E
Emirates
Unclaimed Business
E
Emirates
Unclaimed Business
26 Reviews (last 12 months)
Does not respond to reviews
AI Review Summary
Based on recent customer reviews, Emirates receives overwhelmingly negative feedback from South African travellers. Refund processing delays are a recurring frustration, with customers reporting months of unfulfilled promises and empty assurances from call centre agents. Baggage handling issues, including damaged, delayed, and stolen luggage, appear frequently. Multiple reviewers criticise cabin crew for being rude and unhelpful, particularly towards families with infants relying on bassinet services. Flight disruption management is described as chaotic, with poor communication and inadequate passenger support. Positive experiences praise professional crew and comfortable seating but are rare.
Performance(last 12 months):
TrustIndex
0
Ranking
#9
in Travel & Vacation
NPS Score
-72
Recommended: Unlikely
Review Distribution
1.3|26 Reviews
May '25 - Apr '26
5(7.7%)
4(0%)
3(0%)
2(0%)
1(92.3%)
5(7.7%)
4(0%)
3(0%)
2(0%)
1(92.3%)
Frequently Asked Questions About Emirates
Based on recent customer reviews, Emirates receives overwhelmingly negative feedback from South African travellers. Refund processing delays are a recurring frustration, with customers reporting months of unfulfilled promises and empty assurances from call centre agents. Baggage handling issues, including damaged, delayed, and stolen luggage, appear frequently. Multiple reviewers criticise cabin crew for being rude and unhelpful, particularly towards families with infants relying on bassinet services. Flight disruption management is described as chaotic, with poor communication and inadequate passenger support. Positive experiences praise professional crew and comfortable seating but are rare.
Emirates has a TrustIndex of 0 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 26 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Emirates across 712 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (26)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
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Morne L
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
1 Mar 2026, 13:11
Unacceptable service from EMIRATES
I am beyond frustrated with the unacceptable handling of my refund by Emirates. Due to a technical error on your system, I accidentally purchased three tickets instead of one. I immediately requested a refund for two of the tickets, and the refund was officially approved on 10 January. There is absolutely no justification for what has happened since then. It has now been almost two months, and I have still not received my money. For more than a month, I have been calling customer service daily. Every single call ends with the same empty promise: “You will receive your OTP code and confirmation to collect your money from the bank within 48 hours.” This has been repeated over and over again, yet nothing happens. No OTP. No confirmation. No refund. This is not just an inconvenience — it is now causing serious financial strain. I cannot afford to book another ticket for the end of March because I need the outstanding refund amount to purchase it. Your delay is directly preventing me from making essential travel arrangements, despite the fact that this situation was caused by your own technical issue. The booking references and ticket numbers are: • Booking Reference: KRNRDS Ticket Number: 1762204487252 • Booking Reference: IQMCJJ Ticket Number: 1762204487274 An approved refund should not take two months. The repeated false assurances from customer service are completely unacceptable. I demand immediate escalation of this matter and a clear, definitive timeline for when my money will be returned. This situation reflects extremely poorly on your service standards, and I expect urgent action without any further excuses.
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Morne L
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
1 Mar 2026, 13:11
Unacceptable service from EMIRATES
I am beyond frustrated with the unacceptable handling of my refund by Emirates. Due to a technical error on your system, I accidentally purchased three tickets instead of one. I immediately requested a refund for two of the tickets, and the refund was officially approved on 10 January. There is absolutely no justification for what has happened since then. It has now been almost two months, and I have still not received my money. For more than a month, I have been calling customer service daily. Every single call ends with the same empty promise: “You will receive your OTP code and confirmation to collect your money from the bank within 48 hours.” This has been repeated over and over again, yet nothing happens. No OTP. No confirmation. No refund. This is not just an inconvenience — it is now causing serious financial strain. I cannot afford to book another ticket for the end of March because I need the outstanding refund amount to purchase it. Your delay is directly preventing me from making essential travel arrangements, despite the fact that this situation was caused by your own technical issue. The booking references and ticket numbers are: • Booking Reference: KRNRDS Ticket Number: 1762204487252 • Booking Reference: IQMCJJ Ticket Number: 1762204487274 An approved refund should not take two months. The repeated false assurances from customer service are completely unacceptable. I demand immediate escalation of this matter and a clear, definitive timeline for when my money will be returned. This situation reflects extremely poorly on your service standards, and I expect urgent action without any further excuses.
