Etihad Airways

✅ Verified Review | Traveling with a family of 6 including 1 toddler and 1 baby, our family went through the ordeal of having one of the adults getting left being at Abu Dhabi airport due to the airline over booking the flight - even though all of us were travelling on confirmed tickets. On top of that the ground staff was not accommodating for letting our luggage get checked in at one go. Once in the air (having lost one of the travelling members stranded at the airport) the cabin crew was not well adept for taking care of family requirements and we were often shunned for simple requests like a glass of water. Definitely not a family friendly airline to fly with!

I have been traveling Etihad Airways for a long time, and today was probably the worst experience for us - me and my family. Flying from Abu Dhabi to Lahore, the flight was scheduled to leave at 2:10 pm. After checking into the Business Class lounge, we were informed that the flight had been delayed by 3 hours due to "technical issues". Adding to our disappointment, we were further informed about yet another 3 hour delay. After waiting the prescribed time, another delay was announced. It's extremely disappointing that the airline was unable to accommodate us with another plane; considering the airport has multiple planes on standby for other flights.

✅ Verified Review | Tokyo to Amsterdam via Abu Dhabi, and I had a pleasant experience with Etihad. Great service with more than I've come to expect from an economy class flight. The food was good, the staff seemed happy to help, and the in-flight entertainment was good. I'll fly Etihad again if I have the chance.

✅ Verified Review | I flew from Lahore to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi on Etihad on 1st July and returned on 10th July 2016. My experience was very average compared to the other middle eastern carriers. The quality of meals was very poor and the seats were not very comfortable. Most of the airlines have a footrest which makes flying less miserable but Etihad didnt have anything like that. Also, the inflight entertainment was outdated and the system was very old. The movies were old and the touch system was non-responsive. Arriving at Abu Dhabi was a nightmare; we were taken on a bus from the plane to the terminal while arriving in Abu-Dhabi. The airline lost my baggage for a day on my return flight which created a lot of inconvenience for me. I am not too sure if I will recommend anyone to travel on Etihad after my experiEnce.

✅ Verified Review | First leg (Singapore to Abu Dhabi) was on the new 787 Dreamliner with the new Business Class Studios. We took the middle seats as we're travelling together, seats are front and back-facing, odd rows are front-facing. Front-facing seats are also set close together, so if you're travelling alone, choose either a single seat or a back-facing seat to avoid sitting too close to a stranger. Seats slid down to a very comfortable bed - some business class seats slide into a somewhat claustrophobic space for your feet, but I didn't feel it with the Business Class Studio. Pillow and comforter were great and I had a good sleep on a 6+ hour flight. Food service was prompt and friendly, attention to detail by the steward/stewardess was very good. Food itself was excellent - had a gnocchi dish that could have been served right out of an Italian restaurant kitchen. The magic kind of ends when you land at Abu Dhabi airport and realise that you are not parked at a gate, and you actually have to go down the portable steps into a bus that drives you for another 15 minutes before pulling up at the terminal. Although we did get a 'business class bus' (complete with leather seats) for one of the legs, it's not a great experience after being on the 787. Next leg was on the A330 on the older Business Class seat. Much narrower seat but can't say that I was a lot less comfortable - obviously if given a choice, I would have picked the 787 Business Class Studio over this seat!). Still had a good sleep and a good breakfast, other than the fact that the plane did not have running water on board (they had bottles of water sitting in the toilets, thankfully the toilet did flush). They couldn't serve hot drinks on board without running water, so everyone had to live with juices and water for breakfast. The Business Class Lounge at Terminal 3 had the spa and shave service - my husband got a hot shave for US$15 and was pleased with the result. I tried to book a spa treatment but they were full for the hour - additionally, they must have removed the 15 minutes complimentary treatment for Business Class passengers (which I had read about prior to our trip) because the notice at the spa only mentioned First Class passengers receiving the complimentary treatment. Having read some horrible reviews of missing/delayed luggage, we're happy our three checked-in bags arrived safely on the way out and on the way back. However, we did experience flight delays on our flights out and back to Singapore - on our flight out from Abu Dhabi, the airport baggage tracking system broke down and all flights were grounded because all baggage couldn't be traced. Flight delayed by about 1.5 hours. On the way back to Singapore from Abu Dhabi, air traffic was apparently too heavy for us to leave on time. Flight delayed by about 1 hour. Overall, enjoyable flights. Would have been even more enjoyable without having to stopover at Abu Dhabi airport, but flight experience itself was good.

✅ Verified Review | Brussels to Colombo via Abu Dhabi, terrible flight the cabin is way too hot the seat is really bad compared to Qatar Airways or Emirates. The fact you get a menu and a small amenity kit is pretty nice. The food was really bad, I do not often skip my meal when I fly but somehow Etihad managed to totally put me off by serving the worst meal I've had on an airline. The only good thing about Etihad Airways is that they have IFE on all their planes, even the smaller ones. I would not recommend Etihad even though the flight was cheap.

