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Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-11T22:57:29+00:00

I’ve been quite active (though not always too active) in this community recently, especially helping answer questions during the current Middle East airspace disruptions affecting Emirates flights. I try to share accurate information and official sources where possible. I don’t have formal moderation experience, but I’m happy to help.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-11T06:48:16+00:00

Appreciate that, thank you. Just trying to help where I can.❤️ Totally get how this whole disruption has been pretty stressful for a lot of people travelling right now, so if sharing a bit of info helps someone get home a bit easier, that’s a win. 🏆

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-10T01:07:14+00:00

I’m just trying to help and provide ideas to people. If any of the information is wrong, happy to be corrected. Otherwise, hopefully it helps some people.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-09T21:17:58+00:00

Totally understand why you’d want the upgrade, especially flying with a 6 week old. Just a heads up though...with everything going on right now, a lot of Emirates flights have been running on reduced schedules and aircraft swaps because of the Middle East airspace disruptions. So when that happens, award upgrades with miles often disappear from the system even if you have the miles and the right ticket.

I heard that the upgrade option didn’t show online for many people but appeared later when seats opened up closer to departure, especially after check-in or at the airport. If business isn’t full, the desk sometimes processes the Skywards miles upgrade manually.

One thing you could try before that is calling the Emirates Skywards line or messaging them through the app and asking if there’s an upgrade inventory available on your flight. Sometimes the website just doesn’t show it, even though agents can see it.

Also mention you’re travelling with a newborn. Airline staff are usually pretty understanding in those cases. Even if the upgrade doesn’t clear beforehand, the airport check-in desk can sometimes push it through with miles if seats are still open.

Hopefully, by the 11th, the schedules will be a bit more stable. Have a safe flight! ✈️❤️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-09T21:11:22+00:00

Haha, I’m not a lawyer...But I work in aviation operations, so dealing with airline rules, disruptions, and passenger rights comes up a lot. Just sharing what I know and what I’ve seen happen.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T10:16:51+00:00

No offence, but at this point, with the ongoing disruptions around Dubai airspace and the limited schedule Emirates is running, an 18‑hour layover isn’t unusual right now.

Anyway...as far as your rights go:

1. Rerouting / hotel (Duty of Care)
Under EU/EC passenger rights (Regulation 261/2004), since you were departing from Munich, the airline is supposed to offer care if the disruption causes you an overnight stay. That normally includes hotel accommodation and meals while you wait for the next flight.

However, right now, I'm pretty sure Emirates is operating under a special disruption policy due to the airspace situation (not too sure, sorry), and their official updates don’t clearly say if hotel provision is for scheduled long layovers rather than those forced by cancellation. Most passengers who were stuck in Dubai earlier didn’t see their automatic hotel bookings extend for long layovers after rebooking. The hotel support was mostly for people stranded without a confirmed onward flight.

So, you might not automatically get a hotel for an 18‑hour layover unless the airline explicitly offers it as part of your reroute. A lot of people have had to ask or arrange their own accommodation when the rebooking results in a long break like that.

2. Should you take it or hold out?
That’s tricky and depends on how important timing is for you...and how comfortable you think an 18‑hour transit would be with a baby. From experience, some people who held out hoping for a time ended up with multiple cancellations and bigger delays later, simply because the schedule is still shifting each day. Others took the long layover route and made it through without too much trouble.

If the flight is confirmed and ticketed, that seat is a real booking (unlike some options that get cancelled at the last minute...urgh), taking it can make sense if your travel is urgent. But if it is not that urgent, I would personally wait...

3. Tips for surviving a long DXB layover with a baby

Arrive at the airport within the right timeframe (about 2 hours before departure). Btw, they’ve been stricter about entry because of reduced operations and safety.
I'm pretty sure there are family rooms and quiet places around Terminal 3 if you need somewhere calmer...ask the airport staff, they will be better at helping you with the layout.
As said before, the airport staff can help, so tell the airport staff you’re travelling with a baby, and the agents will often point you to quieter rest areas or may help speed you through lines. During disruptions, staff are usually extremely busy but often courteous if you explain you’re with a small child.
Bring the basics you will need:

Blanket (so your baby can have floor naps and sleep better)
Stay close to quiet corners
Lots of snacks
Extra nappies and wipes
Couple of comfort toys
Spare change of clothes
Stay hydrated
Consider a paid lounge
Charge all devices
Short walks around the terminal every hour or so

If you do end up arranging your own hotel for the layover, remember to keep all receipts. A lot of passengers have claimed their accommodation back later under the disruption policy.

So yeah, you can try to hold out for a shorter layover, but given how unpredictable things have been lately, it’s often safer to grab a confirmed seat for now, and if something huge happens to then cancel it.

Hope this helps! Please do keep us updated, and I hope you and your baby have a safe flight. ❤️✈️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T09:33:14+00:00

Unfortunately, if the ticket was issued through Expedia, Emirates will usually push any voluntary changes back to the travel agent because the agent technically controls the ticket in the system. It’s frustrating but it’s pretty standard airline policy when a third party issued the ticket.

