Etihad Airways

✅ Trip Verified | The worst service and horrific baggage handling practices! This was a round trip. It started well on the way to our holiday with a relatively good service. It all changed on the flight home to Melbourne. Our flight was delayed. We were forced to wait at an enclosed gate location without water nearby, after they forced us to throw out our water over 100 ml. By the time we boarded, we were dehydrated with a headache. The aircraft staff was busy and dismissive. Shortly after locating my seat, I discovered that it was wet smelling like urine. It took my fellow passenger going directly to one of the staff for them to actually address my wet seat and replace it. The troubles didn't stop there, as the crew seemed to neglect air conditioning and we flew for 13 hours in an approximately 30-35 degree Celsius cabin. The food was questionable. The cabin crew was mainly dismissive during the flight and I simply needed to go in person to the galley to get some water. The worst part was receiving my newly purchased suitcase (Samsonite) damaged. I approached the Etihad arrivals desk for help and was assured that they will cover the costs of repair or replacement. Pictures of the damages were taken and a damage report was issued. I went to repair my suitcase, and lodged a claim to get reimbursed. The baggage damage team till this day refuses to take any responsibility for the damages their airline personnel caused to my new suitcase, deeming the damages as "minor". Any request to clarify how a $110 repair is considered minor was met with "the case is closed, we are sorry you are not happy with this outcome". This is the airline I will definitely avoid at all cost!

Not Verified | They take your money and do not offer the service you have paid for. We booked extra space seats and neighbour free seats, they were happy to take our money. They gave the neighbour free seat to another person and we have paperwork to prove this, when we got on the plane, the economy space seats were economy. This happened on both legs, the cabin managers, said it happens daily and Etihad do not care. We have tried contacting them and even sent a recorded delivery, which they signed for. It was only when we did a charge back through the bank that they disputed things. How, I have no idea, we have pictures of the seats being incorrect, we have invoices, e:mails, paperwork galore and till they deny doing anything wrong. The airline has no morals, they do not care about reviews, complaints or anything, they do not care how much they ruin your holiday, but trust me I tell everyone who I know wants to travel with them, and working in the travel industry, this is a lot of people never to fly with them.

✅ Trip Verified | Decided to try Etihad again after several years as they were offering a great business class deal to South Africa. A380 service to Abu Dhabi was rather disappointing given all the hype and advertising, seating in the upper deck is claustrophobic and cramped. The on board lounge falls significantly short of the Emirates product, it is dark, gloomy and rather depressing. The standard of the catering has really dropped too, even the champagne is almost undrinkable. Amenity kit is a waste of time too, the fancy leather pouch was the most useful thing about it. On board service was indifferent and quite rushed. Despite the attractive pricing I doubt that Etihad will see me again any time soon.

✅ Trip Verified | I traveled from Heathrow to Chennai in India. The outbound trip was reasonably comfortable. The only fault I could find was the choice of food ran out by the time the food got to me on the second leg. The return was a nightmare from hell. For some unknown reason the airlines booked me with sister airline Air Arabia. The flight was late by 3 hours. I missed my connecting flight at Abu Dhabi. The put me in a sleeping lounge the size of a prison cell with bunk bed. I had to walk twice to the transit desk who was very rude to ask them to send a email to the sleeping lounge to get accommodation. No washroom was provided and one had to find it in the airport. Food voucher was provided. There was no choice and it was unpalatable I ended up buying my own and most travelling with me did the same.

✅ Trip Verified | The worst airline on earth. They lost my luggage and were not able to forward it to me within 2 weeks of time. Worst customer service ever. No one cares and no one is trying to help you. Very hard to reach or to get a respond. Now, I finally got my suitcase after my holiday is over and Etihad refuses to pay compensation for the stuff I had to buy on my holiday location. Avoid this airline, if possible.

Not Verified | I have lost my open tickets for roughly 3000 EUR as I faced issue in the rebooking process. Neither the app or the customer service is at the expected level to assist you properly before and after. I had similar situation with a lowfare company called Cebu Pacific and process was smooth and easy. Customer team responded within 24 hours and resolve my issue Fare from Etihad is 2 to 3 times higher but service is not. Very disappointed and will avoid Etihad in the future.

Not Verified | Very bad experience. Was under the impression that this was a premium airline. But this was worse than a budget airline. No screens or entertainment systems Horrible horrible food Shortage of food. Most people didn't get what they wanted. No direct exit to the terminal even for their flagship airport in Abu Dhabi. Dont care attitude of staff.

