Emirates J Class

[pauly7]

And thanks for volunteering to post a mini TR.

Well sorry for the delay, but have been extremely busy... I actually didn't end up upgrading to F, ran out of time and the realisation that Xmas is just around the corner meant the $ had to go somewhere else...!

My thoughts on EK J 777 product, easily the best regular J product on Trans Tasman from Syd... though I wouldn't want to travel any further than 4-5 hours or sleep in those seats. For a quick trip across the ditch it was perfect though. Will look forward to trying out the A340 which looks a bit better! i put my misgivings about the 777 in general aside, but I'm still not won over by this metal!

The service was typical EK, professional, not overly in your face but attentive, probably about the same high standard as QF international. Their ICE entertainment system was the best I have ever used (apart from it did break 1/2 way back.... reboot!!) I think all airlines struggle with this... The food was excellent (does QF do this for them ex Syd?)

The limo transfers were a great touch and saved the company some $! They are quite inflexible though which I was warned about and subsequently had to cancel one leg due to a change in location.

Overall, really excellent and would definitely fly them again on this route.

2 best things - Service and food.

2 most annoying things - Both Syd and Akl lounges wireless internet was not working and they couldn't fix it.... And my points still have not come through to my DJ account - but DJ are apparantly extremely slow doing any other airline apart from themselves so will call and put a rocket up them! EDIT: DJ aren't open on the weekend to talk about anything FF related!!! GRRRRRRRRRR



Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Homer]

The service was typical EK, professional, not overly in your face but attentive, probably about the same high standard as QF international. Their ICE entertainment system was the best I have ever used (apart from it did break 1/2 way back.... reboot!!) I think all airlines struggle with this... The food was excellent (does QF do this for them ex Syd?)

Glad you enjoyed it pauly7! My recollection of QF J on SYD-AKL, which was a few years ago now (before I switched to EK on this route), was that the food service was not as good as EK.

 

[serfty]

... was that the food service was not as good as EK.

~2 years ago I was travelling back to MEL and had upgraded to Dreamtime seats.

An EK 777 in AKL went U/S and the food was transferred to to our flight (along with many of its passengers) - the meals were a lot more impressive than the standard QF offering TT, both in size and in Quality. (Cannot comment about the transferred PAX, the plane was full and I was in the pointy end .)

 

[littl_flier]

My thoughts on EK J 777 product, easily the best regular J product on Trans Tasman from Syd... though I wouldn't want to travel any further than 4-5 hours or sleep in those seats. For a quick trip across the ditch it was perfect though. Will look forward to trying out the A340 which looks a bit better! i put my misgivings about the 777 in general aside, but I'm still not won over by this metal!...

2 best things - Service and food.

Thanks for the mini TR pauly7. I'm pleased you enjoyed the trip. What is the difference between the J and F fare to upgrade?

 

[crazydave98]

2 most annoying things - Both Syd and Akl lounges wireless internet was not working and they couldn't fix it.... And my points still have not come through to my DJ account - but DJ are apparantly extremely slow doing any other airline apart from themselves so will call and put a rocket up them! EDIT: DJ aren't open on the weekend to talk about anything FF related!!! GRRRRRRRRRR.

Pauly7, the points files from other airlines are batch uploaded from other airlines - any time elapsed between you flying a partner airline and the points appearing in your Velocity account is generally because the other airline is accumulating a month's worth of data before it passes it over to us in a file. The actual upload into our system takes seconds. However we also still have to deal with incomplete and eroneous records - amazing how many members can't get their number right when making a booking.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[pauly7]

Pauly7, the points files from other airlines are batch uploaded from other airlines - any time elapsed between you flying a partner airline and the points appearing in your Velocity account is generally because the other airline is accumulating a month's worth of data before it passes it over to us in a file. The actual upload into our system takes seconds. However we also still have to deal with incomplete and eroneous records - amazing how many members can't get their number right when making a booking.

cheers

CrazyDave98

Thanks for the heads up Dave, I guess I'm just used to QF updating really quickly, perhaps the OW and *Alliance airlines upload their information daily or something. Still no points and keep forgetting to call - only remember when the DJ call centre is closed (Hint, Please open your FF call centre on weekends and look at exteneding the weekday hours!)

