Etihad Airways

Missed our Etihad Airways connection in Abu Dhabi and not placed on next flight. After an argument with customer service we were eventually placed on the sooner flight. Then they lost my bag, and offered 26GBP for my trouble. I cannot believe they have won awards. Food was terrible, the ground staff were rude and lied. I travel quite a bit overseas for business and fly with Emirates, but I thought this time I would try Etihad Airways. Do yourself a favour and avoid this airline at all cost.

We flew Etihad Airways from Manchester to Hong Kong and return. We did economy on the first leg and paid for Business for the second leg from Abu Dhabi (AUH), so we had experience of both levels of service. Etihad Airways was on the whole okay with a lot of shortcomings in economy. They need to improve their customer service which was on occasion lacking. We used a sister airline (Air Seychelles) for business class and their service was very good to excellent.

We flew Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Dusseldorf in Business Class. Excellent service provided by the cabin crew, they were very attentive. We found the food to be of an acceptable airline standard, served hot and well presented.

During a recent flight from Melbourne to Milan, Etihad Airways lost our luggage for 5 days. I would call Airport Handling (Etihad’s lost luggage agent at Malpensa airport) and after holding for about 10 minutes an automated voice would say ‘Our representatives are busy on other calls and cannot help you now. Please call back later’. The call would then terminate. It was incredibly frustrating. The only phone number I could find for Etihad was a ticket reservation number which went through to a call centre in Ireland. The representative there told me that he could not assist. The only means of contact I could find to contact Etihad was the complaints forum on its website. After not hearing anything for two weeks, I emailed again, and it seems that Etihad never received my complaint. Apart from one email from Etihad Airways asking when I sent my original complaint, I never heard back from the airline. I have contacted them four times to the prescribed email address, and never heard back. No assistance, apology or proper communication was given by Etihad Airways. The situation was handled appallingly. It ruined our holiday. On our return flight, we had to wait 2 hours in a plane on a runway from Abu Dhabi because ‘some passenger luggage could not be located’.

Seychelles to Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways A320, a small but nice aircraft. Seats are non moving, you can't relax by pushing your seat back, its locked. Entertainment system is nice - smooth touch, variety of entertainment. Food have options like 2-3 non vegetarian dishes and one veg dish. But these aircraft were not carrying blankets, when we were feeling cold we asked for blanket, the crew member said they don't have blankets but would ask the pilot to increase temperature. A problem with Etihad airways that is they are late - I had travelled 2-3 times with Etihad Airways, all the time they were late and we have to run for change of plane..

I booked with Etihad Airways on recommendation of my travel agent. Had I known better about the experience, I would have I never would have booked with them. I had a decent flight out of Toronto but my way home was a nightmare! On March 30th, I had flown from Melbourne with Tigerair and due to a weather related delay I missed my flight with Etihad. The agents that assisted me at Sydney Airport were wonderful. They were sympathetic and understanding and wanted to try and assist so the best possible outcome could occur. I was re-booked straight through to Toronto on April 1st like I wanted, however the agents told me that my booking was in 2 different travel classes and it needed to be uniform for the ticket to be issued in the system. Upon hearing this I went to the Flight Centre store in the international terminal at Sydney Airport since my booking was held with them, and asked their agent to contact the agent that I had worked with in Toronto to see if the booking class could be switched. They along with my Toronto based agent were unable to do so despite trying their hardest. I ended up at the Etihad Airways office in Sydney and they wanted over $2200 to change my booking, and against my wishes put me on a flight to New York City on April 5th. Agents at this Etihad Airways office were rude, unwilling to help and thoroughly unsympathetic. As a result of all this, I ended up missing an important event. My complaints to staff at Etihad Airways Toronto office went unanswered and no follow-up was done.

I booked with Etihad Airways on business class and extremely disappointed. Firstly, I was not offered a chauffeur service in Sydney for some reason. Even when I called up Etihad Airways they did not state why I couldn't get a Chauffeur service. I arrived to the airport 3 hours before my flight to avoid any problems. Checking in was painful and stressful, staff rude and unwelcoming. I had 5kg extra and she would not let me go through. The experience became a little bit better after. Got an express passport check ticket. The lounge was pleasant and service was pretty good. The seat onboard was pretty comfortable. The food was great, lighting soothing and the flight attendants helpful and friendly. It says on the website that you get free access to the internet - you have to pay and it didnt work most of my flight! Abu Dhabi airport was a disaster. Having only 1 hour transit there was no point going to the lounge, so I head straight into my gate. The airport was boiling, crowded and lots of random passport checking before gates. Only 1 person checking the passport for 5 gates. Extremely time consuming and draining after a 14 hours flight. Flight to Kuwait was generic. I am flying Emirates or Qatar Airways next time.

We were booked business class (admittedly a discount fare, but still extra thousands spent) from London to Perth Australia. We even spent our money on a Heathrow Hilton same terminal stay to make it even easier. A few hours before the departure we received a abrupt email saying our flight was canceled, that is when the bad treatment started. My strong and supportive wife was reduced tears by the treatment we received from the rude staff. If you fly with Etihad Airways you will remember this posting and wish you had taken it a bit more seriously. Worst company I have had the misfortune of had any business with. Once you pay, you are a number and nothing more.

Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi took off around 10 PM, our seats could not be reclined, they seemed to be broke. There were no spare seats available. Leg space was insufficient for me. Seats were uncomfortable and rock-hard. Had to spend the whole night in a upright position. Our corresponding flight, scheduled for 10 AM, with even more cramped seats, was delayed for almost 10 hours and finally left at 7:30 PM. No way for a refund, due to technical problems etc.

Regular business class flyer and chose Etihad for the first time due to its convenient schedules into and out of Brisbane. A380 and 777. Have read the criticism of the lie flat seats but I found them fine and quite comfortable. A little bit firmer than other airines and I think no Pyjamas. Food was quite good too. Lounge en-route very good, but busy. Lounge in Heathrow has good service and food as well, the staff there should be commended. Service enroute was efficient. So overall quite good as the schedules are convenient, lounges and food are good, I think the seats/beds are okay too. The bad part of the experience. Ticketing. Booked through a travel agent but had to confirm a change with ticketing in Heathrow as it was after hours for my agent at home. The ticketing agent Heathrow, could not have been less helpful from the start. Firstly ranting about how it is against IATA regulations for her to do anything, how the change would cost 3000 pounds, etc. Luckily my agent made the change in minutes for 100 pounds. Inflight entertainment. Definitely bring your own if you are from a western country. Almost no recent movies or TV shows. Long flights are the only time I get to watch movies in peace, so that was very disappointing. Quite a long line for check-in at heathrow. Business class waited close to 30 minutes for check-in which is unusual. I do understand it is an A380 but there were lots of empty check in counters further along. So overall the inflight entertainment and just a very unpleasant experience with my only contact point being Heathrow ticketing I will probably avoid flying them again. But for the aircraft/lounges/service etc that was no problems at all.