As I covered in my last post, we disembarked from our fateful Etihad flight from Singapore just close to 3 hours late, with our connection to Dublin pro-actively removed for us. Little did we know we’d end up being the unexpected guests of Emirates flight EK161 onwards to Dublin. But first, how did we get to that point.

In the transfer corridor, having disembarked from Singapore, Etihad staff more or less asked guests to line up and systematically started handing out what were presumably boarding passes for re-booked connecting flights and hotel vouchers, where appropriate. Our crew on-board had told us that if the new option (the same flight the next day) didn’t work, to make our way directly to the transfer counter.

The transfer counter, there’s no other word for it, was a total shambles and a shockingly poor reflection on Etihad if this was otherwise your core experience. Staff actively avoided having to deal with the queue, the one priority attendant dealing with us at one point just got up, shouted at someone, walked off and left. We moved ourselves to the regular queue and were helped by a Filipino lady who thankfully, after restating the default option, told us we could use the boarding pass to access transit security and go to the lounge, and seek better assistance there.

Etihad should take a long look, with the exception of that one lady who seem to be doing the lions’ share of hard work, at the entire staff setup at the transfer counter. To say it was a rude, disorganized shambles would be affording kindness to everyone there.

The Business Class lounge attendants at the podiums on the other hand, couldn’t be more helpful. After relaying that we really had to get back that day, regardless specifically of when, they took our boarding passes, promised to look for alternatives, and would come and find us on the top floor as soon as they had found options. I didn’t get the name of the main person helping us, but there was an Annie, a Monette, and a few others, all of whom really rallied to help more than a few discommoded passengers.

We were summonsed back down to reception and told that, if it was OK with us (of course it was), we’d be moved to an Emirates flight, EK161, departing from Dubai Airport in very few hours’ time, would need to move quickly, and would be escorted quickly to the baggage hall to retrieve our luggage. And so we were; quickly rushed through immigration, arrivals, upstairs to a transfer counter, back down to the arrivals taxi area, before being bundled into a car and sent on the nearly 2-hour overland drive at high-speed to Dubai Airport.

I have to say, despite the best efforts of the transfer counter and their inhospitality and uselessness, the Etihad Business Class lounge staff really turned things around excellently – even if I couldn’t quite believe I was sitting in a taxi bolting from Abu Dhabi Airport, to Dubai Airport, in the middle of the night.

After a whirlwind journey, taking in some of the sights – to my delight, despite the anxiety – of downtown Dubai, we were shortly at Dubai’s gigantic Terminal 3, stood in one of the many Business Class check-in counters, before heading airside, clearing exit immigration after just north of 2 hours in the UAE, and thinking we may even have time for a quick visit to a lounge (of course).

Next time round, I’ll cover our very unexpected flight back home to Dublin, on Emirates EK161.