 

[pauly7]

Thanks for the mini TR pauly7. I'm pleased you enjoyed the trip. What is the difference between the J and F fare to upgrade?

No worries... I THINK it was about 300 (one way) but EK said that it would also incur a change fee of 100 or something... which was a little strange i thought - for a J fare....!

 

[Homer]

I guess I'm just used to QF updating really quickly, perhaps the OW and *Alliance airlines upload their information daily or something. Still no points and keep forgetting to call - only remember when the DJ call centre is closed (Hint, Please open your FF call centre on weekends and look at exteneding the weekday hours!)

In fairness to DJ pauly7 the QF FF call centre is also only open on weekdays. Also while I agree with you that QF usually posts points in a timely fashion, a few weeks ago I was sweating on a points post from a simple domestic sector SYD-BNE to tip me over to WP by my FF anniversary. I wound up making three separate calls to the QF FF call centre over three days and it was only after my final call that the operator fixed it up over the phone and my points were posted. So sometimes QF also needs a nudge...

 

[ANstar]

Pauly7, the points files from other airlines are batch uploaded from other airlines - any time elapsed between you flying a partner airline and the points appearing in your Velocity account is generally because the other airline is accumulating a month's worth of data before it passes it over to us in a file. The actual upload into our system takes seconds. However we also still have to deal with incomplete and eroneous records - amazing how many members can't get their number right when making a booking.

OT but...I had 2 Virgin Atlantic flights that didnt post after 8 weeks even though correct number showed on baording pass etc... a quick call to the contact centre and I had points added within 24 hours without having to send boarding passes etc

 

[pauly7]

Pauly7, the points files from other airlines are batch uploaded from other airlines - any time elapsed between you flying a partner airline and the points appearing in your Velocity account is generally because the other airline is accumulating a month's worth of data before it passes it over to us in a file.

cheers

CrazyDave98

Dave, thought you might want the feedback, finally got through to Velocity Rewards and they told me I should wait for 6 weeks (!) post the date of the flight before claiming, unless it was urgent and I needed the points for a trip.

You have explained the reason for the delay, I just find it bizarre in this day and age such a delay is incurred at all. BTW Velocity blamed Emirates as well.

Cheers

 

[crazydave98]

Dave, thought you might want the feedback, finally got through to Velocity Rewards and they told me I should wait for 6 weeks (!) post the date of the flight before claiming, unless it was urgent and I needed the points for a trip.

You have explained the reason for the delay, I just find it bizarre in this day and age such a delay is incurred at all. BTW Velocity blamed Emirates as well.

Cheers

I find it bizarre that airlines still use paper tickets in this day and age but they do - you wouldn't believe the hoops we have to jump through to make our system interface with the systems of some legacy carriers for interlining and codeshare. Not saying this is the case with Emirates, but lowest common denominators rule in the airline world.
cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[SeaWolf]

Thanks for the heads up Dave, I guess I'm just used to QF updating really quickly, perhaps the OW and *Alliance airlines upload their information daily or something.

I think this is also because between alliance carriers they have a lot of IT stuff integrated already, so integrating the FF system is just another step in a whole series of IT integrations that are part and parcel of being part of the alliance. Even then, I do remember someone on FT saying that whenever they flew SQ and had the points credited to OZ they would always come through on the Friday of the week they'd flown.

 

[oz_mark]

However we also still have to deal with incomplete and eroneous records - amazing how many members can't get their number right when making a booking.

Not saying that this is particular to Virgin Blue, but it is amazing how many agents don't know how to get the process of adding a 'foreign' FF number to a booking. Not always the member that is at fault.

 

[JohnK]

In fairness to DJ pauly7 the QF FF call centre is also only open on weekdays.

Are you sure that the QFF call centre is open only on weekdays?

