Emirates Reviews 

I've now done a 13 hour flight with both Emirates and British Airways. Emirates felt more premium. The food was decent and they fed us generous portions. The staff were very friendly. Pre-booking your seats was a more reasonable £20 compared to BA's outright cheeky £100, though I still very much dislike the practice in general. Overall, it definitely felt like they are trying hard to keep you happy so that you come back.

Dubai - Tokyo / DXB EK318 / 27.08.2026 / 02:40 / Economy Premium
Let me state right from the start: I would much rather deal with delays than face problems at 33,000 feet. The planes had to wait for flight clearance due to the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and reports of missile fire. We waited hour by hour; the situation remained uncertain, so safety was the top priority. I want to emphasize that this is certainly no reason to deduct a star—quite the opposite. To keep this brief: the team handled the situation with great professionalism, ensuring the passengers received the best possible comfort and service. From drinks and reassurance to soothing childcare, everything was managed with exceptional care within the limits of the situation. I would particularly like to highlight our direct experience with Veronica Kasanova, who introduced herself as the flight attendant looking after us. We witnessed her work firsthand, and I can say with absolute conviction that I was thoroughly impressed by her sensitivity, empathy, humor, and ability to put everyone at ease—both during the wait and throughout the entire flight. After all, we are talking about a good 14 hours, including the time spent waiting on the plane. Our return flight with Emirates in the same class was also incredibly friendly and professional, but the experience with Veronica felt like spending four hours in a bar, enjoying a sociable, lovely time with great, brief conversations and top-notch service. And it wasn't as if we had her undivided attention; yet, the way she balanced everything gave us a genuine "first-class" feeling. Thank you, Veronica—you make a real difference. A heartfelt thank you and huge respect to your entire team for doing an amazing job. Thank you, too, that chance led us to you and that we had the pleasure of being your guests on this flight. All the best, and hopefully we’ll meet again somewhere above the clouds...

delayed 24 hours from Male to Heathrow - official excuse was due to weather, even though we were told by staff it was operational reasons. This is because operational reasons means a valid claim weather is not.

Dubai airport was chaos with very rude and unhelpful staff. Tried to put my self my wife and 2 friends in one room, until i argued with them.

All in all never flying emirates "fly better" airline as they are rubbish.

We can't claim for anything via CAA, ADR or insurance.

Don’t bother using them! Both our cases got damaged, never had a case damaged before and flew tons of times. Paid for seats for all 4 flights 1 month before flying, all our seats got sold on and they just allocated us their own. I spoke to a couple that were in my seats that I paid £35 each for and they purchased them the day before we flew. I have put in a refund for £212 for all my seats and still waiting. Looks like I’m going to have to do a charge back in my credit card!

i would just want to publicly thank Emirates / Dubai Airport for something that we thought is worth sharing.

We flew out to Thailand on the 23rd September and we lost our phone. We logged a call with the LOST AND FOUND department via email and a few days later they responded to our email informing us they found the phone , kept it for us, and safely returned it to us when we flew back home again via Dubai.

Thank you Emirates for restoring faith in humanity!

Standard of service, friendliness just outstanding. From check-in staff to boarding, cabin crew to meals, comfort
Travelled UK via DUBAI to DHAKA, Upgraded from Dubai to Dhaka to business class, Bradley was an absolute star, excellent service, so friendly and attentive made the complete journey a dream.

On booking my holiday I explained to travel agent one hour turnaround at Dubai on return was not long enough , sure enough we flew from Bangkok to Dubai on 2/10/26 arrived at 7.00am we came in to furthest part of airport had to be bused to terminal building arrived at 7.20am the gate for Glasgow flight closed at 7.30 it was impossible to get through security then train to gate in 10 minutes . We went to emirates desk they told us later flight to
Glasgow was full we would have to wait till next day , we were both starting work next day. Eventually they got us on to Edinburgh flight later that day . Edinburgh is two hours from our home not only did I miss my nieces engagement party but had to pay £140 for taxi I have lodged a claim for taxi but they seem to be ignoring this never again stress was horrific

We booked a return ticket to Manchester from India and need to change the date as my Wife got leg fracture.But the Airlines didnt provide concession on date change fares for medical condition.I dont prefer Emirates again they didnt have compassion even for medical condition

The badest airline experience ever. Check-in Stuff forgot to put a tag on our main-luggage. The women promised she will fix her mistake. As we arrived - surprising - the luggage was missing. We found the missing luggage by our own - from our destination in the Maldives! Nobody cares of Emirates, no contact, no email, no update. 5 days without any clothes! I never expected this handling from a 4-star Airline. No one takes responsibility for the customer! What a bad organization and management.

