Etihad Airways review - by Alan Gilmour
13 February 2007
LHR-AUH-ISB-AUH-LHR; Business/Pearl. Two round trips so far, and
several more to come. When it's good, it's very good, though repeat
flights have shown that aircraft standards can vary, but never
unacceptable. When available, the fold-flat seats in the business cabin
are among the best I have experienced. Service on the ground and in the
air as always been exceptionally helpful, and the limousine service
(free up to 100 miles) in the UK is wonderful. This route often
involves a long stopover in AUH, but free transfer and hotel
accommodation in Abu Dhabi makes this quite a pleasant break if you can
afford the time. Only real criticisms - the Etihad lounges at LHR and
AUH are disappointing; cold, uncomfortable and often crowded, and 2) the
website is awkward and obstructive, and frequent flyer miles often don't
register. Overall an excellent experience, and very well priced (LHR-
ISB business fare is less than half the BA equivalent!)
Etihad Airways review - by Adrian Danby
29 January 2007
I have used Etihad three times for London to Bangkok service. Cabin crew
very pleasant and helpful - the main gripe is legroom. I want my transit
times to be quick, and have not been disappointed yet at Abu-Dhabi. Yes,
it is small and smoky, but you're not long there.
Etihad Airways review - by Jakob Sandager
22 January 2007
Booked a really cheap ticket just 7 days before departure LHR-AUH-BKK-
AUH-LGW. Had read the positive comments in here and looked forward to
the flights. LHR-AUH was about 75% full. Generally legroom is 32 inches.
for Economy class, Coral Class. Food good and generous servings. The
wines of a high standard. Just that you really need to ask for a glass
of wine. They don't ask you which I find a bit cheap. The flight
attendants were polite and smiling. Excellent all the way. On BKK-AUH
the inflight entertainment system had to be reset several times and my
system didn't work the last 1½ hour. AUH-LGW the sound didn't work at
all. So the flights turned out to be boring and long. Again only 32
inches legroom so sleeping isn't that easy. But the crew were again
excellent. I am used to fly Thai Y-class and certainly Thai is better.
Better legroom with 34 inches. The seats were comfortable with Etihad.
And the IFE is great. It is just that I so much prefer a comfortable
seat and good legroom to an IFE that so often really causes troubles or
has to be reset. I certainly recommend Etihad to anyone. It really is a
great airline, tasty food, great crew onboard.
Etihad Airways review - by Marc Dupriez
21 January 2007
Since September last year I fly every month CDG-AUH-CDG in Pearl (business) area. First two flights
were OK (seat 180°, etc) as said on Etihad Web site. But since November this is finished.
Poor old fashioned seats (difficult to sleep overnight and being OK for business at arrival),
Video system not working properly in most of the cases. In addition, the Frequent Flyer System seems to be bugged : only my flights Abu Dhabi to Paris-CDG
are accounted, not the CDG-AUH ones !
Etihad Airways review - by Anthony Slark
19 January 2007
Economy BKK-AUH-LGW. The entertainment system is the best I have
experienced with a personal monitor and choice of 70 movies. The meals
were good and I was even offered a second meal because some were not
taken by other passengers. Both flights on Boeing 777s with the large
type restrooms. Service by both crews was superb. Nothing was too much
trouble for the cabin attendants. I could have done with a little more
legroom because it was impossible to stretch out my legs. The only minus
for my journey was the stop at Abu Dhabi Airport. The air was thick
with cigarette smoke as always and there was nowhere to sit to escape
breathing that smoke. Those of you that transit Abu Dhabi will know
what I mean here. Come on Abu Dhabi Airport. Get with it and clean up
the air at your airport. Overall a very pleasant way of doing the long
journey from Bangkok to London.
Etihad Airways review - by Heiko Jockers
9 January 2007
Coach MUC to AUH, A330-243 quite new, latest IFE with large screen, nice
seats, legroom not great. Food choice limited but great quality out of
Munich. AUH a nightmare stopover, too small, boring terminal, smoke
filled environment, too many hours. On time departure to CGK, brand new
777-300ER. Chaotic boarding, but received upgrade to business class,
great experience. Totally lie-flat beds, herring bone arrangement,
service and food perfect for the 8 hour flight. Great airline if its
with the new added aircraft. AUH needs the new terminal. Try them out
and dont miss EY´s great reward program called guests!
Etihad Airways review - by Lorraine Turner
9 January 2007
LHR-AUH-LHR, check in opened 4hours before flight, got preferred seats,
flight service fantastic, IFE great. Given blankets, eye masks,
toothbrushes, socks, ear plugs in a lovely little case to keep. Coming
back the same, even got fillet steak as main course with fine wines -
all complimentary
Etihad Airways review - by Nabil Alizai
9 January 2007
Just arrived this morning on an Etihad Airways flight. I must say it
definitely compares well to the likes of Emirates and Qatar Airways.
MAN-AUH-CAI-AUH-MAN. MAN flights and CAI-AUH flight on new A330's.
