Emirates Reviews 

5* for customer services in hard times. Compliments please to all Emirates staff for your handling of your customers during these difficult times. You did cancel our flight back from Australia on the 9th March, for obvious reasons; however, via our travel agent, Trailfinders (also excellent), we were transferred on to a flight with Turkish Air, with no quibles about money/refunds, and got home safely. IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES YOU HANDLED US, YOUR CUSTOMERS, VERY WELL INDEED. WE WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM IN CHOOSING TO FLY WITH YOU AGAIN AND WISH YOU WELL. Mike & Aly

Best airlines ever

In November 2025, we contacted Emirates following the death of our granddaughter. As a result of this bereavement, we were unable to proceed with our booking (LE25**) scheduled for 20 November. We notified them at the earliest opportunity and requested compassionate consideration of our circumstances, recognising the fare conditions but asking that discretion be applied in light of this exceptional situation.

What happened:
Initial contact (15-16 Nov): Email to customer care received only an automated response. Webchat agent who stated repeatedly that escalation was "not possible" despite our explanation of the bereavement.

First escalation response (19 Nov): Email mischaracterised our claim, citing illness waivers that did not apply. I clarified the bereavement provision in their own terms and conditions.
Formal complaint (27 Nov): Complaint letter sent to Emirates head office. We received no reply.

Request for evidence (16 Dec): Customer Affairs (*******) requested the death certificate.

Authorization (19 Jan 2026): After providing the death certificate, ******* approved a refund of £227.80 in change fees and instructed us to submit via the online refund form after our subsequent travel.

Refund form submission (13 Mar): We followed the procedure. The system rejected the claim, stating the ticket was "fully used" (despite the refund form's own category being "Death of passenger or family member").

Escalation (23 Mar): We requested manual processing, noting that ******* had already authorised the refund and that the automated system was inappropriate for discretionary waivers.

Response (26 Mar): Generic holding email about airspace closures, no acknowledgment of the specific case or the authorization.

Current status: No substantive response for over two weeks. The £227.80 authorised refund remains unpaid. A second claim for £284 in seat-selection fees (incurred as a result of the forced rebook) has never been addressed.
Issues:
Authorisation issued in writing, then system-blocked without override pathway
Formal complaint letter (sent mid-November) never acknowledged
Multiple escalation requests ignored
System obstruction used as de facto refusal
No senior review despite bereavement context
Documentation: All correspondence, death certificate, and system rejection records are retained.
We do not recommend Emirates for customers who value responsive customer care or compassionate handling during emergencies.

I flew economy and honestly didn’t expect to be this impressed. The crew was genuinely warm and went beyond of their way to make flight comfortable. One of the best flying experiences I’ve had. Will definitely be back.

After booking and paying for a holiday with a travel agent using Emirates for the flights, I then booked seats through their app. The holiday has been cancelled due to Middle East crisis and I will be getting the holiday refunded, but trying to get the seats refunded is proving impossible. The online chat is useless, and trying to make a formal complaint on their website is also impossible. Very disappointed with the communication service from a company I have used many times. I’ll never book seats in advance again.

Avoid if you can

Emirates used to be the echelon of flying but unfortunately not any more

Under its new management it has turned into absolute disgrace - lying to customers, being rude, not reimbursing for cancelled flights when it was their fault. Even their fleet has become so outdated.

I highly advise not to book with this company if you want to save yourself drama, time and money, it is really not worth it.

Zero stars for Emirates! We had to cancel our holiday due to current circumstances, we have travelled with emirates numerous times and never had any reason to raise concerns however the way they are dealing with refunds is disgraceful. We understand this is a very worrying time for people caught up
In the war and we have been more than patient with emirates regarding the refund we are due but we are now over 4 weeks waiting on our refund. The most frustrating part being passed about with dates and excuses every time we contact them. They constantly change the time frame regarding our refund and keep saying due to circumstances, well I’m sorry but in this day and age you can transfer money within minutes! Joke of a company and I will never use them again there’s plenty other reputable companies we can use.

I recently booked a flight with Emirates from Lisbon to Bali. The original itinerary had a short 1h30 connection in Dubai, with a total travel time of around 19 hours.

Prior to departure, we were only notified of a minor delay. At no point were we informed that this would result in a missed connection.

Only at check-in, approximately 2.5 hours before departure, the passenger was told the onward flight had been changed, resulting in an 18-hour layover in Dubai and a total journey time of approximately 36 hours.

Had this been communicated earlier, alternative arrangements could have been made.

We were instructed to seek assistance at the transfer desk in Dubai, but no hotel, lounge access, or meaningful support was provided despite the extended layover.

