Has anyone transited through Dubai recently?

[Clementine12]

Hi

DM has been in Australia for several weeks and is due to fly back with emirates through Dubai next week. She has finally got confirmation from her travel agent that her flight will be going ahead as normal through Dubai. She is adamant she doesn’t want to go back through the Middle East. Emirates obviously won’t refund anything if she cancels it, which means forking out for a new flight and the travel agent has found one through china for £2700! Both me and DB are hunting for alternative flights.

However, just in case - has anyone transited through Dubai recently and can let me know what the experience was like? At least then I can let her know what’s actually the case, to weigh up against the cost of a new flight.

Thanks!

Emirates won’t cancel the flight till around 24 hours before it’s scheduled. I was due to fly emirates via Dubai on Wednesday. You’ll need to try to check in online a day ahead then it will direct you to call them, on that call don’t use the word “cancel”, say you want to travel. Eventually they will admit it’s not going and you’ll get a refund. In the meantime book a flight via Singapore, HK, or similar which is what I did. You’ll be out of pocket a bit but will still get the Emirates refund (still waiting for mine…)

Is it definite Emirates won't refund? If you had bought directly they are offering voluntary full refunds for this month. Trouble is alternative flights have skyrocketed. Travel insurance won't be valid if she goes via Dubai.

Yes Emirates will refund. We have cancelled ours for tomorrow after being told we will get a full refund regardless of terms of tickets. I believe that applies to all flights up to 31st March currently.

That’s what the travel agent have said. Who booked through another travel agent. She is 77 and likes to physically sit with someone to book the flight! If only she did book direct.

Also - I have told her to check what the travel insurance says and she just says ‘the travel agent will let me know what to do’!

That’s really helpful. Thanks.

Only if booked directly with them though, according to PP?

I have passed all this on and she has decided to ‘wait and see’. So she’s not booking an alternative flight. Sigh.

Some people seemed to be offered an alternative flight within the 24 hours before takeoff. She might just get lucky.

I think that’s what she’s banking on! But she keeps saying emirates will reroute her and isn’t listening when I say they won’t

There's a forum called FlyerTalk which has an Emirates section in, someone on that might know how likely it is. Someone on there was given Quantas direct for free night before but was way out. Way out is covered by CAA rules, way back isn't but airlines can go above minimum.

A friend of a friend travelled from Australia on Friday. They transited through Dubai and had to go to an underground bunker of some sort. They were kept there for an hour and then rushed out to get on the flight.

I don't have any more information as it is second hand info so I also don't know how accurate it is.

I understand that a number of additional flights have been cancelled or rerouted after the Thursday/Friday incidents.

Leave her to it! If she won't listen what else can you do?

@UniDaysAcoming

They transited through Dubai and had to go to an underground bunker of some sort. They were kept there for an hour and then rushed out to get on the flight.
I don't have any more information as it is second hand info so I also don't know how accurate it is.

That ties in with other reports I've read elsewhere.

The flight she is booked on do you know the flight numbers they are like EK016 and if you put flight number into google you can see if flight was running yesterday. The future ones sometimes look like they are running when they aren't. If its running she won't be rerouted, if its not she might be.

Thanks - just tried and it looks like it ran as normal.

Story of mine and DB’s lives 🤣

Crikey. I can only imagine the drama if this happened to DM!

Yes we've gone for the free cancellation option of our flights via Dubai to Sri Lanka but it looks like of our 4 flights 2 are currently running and 2 aren't so I would presume if we had gone ahead we'd have still be given flights via Dubai but just to a different London airport. Can't say I am regretting our decision though up to a month wait for refund.

I heard dubai is very expensive and the laws keep a person not of the culture secluded.

Luckily not an issue for DM rerouting 🤔

I would imagine the underground bunker is free 🤣 and she would be braver than me to take that option but could hopefully tell the story to her grandchildren for years to come.

Well they cancelled her flight a matter of hours before it was due to go. So now she needs to look for another flight and DB has to put up with her a while longer!

Have you looked at flying the wrong way? My DD’s friend got a decent deal flying Sydney to LA then LA to London but they were separate flights, the through ticket was 2x more expensive than two separate flight itineraries.

Yes, we did see one like that, but it was about 33 hours! She’s happy to stay there until she finds a magical cheap flight with one stop through Hong Kong or Singapore!!!