Fantastic entertainment, but the food is not very good at all. Personal
screens very big! AUH-CAI was not that great on A340-300 : tiny PTV's
(1/4 of the size of the other ones!).
Etihad Airways review - by Nicola Siotto
17 December 2006
This summer in I purchased for me and my wife a holiday package to
Frankfurt. The bus service transfer from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and back is
5*, couldn't be better. Also the fact that you can make check-in in
Dubai is an excellent strategy. The only down size is that although
Etihad has purchased new planes the one we took was an old 340 which
obviously did not offer even half of the promised amenities that were
advertised. Excellent ticket pricing so far!
Etihad Airways review - by George Tamamdjiev
15 December 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK-AUH-LHR. First 3 flights on 777-300ER AUH LHR on A340-500.
Great planes, especially the Airbus. Very good leg room, amazing IFE on
demand with more then 100 films. Food ok with food menus. Flights on
time. Only downside is the drink service, only one before the meal and
then you have to ask for a second one during the meal, sometimes
delivered long time after the meal. The flight attendants must learn
from Malaysia and Qatar Airways. After the flight I check my Etihad
guest account and they missed to add the miles from LGW to BKK.
Etihad Airways review - by Bryan Chitty
15 December 2006
LGW-BKK. All legs in new 777s plenty of legroom, LGW -AUH and return
plane was almost empty so were able to occupy a row each (6 of us) and
get a little sleep. Food was ok on all flights but they ran out of some
items on the LGW flights although the plane was only about half full
both ways. Due to flight changes Etihad arranged for hotel rooms in Abu
Dhabi which was confirmed on three occasions. On arrival at Abu Dhabi we
were confronted by a very abusive member of staff who told us that no
rooms had been booked and no rooms were available in the whole of the
area so we could get on the next flight to BKK in 45 mins or stand in
the airport for 24 hrs to get the booked connection - having little
choice we caught the earlier flight and had to find a hotel in BKK as we
had arrived 24 hrs early.
Etihad Airways review - by Nick Wallace
10 December 2006
AUH to DMM Coral/Economy. Only a short flight but excellent overall
experience. Seat pitch was huge, I am 6'4 and had as much leg room as I
could want. Ground handling at AUH very efficient. Cabin crew friendly
and efficient. Snack very good.
Etihad Airways review - by Saad Khan
10 December 2006
DMM-AUH-KHI return. Outbound both sectors on A330. The plane was clean
and the staff young and did a great job. There were only overhead
monitors at that time. When returning we were on a Boeing 777.
Everything improved - more legroom, excellent food, and a great IFE that
included around 100+ movies. We had a 14hr stay in AUH. A 5 star hotel
was arranged for our stay by the airline with them taking up the cost.
It was a great time and would prefer Etihad airways instead of PIA or
Emirates due to the low price and great on board services.
Etihad Airways review - by S Menzendorf
18 November 2006
AUH-MUC return economy. both legs on the newer a330-243. great airline.
amazing seat pitch for economy class. great IFE (including huge PTV),
great service, good food. flights on time as well. booked them again
already for the Christmas flight to Europe. My overall rating 9/10.
Etihad Airways review - by E Giallo
17 November 2006
CDG AUH BKK. Very good and new fleet. Big screens and much
entertainment. Food is good but if you are seated at the rear, be warned
that you will not have the choice of your food. Staff is nice but you
can feel a little lack of professionalism. The planes arrive before
scheduled time except from AUH to CDG (2 hours delay and no
information). Be warned that in AUH airport smoking is permitted
everywhere making my journey less pleasant.
Etihad Airways review - by Stewart Reynolds
8 November 2006
My wife and I recently flew with Etihad from Gatwick to Abu Dhabi and then through to Sri Lanka.
What a wonderful experience this was. From check in to destination we cannot fault the excellent
service. We will most certainly fly Etihad again. This holiday was actually our honeymoon,and the
first time my wife had travelled long haul. Due to friendlyness and efficiency of your staff at all
levels it certainly took the pressure from what on paper was seen to be a daunting journey. Well
done Etihad. A credit to all.
Etihad Airways review - by Geraint Lewis
5 November 2006
Pearl Class LGW-AUH-BKK return in October and despite a couple of small
glitches has an excellent set of flights. From Limo pickup from home to
the full flat bed (I got a full 3 hours sleep on each of 2 sectors) I
cannot fault this airline. The cabin staff were most attentive and very
friendly. Food was excellent on all legs (ex AUH leg was best both
times). Major gripe -lounges. Delta at LGW is awful. Dark, dingy and
full of loudmouthed travelling salesmen. CIP at BKK nearly as bad - only
reading material was in German. Whatever happened to their link with
Thai? I'm already planning my next trip with Etihad.