✅ Trip Verified | We flew back for Paris back to Bangkok after our wonderful trip in Europe, this time with very good impression. The B787 of flight EY32 on August 23, 2023 was quite new, the boarding was quite efficient and fast. The flight attendants (both female and male) greeted us with big smile. We were served by two female flight attendants, Leena and Sayaka who were very friendly, helpful and excellent service mind. Both of them had to deal with a number of babies (who were very naughty and moving around and of course some of them crying almost all the time) and they did perfectly. Leena and Sayaka always asked us about the drinks and also told us to keep seatbelt fasten for safety. The food was quite delicious and serve well. Although flight EY408 from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok the cabin staff were quite good but the attention and service cannot be compared with the previous flight mentioned above.

✅ Trip Verified | We took a trip to Europe by flying Etihad Airways which is second time in many years. The EY 409 flight for Bangkok to Abu Dhabi by Boeing 787 was uneventful. The plane is quite new and the flight attendants (female) is OK and quite friendly. We did not have food served due to our rest. The plane arrived on time. However, the next flight EY85 from Abu Dhabi to Rome was different. The flight attendant (male) was quite unresponsive and not quite friendly. He served passengers with no smile just as he was doing his job. The food was OK and the flight was smooth and arrived a little ahead of schedule. We expected more for a premium airline like Etihad Airways but quite disappointed (my friends who travel with us share the same feeling).

Not Verified | Worst experience ever. Etihad is worse than Air Arabia Flight Air conditioning was off till we were in air about 1 and half hour. We had to take bus to reach the aircraft, and due to that we were made to board early. It was really suffocating. Seats were highly uncomfortable, no leg space, no proper backrest. Would definitely not suggest or prefer to travel with Etihad again

Not Verified | Will never fly with Etihad again. It is a budget experience with a price tag. You have to pay for your seats, will get randomly allocated on check in if you don’t. The staff seemed meek and inexperienced on board. There was one toilet out of order which meant two different parts of the plane on the same side had to use one toilet. Lines of 7-10 at one point and the cleanliness was horrific. Abu Dhabi airport is also a terrible stop over. Gates don’t get announced until close to your time and not much sitting room. Will never fly Etihad again.

✅ Trip Verified | We booked a holiday through a tour-operator who chose Etihad. I hadn't flown with this airline before so didn't know what to expect. Our crew (my wife, 2 teenagers and myself) opted to pay some 510 euro so we could sit together. Since the aircraft configuration is 3-3-3, we decided the 3 of my family would sit behind me and since I am 193 cm tall, I chose extra legroom seat. 1 day before departure (19 July 2023), we realised the seating was changed and no prior notice received. I spent 1 hour in the online chat and the agent managed to fix their blunder but only after I paid again (I was told: trust me, I would help you if I could). I purchased it and said to myself I'll sort it later. On our return, the same was noticed when checking in online. Close to 2 hours of our holiday spent chatting to someone who assured me he finally fixed the issue and asked me to save transcript of chat as evidence. Flight from Koh Samui to BKK with Bangkok airlines who couldn't issue boarding passes for the entire trip so in BKK had to go to transfer desk to get these issued and the agent there told us that the issue was not resolved and he 'fixed' it then and there. Flight from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi was OK. In Abu Dhabi when getting ready to board, a rude ground staff agent tore my boarding pass and issued me a new one which wasn't extra leg room which was paid for. When I asked, she simply said: 'all seats on the aircraft are fee-paying'. Absolutely shocking. Back for 2 weeks and emailed them using the appropriate form to try get an apology and a refund (out of principle). This is their response: "Thank you for your email. We are sorry we were unable to contact you by telephone to discuss your case.  We have reviewed your booking and conclude that your reservation of seats does not qualify for a refund. There may be last-minute operational changes that mean we need to allocate you a different seat. If this happens, we will always try to choose a similar seat for you". The aircraft was 787 so no real issues with it. Felt old, seats hard and uncomfortable butt hat is subjective. Flight attendants were OK and the plane was clean. Purchased wifi on the flight from Dublin to Abu Dhabi and then to BKK but it was extremely patchy and unreliable. Attitude of support team even the social media team was appalling. I will never ever fly Etihad. Why bother when they do not care about customers. At the end of the day, Qatar and Emirates are better rated and appear to care about the passengers and their experience

✅ Trip Verified | Unable to print first leg Boarding Pass i have to go to desk. Boarding in MXP was fast and smooth. Have some dirt in table from previous passenger. Cabin crew were outstanding. Second leg boarding via bus. I have to mention something related to catering, the food is 2/5 and needs attention.

