1999 and Before

Your Replies

Flying the Friendly Skies of Emirates

Date Submitted: Tue Feb 10 14:49:05 1998
Khan

Re: Masoor

Actually Emirates isn't all that bad - I flew on it last month. The point to take away is that there is some discrimination sometimes in the asian sectors.

The other airlines to consider are KLM, Lufthansa, Virgin, Thai and Singapore.

Oh and I suppose, PIA.

If I were you I would write to IATA public sevice department in Montreal Canada, and if possible I would sue the Airline in US for pain and suffering plus the cost of your Lahore-Karachi ticket and meals in Dubai.

I had the same kind of experience with Gulf, they could pay me and I would not fly with them.

I used to like Emirate, last I was in there plane was in 93, they were good then, but I thank you now for the update.

What airline you will use now?

I plan to go to Pakistan in about 10 days, and will appriciate any input.

Thanks

Mansoor
Toronto Canada

Yaar, I would like to add my 2 cents too...
There is a lot of truth in the way a country's people present their country to foreigners... Pakistan is a poor and illiterate country, and its majority who have been in touch with middle easterners and westerners defines how we are treated and that is how they behave with Pakistanis in general....

However, I and everyone I can tell is going to avoid Emirates airlines based upon my fellow Pakistanis experiences in general, and not those with good experiences in particular..

Shams Haason.

Now, now, mr. Shair, are we getting personal? I'm flattered...

Hey Mr.Handey Man,
Did'nt mean to upset your support group i.e;"the convention for cultural narcotics and sloths"...or for that matter you.
Agreed, its the "wallet that is the ballot",but let me remind you that even in the"oldest profession" there are terms and conditions for "services provided".
You must have seen notices outside public places indicating rules of entry,like:"No Entry Without Shoes or Shirts"......BUT this all the part of a Civil World With Some Sense of Civility....How would you know?

PS: Any Comments

Hello Jack. I fully agree with your deep
thoughts regarding voting with our wallets.
That's the beauty of the free market system!
However, I still believe that one cannot legislate morality but influence it greatly
with voting with our wallets.

In response to Cynic's comments:

Point well taken. It is a wise thing to "when in Rome, do as Romans do". However, it does not give an airline the right to treat anyone in a dhoti or a kilt differently from anyone in a western suit. My point is not one about "morality", rather it is about "business to customer" relationship. We, as customers, should always exercise our option to vote with our wallets. As far as I am concerned, I will take my business to an airline that understands my rights as a customer.

I have only traveled PIA, Singapore and Swiss Air to Pakistan. A couple years ago, I showed up at Singapore Airline's ticket counter at Karachi Airport only to find out that I the airline had lost my reservation for Singapore to San Francisco segment. The airport crew guy at the counter, a Pakistani guy, refused to let me board the plane and suggested that I stay in Karachi until a seat was reserved for the entire trip. The stay in Karachi would have been at-least a week. As I argued with this gentleman, a Singapore Airline's official, a Singaporian guy, intervened and offered an alternative. I was allowed to board the plane to Singapore. An instant message was sent to Singapore about the situation. I arrived at the Singapore airport and contacted the airline's local contact. He already had all of my information and informed me that a seat was confirmed for me on the next flight to San Francisco (only 6 hours later). In the meantime, they put me up at a luxury hotel. Singapore Airlines had just gained a very loyal customer.

Yes CYNIC, I do understand the bitter realities of life but I don't have to agree with them.

Just thought of sumthun': This Air Em-irate has been portrayed here on Chowk as the "Great Satan". Now playing it backwards, it does play back as Irate 'Em (in the) Air :)-
And playing numerology, it does add up to 7777! Wow, ain't that sumthun' 8(-;

Oh my God!! I have always travelled to Pakistan on Singapore Air in the past. I HAVE planned a trip to Pakistan for March of 1998 and guess what....I made it a point to travel via Dubai on Emirates because of the wonderful reputation of The Airline and to see the havely advertised modern Dubai!! And now after reading your delima, I wonder if I should start writing letter before my journey!! Wish me luck folks.

RE: Jack "Deep Thoughts" Handey "...first, a contract between a passenger and an airline binds an airline to provide a comfortable, safe and courteous service to a passenger in exchange for a sum of money ...".

Oh come on Jack! Be realistic. We can talk
about legal and social contracts all night long but the fact is that a human will react towards another human based on his/her own biases, upbringing and culture. Like my papa told me this once: When in Rome, do as Romans do. Good advice then and good advice now and good advice for the future :)-

I am a regular Emirates flyer and like the airline a lot. Have had isolated problems but nothing to shake my loyalty. However, I do agree with teh article and some of teh comments on the attitude being perceptible different for European sector flights than for those between Dubai and Pakistan.

