Anyone know how bad the UAE disruptions are?

[RSD]

The Emirates website must be copping a flogging at the moment - it says that there have been severe disruptions in Dubai due to weather and it says to check the flight status page - which returns

Things are pretty messed up as it can't even display the flight status's for yesterday's flights either.

If anyone has any information on how bad things are I would appreciate if they can post as I'm flying CAI-DXB-SIN tomorrow on EK (with QF flight numbers on a QF ticket) - it would be good to have some idea of what is going on! Hopefully things are getting back to normal....

 

[kpc]

Friends were in transit on Wed at Dxb, bound for SJJ....arrived 5 hours late after circling airport for 2 hours. Flight fo SJJ cancelled and they finally got a flight to Zag instead 7 hours ago (flight delayed 8 hours!!) after spending > 30 hours on the ground in Dxb with no hotel available ....they said it was chaos at Dxb!

 

[offshore171]

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/dubais-airports-ran-out-of-food-after-freak-storm-say-passengers/news-story/bad98a7efd468933595f7b4ffb91ae97

Airport running low on food is the claim.

 

[xen0n33]

I know it's the outer reaches of their network, but I was booked on the canceled EK413 CHC-SYD today. I've had absolutely no luck in getting it rebooked - I managed to speak with someone the first time I called, but all he could do was confirm they couldn't offer me any alternatives today and suggest tomorrow's flight.

Unfortunately, he could then only transfer me to their amendments department, where I stayed on hold for an hour before I had to hang up (as it was checkout time at my hotel). On subsequent calls throughout the day, I've only been able to listen to their delightful hold music...

I'm at the point where I think I'm going to have to book QF CHC-BNE and just try and get some money back from EK when this all calms down.

 

[RSD]

This looks like I won't be going anywhere today then -


I've never had a delay of more than a few hours so this will be an entirely new experience!

 

[PERLHR]

I know it's the outer reaches of their network, but I was booked on the canceled EK413 CHC-SYD today. I've had absolutely no luck in getting it rebooked - I managed to speak with someone the first time I called, but all he could do was confirm they couldn't offer me any alternatives today and suggest tomorrow's flight.

Unfortunately, he could then only transfer me to their amendments department, where I stayed on hold for an hour before I had to hang up (as it was checkout time at my hotel). On subsequent calls throughout the day, I've only been able to listen to their delightful hold music...

I'm at the point where I think I'm going to have to book QF CHC-BNE and just try and get some money back from EK when this all calms down.

I'm assuming you booked through EK? Yes a few of us have been lucky on this route when booked through Qantas. We booked using QF points on EK metal and QF sales desk at the airport changed our flight albeit it was a downgrade from Emirates business to Qantas economy but we got on the flight yesterday following yesterday's flight cancellation. Good luck. Also don't know if it can work just getting them to place you on any flight to New Zealand and then paying for a separate flight to CHC? Might be a bit cheaper?

 

[xen0n33]

I'm assuming you booked through EK? Yes a few of us have been lucky on this route when booked through Qantas. We booked using QF points on EK metal and QF sales desk at the airport changed our flight albeit it was a downgrade from Emirates business to Qantas economy but we got on the flight yesterday following yesterday's flight cancellation. Good luck. Also don't know if it can work just getting them to place you on any flight to New Zealand and then paying for a separate flight to CHC? Might be a bit cheaper?

Yeah, booked cash thru EK (at the time, it was a solid deal in J: $580-ish CHC-SYD-BNE).

I think I made a mistake letting the one person I spoke to transfer me for the rebooking - since then, I've never made it off hold to an operator. Their text chat immediately disconnects, citing the volume of requests. Haven't heard anything back from Twitter DMs either.

QF still had a few cash Y seats on CHC-BNE (nothing for points) going for $380, so I grabbed that just so I know I'm definitely on a plane tomorrow. Maybe Emirates does something magical overnight or early tomorrow, but who knows.

I did look at trying to fly out of a different airport for more potential options, but cheapest option to AKL was nearly $300, so that didn't get me far. I think I've landed the least-worst option but it's still a bit of a downer.

 

[RSD]

Yeah, booked cash thru EK (at the time, it was a solid deal in J: $580-ish CHC-SYD-BNE).

I think I made a mistake letting the one person I spoke to transfer me for the rebooking - since then, I've never made it off hold to an operator. Their text chat immediately disconnects, citing the volume of requests. Haven't heard anything back from Twitter DMs either.

QF still had a few cash Y seats on CHC-BNE (nothing for points) going for $380, so I grabbed that just so I know I'm definitely on a plane tomorrow. Maybe Emirates does something magical overnight or early tomorrow, but who knows.

I did look at trying to fly out of a different airport for more potential options, but cheapest option to AKL was nearly $300, so that didn't get me far. I think I've landed the least-worst option but it's still a bit of a downer.