✅ Trip Verified | This review is about the ground staff at JFK airport who are relentless and extremely rude. I had a personal injury and arrived 1 hour prior to departure time instead of 3 hours and they wouldn’t even listen to me although I kept saying I’m pregnant and to add to that I had a personal injury when getting into the car en route to the airport. He wouldn’t even hear out and kept saying check in closed. Other airlines wait for the passengers even after boarding is completed. This is ridiculous behavior and it’s sad that they call themselves a family airline when they hire supervisors who are nasty.

✅ Trip Verified | During my recent journey from London Heathrow to Manila with a layover at Abu Dhabi, I experienced several issues that significantly impacted my travel experience. The primary concern arose at the boarding gate of my connecting flight from AUH to MNL. Upon my initial inquiry at LHR, I was informed that a paid upgrade at the boarding gate is possible. With this understanding, my sister and I, both flying due to a family bereavement, were looking forward to a comfortable experience in business class. However, when I approached the ground staff at the AUH boarding gate, I was informed that the upgrade was possible however, I need to have it processed at the transfer desk, despite my understanding that it could be arranged and paid at the boarding gate. The transfer desk staff at AUH had previously affirmed the possibility of an upgrade at the boarding gate, I noted a discrepancy in the level of service provided by the cabin crew during my flight from LHR to AUH. My journey could have been notably positive with a minor additional assistance, and I believe such small gestures can greatly impact passenger perception.

Not Verified | Would avoid if possible. Although not a horrible aircraft the ground crew and brand made the experience deplorable, the airline assigned seats randomly in the aircraft for our honey moon, one leg of our flight was overbooked, and some passengers had to stay. Airport at Abu Dhabi is not a place for a long connection, bathrooms were not sanitary. When demanding our claim airport staff refused to attend our plea and asked us to go through the website. Overall feels like a company that once wanted to compete with Emirates, but stopped trying and just gets leftover traffic in the middle east.

✅ Trip Verified | Unfortunately, our expectations for Etihad weren't met. The stewards and stewardesses were kind, this is the good point I can give. The food was okay too, but the seat leg room was inferior to other companies we took in Economy class for Japan (ANA, Swiss, etc.) I have leg problems and it was really painful. The seat material was scratchy. The worst, we had to pay for choosing our seats during online check-in so we could be together (we were separated during the first flight.) We had 4 flights in total and in 2 of them, the entertainment screen was dirty and they didn't have eye-masks and ear plus available for everyone depending where you were sitting. The layover in Abu-Dhabi was awful. I thought it would be pleasant, since this is a wealthy country, but nothing: long bus travel to the terminal, just a cramped small corridor, uncomfortable chair, very expensive options if you need to rest. It just felt messy. I am sorry as I don't like to badmouth companies usually, but I feel like I had to, as both my husband, my mother and I were expecting so much more from Etihad (which is sometimes compared to the WAY better Emirates.) Again, the positive point was the staff on board, and the flights were on time. The entertainment had enough choices, though less than in other airlines I took. I paid for the WiFi during one of the trips, and to be honest it was useless, it didn't work most of the time.

Not Verified | I do not recommend. My first flight from Germany to the UAE was delayed by 6 hours, and because of that I missed the connection flight to Australia. When we landed in the UAE they did not give us the next available flight, but booked me a poor hotel and promised a flight the next day. Then the next day I came to the airport after the bus was delayed by 3 hours, boarded the plane, we went up the runway and they took us back because Sydney Airport had a curfew for planes and we would of not made it on time. I had to sleep a night on the airport floor, and then at 5:00 the next day they finally took off (after some AC failure). Although the crew were very nice it was a horrible experience and I am never flying EtiBAD again

✅ Trip Verified | Punctual and decent travel experience mostly. Booked wheelchair, provided from Cochin to Abu Dhabi, from Abu Dhabi refused but from Heathrow given a wheelchair facility. There was water scarcity from the beginning of Abu Dhabi to Heathrow, even a 60+ old year lady asked multiple times not given.

✅ Trip Verified | The flights departed and arrived on time, the connecting flights were good and the staff were helpful and friendly but everything else was pretty bad. We had a very old Boeing 777 plane for a 14 hour flight and many people had broken entertainment systems. The food was barely edible, disgusting in fact. Won’t be paying $3,600 again for such bad service. Prefer Emirates, Singapore Airlines or Qantas.