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Morne L
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
1 Mar 2026, 13:03
Unacceptable service from EMIRATES
Here is a stronger, more forceful version while still remaining professional: --- I am beyond frustrated with the unacceptable handling of my refund by Emirates. Due to a technical error on your system, I accidentally purchased three tickets instead of one. I immediately requested a refund for two of the tickets, and the refund was officially approved on 10 January. There is absolutely no justification for what has happened since then. It has now been almost two months, and I have still not received my money. For more than a month, I have been calling customer service daily. Every single call ends with the same empty promise: “You will receive your OTP code and confirmation to collect your money from the bank within 48 hours.” This has been repeated over and over again, yet nothing happens. No OTP. No confirmation. No refund. This is not just an inconvenience — it is now causing serious financial strain. I cannot afford to book another ticket for the end of March because I need the outstanding refund amount to purchase it. Your delay is directly preventing me from making essential travel arrangements, despite the fact that this situation was caused by your own technical issue. The booking references and ticket numbers are: • Booking Reference: KRNRDS Ticket Number: 1762204487252 • Booking Reference: IQMCJJ Ticket Number: 1762204487274 An approved refund should not take two months. The repeated false assurances from customer service are completely unacceptable. I demand immediate escalation of this matter and a clear, definitive timeline for when my money will be returned. This situation reflects extremely poorly on your service standards, and I expect urgent action without any further excuses.
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Morne L
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
1 Mar 2026, 13:03
Unacceptable service from EMIRATES
Here is a stronger, more forceful version while still remaining professional: --- I am beyond frustrated with the unacceptable handling of my refund by Emirates. Due to a technical error on your system, I accidentally purchased three tickets instead of one. I immediately requested a refund for two of the tickets, and the refund was officially approved on 10 January. There is absolutely no justification for what has happened since then. It has now been almost two months, and I have still not received my money. For more than a month, I have been calling customer service daily. Every single call ends with the same empty promise: “You will receive your OTP code and confirmation to collect your money from the bank within 48 hours.” This has been repeated over and over again, yet nothing happens. No OTP. No confirmation. No refund. This is not just an inconvenience — it is now causing serious financial strain. I cannot afford to book another ticket for the end of March because I need the outstanding refund amount to purchase it. Your delay is directly preventing me from making essential travel arrangements, despite the fact that this situation was caused by your own technical issue. The booking references and ticket numbers are: • Booking Reference: KRNRDS Ticket Number: 1762204487252 • Booking Reference: IQMCJJ Ticket Number: 1762204487274 An approved refund should not take two months. The repeated false assurances from customer service are completely unacceptable. I demand immediate escalation of this matter and a clear, definitive timeline for when my money will be returned. This situation reflects extremely poorly on your service standards, and I expect urgent action without any further excuses.
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Juan B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
21 Jan 2026, 06:09
Utter chaos, zero communication, and complete disregard for passengers
This was without question the worst airline experience I have ever had. The handling of this cancelled flight showed total incompetence, zero planning, and a shocking lack of respect for paying passengers. We were kept trapped on the aircraft for two full hours with no information at all. Not a single clear announcement. Not a single explanation. Eventually, we were told to get off the plane — and then simply abandoned. No guidance, no directions, no updates. Passengers were forced to rely on rumours from other passengers to figure out what to do next. We eventually discovered—by accident—that we were supposed to wait at a restaurant. At 21:30, we were given a R150 food voucher, which is frankly insulting. A basic chicken mayo sandwich costs R120 without chips. This was not a meal; it was a token gesture meant to look helpful while offering no real support. We were told an announcement would be made at the restaurant explaining the next steps. This announcement never happened. After about 30 minutes, people from our flight started leaving. When asked where they were going, nobody knew. Some were told to go to the gate. Passengers were expected to order, wait for, and eat food in under 30 minutes while chasing information that was never officially communicated. At the gate, we were suddenly told to collect our luggage and that we would be taken to a hotel — still with absolutely no details. No hotel name. No transport instructions. No timeline. At baggage claim, the belt broke down four or five times. To make matters worse, the entire Emirates flight crew collected their luggage first and left, while passengers from the cancelled flight were left standing there with no information. It was painfully clear whose time mattered — and whose didn’t. After finally getting our bags, the chaos continued. There were no buses waiting, no staff, and no instructions. People understandably started leaving on their own using Uber. Only after asking taxi drivers — not airline staff — were we told that buses might still be coming. Passengers should never have to rely on taxi drivers for critical information during a disruption. Eventually, we were taken to a nice hotel, but even this was poorly managed. The hotel was 15 minutes from the airport. We only reached the hotel at 1:00 AM, then were told to be awake at 4:30 AM to catch the airport shuttle back. No proper rest. No consideration for passenger wellbeing. In the morning there was only one shuttle bus per hour for 22 people. Because of this, we almost missed our return to the airport. Many passengers were left behind due to lack of space, once again with no clear plan or communication. As if this wasn’t bad enough, we later discovered our replacement flight included a 7-hour layover, despite deliberately booking flights with layovers of no more than 2.5 hours. My fiancée and I were meant to start work on Monday in the Netherlands. Because of this airline’s failures, we now only arrive on Monday and are forced to take leave. Delays and cancellations happen. This level of chaos, silence, and indifference does not. This was not bad luck — it was a complete operational failure from start to finish. I would strongly advise anyone considering this airline to think twice. If anything goes wrong, expect to be uninformed, underfed, exhausted, and left to figure everything out on your own.