Etihad Airways review - by Asmaa Sahhab
2 November 2006
LGW-AUH-LGW. Both flights on the new 777-300ER. Punctual departure on
both flights. Although this aircraft can carry 350 passengers in coral
(economy), the outbound flight only had 150 "guests" and the return only
100 "guests" (Etihad call their passengers guests). Me and my husband
had 3 seats each to ourselves and so too did most other guests. On the
outbound, Lunch was excellent, with 3 options, while on the return
breakfast was less attractive but still edible. Drinks were served
throughout the flights and the flight attendents were always smiling and
on hand to provide assistance when required. The IFE was excellent with
an on demand choice of over 100 movies and tv programs with a large
10.4” screens. We did not use the wi-Fli internet service but it will be
discontinued at the end of December 2006. Effective October 1, 2006
Guests can use the service free of charge. When i reached AUH, I needed
to cut my trip short and was pleasantly surprised to know that all
Etihad tickets are changeable for a fee, regardless of the class booked.
Overall a very pleasant experience and will fly again.
Etihad Airways review - by Ian Francis
27 October 2006
LHR - Dubai return in Coral. Both trips on A340. Excellent food, service
and legroom. Good IFE. Check in at LHR erratic, asked for window seats,
given middle row, but plane not full, so no problem. Check in at Abu
Dhabi excellent Seats asked for given, very polite and helpful. Would
recommend. Matches Emirates for less cost.
Etihad Airways review - by Patricia Beck-Palles
19 October 2006
Thank you for posting so many good and informative comments about Etihad
Airways. I am now about to make my first booking, Brussels to Toronto.
Etihad Airways review - by Neil Egan
19 October 2006
MAN-AUH-BKK return, all flights excellent. Cabin crew friendly and
attentive, not shy with the drinks either! Inflight entertainment good,
food tasty. AUH airport small but okay for a couple of hours.
Etihad Airways review - by David Huggett
17 October 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK return in Coral Zone. Boeing 777 seemed brand new - so much
more room compared to A330 or A340. The crew were excellent, food the
best airline food and video entertainment good. The plane left
practically on time on each leg. Only one small point to mention. The
footrests fold up in front of the magazine pouch (which was severely
overstuffed with various magazines) causing limited knee/shin/leg room.
Apart from that - no problems.
Etihad Airways review - by B Furnival
28 September 2006
Etihad is excellent. Economy to Bangkok and back and the cabin was
spacious and staff attentive and helpful at all stages. You could drink
alcohol and IFE was first rate (although the touch screens didn't always
work). The food wasn't quite as good as it could have been but
nonetheless, all in all, this superb airline will be used by me again.
Etihad Airways review - by W Hill
27 September 2006
LHR-AUH-BKK return, Business Class. A340 on LHR-AUH legs, B777 on AUH-
BKK legs, all new aircraft. I liked the Etihad seats as they could be
made horizontal, and I found them more comfortable than seats of Qatar
Airways. The seat surround has a lot of plastic, and it looks and feels
rather flimsy in comparison to the seats of other airlines I have
travelled with. Food and service were good, but not as good as Qatar
Airways. The IFE system, although modern and with large screens, is
rather clunky and slow, and the range of films was not that good.
Boeing's Connexion WIFI Internet service was available on the B777 and I
tried it out - reasonably fast and I was able to send and receive e-
mails and browse Web pages. I was upgraded to First Class on AUH to LHR
leg - First Class seats were very comfortable, service, food and wine
excellent.
Etihad Airways review - by Suhail Shaibani
27 September 2006
I have flown with Etihad Airways three time now, twice to Cairo and once
to Bangkok. Both of my journeys were excellent by the service received
in flight and on ground. When we arrived Abu Dhabi on our way back from
BKK we were given hotel to rest in the airport without any delay, thats
made our flight much pleasant and we arrived in Muscat in good spirit.
Etihad Airways review - by John M Clarke
16 September 2006
I have flown between Abu Dhabi and Manchester return 5 times since May.
The staff are generally attentive, although sometimes there is a problem
with understanding English with some of the crew. The entertainment is
good and just been changed. Every flight without fail there has been a
shortage of availability of choice on the menu items. I cannot
understand how the ticket pricing works, It is a lot more expensive to
fly from Abu Dhabi to MAN return than it is to fly MAN to Abu Dhabi
return and it differs depending on booking in Abu Dhabi or the UK. When
asked at the Abu Dhabi central booking office I was told there is no
high and low season and there is a set price? The price varies from
2300AED to 3500AED - why?
Etihad Airways review - by Judith Shore
16 September 2006
LGW to Bangkok. Very impressed with both outward and inward flights.
Loads of legroom for very tall partner of mine! Food was best I've had
in a long while on long haul flights. Staff very efficient and helpful -
a bit on the serious side but very polite. We travel on a frequent
basis to Bangkok and would definitely choose Etihad again in future.
Etihad Airways review - by Steve Wade
13 September 2006
Heathrow-Abu Dhabi. The aircraft was one of the new ones, with excellent
mood lighting, IFE and seat pitch. In economy, the plane was not very
busy at all, and that allowed the cabin crew to provide a superior level
of personal service. I have been on other carriers where a low
passenger count is regarded as a day off for the cabin crew, with very
slow/poor service - but not on Etihad. Food choice was fantastic - WiFi
in all 3 cabins - aircraft interior was bright and spacious, I honestly
couldnt fault them. The lounges in Heathrow and Abu Dhabi are excellent,
with plenty of food/beverage choice, and reading materials.