✅ Trip Verified | I flew from Munich to Kochi via Abu Dhabi with an infant and my 5 year old child. We had booked the bassinet seats more than a month prior to the travel and they were confirmed. During online check-in we found that for the second leg, the seats were changed. Initially booked seats were 6A and 6B. However, they moved my seat to 6E and my daughter's seat a couple of rows behind and it was not possible to book the seats together online. The flight was the same type. I contacted support and they said it could be a technical fault or something and we can change it at the airport. At Munich airport, they agreed that the change of seats were unacceptable (from the automatic assignment) and that they cannot make a child sit in another row from the parent. However, they said they cannot change the seat from Munich but the boarding staff "should" change it at Abu Dhabi airport. At Abu Dhabi, they said the flight is full and we should have got this changed earlier. The cabin crew asked to initially sit in the assigned seat and that they can get us seated together when boarding is complete. I did not want to leave my crying daughter in another row and luckily the person in seat 6F said that he can move to my daughter's seat. The seats 6A-6D were given to a family with older children. Flying with children is not easy and Etihad made this a really bad experience. We booked Etihad owing to the good schedule even though the price was quite high owing to the holiday period. We sent a complaint 3 weeks ago and we have still not received any replies.

Not Verified | The flight was awesome and amazing. Crew should improve their behavior little bit. We loved the flight meal was also average. TV was also big enough and the flight was pleasant.

Not Verified | Hands down the worst airline service I have ever recieved. I am a Platinum member with Etihad Airways and have been flying with them for years especially to the US. In recent years, the entire aspect of Etihad as become horrible. Customer service is non-existent and when you do get in contact, they are rude and uninterested in your concerns. I have been trying to book a flight using my Air miles (600,000 miles) to several destinations for 8 MONTHS and Etihad claims that they don't have a single available seat on ANY aircraft on ANY date to multiple destinations over the span of 8 months. Customer service keeps arguing that they can't do anything and no proper manager will ever get to the phone to explain this. Furthermore, staff and service in general has become a joke. There is no Customer loyalty, no genuine interest to help customers (especially someone who has been flying with Etihad frequently for 10+ years). I am completely displeased and fed up with Etihad. I will indefinitely be switching to Emirates where customers are appreciated and service is actually something that is cared about.

✅ Trip Verified | Early June while randomly checking for my tkt on Etihad website noticed that first leg of journey is missing from my itinerary. I was surprised and thought it would be system error. So I checked again after 2 days and the issue was same. I was concerned, so called cleartrip (from where I booked my tkt) to check what was wrong and they said first leg journey was cancelled by Etihad, saying flight was cancelled. Firstly, I was never informed either via sms or email about this cancellation. Had I not checked it out of coincidence, I would never have known about this cancellation until my journey day. Secondly, airline did not bother to offer alternate option to me. The airline website showed same flight (which was apparently cancelled) taking new bookings. I opted for cancellation of ticket and refund on 5-6-23, however, till today 11-7-23 I am yet to receive any refund. Cleartrip says they are following the airline but still no news at all.

✅ Trip Verified | Cancelled the ticket 45 days ago. I have been talking to customer service since my cancellation date they confirmed it from the very first day. Now when I call they tell me that they had a technical glitch and I have to wait another 45 days for it to be processed. They will not send any confirmation email. The representative was sarcastic and said he cannot help. When I explained to them and asked why the other 10 representatives before them spoke differently and promised it would be refunded. Very shady. Never ever book with Etihad airways. We booked a choice plus flight ticket as our trip plan was volatile. Even after paying extra money for a flexible ticket the worst experience. Please do not book with them if you want to make changes for your ticket. Very shady airline - I cannot stress enough. I have recorded voice calls and saved chat conversations which I can submit to prove my point. You can check the confirmation they sent in the endorsement part of the ticket.

✅ Trip Verified | I bought tickets with seats for me and my infant child, but at the check-in counter, they said that in their system they only have a seat for me but not for my child, though I separately paid for a child seat! They did not want to solve the issue in any way, and even on aircraft, they did not allow me and my child to seat on a fully free row of unoccupied seats. Overall it was a pretty hard trip due to that.