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Juan B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
21 Jan 2026, 06:09
Utter chaos, zero communication, and complete disregard for passengers
This was without question the worst airline experience I have ever had. The handling of this cancelled flight showed total incompetence, zero planning, and a shocking lack of respect for paying passengers. We were kept trapped on the aircraft for two full hours with no information at all. Not a single clear announcement. Not a single explanation. Eventually, we were told to get off the plane — and then simply abandoned. No guidance, no directions, no updates. Passengers were forced to rely on rumours from other passengers to figure out what to do next. We eventually discovered—by accident—that we were supposed to wait at a restaurant. At 21:30, we were given a R150 food voucher, which is frankly insulting. A basic chicken mayo sandwich costs R120 without chips. This was not a meal; it was a token gesture meant to look helpful while offering no real support. We were told an announcement would be made at the restaurant explaining the next steps. This announcement never happened. After about 30 minutes, people from our flight started leaving. When asked where they were going, nobody knew. Some were told to go to the gate. Passengers were expected to order, wait for, and eat food in under 30 minutes while chasing information that was never officially communicated. At the gate, we were suddenly told to collect our luggage and that we would be taken to a hotel — still with absolutely no details. No hotel name. No transport instructions. No timeline. At baggage claim, the belt broke down four or five times. To make matters worse, the entire Emirates flight crew collected their luggage first and left, while passengers from the cancelled flight were left standing there with no information. It was painfully clear whose time mattered — and whose didn’t. After finally getting our bags, the chaos continued. There were no buses waiting, no staff, and no instructions. People understandably started leaving on their own using Uber. Only after asking taxi drivers — not airline staff — were we told that buses might still be coming. Passengers should never have to rely on taxi drivers for critical information during a disruption. Eventually, we were taken to a nice hotel, but even this was poorly managed. The hotel was 15 minutes from the airport. We only reached the hotel at 1:00 AM, then were told to be awake at 4:30 AM to catch the airport shuttle back. No proper rest. No consideration for passenger wellbeing. In the morning there was only one shuttle bus per hour for 22 people. Because of this, we almost missed our return to the airport. Many passengers were left behind due to lack of space, once again with no clear plan or communication. As if this wasn’t bad enough, we later discovered our replacement flight included a 7-hour layover, despite deliberately booking flights with layovers of no more than 2.5 hours. My fiancée and I were meant to start work on Monday in the Netherlands. Because of this airline’s failures, we now only arrive on Monday and are forced to take leave. Delays and cancellations happen. This level of chaos, silence, and indifference does not. This was not bad luck — it was a complete operational failure from start to finish. I would strongly advise anyone considering this airline to think twice. If anything goes wrong, expect to be uninformed, underfed, exhausted, and left to figure everything out on your own.