Etihad Airways review - by Paul Winder
6 September 2006
LGW-AUH-LGW. Both flights full but great service from FAs. Meals/drinks
service plentiful. IFE great. On the return flight my wife's screen
would not work, despite being rebooted at least twice (we were told) so
a bit disappointing. All in all, two pleasant flights to start and end a
holiday, and would recommend this airline.
Etihad Airways review - by David Cheetham
28 August 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK economy (return). This airline has improved significantly since last year. The new B777
from LGW is modern, spacious and well equiped. Etihad FA's are friendly but do not seem to like
frequently serving coffee or tea - they make the excuse that there is too much turbulence?! Etihad
are knocking on the door of Qatar and Emirates for service. Still really cheap compared to BA
and Thai but drawback is that you have to change planes in AUH. Will be booking them next time I
travel to BKK.
Etihad Airways review - by Nick Ward
26 August 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK return. Excellent. Flew economy (Coral class) was very
impressed. Food great as was the entertainment. Tickets very good value for money compared to
other airlines on the same route. AHU stop over was quick (only about an hours wait) and efficient.
Etihad Airways review - by Judith Matthews
22 August 2006
London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi and back again. Outstanding service in
economy. Very attentive and professional staff.
Etihad Airways review - by Clive Beard
22 August 2006
LHR-AUH-BKK in Coral/economy. From LHR we were on a brand new A340 and
from Abu Dhabi Boeing 777. They could not be faulted in any way. All
flights on time or ahead of schedule. Food was very good, with good
choice and the flight attendants were polite, helpful & available when
requested. The only complaint would be against the IFE which on the
return leg to London had loads of problems (but this did give us chance
to sleep). In previous years we have flown to the Far East with Emirates
and Qatar - Etihad are equally as good and deserve at least 4 star
rating. Upon reaching Heathrow we reported damage to 1 of our cases a
representative from Etihad contacted our home the next day and a
replacement case was delivered to our home within 4 days of our return.
Etihad Airways review - by Iskandar Nordin
12 August 2006
DXB-AUH-BKKBusiness Class (Pearl Class). Arrived at AUH Airport and was
informed to go to Etihad Pearl Class Check In Counter which was nice
but a bit of a mess as AUH Airport was going through a major
refurbishment and renovation. Got my boarding pass and got the seat I
had made reservations for. Etihad Lounge in AUH is simple. Complimentary
Hi Speed Internet access available with 6 computers in Lounge. Food was
mixture of hot and cold food - salads to entree / dessert. Arabic and
Western food available. A Ladies section was available to cater to the
Arabic ladies who were using the lounge. Decor simple and staff were
helpful and friendly. Boarded the aircraft from gate 8 and was held in
the holding room. AUH needs to expand to cater to Etihad's bigger fleet
as holding room was so small. It probably could hold only about 70-100
people. Flight was on 777-300ER. Boarded the plane and escorted to my
seat. Nice interior, flat beds. Clean and tidy. On seat was an amenity
kit and headset. Welcome drinks, newpapers. After take off, hot towels
and blankets offered. Drinks orders taken as well as Appetisers and
Entree. Interestingly no menus were offered. So didn't know choice until
she pulled out the menu from her tray. Tray offered after a round of
drinks and presented with Appetiser of Smoke Salmon Mousse, fresh salad
with no choice of salad dressing (olive oil) and assortment of bread.
Main course opted for Halibut with Wild Rice. Tasty. Portion is similar
to most Economy size casseroles in other airlines. Then a preplated
dessert and cheese. Towels offered and service was done. IFE was
adequate but not as good as Emirates ICE Sysytem or Qatar Airways Waves
System. But good. Movies up to date and on demand. Seats lay flat 180
degrees and comfortable. Before landing, Continental Breakfast served.
Crew were attentive but not as friendly as cabin crew with Emirates and
Qatar. Maybe need to smile a bit more. But overall efficiency was good.
Good and enjoyable flight. But would still rate it as a 3 star airline
because of quality of amenities, food and service. Would recommend to
others. Especially because of its competitive price.
Etihad Airways review - by Neil Williams
30 July 2006
My wife and I were very impressed with the whole flying experience with
Etihad. We travelled London GW to Manila via Abu Dhabi by Boeing 777.
Staff were excellent and very attentive to my wife's needs (she has
difficulty walking and climbing stairs). At check in and boarding they
gave her priority which made the whole trip so much more bearable.
Regarding the rest of the service: excellent. Super seating with lots
of legroom. Inflight entertainment very up to date and absorbing. Meals
were well timed, the food tasty and palatable. As before, all the
staff were very attentive and professional. They were kind and
sensitive without being overly sympathetic.
