AirlineComplaints.org - Canceled / Delayed / Overbooked No Show Policies

My family and I are regular customers of Emirates for the past several years. I purchased a return ticket for a flight LAX-AMD-LAX. My LAX-DXB-AMD flight was on Jul 21, 2012 and the returning flight AMD-DXB-LAX is on Aug 19, 2012.

I missed my LAX-DXB flight on Jul 21, 2012 morning and was put on a waiting list for the evening flight which I made it by paying a fees of USD 400. I have no complaints for the services received and am grateful for the assistance provided by Emirates.

My complaint is that Emirates cancelled my return flight AMD-DXB-LAX of Aug 19, 2012 as soon as I missed my first flight (LAX-DXB) on Jul 21st, 2012. I was told that the system does this cancellation automatically when a customer is "No Show" for any segment of the itinerary.

When I paid the extra fees, I was allowed to board a later outbound flight but they couldn't get me on the inbound flight. I was put on a waiting list. I remained on the "waiting list" for over a month. I made tons of inquiries, including to their headquarters and New York office to no avail. It is strange that in the entire month, not a single seat was freed up that could be offered to me.

It was critical for me fly on Aug 19th return flight because my wife and a toddler were on that flight, and I needed to be back on time...so, in the end, I had to purchase a new ticket in business class. I was told that some refund could be issued on the earlier ticket. No refund was issued. Instead, an option to use that ticket within 4 months was given. So, to use that inbound flight, I would have needed to purchase a one more outbound one-way ticket. I didn't have a need for such a frequent long distance travel, so it didn't happen. But, I'm flying back about 15 months later...again with Emirates. After all, they are quite lovely. So, I inquired, just to see if I could use that ticket. You guessed right, I can't. I must have flied back within 4 months or I can upgrade that ticket to a validity period of 12 months but not longer.

I strongly believe this is an unfair practice by Emirates. There is no reason to cancel a return flight for which a customer has already made a payment months in advance without any consultation with the customer.

I understand that this policy is adhered to by most of the airlines but I still think there is a case for a litigation against all of them. If there are some lawyers reading this, there is perhaps a chance for flighting for a good cause against some of these money machines. I can provide my details but won't have much time to take it to the courts myself.

In today's day & age, people have lots of options...they may miss or choose not to travel a particular segment of the itinerary, why should an airline have a right to cancel the entire itinerary without a prior consultation with the customer? Even if this is in the "contract", it seems like an unlawful contract. A customer has paid for the whole thing - entire itinerary - and thus s/he should be entitled to receiving a service for the whole thing, it's a customer's decision & choice if s/he takes the service in entirety or in parts.

We purchase about 4 tickets per year from Emirates...they work out better for the destination we go to...unfortunately, they don't have a good competition on that particular route (LAX-DXB-AMD). I guess we will continue to pay to the kings of UAE. Hail to the kings, may they learn from the exploitation of their people and many others.