[Dimas_Rahmatyo]

I was traveling from Hong Kong (HK) to Amsterdam on an business class with Emirates. I have requested a wheelchair service far in advance, only to be told that HK emirates doesn't provide that service. This is the complaint letter that I wrote, which Emirates failed to respond satisfactorily.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to bring your attention to the significant misalignment of service offered by Emirates Hong Kong (HK) and its staff. I have requested a wheelchair assistance for my pregnant wife far in advance the departure date. Furthermore, I have repeatedly confirmed the request with Emirates call center on the 22nd and 23rd of December to emphasize on its importance. Only to be told by the ground staff in HK that the wheelchair service is not available for pregnant women, due to the risk that might occur during that short trip.

The only solution they offered was personal assistance to the gate, which is not suitable given the fact that my wife is unable to walk great distance in such a dense airport with no sitting area to rest in between.I was forced to blatantly show my disapproval and offered them to sign a liability form that would waived their responsibility in case of an accident.

It took almost one hour for them to decide and agreed to provide the wheelchair service based on the fact that my wife signs the liability form, which includes a waiver for any 'accident' and the unavailability of wheelchair in other destination airports (Dubai and Amsterdam). The latter I find to be a way to convince us that their local policy is an international standard.

We were then brought to the business lounge where we witnessed another unprofessional and rude behavior from the ground staff stationed at the lobby. We were rushed to board the aircraft 30 minutes before take-off, while the gate was only 5 minutes away. This is unacceptable, given the fact that we reached the lounge a bit later because we had to unnecessarily wait at the check-in counter.

In summary, I am writing this complaint letter to you because:
a) I would like to prevent the same ill treatment and hindrance to other Emirates passengers
b) If there is a discrepancy in the special assistance service between countries / airports, then it should be properly communicated in advance
c) The way that Emirates HK staff handled the situation shown their lack of readiness for such situation and they were unethical in their conduct
d) the safety and well-being of my wife and unborn child were brought to risk by an unconventional and illogical (local) policy.

I sincerely hope that you will take the necessary measurements to discipline the local staff in Hong Kong, to ensure the same excellent service and standard that Emirates is known for are being maintained. I would like also to acknowledge the outstanding special assistance service that Emirates has arranged for us in Dubai and Amsterdam. Lastly, please feel free to contact me (phone or email) for more information on this event. Hope to hear from you