Etihad Airways review - by Salar Baban
30 July 2006
Dubai-Abu Dhabi-London Gatwick return. Good service by friendly and
attentive staff. Good meals, inflight entertainment service is
outstanding. The only thing missing is a loyalty program to encourage
frequent flyers as I have flown Etihad 6 times in the last 12 months.
Etihad Airways review - by Marie Briones
30 July 2006
London Gatwick to Manila return. It was a pleasant and comfortable
journey especially the one from London to Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi to
London. Descent leg room, friendly staffs and very nice food. Good value
for money. Very clean inside. The only thing I was concerned is that I
had to pay £100 something because I exceeded 3kgs. in London which never
happened to me with Emirates. The services on both airlines don't have a
big difference to be honest.
Etihad Airways review - by Shayaan Nadeem
26 June 2006
LHE-AUH-LHR and return in Economy. Even though B767 was scheduled for
the LHE-AUH route, Etihad changed the aircraft to an A330-200 leased
from TAM. We were given seats in the second last row, and were rather
cramped. Even though there was a footrest, ther was very little legroom.
Etihad's economy class seating on this aircraft was similar to Economy
seating on other airlines. The IFE was reasonable, with no video-on-
demand. We had a three-hour stopover in the miniscule Abu Dhabi airport.
Abu Dhabi airport has meagre airside facilities, with just one coffee
bar and a cafe. Duty free shopping is substantial, though. We found the
Etihad transfer staff to be very helpful, albeit very unprofessional.
The flight to Heathrow was a different story. On time departure, it was
flown on their A330-243. We got emergency exit seats, so there was
plenty of leg room. Other seats seemed to have a decent amount of
legroom as well, and adjustable wings on the headrests made the seats
all the more comfortable. Staff very courteous and top-notch service
even in Economy class. A pack of snacks was served soon after take-off,
along with drinks. A bit later, a decent meal was served as well. Even
for their economy class passengers, Etihad printed menus custom-made for
the specific flight. IFE was video-on-demand, with (they advertised)
over 200 hours of entertainment to choose from. For their video
selection, however, it seemed as if they went for quantity rather than
quality. The A330-243 was also fitted with ambient lighting, which
changed colour with time to reflect the sky at our point of departure.
Even though it seemed cool at first, the deep orange light for sunset
became somewhat a nuisance. Overall, the experience was positive with
Etihad; one of the best economy class products I've used, especially at
such low fares! On the return journey, LHR-AUH was again flown on the
A330-243; this time around, however, they played music throughout the
flight, which - albeit mild - was a nuisance. It's worthwhile noting
that on their A330-243, there is a premium economy section, with wider
seats, more legroom, better footrests and better recline. This section
is usually empty, and is only utilised when there is a full flight.
Between LHR-AUH, the flight was rather empty, so we moved up to the
premium economy section for a good rest (this section is only between
rows 7 and 10, and the configuration is 2-4-2). For our return flight
between AUH-LHE, they used another A330-200, which was not leased from
TAM this time. The seats were more comfortable, even though weren't as
spacious as those on the A330-243. The same video-on-demand IFE was
installed. As always, service was excellent on all routes and food was
reasonable. We got to choose from three dishes on each flight, and on
the AUH-LHE route, we were served with metal cutlery. I would opt to fly
Etihad again, given its excellent fares and competitive service.
Etihad Airways review - by Mike Houlden
21 June 2006
This was my first time with Etihad to Al Ain via Abu Dhabi and I have had a very happy experience
with the new Boeing 777. Check-in was painless and they even found me a seat with more legroom
because of my arthritis. Cabin crew were pleasant, attentive and professional and the food and
drink service excellent.
Etihad Airways review - by John Paine
1 June 2006
Just arrived back in Manchester from our holiday to Bangkok. Our 4
flights were superb. The planes were excellent, all on time. We had
spare seats where we could stretch out. The cabin crew were attentive
and courteous and on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok we had the
best airline meal we have tasted. No hesitation in recomending Etihad
Airlines to anyone travelling from Manchester to Bangkok - just make
sure you try the lamb curry.
Etihad Airways review - by Suhail Kazim
1 June 2006
BKK-AUH in Business class. I arrived at the check in counter and saw a
very long queue but luckily the pearl zone queue was empty. Check in did
not take more than 2 minutes. Thai Airways business class lounge is used
by Etihad airways premium class passengers in BKK. The new business
class seats were on the extended range version of Boeing 777 - flat bed
type reclining to horizontal. Ample storage space. A large dining table
and a large screen PTV with a huge variety of IFE. High speed internet
by Connexion by Boeing. Shortly after take off, menu and amenity kits
were given. Breakfast a choice of crepes stuffed with scrambled eggs or
mixed grill or healthy option of cottage cheese and cold cuts. The
flight went off very nicely and seat comfort was maximal. Time passed
very easily between the internet and IFE and soon the crew were serving
us a snack of open sandwiches and cake and fruits prior to landing. We
landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule but unfortunately the plane had to
park remotely and we were bussed off in outside temperature of 40
degrees. Business class passengers had a small private bus. Baggage was
claimed soon and I proceeded to my complimentary limousine to Dubai. The
flight experience was excellent and the crew were efficient. Etihad
airways should strive to maintain this level of service always and it
will be a winner. They should quickly introduce a FFP in order to gather
a loyal group of passengers.
