Emirates customer service

[melboi24]

Hey guys, i am new to this site, this is my first post and i could use some help. I have booked 2 flights to Beiruit for july this year from melbourne for $3850 total with Emirates about 3 weeks ago. Since booking those flights prices have been droping like crazy on Emirates and thier competitor Etihad airlines. I could now get the same 2 tickets for $2700 on Etihad or $2800 on Emirates.

I made some enquires with Emirates and found out there would be a $300 per ticket cancelation fee for the 2 tickets already purchased. I could cancel my tickets with them, buy them for the same day i was already leaving with Etihad and save $550.

I emailed Emirates customer service about my dilema to see if there was anything they could offer me to keep my reservation but was given a standard email about how prices are calculated. i replied to them and sent a new email to the website being as nice as i could advising that i understand that they are in no way obligated to offer me anything to keep the flight, but that in this current economic climate i could not afford to turn down the chance at saving $550 to go to a competitor of thiers. i am a emirates SKYWARDS club member as well so i understand they might not be able to offer a partial refund, but maybe some skywards points or something as a goodwill gesture.

I have used Emirates previously and have found them very good to deal with and would prefer to fly with them as i have not had any experience with Etihad.

I would be interested in hearing your opinion on the situation, do you think i am being greedy in wanting to change my flights after booking? Does anyone have any advice or contact details to get in touch with someone at emirates that could actually help me?

 

[Flashback]

Welcome to AFF melboi24!

If it works out to be a saving to cancel, get a credit and then rebook then that would be the only way to do it.

That's the gamble you take with airfares!

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF melboi24.

If you are prepared to accept some skywards miles as a goodwill gesture with the original airfare then why not cancel current booking and re-book with Emirates saving $450 on original airfares and receive Skywards miles for the flights anyway? Much better deal than waiting for a goodwill gesture from Emirates....

 

[NM]

Maybe Emirates think they will actually make more money from the $600 cancellation fees and not carrying you than they would make my carrying you at a reduced fare price.

 

[browski]

Some people, after a good long search, decide to purchase a car. It serves no benefit (to your mental health) to continue looking at car prices once the purchase has been made.
$3850 for 2 people Mel-Bey return is historically a very good price. If you feel the "hassle factor" is worth the couple of hundred bucks saving then go for it. However, I wouldn't feel that your original purchase price was OTT.

 

[Travel Guru]

Purchasing an airline ticket just like any retail purchase is a gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and unfortunately in this case you lost the gamble.

Expecting Emirates to honour the fare is no different than buying a sweater from David Jones and expecting them to cough up the difference when they discount it months later at their end of year sale.

If there's an expectation that Emirates should do this, using the same logic, why should they not be able to call you several months later demanding an extra payment when their fare increases instead of decreases prior to departure.

As the previous poster said, it serves you no good continuing to look at prices, accept it as the way things are and instead focus on enjoying your trip.

TG

 

[oz_mark]

Some people, after a good long search, decide to purchase a car. It serves no benefit (to your mental health) to continue looking at car prices once the purchase has been made.
$3850 for 2 people Mel-Bey return is historically a very good price. If you feel the "hassle factor" is worth the couple of hundred bucks saving then go for it. However, I wouldn't feel that your original purchase price was OTT.

Certainly, when I make a largish purchase I stop looking. The downside, is that sometimes car makers, airlines ans so decide to have promotions and feel the need to stick the offer in front of my face I don't go looking for the promo, it comes looking for me

At the end of the day, at the time of purchase you were prepared to pay a certain price, and its best to enjoy what you have. Like any market trying to pick the bottom is almost impossible.

If you read in the papers about economists fearing that deflation could set in in some countries, you can understand why!

 

[melboi24]

Maybe your all right. I still have the option of cancelling my Emirates fares and booking with Etihad and saving almost $600. . It would just be nice if Emirates offered some skywards miles as a customer service goodwill gesture seeing as i have had so many problems even getting to speak to someone about the issue. I always said that they were not obligated to offer me anything, just as i have the option of cancelling with them and saving money by going with Etihad(even though it would be a hassel). just thought it would make sense as a business to try to retain the original money that i paid. I will have to think about wether its worth doing or not. Thanks for all the helpful info guys.

 

[Flashback]

Keep in mind though that unless it was a fully flexible fare, it wouldn't be a refund you're getting but a credit (minus the cancellation fees) so you would need to be planning to book another trip with Emirates in the next 12 months otherwise that credit will expire.

 

[melboi24]

Thanks for that Flashware, i was not aware that was the case. although Emirates also has cheaper rates that i could save money by rebooking

 

[SnowYeti]

melboi24, you are certainly not greedy! Wise in this economic situation! Good luck with it