You've done pretty well considering how messed up the EK network has become - I'm looking at a few unplanned days in Cairo by the look of it.

 

[RSD]

And of course it is Friday in the Muddle East so the Cairo Emirates office is shut!

 

[fly2earth]

Whats up with that seems like the whole Middle East just disappeared in one night. Or the monsters have invaded Maple Street (twilight zone reference)

 

[RooFlyer]

Whats up with that seems like the whole Middle East just disappeared in one night.

It just about did

 

[CaptJCool]

You've done pretty well considering how messed up the EK network has become - I'm looking at a few unplanned days in Cairo by the look of it.

How’s Cairo?

I gather it’s still safe to visit ? Or are the Egypt eggshells out ?
I’m working through plan B & C (BC v AD haha) in case it deteriorates and can’t get there, or get stuck there a few days or more

 

[RSD]

How’s Cairo?

I gather it’s still safe to visit ? Or are the Egypt eggshells out ?
I’m working through plan B & C (BC v AD haha) in case it deteriorates and can’t get there, or get stuck there a few days or more

Cairo seems pretty unperturbed so far - just ticked over midday here so everyone is well aware of what happened last night with Israel + Iran, the locals here think that Israel deserves whatever Iran etc sends their way as striking an Iranian consulate crossed a line. No sign of any increased military or police on the streets in Cairo etc.

 

[RSD]

I ended up ringing the Qantas call centre in Australia- summary is that their somethingerother team and the similar team at Emirates are working through all the passengers who are stuck across the world and will send me an email once they have something figured out to get me back to Oz, and what accommodation they have booked for me in Cairo. If I haven't heard from them about the accommodation at least by 6pm Cairo time then I will find something myself for the night.

 

[Himeno]

Whats up with that seems like the whole Middle East just disappeared in one night. Or the monsters have invaded Maple Street (twilight zone reference)

Areas around the Gulf were hit with a massive rain storm at the start of the week. 3-4 times yearly average in a day in some places.
Dubai, and the airport, were hit badly, with ground access to the airport largely cut off, people trapped in metro stations, water inches deep on the runways etc.
The storm is believed to be due to UAE government cloud seeding flights which happened a short time beforehand, but the UAE government is refusing to say that the flights even happened.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I know it's the outer reaches of their network, but I was booked on the canceled EK413 CHC-SYD today. I've had absolutely no luck in getting it rebooked - I managed to speak with someone the first time I called, but all he could do was confirm they couldn't offer me any alternatives today and suggest tomorrow's flight.

Unfortunately, he could then only transfer me to their amendments department, where I stayed on hold for an hour before I had to hang up (as it was checkout time at my hotel). On subsequent calls throughout the day, I've only been able to listen to their delightful hold music...

I'm at the point where I think I'm going to have to book QF CHC-BNE and just try and get some money back from EK when this all calms down.

I was in CHC ~6 hours ago. Screens showed EK412 departure 12:33 (am) which would be to avoid the SYD curfew. But without an aircraft very optimistic.
QF's CHC BNE service was running late.

 

[PERLHR]

I was in CHC ~6 hours ago. Screens showed EK412 departure 12:33 (am) which would be to avoid the SYD curfew
QF's CHC BNE service was running late.

I'm confused. EK412 is currently airborne heading to SYD from DXB with arrival time at DYD of 06.05am 20th April. I'm in Christchurch now, 19th (not at airport) and see no EK flight (time 23.00) departing CHC at 12.33am.The earlier scheduled flight back to SYD this evening was cancelled. Never arrived.

 

[RSD]

I was in CHC ~6 hours ago. Screens showed EK412 departure 12:33 (am) which would be to avoid the SYD curfew. But without an aircraft very optimistic.
QF's CHC BNE service was running late.

Anyone flying EK just to Sydney would be OK, but Emirates have placed a network-wide embargo on checking in passengers with a Dubai connection until 2359 GMT 19/04/24 - so a lot more passengers stranded around the world now. Passengers flying only to Dubai are still being accepted for check-in.

 

[CaptJCool]

I ended up ringing the Qantas call centre in Australia- summary is that their somethingerother team and the similar team at Emirates are working through all the passengers who are stuck across the world and will send me an email once they have something figured out to get me back to Oz, and what accommodation they have booked for me in Cairo. If I haven't heard from them about the accommodation at least by 6pm Cairo time then I will find something myself for the night.

Oh gracious
Yeah
Increasingly likely it’ll be a non-starter
Apparently Israel retaliated

https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/critical-next-few-hours-what-we-know-about-israels-retaliatory-strike-on-iran/news-story/48afe1902c256508b717da70ec5dd0aa

 

[RSD]

Latest on flights from Cairo today - I was booked on the 19:05 but that isn't going so am definitely going to be spending the night in Cairo...