Etihad Airways review - by Imran Akhtar
24 May 2006
MAN-ISB. Both flights were good with the A330s. IFE good and meals very
good. Staff service was excellent. A330 to Abu Dhabi was nice and clean.
Unfortunately, the B767 to Islamabad was not up to the same standards
but for the price it was okay. Flights on time and for the price of the
tickets compared to many other carriers (PIA especially), would fly them
again.
Etihad Airways review - by Paul Pybus
18 May 2006
MAN-AUH A330, AUH-BKK B777. Economy Class. Sat in the last row on both
flights, MAN-AUH only 72 pax but still managed to have no choice of
meal! Using just delivered A330 which seemed to offer more leg room then
the B777. Both flights on time with good efficient service from newly
recruited staff, with great IFE. No problems with AUH airport. Would use
them again.
Etihad Airways review - by John Tonner
18 May 2006
LGW to BKK via AUH and back again. All 4 flights on the brand new
777-ER and they were a delight. Had 3 seats to myself on all flights, so
could stretch out and sleep. Meals were well above average and the staff
attentive. IFE excellent too. The only thing holding Etihad back now is
Abu Dhabi airport being their hub. Far, far too small and cramped to be
anything other than a negative experience there.
Etihad Airways review - by Keith Miller
13 May 2006
A330 LHR-AUH and 777 AUH-BKK. The 777 wins hands down in terms of space
and comfort. Sitting by the A330 window is very cramped. Economy Class
service on both flights was good. Business Class on 777s all the way
back and that was excellent! They've done a great job of fitting the 777
and the mixed nationality crew were very professional. Excellent value
for money to my mind and I would recommend them, but avoid A330s!
Etihad Airways review - by Stuart Hayes
9 May 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK economy. New 777 with fully dual reclining seats and decent
sized seat-back screens on both legs. Decent choice of movies & games.
Plane 99% full (probably due to extremely competitive pricing). An over-
supply of IFE. Food/drink was good and didn't run out. Pleasantly
surprised and impossible to complain about. BKK-AUH-LHR : 777 from BKK
to AUH, again good. AUH-LHR an Airbus A330. Looked a bit jaded and far
inferior to the 777 (seat barely reclined and legroom, screens worse),
but reasonable for the price of the ticket. I was pleasantly surprised
and would certainly consider again.
Etihad Airways review - by Ron Stewart
6 May 2006
Return flight To Islamabad last month on Airbus A330s. My experience was
positive, especially given the low prices offered. Legroom is on the
tight side, but I coped OK with aisle seats. Flight delays minimal. I
found the cabin crew pleasant and efficient. Food I'd rate as average,
but it did seem to arrive at the right times during the flight. On the
final leg from Abu Dhabi - Manchester, departing at 2.00 a.m., a light
meal was served an hour or so into the flight, followed by a quite
substantial breakfast before landing.
Etihad Airways review - by Melissa Perez
2 May 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK. Possibly the best flights I have had. All four legs on
the new Boeing 777. Excellent food, on-demand entertainment with a
great selection and mood lighting on the plane. Will recommend Etihad
to others.
Etihad Airways review - by K Kristjansdottir
30 April 2006
I have been a loyal customer to Etihad since they started operating and
have been quite pleased with their service. The crew could lighten up a
little bit and be more friendly towards passengers. One thing I am
annoyed about is that I wrote them a complaint in January 2006 and still
haven't got a feedback from them! I have written them again and again on
the same issue and no feedback.
Etihad Airways review - by Sandy Mellis
20 April 2006
LGW to BKK via Abu Dhabi and return to LHR. The first leg via the new 777 was excellent, from check in to landing at Abu Dhabi. Great IFE,
excellent food and staff very attentive. Unfortunately the second leg from Abu Dhabi to
Bangkok via the Airbus was not so great - IFE did not operate efficiently and the staff were not
so courteous. I would fly with Etihad again, because the price
compared to other operators far outways any problems.
Etihad Airways review - by Owen Barnes
18 April 2006
777 Gatwick to Abu Dhabi, despite being full was comfortable (maybe the
seats are a little firm but this is a matter of personal preference).
The staff polite attentive and professional, IFE excellent, and one on
the best meals on an aircraft. Return flight equally good - especially
as nearly empty !! At check-in we were offered a row each without my
asking - so we were able to sleep the whole way back. Fantastic value
too.
Etihad Airways review - by Dennis Laycock
8 April 2006
LGW-AUH-BKK return. I felt all four flights were excellent, with
helpful staff both ground and cabin crews, also modern aircraft and an
excellent choice of meals and onboard entertainment. My criticism would
be that the seats could be a little roomier with slightly more legroom.
Etihad are offering a very competitive prices. I would have no
hesitation using this airline again.
