I just want to share my Mom and her boyfriend Markus experience with Emirates Airlines when they went back to Switzerland from their holiday here in the Philippines a month ago. Here’s the note that she posted from her Facebook wall:

“Last Thursday 28th March 2013, was our last day in the Philippines, our 4 weeks holidays are over and our flight with PAL was supposedly at 9.05 pm departure time from Cagayan de Oro City to Manila but it was 20 minutes delayed, I was so nervous because our flight from MLA-DXB-ZRH with Emirates Airlines was at 12.20 Midnight. I went out from the check-in area to go and complain to Philippine Airlines about the late departure and why they didn’t informed us.

I’m afraid I will miss my flight in Manila when I arrive there already late. The PAL stuff assured me the flight will arrive before 11pm at Manila and they will attach a priority label so we will receive our check-in luggage at Manila immediately upon arrival.
Thanks also to PAL for this immediate action to minimize delay of flight of their passengers.We arrived Manila and we received our luggage’s immediately and they organized also an airport taxi to bring us to NAIA Terminal 1. We arrived NAIA at 11.30 PM thanks God the check-in counter was still open. After checking in our luggage’s we hurried to Passport Control, my passport was okay but Markus Passport has a problem, because the police said, on his Passport he has to stay in the Philippines only until March 23, 2013 so that means he’s already overstaying in the Philippines for 5 days already.

I didn’t noticed it because normally when he’s traveling with me, he will have the same Visa like me. I don’t know why the Immigration Police only write March 23, 2013 during our arrival last March 2, 2013. The police said my travel papers are okay I can proceed to the aircraft but Markus has to pay first the overdue days to the Immigration counter, I said I will not leave this country without him. We arrived here together so we depart here also together.

The Emirates Staff heard about our problem, so they accompanied us with the security of Emirates as well.They tried to extend the boarding time because it was already past 12 midnight.Supposedly the Aircraft has to depart at 12.20PM. We don’t have pesos anymore and the Immigration counter don’t accept credit cards too. Markus has to pay 4,500.00 Pesos for the 5 days.The Emirates Staff were so concerned and tried to see if there are money changer open so that we can exchange our Swiss Francs to pay the said amount.

It’s holy week and everywhere are closed. Me and Markus are getting nervous already, we thought we can’t fly that night.But the Emirates Staff assured us that we can fly, they tried to extend the flight departure for our sake. At last thanks for the concern of the Emirates Airlines staff we were able to exchange our Swiss Francs to Pesos and paid the said amount to Immigration Counter.

The staff and the security accompanied us and they started the boarding already upon knowing that we were able to settle everything. The flight was delayed because of us and that’s a big honor for us from the concerned Emirates Airlines Staff..Kudos! Thanks a lot…for sure we will fly again with Emirates Airlines! Thanks for a job well done…next time we will check everything especially our passports..this is a lesson also for us.”

My family and I are so thankful for the concern and the immediate action that the Emirates Airlines Staff did. What an excellent service that they did for their passengers.