I've flown with Emirates few times now and booked everything through their website.My honest opinion about them is good the booking process was simple and easy to navigate without any problems , everything was clear and with fare prices, from selected seats , Economy, Premium economy till first class , customer service is also accually helpful , but if you need to change or refund something , expect a long wait time on the phone or chat, I've had refunds take weeks to process.

for this price, i honestly expected the flight to be much more comfortable and the crew to treat passengers better

I booked return flights with Emirates to Australia last April (2026) for flights in Nov. 2026. Within the last few weeks they have changed both my flights 'for operational' reasons, and sent me emails asking me if I wish to accept the changes. The first change gives me just 1 hour to transfer, instead of 2, on the outward flight - I'm concerned that either I and/or baggage will not make the transfer. Since I'm on business, not getting my baggage will be problematic. However, the major issue came with the return flight. Start Oct, I received notification that my return flight was pushed back a day, 'for operational reasons' (i.e. the original flight wasn't full, so jam everybody on to the next day's flight). My 5 nights of my stay are to be covered by my hosts in Adelaide, so now I have an extra night of personal hotel expense. I assumed (reasonably) that Emirates would cover this, never mind the extra day of work I was going to miss on return. Two separate chatbots proferred lots of platitudes, but nothing else, not even an upgrade. They said I could 'make a complaint' on my return. What a waste of time. I also tried to phone Emirates at Dublin Airport, but the message suggested not to bother, since the queues on the lines were so long. Needless, to say, availability and prices are now not very appetising on other carriers. Emirates - never again.

As an interesting addendum, I tried to make a complaint, but there's no facility to do that until you've flown ! So, my back is to the wall - no option but to lose a day and pay hotel and subsistence costs, as well as stress of quick changeover in Dubai. Can't rebook with another airline - with a month to go, there's no availability in Premium Economy (I have back problems) and prices in business class are beyond my means. Very frustrated. Some years ago, I flew frequently with Emirates - no problems. Things have changed - they are now an unreliable airline, especially for business travel.

Having previously castigated Emirates airline in previous reviews I feel obliged to update my latest experience with them 7 Sep and 1 Oct 2026. This time I got a fantastic deal through Booking.com on DXB - BKK return on A380 aircraft in Premium Economy for AED 7,640 about a AED 4,000 saving on booking through Emirates direct albeit with some restrictions concerning inability to change flights.

What a difference flying in Premium Economy makes. The experience was totally different this time on both flights. Greeted by name on boarding, attentive cabin crew, seat belt extensions delivered promptly before we left the gate instead of halfway down the taxiway. Seating was quite comfortable both width and leg room wise. Even when the lady in the seat in front reclined her seat I still had enough room to be comfortable. Service on board was excellent with good quality meals and frequent offers of non-alcoholic drinks to avoid dehydration on 6 hour+ flights. Bottled water is provided in the seat pocket. The entertainment screen is massive but I dont like using it as its too close and uncomfortable on my eyes. The next door seat was vacant both flights so I watched the flight progress on the adjacent seat screen.

I have to compliment Emirates on this occasion. Have their Management been listening to my previous complaints and acting on the constructive criticism offered? I still dont know if the Cattle Class (normal Economy) experience has improved. The cost of Premium Economy is twice that of Cattle Class so I would recommend using flight search engines to find special deals rather than booking direct with the airline.

One criticism, the ticket prices for Premium Economy are too high and only about 25% less than advertised Business Class fares. So come on Emirates Management get your bean counters recalculating the fares to make them fairer all without cutting any of the onboard services. Oh and do something about leg room and seat width in Economy I doubt that class has seen any improvement since my last critical review.

Booked extra legroom for return flight but airline changed so were put in regular seats. Called to get a refund but was told refunds only apply after the flight. Have now submitted 2 refund requests the second after being on the phone to a member of customer services to ensure my details were correct. This airline are very quick to take your money but good luck trying to get a refund.

Extremely disappointing service from Emirates.