Etihad Airways review - by Dorrien Zilavetz
25 March 2006
My friend and myself flew Bangkok to Abu Dhabi on Friday March
17th,delighted that now we can fly direct to various destinations
without driving to Dubai. However for a world class airline it was far
from satisfactory. Immediately we boarded, we felt that the flight was
"off", from the surly attitude from the cabin staff to the freezing cold
tea and coffee - on more than one occasion. The in-flight entertainment
was not working for the entire flight. When we mentioned to a pleasant
Australian stewardess of the shortcomings she admitted that they knew
certain things were not up to par - that is an understatement - but they
were trying to rectify them. I tried to point out that with competition
these days they had better do it quickly otherwise passengers will have
no choice but to fly alternative airlines.
Etihad Airways review - by Ian Mockett
15 March 2006
UK to Abu Dhabi was on the Iberworld Airbus A330. Although the plane was
a little long in the tooth I found the leg room adequate (more than 29
inches). Cabin staff - a mix of Iberworld and Etihad were very good.
Food was some of the better I have had. Inlight entertainment was a bit
poor. Abu Dhabi to Bangkok was on a Etihad Airbus A340. Leg room was
adequate in flight entertainment was seatback tv with choice of about
three films. Bangkok to Abu Dhabi was an Etihad A330. Again legroom was
adequate, food good, service OK although they need to work on the
delivery of drinks with meals. The final leg was on the Boeing 777 a
plane that had been in service a few days. Seat comfort was okay,
perhaps not as comfy as the Airbus. The inflight entertainment was
touch sensitive screens with choice of thirty movies on demand, umpteen
audio channels - audio was fully configurable allowing the user to
select what audio tracks in a My Favourites type scenario. There were
also computer games and onboard map. If you have a notebook you can also
make use of Wireless internet. With Etihad getting more of these
aircraft, if they can improve the service a little they could prove a
competitor in the top airline stakes. Ground handling was fine and all
flights ran on time. Certainly use them again at the deals they are
doing at the moment.
Etihad Airways review - by Neil Plummer
26 February 2006
I will certainly never fly with Etihad again! My wife and I flew
Johannesburg / Abu Dhabi and were very disappointed after their hype
about being "so good". I subsequently sent an e-mail to Etihad via their
feedback facility on their website explaining the reason for my
displeasure and despite specifically asking for a response, have heard
nothing from them. This indicates that they either don't care about
their passengers, don't have the courtesy to respond or ignore
constructive criticism.
Etihad Airways review - by Mike Frank
26 February 2006
To John Noble and others who recently had flown from Gatwick on the
Iberworld sub-contracted Airbus, Etihad will start to use new Boeing
777's daily from 9 March so this should make matters better on this
route at least.
Etihad Airways review - by Peter Sokhi
26 February 2006
LGW-AUH. Flight was on the chartered Iberworld aircraft. We were lucky
to have been allocated the seats by the emergency exit - so legroom for
us was great. The service both at check in and on board was excellent.
The senior purser had her team working well and we had good food and
drinks as and when we required them.
Etihad Airways review - by Andy Clark
26 February 2006
LGW-AUH-CMB return. Excellent service in the air / ground, with good
food and entertainment. First flight on the Iberworld aircraft, legroom
poor - luckily only 56 passengers on a 200+ seat aircraft. Six hour stop
over at Abu Dhabi - this airport has very poor facilities. Other flights
on fully booked Etihad aircraft where legroom was less of a problem.
Good value for money.
Etihad Airways review - by Stephen Boyes
21 February 2006
Etihad Economy from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi and returned six days
later. Pleasantly surprised by ground and inflight staff. The seats were
reasonable, the food good (albeit dinner on the outward flight should
have been served earlier) and inflight entertainment excellent. Not
surprisingly it does not achieve the overall quality of the likes of
Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, etc.
Etihad Airways review - by Mark Aldrich
3 February 2006
London Gatwick to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi. The first leg of the outward
journey was on an old Airbus chartered from the Spanish airline Iberworld. The seats on this aircraft were uncomfortable and very little
legroom between the seat in front. The second leg of the journey was an
Etihad plane with a UAE/Thai crew - comparable to other airlines in
economy class. The return journey was much the same, with the Iberworld
plane being used on the second leg of the journey. This was totally
uncomfortable for a flight of 7.5 hours. Etihad give value for money and
their own aircraft are of an acceptable standard. However, all the time
they charter unsuitable alternative aircraft, the standard of their
product is shabby.
Etihad Airways review - by Mohammad Ali Dada
1 February 2006
LHR-AUH-KHI sector. I agree with most other comments, the A330 is not
configured for a 7 hour plus flight, the legroom is inadequate. The service was good though on the
flight with nice meal options. What really didn't help was the airport they use at AUH. Its way too
small for an airline aspiring to go the Emirates way. Suffered a 4 hours delay there due to aircraft
trouble. No complaints about that, all airlines face that, but the ground service was bad and the
only information that was coming through was due to passengers asking the airline staff. Its a new
airline and I hope they learn those basics fast.