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Leon G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
10 Jan 2026, 09:29
Poor service from Emirates
We departed Johanessburg from O.R Tambo international on the 24 December 2025 the flight to Dubai was not pleasant,the food was terrible and the hostess are very unfriendly and stubborn even refusing to assist my wife when she needed to place her luggage in the overhead bin. On the 25th December 2025 we were flying to Bangkok and the food again was very poor quality,we received no snacks,on the entire trip,we received a desert peppermint sort of desert that just had peppermint cream the food was overcooked and tastes bad,brought it to the attention of the hostess and requested a replacement meal and was told I could not get a replacement meal. On the 7th January 2026 flew from Bangkok to Dubai was given options for breakfast but when I chose the chicken noodles instead I was told that I could wait but then there is no guarantee I would get it and then I won't have food,so took the scrambled eggs instead which again was burnt and overcooked,the hostess kept bumping my shoulder with the cart,she did apologise once and was something regular,no snacks were given on any of the Emirate flights we took. Very poor experience and the food is really poor quality,the staff are very unfriendly I even heard one gentleman ask for water and the hostess told him in a loud voice I don't have that now! We will definitely not be using Emirates again in the future and will relay my experience to friends and family. My trip reference number is 3D9FEE7 Regards Kreban Govender
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Leon G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
10 Jan 2026, 09:29
Poor service from Emirates
We departed Johanessburg from O.R Tambo international on the 24 December 2025 the flight to Dubai was not pleasant,the food was terrible and the hostess are very unfriendly and stubborn even refusing to assist my wife when she needed to place her luggage in the overhead bin. On the 25th December 2025 we were flying to Bangkok and the food again was very poor quality,we received no snacks,on the entire trip,we received a desert peppermint sort of desert that just had peppermint cream the food was overcooked and tastes bad,brought it to the attention of the hostess and requested a replacement meal and was told I could not get a replacement meal. On the 7th January 2026 flew from Bangkok to Dubai was given options for breakfast but when I chose the chicken noodles instead I was told that I could wait but then there is no guarantee I would get it and then I won't have food,so took the scrambled eggs instead which again was burnt and overcooked,the hostess kept bumping my shoulder with the cart,she did apologise once and was something regular,no snacks were given on any of the Emirate flights we took. Very poor experience and the food is really poor quality,the staff are very unfriendly I even heard one gentleman ask for water and the hostess told him in a loud voice I don't have that now! We will definitely not be using Emirates again in the future and will relay my experience to friends and family. My trip reference number is 3D9FEE7 Regards Kreban Govender
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
9 Jan 2026, 06:06
Does not care!
Very frustrating service!! I have a ''holding fee'' with Emirates of R950.00 since 22 December 2025 and they refuse to release the funds or send me an authorization letter that I can send to Capitec Bank. I did not want to use Emirates as they were more expensive than Qatar Airways, but they had the option to ''hold'' your tickets for 72 hours at a fee of R950.00. It's been 4 weeks now and they are refusing to give me a letter that I can send to my bank, and the bank is refusing to assist me without a letter. I can see the amount as ''pending'' on my statement. Why should I put myself through this for R950.00? Why does Emirates offer this option but it's a nightmare to get your money back - this should be simple?? Is this a way for Emirates to make money from their clients...?? I am thinking of refunding my entire ticket and booking with Qatar Airways (I will even pay less for the same flight, going to the same place ...)
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
9 Jan 2026, 06:06
Does not care!
Very frustrating service!! I have a ''holding fee'' with Emirates of R950.00 since 22 December 2025 and they refuse to release the funds or send me an authorization letter that I can send to Capitec Bank. I did not want to use Emirates as they were more expensive than Qatar Airways, but they had the option to ''hold'' your tickets for 72 hours at a fee of R950.00. It's been 4 weeks now and they are refusing to give me a letter that I can send to my bank, and the bank is refusing to assist me without a letter. I can see the amount as ''pending'' on my statement. Why should I put myself through this for R950.00? Why does Emirates offer this option but it's a nightmare to get your money back - this should be simple?? Is this a way for Emirates to make money from their clients...?? I am thinking of refunding my entire ticket and booking with Qatar Airways (I will even pay less for the same flight, going to the same place ...)
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
8 Jan 2026, 13:42
Skywards account issue
I made use of a travel agent in 2023 and they used my details to register for skywards , now , I can’t retrieve any of my details , I cant even sign up because my details were used elsewhere. Please delete my details off the system to enable me to create a new skywards account . I tried raising an issue online but it needs details like flights etc which are not relevant to this . It’s very difficult to contact emirates skywards directly.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
8 Jan 2026, 13:42
Skywards account issue
I made use of a travel agent in 2023 and they used my details to register for skywards , now , I can’t retrieve any of my details , I cant even sign up because my details were used elsewhere. Please delete my details off the system to enable me to create a new skywards account . I tried raising an issue online but it needs details like flights etc which are not relevant to this . It’s very difficult to contact emirates skywards directly.
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Janine P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
25 Dec 2025, 13:59
Emirates bassinet service non existent. Rude personnel.