The justification that the passengers are uncouth is a feeble one (though not totally unrealistic). Generally the crowd is not a crude and mischievous one - just less urbane than the airlinewalas would like. They are in fact better than some more urbane desis I see on teh European leg going stinkingly el-blotto and being rude/lascivious towards the attendants. The handicap of the Dubaiwala crowd not being well-seasoned should be dealt with more sympathetically esp. an airline such as Emirates (PIA alas, has Carte Blanche to be "nukchira")

To: Shair_e-Mashriq

Okay, couple of things here. First, a contract between a passenger and an airline binds an airline to provide a comfortable, safe and courteous service to a passenger in exchange for a sum of money. As a passenger I should not be required to give up my dhoti or shalwar in order to board a plane. However, as a passenger I SHOULD expect the airline crew to be courteous.

Second, who is your travel agent anyway? I have a feeling that you've been had by your travel agent. Seems like you were put on a flight full of people going to "Convention for Cultural Narcotics and Sloth". May I suggest you switch your travel agent.

Khudee KO Kar Buland Itna Ke Har Taqdeer Se Pahle

Kuda Har pakistani Se Yeh pooche Bata Teri raza Kiya hai

Emirates, KLM, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, British Airways,PIA, Areo Asia,etc etc....all change their style ofservice once they cross the corridors of Middle East into Asia.
I dont blame them either..When last year i boarded a KLM flight from Chicago's O'Hare a group of Indians arrived at the airport smelling of NAMAK, MIRCH, HALDI,DHANIA AND POODINA and the whole terminal smelled of the very strange odor,and it got transferred into the 747 and you could see the annoyance on the faces of the Dutch Stewardesses.We have to admit that we spend very little time taking care of personal hygeine. As I got to Dubai fot the final leg to Karachi, that announced the arrival of NASWAR wielding Pathans and DHOTI CLAD Punjabis, and PAAN SPITTING Karachiites,and 1 1/2 foot tall turbans from Baluchistan.Alll this amidst the total chaos of a nation of which these people are natives and representatives of.
Ashfaq Ahmed once said" You can judge the character of a nation by standing in of its cities busy intersections observing the flow of traffic" Does any body want to comment on this?

Hmmm. Emirates Airlines ... "The Airline
From Hell" :)-

Here is another Emirates "Believe it or Not":

My friends mother lost one suitcase while enroute to USA and another suitcase on her way back to Lahore. Each time the responsible airline was Emirates! The first suitcase was lost in September and the second in November 1997. All attempts to recover the suitcase have failed.

Even though I myself have never traveled on Emirates (no plans in future either), I have heard numerous horror stories from close friends about Emirates. The one consistent theme of all these horror stories is the "holier than thou" attitude portrayed by the Emirates employees.

Apparently, the service deteriorates as you get closer to the airline hub.

I think your experience is a terrible one and you have every right to demand some kind of "ehtesab". On a personal note, my wife, 5 month old daughter, sister, and I flew Emirates and Virgin and had not ONE problem whatsoever. I was surprised at how well everything turned out. Considering we had to have a bassinet seat reserved the entire way, three seats booked in advance, a hotel in Dubai, 6 suitcases, one box, one stroller, and one car seat checked in all the way through.

I suppose one shouldn't find all this remarkable. However, considering the state of the skies to Pakistan these days, good service and a good outcome DOES seem remarkable unfortunately. If only it could be the norm.

===================================================

Dear Mr. Jawad

I was really shocked by reading to your story. There was a similar story

with me when I traveled to Pakistan in Emirates and closing coupon to

Islamabad on Aero Asia. When I went to Aero Asia counter they said that

my seat is not (ok). Then I asked for the next flight that I can get the

Seat but they said it full. I told them to put my name in waiting list

and I told them that I am an international passenger. After waiting four

hours the station manager came and gave me a boarding pass telling me

sorry for all the trouble I went through and he gave me a meal box too.

Kamran

Wed, 24 Sep 1997.

===================================================

I am sorry you've had a terrible experience

with EA. I have to admit that I have never flown with them. I'm a UAE

national and should, in some sense, be trying to promote my own country's

airline (thus the email), but I feel that British Airways serves my needs

extremely well.

Jassem

Fri, 21 Nov 1997

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Hi JAWAD

Well I would like to tell u about some of the bad experiences

with your airlines. And it was the most painful flight of my lifetime. I

was supposed to take the 3:45 am flight from Delhi on 26/11, but Emirates staff

created unnecessary fuss regarding the luggage. The treatment by the staff

was very bad, and this is the first time in my life that so many

inconveniences have been experienced.

It would be good if u look into the matter, yes and finally took the

AIR INDIA flight with the same amount of luggage and the authorities didn’t

create any fuss.

Rachna verma

Thu, 27 Nov 1997

====================================================

Very interesting.

Unfortunately, this treatment is not an Emirates phenomenon. All brown/black

passengers experience similar treatment at all airports [airlines] in

Middle East. Try Kuwait Airways [or Gulf] next time and then, you'll realize

what a great airline Emirates is.

prem.chempakasseril

Wed, 3 Dec 1997

=========================================================

ATTN MR. JAWAD

9TH JANUARY MY FLIGHT FOR DHAKA. HOPE WILL NOT HAPPENED AS YU.BUT ONE THING I WILL NOT TAKE MORE EMIRATES BUT SOME TIME YU WILL BOUND TO TAKE DOR SOME HWO.

RGDS

ITALY

RUSCONI

Wednesday, 31 Dec, 1997