Etihad Airways review - by Mike Leigh
26 January 2006
LHR-AUH-BKK. What a very inconsistent airline this is. You either get a
very old plane with terrible inflight entertainment and adequate
legroom, or a new aircraft with excellent in flight entertainment and
shocking leg room! Food good, cabin staff fine, although 2 hours into a
7 hour flight, they had run out of red wine. If you get a cheap deal,
take your chance - but in future I will pay extra and fly with someone else.
Etihad Airways review - by John Noble
10 January 2006
London to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi and found the return journey to London,
the worst flight I have ever experienced. The plane was a very old
Airbus A330 chartered from Iberworld, who seemed to be going for a world
record as to how many seats they could shoe horn into a plane. There was
virtually no leg room which resulted in sleep being a total
impossibility for not only myself, but every fellow passenger over 5
foot 2. The staff seemed to be used to complaints about the lack of room
and would only give me a standard "we are expecting a delivery of new
aircraft soon" speech. Subsequently I would NOT recommend this airline
until they have taken delivery of their new aircraft.
Etihad Airways review - by Ian Milligan
10 January 2006
London Gatwick to Abu Dhabi, in Economy. A dreadful experience with an
awful airline! Seats are tiny, with the lowest seat pitch I have ever
experienced. During the outward and return flights, my legs were
dangling in the aisle in an attempt to get some comfort. Service on
board is very poor - cold coffee, inappropriate menu for children,
unsmiling cabin attendants. The advertising for the airline creates a
lot of high expectation, but sadly, Etihad do not have their act
together or any idea of what people really expect. Fly with them only
as a last resort!
Etihad Airways review - by Ronnie Taylor
10 January 2006
LHR to AUH. Our pre-ordered vegetarian meals arrived without a problem
and we got our pre-booked seats. I'm 6 feet tall so the legroom was
restricted when the person in front puts their seat in the reclining
position. This was our fourth trip to Abu Dhabi and probably the best in
terms of flight times, connections etc. Abu Dhabi airport is very busy
in the late evening so it was an absolute pleasure that it was so quiet
in the morning and made things a lot more comfortable.
Etihad Airways review - by Oliver Rann
4 January 2006
London to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi return. Possibly the worst flights I
have ever experienced. Clapped out seats, pitched at a miserable 29
inches for 7.5 hours - chronic lack of legroom - to recline in these
circumstances was obviously appalling manners but the idiots in front of
my family reclined the whole 7.5 hours. One of my children attempted a
recline, but was greeted with howls of protest from behind - so we sat
there very uncomfortable for 7.5 hours - wedged between our upright
seats and the recliners to the front, knees braced against metal rod to
rear of seat in front. Everyone tetchy, bad tempered and sleep
impossible. Staff totally indifferent (obviously had many complaints on
every flight) and refused to respond. Air-conditioning not working
properly (very hot about 40C) - clapped out very old A330, chartered
from Iberworld. No menu choices available for other than first few rows
- just cold curry - one child nearly sick in hot cramped conditions.
Difficult to get tea or coffee - tepid anyway, and virtually no chance
of an alcoholic drink. All four flights completely full, way too few
flight attendants. Poor service. Cheap but absolutely awful. Will never
fly with Etihad again.
Etihad Airways review - by Sofia Khan
4 January 2006
Toronto to Abu Dhabi.We were scheduled to leave on the night of Dec.
30th. Upon arrival to the airport three and a half hour earlier than
scheduled flight and a long wait of 2 hours. We were curious to know
when the check-in counter will open. After a long wait and still no
sight of Etihad's employee, we asked a airport employee about the flight
EY 502. He advised us that EY 502 had been cancelled, and that we should
come back 10:00 in the morning - flight was now scheduled for 1:00pm.
When we arrived to the airport, we were again notified that flight is
further delayed and that we should wait in the lounge for news. Plane
finally took off after a long 14-15 hours of stressful wait and running
around. We could have avoided all the hassle if somebody from Etihad had
bothered calling their customers, and notifying of flight cancellation.
Etihad Airways review - by Samir Vora
1 January 2006
GVA to BOM via Abu Dhabi. The GVA-AUH sector was an A330. Aircraft was
in good condition. Staff friendly, IFE decent but some featured movies
(Hindi) were missing. They offer alcohol drinks twice with a choice of
beer, and wines from Chile. If you order a special meal (ie veg meal),
you may be disappointed. Just go for the veg noodles instead. They have
multi-ethnic staff speaking 3-4 languages onboard. The connection in AUH
is not good. The waiting time before the onward flight is approx 7
hours. The transit area is filled with smokers and packed between 10 pm
and 1 am when all flights leave. Etihad offer a meal to their transit
passengers in the small Oasis Cafe (standard set menu like in aircraft
with one range juice). For those waiting more than 8 hours they offer a
hotel stay. Onward flight to BOM on A340 was horrible. Boarding area is
crowded. No boarding organized (all rush together). No inflight info.
No IFE working. No message from Captain. Just a cheap breakfast rapidly served.