I have been a loyal Emirates customer for over 20 years, but unfortunately, the level of service and customer care has declined significantly. The way my recent complaint regarding a delayed flight was handled was extremely disappointing. The dismissive, irresponsible and ignorant attitude towards passengers’ concerns, particularly regarding the delay and lack of compensation, is simply unacceptable.

Since last year, I have started changing airlines and have flown with Qatar Airways, British Airways, Etihad and others. The difference in customer service is very noticeable. These airlines have treated me with respect, professionalism and genuine care when dealing with passengers’ concerns.

After more than 20 years of loyalty to Emirates, it is extremely disappointing to feel that loyal customers are no longer valued. A company of Emirates’ reputation should do much better than this.

Sadly, Emirates has lost a loyal customer. I will continue choosing airlines that actually respect and value their service

Delayed May 2024
January 2025
April 2025

Very disappointing experience. Emirates needs to seriously improve its customer service.

I have flown with Emirates from Copenhagen to destinations around the world, sometimes with a stopover in Dubai and other times just a transit. It is the best airline I have ever flown with. The staff, food, and entertainment are 5 out of 5 stars.

They rescheduled my onward flight for 5 of us travelling. Didn't notify anyone and we were told by dubai connection desk we won't have a hotel or food as email was sent to a flight catchers email address.

I had to book hotels and food for 2 nights and no compensation received.

It may be a good flight experience, though the Customer Support is simply applying.
Booked a Business Class Flight. I need a receipt with the total to claim back the expenses. The web site states they provide a tax receipt.
I call CS twice , I am told there is no receipt and I need to use the e ticket as this has the relevant information .It doesn’t , the taxes etc info is gobbledegook.
The online help effectively disconnected from me . “computer says no”.
Last time I book emirates , and if you’re travelling for business , don’t bother as you’ll have difficulty claiming the cost back

My recent experience with Emirates was one of the most distressing travel experiences I have ever had, and it has left me with a level of anxiety that I still struggle to shake.

I was travelling with my family on a connecting Emirates itinerary through Dubai. Our onward flight was already delayed by more than two hours. We had to transfer between gates, take a shuttle and go through security again. When we reached the gate a couple of minutes past the gate closure, the passengers immediately in front of us were allowed to board. We were next and were already having our passports checked when my sister was literally seconds behind us. I told the staff she was arriving, but we were suddenly refused boarding without any explanation.

What made the situation even more difficult to understand was that the shuttle to the aircraft was still visibly standing there, yet we were told it had already left. We repeatedly tried to explain the situation and ask why we could not get oboard when the shuttle was still there, but the ground staff and gate supervisor were extremely dismissive and showed no empathy or willingness to listen. We were repeatedly told that it was our fault and that it was our responsibility to be at the gate which is true however, what was particularly upsetting was being told that the shuttle to the aircraft had already left when it was visibly still standing directly in front of us. We could see it with our own eyes, yet when we pointed this out, the gate staff just lied to our faces as we were crazy or hallucinating. This was not only a lack of empathy, but also a lack of basic courtesy and honesty at a moment when we were already extremely distressed.

I understand that airlines have gate closure procedures. My complaint is about how those procedures were applied in our particular circumstances. What was particularly upsetting was seeing what appeared to be very different treatment on other flights for the rest of the day we had to stay at the airport. I observed passengers of other nationalities being allowed to board much closer to departure, while flights to Pakistan appeared to be subject to much stricter gate closure. I cannot know the reasons behind every operational decision, but seeing this difference, combined with the way we were treated, left me deeply concerned that nationality may have played a role in how our situation was handled.

As a direct consequence, my family had to pay approximately £1,800 to rebook our journey. The financial loss was significant, but the emotional impact has been even greater. This experience caused me severe anxiety.

I have made a formal complaint to Emirates about this incident, but at the time of writing I have received no substantive response.

I have travelled with Emirates expecting a certain standard of customer care, but after this experience, my confidence in the airline has been seriously damaged to travel with them in future.

Elderly passenger, already checked in online, present at the airport, missed check-in cut-off in a congested terminal. Emirates marked her as a no-show, charged a £151 rebooking fee, and offered nothing. Complaint submitted 22 June — first response arrived 10 September after multiple follow-ups. No apology for the delay, no goodwill gesture, no acknowledgement of her age or vulnerability. Just repeated policy and a suggestion to claim on travel insurance. Emirates' Customer Affairs team confirmed they have 'nothing further to add.' Avoid if you're expecting any human discretion when things go wrong.