Etihad Airways

Not Verified | Frankfurt to Kochi via Abu Dhabi. The first leg of the journey was good. But the flight from Abu Dhabi was pathetic. The flight was no better than any European low cost airliner. The flight was really old, with no inflight entertainment system. Every flyer had to download an APP to access their entertainment system which did not have half the options of the one that I had in my first leg of the journey. If you are traveling without a tab, then all that you can do is to sit idle for hours. The seats were really old and uncomfortable. Abu Dhabi airport is not the best either. There are very limited restaurants in Teminal 1 and 3 in the transit area. Basically I felt like paying huge amount of money for a budget airline like service.

✅ Trip Verified | Hong Kong to Paris via Abu Dhabi. My first and last flight with Etihad for now. Before I've heard lots of positive comments about this airline, but well, it doesn't live up to that positive praise . Let's start with a good: new aircraft, on time arrivals for me. Bad: meals are disgusting and amount of portions just like for the kids. 1 meal was served during 9 hours flight and before landing they gave a tiny pack of pretzels with a water. No blankets, no sleep eye covers. Rushed service. Something doesn't feel right for the price paid, so for now I will not use this airline anymore.

✅ Trip Verified | Los Angeles to Bangalore via Abu Dhabi. One of the worst international flights that I have ever taken, I am never going to take this airline, ever again even if it's of free ticket, very cheap crew who didn't even help me to pick up my late check-in bags. My bag stayed in LA for 5 days, I had to FedEx my own bags. The baggage claim that I had reported did nothing, they did not even pick up my call.

✅ Trip Verified | Abu Dhabi to Paris. Last June and July 2019, I flew Etihad Airways from Jakarta to Paris via Abu Dhabi and return flight from Paris to Jakarta via Abu Dhabi. Etihad has to be the worst of any full service airlines I have flown. The seats in the Business Class is nothing special and the design is poor in my opinion. The food is getting limited due to its cost cutting and some of the food is not good as well. The entertainment is maybe the only good thing I may expect from Etihad and that is all. Abu Dhabi Airport is seriously awful and the terminal is outdated, the toilets is limited, the security agents is rude and the lounge and other facilities from Etihad is awful. Return flight was awful. The seats is same on the A380, pretty uncomfortable and pretty small. The food for dinner had run out of everything and I got only 1 choice left when they got to my seat which I am disappointed with this. Although, I still like the way the staff talk and show respect to customers and apologize to me about the run out food. The transit in Abu Dhabi Airport was a disaster even for the return trip and the lounge of Etihad is still poor. The flight back to Jakarta on the A330 is more uncomfortable and one of my seats screen and charging pod is broken and no one will help me at all. But the food is still better than the Paris-Abu Dhabi route which they don’t run out at least. In conclusion, Etihad is no longer as a full service and more like a budget airline. This is my first and truly the last time flying with Etihad and I will never fly this airline again. Their service needs some serious fix and improvement and I cannot believe that even USA airlines and even Budget airlines are even better than Etihad. Also, the WIFI is also expensive than most major airlines as well which is another disappointment as well.

✅ Trip Verified | London Heathrow to Jakarta via Abu Dhabi. LHR - Abu Dhabi leg - There was quite a long queue at check-in at LHR but fast track security was very quick and the lounge in T4 is very pleasant with good food offerings. Boarding was efficient and the crew were friendly enough. Seat and IFE were fine and I liked the Acqua di Parma amenity bag - my only real complaint was the food service - I'd eaten in the lounge so just had a snack on board before sleeping and was expecting a proper breakfast service in the morning before arrival. In fact, nothing at all was offered, not a hot towel, not a cup of tea, nothing. If they'd explained the system better I could have ordered something for the morning before sleeping but it was too late by the time I realised. Arrived at Abu Dhabi feeling very hungry. Abu Dhabi airport is old especially T1 and the security staff, even at the fast track lane were extremely unfriendly. The lounge was OK except for scalding myself in the showers because the water was so ridiculously hot. I complained but the shower attendant was quite rude and suggested that I didn't know how to regulate the temperature! I then complained to the front desk and they were apologetic - I noticed that 5 minutes later the shower was closed and an engineer had been called! The Abu Dhabi - Jakarta leg was uneventful and the food offerings were decent. Overall, it was OK - all flights were more or less on time and the seat (same seat type on both aircraft) was comfortable enough. I got a good deal on the ticket (purchased about 6 months in advance) so I can't complain really.

