Etihad Airways

✅ Verified Review | Edinburgh to Brisbane via Abu Dhabi. Inconsistent product, the first leg was 9 out of 10, apart from check in being slow and some uninteresting food on board a very obliging and caring crew who looked after the cabin perfectly. Check in was one of those times when 2.5 hours ahead of the flight joining the economy queue would have got you to a check in agent faster than being in the Business queue. Redirected to another agent after about 15 minutes, the delay at the Business Class counter being a complicated upgrade. The lounge at EDI is really poor, you are better going shopping. However on the plane, despite the older cabin, for the most part it was what flying should be where you felt spoilt. Lounge at AUH was quiet and the food was OK, lots of variety and a good bar service. On board the 787 the service to BNE was much poorer, while the crew were pleasant they weren't proactive. No water offered at night, had to ask for salt and pepper and a glass of wine with the meal. The second meal was not offered and had to be requested close to arrival. The food on this flight was of a much lower standard and was overcooked both times and cold the second time. If you asked for two things (e.g. jam and cutlery), the crew member came back with only one of them stating that it was a long flight and they were tired, knowing they had forgotten something. Except for a refresh of bubbly before landing you had to request everything. Tone however was very pleasant and apologetic tone. Wine was really great on both flights and on the second flight I decided to sleep in any case given my fatigue and the lack of attention being paid to passengers. Bags off really fast. Limo at both ends is a wonderful service. Sadly the expectations from the first flight were so high and the second flight was a let down as more of a 4 out of 10.

✅ Verified Review | The flight from Doha to Abu Dhabi was uneventful, everything was smooth, the flight from Abu Dhabi to London showed that Etihad is feeling the economic pinch more than Qatar or Emirates. They did not even give the standard kit offered by every other airline, I have been very loyal with Etihad but it seems they are going to start losing passengers now. Their offers for breakfast were very poor, I choose the pancakes which came very dry without any sauce. The entertainment system was the high point though the choices were limited when compared with the top of the line offered by Qatar or Emirates, the seats were very hard and the fabric coarse. The area where Etihad beats everyone is in their checked baggage policy two pieces 32 kilos each is very generous and with their unbeatable prices you kind of overlook their shortcomings.

✅ Verified Review | Calicut to Abu Dhabi. Aircraft is pretty new and clean. IFE was impressive for a narrow body aircraft even though limited choices. On time departure and arrival. Negatives were completely disinterested crew. No smile, no greeting, we have to suffer stupid advertisement on the In flight screen until they took off which is annoying. No real headsets are given like other carriers. A ear phone will be provided only after take off, don't expect them to answer your call bells they are too busy chit chatting in galley. Toilets were messy. Abu Dhabi airport is a complete mess. It's so congested and no proper seating area. Even at the gate there is huge crowd and there is no separation for one gate to other.

✅ Verified Review | London to Thiruvananthapuram via Abu Dhabi. Flight from London to Abu Dhabi was late causing a 20 hour delay (as they re-booked us on another flight). Though we reached Abu Dhabi around 1AM, the airline didn't arrange any accommodation or proper food. The staff did not even provide information on what to do. Even after 10 hours of landing, the ground staff did not provide proper assistance or information regardless of multiple requests at the service desk. Good infrastructure, polite flight staff and decent value for money; ruined by irresponsible ground staff.

✅ Verified Review | Melbourne to Abu Dhabi with Etihad. Entertainment system not working so my 6 year old had a rough time on a 13 hour flight. The worst part was that upon complaint they were willing to offer my 6 year old another seat and with some stranger completely unsupervised. Probably the worst flight and post flight feedback experience ever. Very poor.

✅ Verified Review | Flew Etihad Airways from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi. Swift and efficient check in and boarding at BKK airport. Aircraft the usual 10 seats across very tight and uncomfortable Etihad configuration. I knew what to expect. But the service provided is a new low for Etihad. The food was a tiny portion of dry rice, 4 morsels of chicken, some beans, a tiny inedible muffin, and a few pieces of fruit. Upon arrival after almost 7 hours, a 30 gr. bag of crackers, that's it! I felt like being on a budget carrier. No drinks served in between those 2 "meal services". I arrived AUH hungry and dehydrated. IFE very average. I think I will avoid Etihad in the future. It's not worth the money.

✅ Verified Review | Brisbane to Edinburgh via Abu Dhabi. The first sector Brisbane to Abu Dhabi was significantly better than the connecting flight to Edinburgh, however both were still fine. Check in was reasonable except our seats weren't together and when I asked for a seat map we still ended up being apart. However the crew were happy to help on board. The Air NZ lounge is OK while not the same standard as Etihad lounges but was pleasant enough. The 787 cabin is much nicer that the others in the Etihad fleet that I have travelled on apart from the bed is harder that the older A330. In every other aspect the 787 is a superior product and the high quality of the experience really ramped up once onboard with a wonderful and obliging crew. The food on the first 787 sector was superb, the beef fillet was perfect and the meal service top notch. Wine on both flights were exceptional. The second flight had a less warm and competent crew and the food for the main meal was overcooked and half of it not edible. It was still a pretty comfortable flight overall with the majority of time spent sleeping. Bags were off really quickly and with the free chauffeur waiting we were at our hotel less than an hour after the plane touched down. If the standards of the first sector had continued into the second it would be hard to beat Etihad, they still remain one of my favorite carriers.

✅ Verified Review | Brisbane to London via Abu Dhabi with Etihad. The staff were serving only bare minimum when they want and when you call them they just turn off the signal and don't come. I had to call them 3 times until they come to ask them for water which they refused to give me explaining that they will start the service shortly. I'm on the medication which makes me extremely thirsty and I have explained it to them after that they luckily brought a bottle of water. I pre-ordered gluten free options and on the flight from London to Melbourne I received GF sandwich (which tasted together with all other food served terrible) but on the way back to London from Brisbane I got an apple. When my boyfriend asked for snacks because I was still hungry the cabin crew asked him "didn't you just had a sandwich?" This is unacceptable behaviour from the members of staff and should be dealt with. However taken that we experienced same behaviour on all 4 flights I think it's brand strategy.

✅ Verified Review | I travelled from JFK to Islamabad and from Islamabad to JFK between February / March 2017. They have start cutting corners. My connection time between flight was around 12 hours approx. They used to take care their customers between connecting flights with some food vouchers. But no more. Their food quality inflight has dropped big time. I suggest to bring your own food if you are traveling on a long haul flight because the food they provide is not enough. Specially if you are traveling with family.

✅ Verified Review | Brisbane to London via Abu Dhabi. We had excellent food and service on this trip. The ground and cabin staff were polite, friendly and proactive. Other people have commented on the hardness of the seats but this can be solved by setting the inflatable seat cushions to a softer setting. The lounge in Abu Dhabi was crowded on both visits but the food and beverage selection was very good. The table service in the London lounge was restaurant quality, though terminal 4 is getting tired. My criticism is that the inflight movie selection was limited and that the quality of the steak sandwich varied by sector. The ability to eat your meal on demand is a great feature . Overall, this was one of our best business class experiences.