Who helps me out with FF matters when I call on the weekends? I have also called them at all hours of the night and there has always been someone there to assist.

 

[Homer]

Are you sure that the QFF call centre is open only on weekdays? Who helps me out with FF matters when I call on the weekends? I have also called them at all hours of the night and there has always been someone there to assist.

Yes I am sure, though I did just double-check with QF before replying so confidently. Perhaps it was my terminology that threw you JohnK. I referred to the "QFF call centre". I should have written "QFF service centre". They are open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm.

I am not referring to the team that assists with award bookings. It is the team that deals with lost points/SCs and membership levels, etc.

 

[JohnK]

I am not referring to the team that assists with award bookings. It is the team that deals with lost points/SCs and membership levels, etc.

I call the QFF service centre 131131 (actually the priority premium number) at all hours and most of the time they are able to solve my issues. Generally I call to get exit rows assigned, ask questions on complex routings, SC questions, eligible FF points accrual etc.

Maybe it is not the same as what you are referring to but I think that most of the staff are multi skilled anyway.

 

[Homer]

I call the QFF service centre 131131 (actually the priority premium number) at all hours and most of the time they are able to solve my issues. Generally I call to get exit rows assigned, ask questions on complex routings, SC questions, eligible FF points accrual etc.

Maybe it is not the same as what you are referring to but I think that most of the staff are multi skilled anyway.

I too call the priority number and while they are multi-skilled, as you say, they can't help with missing points which is what Pauly7 was posting about. If you ask them to sort out missing points then they will put you through to the frequent flyer service centre which is only open on weekdays. If you are not calling on a weekday then they will ask you to call back.

I'm sure the team at DJ can book seats and answer questions about ff point accrual, as you list, at any time. But in terms of chasing down missing points it seems they also only operate on weekdays exactly the same as QF. This is the point that I was making.

 

[straitman]

I too call the priority number and while they are multi-skilled, as you say, they can't help with missing points which is what Pauly7 was posting about. If you ask them to sort out missing points then they will put you through to the frequent flyer service centre which is only open on weekdays. If you are not calling on a weekday then they will ask you to call back.

I'm sure the team at DJ can book seats and answer questions about ff point accrual, as you list, at any time. But in terms of chasing down missing points it seems they also only operate on weekdays exactly the same as QF. This is the point that I was making.

Homer,

I believe the true answer is in the middle ground. I've called at all times of the day or night and found that often things can be resolved but not always in which case the need is to then call back during office hours.

The last time I did this was in November after returning from NZ. I called at 9:30PM and the missing points and SC's were sorted on the spot. On other occasions with AA as the operating airline I did have to call back. The difference may be as to who is the operating airline.

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm sure the team at DJ can book seats and answer questions about ff point accrual, as you list, at any time. But in terms of chasing down missing points it seems they also only operate on weekdays exactly the same as QF. This is the point that I was making.

Actually no, they can't do much at all! ->... I actually lost my Velocity card and because of BFOD had to fly DJ the next day. Rang them up to see if I could just get my number off them - Nope, absolutely impossible - call Velocity during business hours was the response....

To JohnK's point, QF staff are able to access more QFF information because the two systems are interwoven, complementary with areas of dual access for staff.

Velocity has been set up very differently (as we know) completely seperate and I am sure there are hidden benefits to this for DJ e.g. if DJ want to sell Velocity off at some point it will be much easier for them.

 

[Homer]

The last time I did this was in November after returning from NZ. I called at 9:30PM and the missing points and SC's were sorted on the spot.

Fair enough straitman. I had a similar issue in early December with missing SCs on a SYD-BNE sector and when I called on a Saturday I was told that I needed to call the frequent flyer service centre on Monday in order to have the SCs credited. That's when I first asked the question about the roles/capabilities and was advised that all matters to do with missing points/SCs had to be resolved by the frequent flyer service centre on weekdays during normal office hours. I re-confirmed this last week before replying again on this subject. But if they were able to sort it out for you on the spot then that's great. Maybe it's just a case of getting the "right" operator when you call.