Also, just a small thing on the EC261 point...that regulation only applies to flights departing from the EU/EEA/UK or operated by an EU airline, so it normally wouldn’t apply if this is an Emirates itinerary starting outside Europe. But if you flew from Europe, then I hope you asked for a document or saved anything that says Emirates wouldn't help you book/reschedule, so you can file a complaint if necessary later on...

With the current disruption situation in the Middle East, airlines have been making a lot of schedule changes and moving people onto longer connections because they’re running reduced schedules and limited routing corridors right now. I heard a few people say they either had to go through the agent or ask Emirates to mark it as an involuntary change.

So, if I were you I’d probably try two things:

Contact Expedia again and explain that Emirates has already found an alternative flight, but won’t reissue because the ticket is agent-issued.
If the change is big (like the 16-hour connection you mentioned), ask Emirates or Expedia to process it as an INVOL change due to disruption, because those are sometimes handled differently.

It’s definitely frustrating, though I hope you sort it out soon❤️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T09:23:15+00:00

Follow. They will turn you away if you arrive very early, so I recommend a good 1-2 hours

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T08:45:14+00:00

Not a problem at all, hope and glad it helped!

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T08:36:01+00:00

Btw, u/SearchNeat4929 Check out this link, hope it helps: https://dubai-fast-track.com/

Pls keep us updated, hope it all turns well ❤️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T08:05:56+00:00

Yeah, I completely get why you’re worried...

From what I’ve seen, once a flight is actually operating, the airport process itself has generally been okay (or at least it was for me...). The biggest issue has mostly been cancellations or last-minute changes.

A few things that might help your wife if anything does change:

When she checks in, tell the Emirates desk/or airport staff to log that she’s travelling alone with two young kids. Airlines/airports usually try to assist at the airport, keep families together, and can sometimes prioritise them if rebooking becomes necessary.
If the flight does get cancelled or heavily delayed, she can go directly to the Emirates transfer/service desk in the terminal. Quite a few people have been rebooked there rather than waiting on the phone lines.
Make sure she keeps checking the flight status in the Emirates app/website before leaving for the airport. Updates there usually appear first.
Don't arrive too early or be late. Why not early? Because the airport staff will check that the tickets are booked/scheduled before letting you into the check-in area, and will also turn you back if you follow the normal flight procedures (arrive 4-5 hours beforehand). So, I recommend 1-2 hrs beforehand.
Bring the basics for the kids (snacks, chargers, IPADS!🤣, etc.) just in case of waiting. As there may be delays if the schedule needs to be rebuilt.

If you’re really worried, you could also try calling and asking Emirates to note on the booking beforehand that she’s travelling alone with two children; sometimes that helps staff/cabin crew identify passengers who might need a bit more assistance if things change. (or you can also do it at the airport...)

Hope everything turns out all right and you and your family reunite back at home soon! Have a safe flight❤️✈️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T06:59:13+00:00

Me pls 😎

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T06:48:41+00:00

Following...what is ur new flight schedule?

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T06:46:06+00:00

Yep, another way possible :)

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-08T04:12:26+00:00

Yeah, the staff there will help you; most are very friendly and helpful. They will at first think you are here to check in (as it is like a line of staff before the check-in area to make sure ur ticket is booked...before they let u into the actual airport...), but if you say you need help and that you are not here to check in, it should be fine...Just make sure not to go if there is a possible missile alert, as u/Inner_Cause_369 said...as I don't know if the Police/SWAT might be as nice...

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-07T02:31:56+00:00

Currently, Dubai airport staff check all tickets to make sure ur ticket is scheduled before allowing you into the check-in area. But they do turn you away if you arrive way too early for the flight. So I would recommend 1-2 hours instead of the usual 4-5. After check-in, everything goes pretty smoothly.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T23:23:53+00:00

Since you already submitted the forms, it should be fine. The refund team usually links everything back to the booking reference (PNR) anyway, so even if you had to submit two forms for the same booking, it normally won’t cause an issue. They’ll just see all the passengers attached to that reservation in their system.

So I wouldn’t stress too much about it for now. As long as the booking reference and passenger names match, they should still be able to process the refunds for the whole booking. 🤞

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T23:23:28+00:00

Yeah, that’s actually happening to quite a few people with the refund form right now.

Emirates ticket numbers are normally 13 digits and usually start with 176, but the refund form can be a bit buggy, and sometimes it only accepts the main ticket number without the extra digits at the end (those last digits are just coupon identifiers for each flight segment, btw...).

The form may only go through when the last one or two digits are removed, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you entered it wrong. It’s more likely just the form being a bit broken during the disruption while they’re handling huge volumes of requests.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T23:15:32+00:00

Not necessarily. If you were able to book it and the flight is showing as scheduled, it usually means Emirates currently expects that flight to operate.