✅ Trip Verified | Etihad have been receiving some very negative feedback over the past two years and in many cases it is in my view deserved. The severe cost cutting which has been the strategy of the new CEO is in my view short sighted and has done sever damage to what was an excellent brand of Quality. Slashing costs to severe the Billions in losses which were in fact due to bad investments by their previous CEO and not so on the operational side. In any case having been a Etihad guest for now 11 years and being gold for many of them I have witnessed first hand the demoralised crews, the slashing of extras and a general demise. But of late (6 months) having taken 8 long haul flights in business, one can see a genuine improvement happening. The cabin crew I have always felt were exceptional to most other airlines , engaging , naturally friendly and with a can do attitude. The ground crew still need some serious investment in how to be pleasant and value customer support. Recent flights - all on time, great improvement on IFE, menus have improved, staff are very engaging and if there is an issue it is actually followed up on. My lack of faith with them is slowly being restored.

✅ Trip Verified | Paris to Johannesburg via Abu DhabiOnline Checkin is comfortable, but seat pre-assignment is unnerving. A380 has a weird interior design, looks like 80s to me. Double-Screen-IFE is an interesting touch, but practically useless. Seat medium comfortable, too hard for me. Variable lumbar support in the seat is a nice touch, but practically useless. Food was all gone but Veg when it was our turn. The crew was talking and cackling so loudly behind the curtain, I heard it through my Noise Cancelling Headphones. IFE had a good selection of movies, many of them in German. Advertisements for paid snack menu were absolutely unnerving and truly LCC style.

✅ Trip Verified | London to Chennai via Abu Dhabi. From London to Abu Dhabi service is great. But Abu Dhabi is Chennai you feel like you were in a cattle class; food is rubbish, no entertainment facilities; very old aircraft, you just sit idle for 4 hours. Will never fly them again.

✅ Trip Verified | Overall summary: 1) Terrible cabin service especially on Abu Dhabi-Belgrade sector cabin service ignored passenger safety (details below). Cabin service on Kochi-Abu Dhabi and Belgrade-Zurich medicore. 2) Ground support at Abu Dhabi terrible. 3) Food lousy. 4) Outbound trip on Etihad - Zurich - Abu Dhabi cabin crew rude and unhelpful. Food lousy. Details: 1) Airline landed in Belgrade and was still taxiing. Passengers were opening overhead compartments, pulled out luggage and left on aisle, leaving door open. Many of them were standing on the aisle while the crew hardly bothered to stop them. They were busy talking to one another. Shocking behavior by cabin staff. Additional hospitality notes: None of the cabin staff could barely crack a smile - perhaps they were afraid their make up would crack up or a few teeth might fall off? 2) 1h connection at Abu Dhabi to catch flight to Belgrade. Huge queues at airport to clear security and to get to gate which was very far. No ground staff to assist getting through security. Some of us shouted for help before someone came to lead us through to the front of queue. But still we had to run (2 little kids + 2 adults) to make it to the gate (had to reach gate 41 from gate 57 or so). Imagine the plight of elderly or those with kids? 3) I ordered Asian vegetarian. Food was under-cooked, unpalatable, devoid of any thought into what was thrown in. Even a roadside shop in any Asian country will give you far better and tastier food. Simply unacceptable. 4) Outbound trip on Dec. 15 Zurich-Abu Dhabi - Cabin staff were rude! When we asked for water they took a very long time to assist. There was no smile, warmth or a sense of hospitality. Food was as bad as explained in (3) - identical food. Overall - terrible airline to fly. Unless one is interested in cheap tickets I would not fly this airline. I would also not transit through Belgrade airport. The transit desk in Belgrade (Air Serbia operates on behalf of Etihad from Belgrade-Zurich) is under trained. They could not understand that our residence card for Switzerland was equivalent of a visa and held us for over 30 minutes, until a very senior supervisor had to come and explain to them. None of the transit desk staff knew what the card meant, whereas every other major European city knows exactly what it is.

✅ Trip Verified | London to Melbourne via Abu Dhabi. Worst airline ever. Lost baggage in the transfer. They could not tell me where the baggage was, or whether it had arrived at the stopover in Abu Dhabi. In addition, the airport was a poor excuse for an airport. Security Baggage checks involved hordes of people being herded through a large hallway with no clear lines or queues, no signs and very poor instructions.