✅ Verified Review | Twice a year I fly return to Europe from Australia. The fight to Europe was bad and the return worse. Etihad uses Air Berlin for Berlin-Abu Dhabi, which I was dreading, it was okay but 2 hours late. This meant that me and many other passengers connecting to Australian flights were rebooked and Airport hotel overnight was given. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne was terrible. Very crowded, 60 mins wait for take off, 90 mins later we were offered a drink, i.e.: 2 hrs 30 mins. Then a meal, which was terrible, a mid flight snack which was a soggy bread roll, inedible. Breakfast, no choice as they had run out of choices. I was given a sort of cinnamon bun and some fruit, all was still frozen. Again inedible. I noticed the staff seemed in chaos as they didn't have enough food. Staff were okay, they seemed to have to make the best of things. Arrival was on time even with delays. I have to say my experiences with all the Gulf airlines have not been good and will seriously think only of the Asian Airlines in the future. Yes, Etihad offer cheap fares and you only get what you pay for.

✅ Verified Review | Flew Etihad Airways from Kathmandu to Abu Dhabi. Check in was swift and the Radisson lounge is acceptable for an airport which is Tribhuvan Itnl. The equipment used was a narrow body so the J class seats were no better than long haul premium economy class. The duration of the flight is 4.45 hrs so a wide body with better seats and F&B service is being missed. Do not be misguided by their adverts on TV , if your journey involves a narrow body the potrayed services shown are simply NA on these.

Zurich to New Delhi via Abu Dhabi. When I checked in at Zurich airport, I was not given my 2nd boarding pass i.e. from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi. On asking I was told you are on priority and will be given the boarding pass at Abu Dhabi airport. This was a bit strange but I left it. On reaching Abu Dhabi airport, I approached the Transfer Desk at the arrivals terminal. I had wait for 15-20 minutes before my turn came. This was as bad as checking in all over again. But had no choice. When I finally reached the counter and presented my papers, I was told that the flight was full and there are no seats. I was surprised. I had a confirmed seat in my hand but no seat. My flight was scheduled to leave Abu Dhabi at 10:00 pm and it was around 7:45 pm. The counter guy made a call and after a long time told me that he can put me on a flight next day after noon at 2:00 pm which was 16 hours after my scheduled flight. When I told him that was too late, he made me wait for more time and finally offered to put me on a flight to Mumbai and then from there to New Delhi - so I would again reach New Delhi late afternoon the next day. This was appalling. In the meantime I realised that all the counters at the transfer desk had the same problem. Etihad had overbooked all flights and passengers were being harassed. People were going to Egypt or Australia or Hyderabad. There were other flights during the night and early morning from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi but Etihad had overbooked all and I could not get a seat on any flight. Finally the counter guy told me that they could not help me and I should go to transfer desk on terminal 1. By this time the airport security area through which I had to pass to go to Terminal 1 had become extremely crowded. There was no air conditioning. No queue and total chaos. With great difficulty, I managed to pass through that and reached the Transfer Desk. The guy at the counter quickly offered me a seat on a 2:55 am flight, a meal voucher and 200$ compensation. I quickly accepted the deal. But now the set in the surprise: 200$ voucher could be used only on Etihad Airways travel. Not much use if I did not spend another 1000$ first to book an Etihad airways ticket. After handing over the above voucher the guy came up with the bomber that there are no seats on the 2:55 am flight and he can only put me on the 2:50 pm flight. This was crazy. Since then I have tried my level best, spoke to the supervisor and Etihad personnel on phone. Everyone promised the best but did not deliver anything. And here I am sitting in the lounge. They haven't even provided me with a hotel voucher so that at least I can get some much needed rest. If this is called first class service than what can be more pathetic is anybody's guess. Anybody planning to travel Etihad - please think twice. It's highly possible that you will get stranded like me.

✅ Verified Review | To begin this review, it must be noted I am a tall guy, measuring in at 202 cm/6ft 8in and 130 kg. Travelling out, comfort: Travelling from Amsterdam to Sydney, with a short lay over in Abu Dhabi, we were on two A340-500's. The leg room wasn't ideal, but it was doable. Service: The servicing staff was ok. Nothing fancy, but okay. At the end of the flight, they offer vouchers for their air-miles service, and it is clear that the stewards/desses are paid extra if they can sign on new people to the air-miles scheme. It was a little intimidating. Travelling home, comfort: Travelling Sydney to Abu Dhabi, we found ourselves once again on an A380-800. The leg room was appalling. My girlfriend at 173 cm was under pressure from the legroom. But there was simply no way for me to fit in those seats. Add to that, that my seat couldn't extend back, which meant I was stuck between the reclined seat in front of me and my own seat. I could literally see the forehead of the guy in front of me. We were told stories of how the legroom on the A380 is larger than normal. But the legroom on the A340 is better by at least 5 cm. During our flight, my entertainment system broke down, and it took 50 minutes to bring it back online, and no one seemed to understand the problem or offer a solution better than "we have to restart the system - we dont know how long it will take". If this didn't make us feel like cattle, the patronising crew, that seemed almost forced to serve us drinks, did. Etihad clearly caters for the wealthy with their first class videos, that everyone gets to see before takeoff. In the end, Etihad made us feel like cattle, like never before. Lucky for us, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways are offering enough competition to challenge Etihad.