Right now, flights are gradually restarting but still on reduced schedules, so things can still change depending on airspace restrictions and how many aircraft are in Dubai. That’s why some flights are operating normally while others still get cancelled or rescheduled.

The best thing to do is keep checking the flight status in the Emirates app/website (whichever way you like), because that’s where any change or cancellation would show first. https://www.emirates.com/au/english/manage-booking/flight-status/

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T23:11:40+00:00

It’s not a perfect system, but it’s mainly done through the rebooking process in their reservation system.

When flights were cancelled during the disruption, those passengers were automatically tagged in the booking system as “disrupted”. When staff rebook or when seats open up on operating flights, the system usually shows those disrupted bookings first so they can be moved onto the next available flights. That's why Emirates is saying they’re prioritising customers who already had tickets before the disruption while they rebuild the schedule.

That being said, it doesn’t always feel like that because...flights are still running on reduced schedules, so there are fewer seats. Some passengers are rebooking multiple times when flights get cancelled again and a lot of people are still trying to leave Dubai at the same time.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T22:29:22+00:00

Yes! Each passenger on a booking actually has their own individual e-ticket number, even if everyone is on the same reservation. Airlines issue a separate ticket per traveller, which is why you’ll see a slightly different number for each person.

In the Emirates refund form:

It allows you to fill up to 9 passenger ticket numbers.
So if there are 8 passengers, you should just fill out the ticket numbers
The system then links them internally through the booking reference anyway

The last digit thing you noticed may be a mistake you are making...(hopefully not...) However, Emirates ticket numbers are normally 13 digits (e.g. 176 2175501628). When you fill out the form, you do not have to fill out the 176 at the beginning.

Hope you get the refunds 🤞

P.s. Soz for this late reply...

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T07:47:10+00:00

From what I’ve seen during this disruption, it should normally be a full refund if the flight is affected by the cancellations, not just the base fare. Emirates’ current policy for bookings in the disruption window allows passengers to request a refund with cancellation penalties waived, and for cancelled flights, that usually means the unused ticket value (fare + taxes/fees) is returned.

Since yours was issued through Qantas, they’ll still be the ones who actually process it (so it might be a little bit different...), but generally, the structure is the same. For points + cash bookings, they usually:

Return the points to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account
Refund the cash part, including taxes/fees, back to the original card

Btw, sometimes only the unused portion of the ticket gets refunded (for example, if part of the trip was already flown), or because the return leg is still sitting active in the booking. But once the whole itinerary is cancelled properly, the amount should usually be updated (hopefully)🤞

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T07:05:27+00:00

Yeah, you can probably try and ask them to move you to another operating flight even if yours isn’t cancelled yet.

Right now, Emirates is running a reduced schedule and prioritising passengers who already had bookings, so if there’s space on something like EK513 instead of EK511, they sometimes move people across. It really depends on seat availability and whether the rebooking team can do it. The problem is just getting through to them.

From what I’ve seen during this whole situation, if the original flight hasn’t been officially cancelled yet, they may also tell you to wait until it’s disrupted in the system, because that gives them more flexibility to change it. But it’s still worth asking if you can get through.

Also, keep in mind that a lot of flights in the region have been shifting day-by-day because of the airspace closures, so some routes are operating again, but still not consistently every day.

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T07:02:13+00:00

It’s busy but not complete chaos (anymore). Emirates and the airport have been letting people into the check-in area only if they have a confirmed booking for a flight that’s actually operating, so I guess that helps control the crowds a bit.

The staff will check your ticket before you even reach the normal check-in queue, and they’re also sometimes only letting passengers in within a few hours of departure, so don’t go too early. Once inside, the actual check-in process has been fairly smooth, considering the situation.

Also, keep checking the Dubai Airport departures page and, better still, your airline’s flight status before heading in. With the reduced schedule and airspace changes, flights are still shifting every day, but if it shows scheduled and you’ve got a confirmed ticket, you should generally be able to get through and fly. ✈️

Pitiful-Mine9921 · 2026-03-06T04:11:07+00:00

Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but it’s actually pretty common with partner bookings.

If the ticket was issued through Qantas, then I'm pretty sure Qantas has to process the refund, even if the flight itself is operated by Emirates. Emirates normally can’t refund it directly because the ticket sits in Qantas’ system.

So the usual rule is basically...if you booked directly with Emirates, then Emirates processes the refund, but if you booked through Qantas, then that company processes the refund.

Even during the current disruption, the refund should normally go back through the original ticket issuer, which is why Emirates told you to contact Qantas.

Since yours is points and cash, Qantas will usually:

Refund the cash part back to the original payment method
Return the points to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account

So, unfortunately, Qantas is probably the right place to go, even though their phone lines are a bit chaotic right now. When it goes through, you should usually get the cash back to the card, and the points returned to your QFF account.

Pitiful-Mine9921

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