This represents both a failure of communication and a lack of duty of care. The significantly extended transit time also created additional stress and concern, as a short connection had been specifically chosen in light of the broader regional situation.

Overall, a very disappointing experience from an airline that markets itself as premium.

With the Iran conflict we traveled form South Africa to Dubai (transitting) then Melbourne to Wellington. Our flights had no delays, Dubai airport has treated the conflict in a professional manner when there was a threat whilst at Dubai international. Flight crew was absolutely amazing. Would not say there were any conflict the way they handled everything. Well done Emirates. You earned life time clients with our family.

I booked a ticket with Emirates but had to cancel due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. Their customer service was very responsive and handled my request quickly, cancelling my ticket without any charges, which I really appreciated.

The refund took around three weeks to process, but given the circumstances, I’m grateful everything was handled fairly and professionally.

I genuinely do not understand how this airline operates.

It has now been three months since my baggage was delayed, damaged, and items were stolen. I was given a timeframe for resolution, yet as the deadline approached there was no communication, no update, and no accountability.

When I contacted customer service, I was told there was nothing that could be done and that I should file another complaint. After already waiting months, this response is beyond unacceptable.

The compensation offered is less than half of what I originally requested, despite the fact that my claim was reasonable and supported by the circumstances. Instead of resolving the issue, this airline has chosen to delay, ignore, and minimise responsibility.

Being forced to chase a claim for months, only to be offered an inadequate amount, is not just disappointing, it is completely unacceptable.

Avoid this airline if you expect basic customer service or accountability.

Paid for my seats, window seats. No communication, no refund or compensation and they just downgradef my seats. On top of that, the wntertainment system aint working. Im not impressed, number 7 rank?

Amazed by the service we received from Emirates. With the hostilities in the Middle East, they offered us the option of cancelling for a full refund for our flights to Japan via Dubai in March, even though they were still scheduled to operate. The two times we rang their customer service for help and advice, we only had to wait 20 minutes to get through, even though it was a really busy time for them, and each time we got very helpful advice. The system to request a refund was very straightforward and we received the money back within a few days. I am used to airlines withholding money when by law they owe us refunds, not offering them when they are not obliged to do so, so this was a very welcome gesture. We will definitely be booking with Emirates again

Verbal courtesy of flight attendants needs some improvement, ground staffs are more polite and accommodating

What on earth are emirates playing -
Worth multi millions and hanging onto peoples hard warned cash.
Absolutely shocking treatment of loyal customers.

I never thought I would write something like this about Emirates, but here we are.

I have been waiting for a refund since March 5th. Since then, I have received different information almost every week. First delays, then reassurances, then a claim that the refund was processed on March 19th — yet on March 24th I received an official email saying the request was still being processed.

As of today, no money has arrived, and my bank has confirmed there is no incoming transaction.

What makes this even worse is the approach of their staff. The agent was arrogant, and even their supervisor simply told me to “go ahead and file a complaint” if I want. No effort to resolve the issue, no accountability.

They also refuse to provide any proof of payment or transaction reference, and keep making excuses instead of giving clear answers.

I have been a loyal customer for years, flying more than 20 times a year, exclusively First Class and Business Class. This is exactly why this experience is so shocking.

I have always defended Emirates and considered it a premium airline. Unfortunately, this experience has completely changed my view.

This is not an attack — this is simply the reality of my experience.

This morning they just made a little error about my seat number which was already taken (maybe an IT bug) they solved it providing me another seat better placed and with some delicious chocolates
It’s pretty rare to be underlined

It has been TWO YEARS since my flight was delayed. Despite my wife and I submitting identical information for the same flight, she was compensated long ago, while Emirates has repeatedly ignored my claim.

I have been stuck in an endless cycle of excuses—being told my information was "incorrect" with no clarification, followed by months of total silence. This is not just poor service; it is a complete disregard for passengers and a deliberate attempt to avoid your legal obligations.

I am tired of waiting. I demand an immediate resolution and payment for my claim.

Case Reference ends with: 8120562 — Please resolve this immediately.

The refund for the cancelled flight was reimbursed within 13 days which was very good.
The vegan option on the outward bound flight from Glasgow to Phnom Penh was appalling. There was no protein whatsoever and it was extremely bland

booked business class, which included taxi to/from airport (Stansted).
outbound no issues but the return flight was cancelled due to the ongoing Iran/US/israel war.
I do realise that many people are losing their lives and living in fear daily. I also realise Emirates are in a difficult situation.
Nonetheless, they found us return (economy ofc) flights back to London Heathrow but then refused to pay for the taxi to get us home. So they actually made money out of this situation by cancelling the original taxi, but then not honouring the taxi ride home.
Much better, more honourable airlines out there. Choose one of them and not Emirates