We flew from Sa to New Zealand with a connecting flight to Dubai. The bassinet service is non existing. They have every excuse why the baby cannot fit because they only offer an extremely small bassinet unlike other airlines we have traveled with. Being five months pregnant and traveling 17 hours and then another 8 hours with an infant on your lap is no joke. Would we have known this, we would have booked another seat for our 1 year old. The cabin staff was extremely rude and just said it is against safety policy without actually measuring the baby. Our infant was definitely within the limits of 76cm and 11kg but the staff refused the bassinet. No other solution was offered. The cabin staff obviously is not trained and need to learn manners to say the least. My husband had to remind one of the ladies that we are paying customers. I'm shocked by the way some of these staff members approach their customers. Entitled and rude! Not recommended to fly Emirates with an infant or small children! In fact, not recommend at all no matter your situation. Better airline services available which we will be using in future. Never again
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Janine P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
25 Dec 2025, 13:59
Emirates bassinet service non existent. Rude personnel.
We flew from Sa to New Zealand with a connecting flight to Dubai. The bassinet service is non existing. They have every excuse why the baby cannot fit because they only offer an extremely small bassinet unlike other airlines we have traveled with. Being five months pregnant and traveling 17 hours and then another 8 hours with an infant on your lap is no joke. Would we have known this, we would have booked another seat for our 1 year old. The cabin staff was extremely rude and just said it is against safety policy without actually measuring the baby. Our infant was definitely within the limits of 76cm and 11kg but the staff refused the bassinet. No other solution was offered. The cabin staff obviously is not trained and need to learn manners to say the least. My husband had to remind one of the ladies that we are paying customers. I'm shocked by the way some of these staff members approach their customers. Entitled and rude! Not recommended to fly Emirates with an infant or small children! In fact, not recommend at all no matter your situation. Better airline services available which we will be using in future. Never again
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adele K
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
16 Dec 2025, 08:35
Emirates - will think twice to use in future
Made a payment for over R16000 for upgrades for 3 people using their online payment gateway, OZOW. Payment was deducted off my account but when payment portal returned to Emirates, showed payment failed (which is definitely not the case !!!). A lady from Emirates contacted me, said I should put through the payment again as it "failed" (yet, still deducted off my account) otherwise can lose the upgrades that I need to get for my clients ! Told her if she is sure that it will not create the same issue as can't afford for it to go through twice with them saying again it "failed" . She assured me it will go through. Long story short, payment deducted AGAIN but Emirates again claiming have not received the payment ! So for a 16K transaction, I have now paid over 32K, still not upgrades, still saying payments not received and had the ***** to ask me to put it through a 3rd time!!!! Are you kidding me !!! I have send them proof of payments, gave them FNB's online payment verification links and insisted that their finance department find my payments, allocate to my upgrades for my clients and refund me my 2nd payment immediately as I have Forex payments that needs to go off. Who are going to explain to my clients if the upgrades are no longer available or suddenly more expensive as when I paid??? The woman I spoke to should not be in customer service as 1st thing she should have asked was for pop's and go to finance department to trace payments, instead she got rude when I got frustrated with whole situation !
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adele K
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
16 Dec 2025, 08:35
Emirates - will think twice to use in future
Made a payment for over R16000 for upgrades for 3 people using their online payment gateway, OZOW. Payment was deducted off my account but when payment portal returned to Emirates, showed payment failed (which is definitely not the case !!!). A lady from Emirates contacted me, said I should put through the payment again as it "failed" (yet, still deducted off my account) otherwise can lose the upgrades that I need to get for my clients ! Told her if she is sure that it will not create the same issue as can't afford for it to go through twice with them saying again it "failed" . She assured me it will go through. Long story short, payment deducted AGAIN but Emirates again claiming have not received the payment ! So for a 16K transaction, I have now paid over 32K, still not upgrades, still saying payments not received and had the ***** to ask me to put it through a 3rd time!!!! Are you kidding me !!! I have send them proof of payments, gave them FNB's online payment verification links and insisted that their finance department find my payments, allocate to my upgrades for my clients and refund me my 2nd payment immediately as I have Forex payments that needs to go off. Who are going to explain to my clients if the upgrades are no longer available or suddenly more expensive as when I paid??? The woman I spoke to should not be in customer service as 1st thing she should have asked was for pop's and go to finance department to trace payments, instead she got rude when I got frustrated with whole situation !
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