EK - Economy to Business - Special Upgrade Offer

7 replies

Gdev

Member since 11 Sep 2016

Total posts 10

I do apologise if this has been raised elsewhere or indeed if I offend anyone with my naivety, but nonetheless I thought this experience worth sharing if it spares any of you a similar fate. 


After a full day sightseeing and driving around Lake Maggiore I was smugly looking forward to a warm shower and unwinding in the lounge prior to a flight from MXP to DXB. I had just taken advantage of one of EK's special upgrade offers, sadly however, it was they who had taken advantage of me. The check-in staff took great pleasure in loudly informing me that my "very cheap" ticket didn't permit lounge access, so off I went, suitably humbled and chastised as the unwashed pleb I was made to feel, to properly peruse the T&Cs of their email offer. And there it was, low and behold, "no lounge access or chauffeur drive with this offer" (luckily I hadn't needed the latter).

Yes it was my stupid fault for not fully reading the small print but in my defence the email layout was quite clearly designed to direct customers to click through to "Upgrade now" on two separate occasions before scrolling further down would have revealed that "Business Class" in this case wasn't really Business Class; confirming the old adage that if something seems to good to be true, it probably is...

I don't deny Emirates the right to place certain restrictions on such offers, I personally feel it to be rather petty, indeed I was wondering  as I boarded whether I'd be invited to spend the duration of the flight in the lavatory or indeed whether I might have to help with the meal service to help pay my way. Luckily neither eventuated. The promise that I would "experience a seamless journey from start to finish, and arrive in Dubai inspired" was certainly true inasmuch as I will from now on be "inspired" to stick with QR and I'll be reading the small-print a little more carefully.

Yaf

Member since 02 Nov 2012

Total posts 47

Glad Virgin Australia do not have the same small print as Emirates

MattJelonek

Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles

Member since 08 Jun 2014

Total posts 90

So did you get an email confirming the upgrade and a charge to your credit card or did you assume when you checked in that you've been upgraded thus giving you lounge access?

sgb

Emirates Airlines - Skywards

Member since 30 Nov 2015

Total posts 419

I always check small print, and on those EK deals from Y to J there are always those chauffeur and Lounge exclusions. They are usually well advertised as to those exclusions.

sgb

Emirates Airlines - Skywards

Member since 30 Nov 2015

Total posts 419

I think it's fair enough if you pay a very cheap fare in J, that it denies certain things, such as lounge and chauffeur, I'm sure you would also agree. I sure you still got what you paid for, and at least managed the improved on board conditions which you benefited from.

VA Beats QF

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards platnium

Member since 30 Nov 2013

Total posts 22

Fair enough. It would be nice if they had an option that you could select to get lounge and chauffeur...

sgb

Emirates Airlines - Skywards

Member since 30 Nov 2015

Total posts 419

that option is actually paying full J prices, it won't exclude anything.

Gdev

Member since 11 Sep 2016

Total posts 10

I'm certainly not disputing the airline's right to place restrictions on fares such as removing lounge access. 


What I did take issue with was that the invitation email was designed in such a way as to not make it explicitly clear that lounge access was not included prior to inviting customers to click through to the payment page. It's simply my opinion that not including an expected part of the normal business class experience should be very clearly stated in no uncertain terms, not just in the small print. It certainly hadn't crossed my mind that it may not be, perhaps as prior experiences with other airlines did include it. 

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