airport terminal and we just booked in for 6-7 hours sleep before travelling to our hotel?
We considered that but emirates refused to move the transfers that we have already paid for to make this work As you point out it’s f1 weekend which means any hotel in the capital will be crazy money.
However it’s also the World Cup meaning Dubai room rates will also be peaky, especially around the airport. I’d recommend something like the citadines metro in barsha heights, maybe 3-350 for the night, business hotel so not amazing but far enough out to not be booked. they’ll collect you from the airport and arrange onward travel. Taxi fare will be about 2-250 from there to yas.
Poor show from emirates especially as you’re arriving with few options. They seem to know that as well, hence their stance.
ETA - perhaps worth talking to the hotel directly, they may at least be able to offer a nights accommodation at a reasonable rate in Dubai and do the airport collection / transfer to yas foc in one of their own vehicles.
Also, when making a complaint the only angle that seems to work here is along the lines of ‘I could have used another provider but chose you due to your reputation and now I feel let down’. You’ll only get anywhere with management level though, admin level are computer says no
However it’s also the World Cup meaning Dubai room rates will also be peaky, especially around the airport. I’d recommend something like the citadines metro in barsha heights, maybe 3-350 for the night, business hotel so not amazing but far enough out to not be booked. they’ll collect you from the airport and arrange onward travel. Taxi fare will be about 2-250 from there to yas.
Poor show from emirates especially as you’re arriving with few options. They seem to know that as well, hence their stance.
ETA - perhaps worth talking to the hotel directly, they may at least be able to offer a nights accommodation at a reasonable rate in Dubai and do the airport collection / transfer to yas foc in one of their own vehicles.
Also, when making a complaint the only angle that seems to work here is along the lines of ‘I could have used another provider but chose you due to your reputation and now I feel let down’. You’ll only get anywhere with management level though, admin level are computer says no
Edited by shirt on Thursday 27th October 19:27
shirt said:
As you point out it’s f1 weekend which means any hotel in the capital will be crazy money.
However it’s also the World Cup meaning Dubai room rates will also be peaky, especially around the airport. I’d recommend something like the citadines metro in barsha heights, maybe 3-350 for the night, business hotel so not amazing but far enough out to not be booked. they’ll collect you from the airport and arrange onward travel. Taxi fare will be about 2-250 from there to yas.
Poor show from emirates especially as you’re arriving with few options. They seem to know that as well, hence their stance.
ETA - perhaps worth talking to the hotel directly, they may at least be able to offer a nights accommodation at a reasonable rate in Dubai and do the airport collection / transfer to yas foc in one of their own vehicles.
Also, when making a complaint the only angle that seems to work here is along the lines of ‘I could have used another provider but chose you due to your reputation and now I feel let down’. You’ll only get anywhere with management level though, admin level are computer says no
We have tried direct with the hotel but not on that particular angle. Might be worth a shot.However it’s also the World Cup meaning Dubai room rates will also be peaky, especially around the airport. I’d recommend something like the citadines metro in barsha heights, maybe 3-350 for the night, business hotel so not amazing but far enough out to not be booked. they’ll collect you from the airport and arrange onward travel. Taxi fare will be about 2-250 from there to yas.
Poor show from emirates especially as you’re arriving with few options. They seem to know that as well, hence their stance.
ETA - perhaps worth talking to the hotel directly, they may at least be able to offer a nights accommodation at a reasonable rate in Dubai and do the airport collection / transfer to yas foc in one of their own vehicles.
Also, when making a complaint the only angle that seems to work here is along the lines of ‘I could have used another provider but chose you due to your reputation and now I feel let down’. You’ll only get anywhere with management level though, admin level are computer says no
Edited by shirt on Thursday 27th October 19:27
I have tried with management . I found an email for a director of emirates holidays but unfortunately got no joy at all. I even suggested I might go to the media and pull a sad face seeing as when the flight change was announced emirates were all over local media saying how great the flight times were for travellers, well not these travellers!
The reason we are travelling is the wife is representing GB in the world triathlon championships otherwise we would have just cancelled.
The only option emirates did give at the start was changing to a Manchester flight which has better times but would also incur a 3 hour each way drive to the airport plus fuel and parking costs for two weeks so they were just replacing one problem with another problem.
ED209 said:
We have tried direct with the hotel but not on that particular angle. Might be worth a shot.
I have tried with management . I found an email for a director of emirates holidays but unfortunately got no joy at all. I even suggested I might go to the media and pull a sad face seeing as when the flight change was announced emirates were all over local media saying how great the flight times were for travellers, well not these travellers!
The reason we are travelling is the wife is representing GB in the world triathlon championships otherwise we would have just cancelled.
The only option emirates did give at the start was changing to a Manchester flight which has better times but would also incur a 3 hour each way drive to the airport plus fuel and parking costs for two weeks so they were just replacing one problem with another problem.
A taxi transfer from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is about £60…… just get a room at airport.I have tried with management . I found an email for a director of emirates holidays but unfortunately got no joy at all. I even suggested I might go to the media and pull a sad face seeing as when the flight change was announced emirates were all over local media saying how great the flight times were for travellers, well not these travellers!
The reason we are travelling is the wife is representing GB in the world triathlon championships otherwise we would have just cancelled.
The only option emirates did give at the start was changing to a Manchester flight which has better times but would also incur a 3 hour each way drive to the airport plus fuel and parking costs for two weeks so they were just replacing one problem with another problem.
ED209 said:
The only option emirates did give at the start was changing to a Manchester flight which has better times but would also incur a 3 hour each way drive to the airport plus fuel and parking costs for two weeks so they were just replacing one problem with another problem.
was going to suggest that, but just adds twice the hassle for you on uk side.the prices i mention are dirhams btw. see if hilton can help on a dubai hotel though, they have 20+ properties in the city so something should be possible, just not at yas the night before the f1!
tty of Emirates.jimwilli said:
Poor show from emirates. Would insurance have covered the cost of cancelling this based on the changes made by airline?
Might have to be honest but was a none starter as the wife has hear heart set on going as she worked hard to qualify to represent GB. In other news just found out by accident that emirates have changed our return flight time for the second time, they haven’t bothered to tell us but fortunately it appears to be back to the original time so more favourable than the first change.
If only they would change the outward flight back!
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