✅ Trip Verified | Etihad managed to cancel my initial flight for unclear reasons. I was offered a refund or an alternate flight through my travel agent. Etihad showed complete disregard to the fact that due to their cancellation, I’ve had to incur changes in changing my hotel bookings and essentially extending my trip. My layover at AUH is now 5 hours 30 mins instead of 1 hour and 50 mins. I am travelling with a small child. All I had requested from Etihad for giving me all this trouble was to give my family access to the lounge at the airport as they have been directly responsible for the increase in our lay over time. I had not even asked for compensation for the charges I’ve had to incur to modify our holiday. Etihad showed complete disregard to this and demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism towards us in this case. Quite shocking, they are not the same airline as they used to be in the past and after the above incident, I will not be to travelling with them again and would not recommend anyone to either.

✅ Trip Verified | BCN-AUH-LHE. Had a flight on 24th May 10.15am departure. After the boarding at BCN they kept us waiting at the boarding gate until 6pm, before announcing that the flight was cancelled due to a technical fault. During that 10 hours ordeal, no one had any decency to inform the passengers of what was going on, they kept changing the departure time with the increments of 1 hours. 1 snack voucher was provided which had a value of 5€, no lunch or drinks were provided. Finally at 6pm they told everyone to collect our baggage and wait at check-in area to be given hotel spaces. The off-loaded baggage arrived after 2 hours which to me was deliberate as they wanted to minimise the time passengers would spend at the hotel. Finally after another 2 hours wait in the queue, they told everyone to wait for buses to be taken to the hotel. The hotel was 1 and a half hour drive outside of Barcelona where we finally reached at 11.30pm. There was no communication as to when we will be picked up for our next day flight etc. At 4am, we were told bus had arrived for us, so hurried to the airport where they checked everyone in for 10.15am departure. At 11am, they told us that the aircraft that had just arrived from AUH to pick us up, was faulty as well. We were all then loaded onto the busses and taken to another aircraft which was parked at a half hour drive on the other side of the airport and finally that departed with the delay of over 2 hours. Abu Dhabi airport is another disgrace, you could smell the toilets from miles away, crowded space with low ceiling and rude staff. The flight to LHE was on a Airbus A320 with no IFE and in the name of in flight meal, they presented us with a bland sandwich. I asked for a diabetic meal in advance but due to cancelled flight and their crap service, never got it. All in all, I will never fly this joke of an airline again and recommend everyone to avoid them. They are not professional, will not communicate with customers if something went wrong and just treat their customers in a worst possible way. Choose Emirates or Qatar like I always do and couldn't do it this time because of last minute travel requirement. I have learnt my lesson and will never waste a penny on these clowns.

✅ Trip Verified | 5 star in every way! It was my first trip on Etihad and I was surprised by the high standard of both a professional but also authentic service on board. Food and beverage were exceptional and the fact that you can choose when you would like to eat is a bonus. Both aircrafts, the 787 and 350 were very comfortable. Entertainment program is good and easy to navigate. A great experience!

Not Verified | It was a terrifying experience from Etihad. I have booked my ticket on Etihad from Manchester to Kochi, via Abu Dhabi, on April 2013. The ticket was confirmed and when I reached the airport the airline people give me only one boarding pass, and said that the next one will be issued at Abu Dhabi. I didn't feel anything unusual about that. When I reached Abu Dhabi the transfer desk crew told me that I cant travel on the flight which I have booked and the flight is over booked. I was shocked and I found a group of people who were in my situation, fighting with the staff as they were nearly 24 hours in Abu Dhabi for the next flight. The reason was economy travelers have seats only after other class, and this was not mentioned during the ticket was booked. After a long fight I got my seat, after all the passengers boarded. This was the first time I travel on Etihad and will be the last time. I don't trust them anymore.

Not Verified | Had an aisle seat by emergency exit, after meal was served passengers piled up the rubbish ie food trays etc, in the emergency exit. It sat there for hours, along with a large passenger bag. The flight attendant who walked past many many times, just ignored it. I had to complain before reluctantly anything was done. Obviously passenger safety does not include economy class.

✅ Trip Verified | First time flying with Etihad and was looking forward to it, check-in staff ex BKK was great and helpful but things started to go downhill onboard. The crew on left aisle were friendly and nice but not on my aisle, during meal service i was expecting a hello and meal choice offer but instead the ‘unknown’ meal was rudely dumped on my tray table without saying a word. Then I asked for a glass of red wine with my meal but she bluntly told me ‘Not Now!’ and said only coffee, tea or juices. The crew on the other aisle served me and my partner red wines without hesitation. She did not return nor check on me throughout the flight. She never smiled and never used service language throughout flight which was a shock to my surprise how she got this job. Then during transit in AUH, the ground staff at transit desk was rude and indifferent. From AUH to LHR, we asked for a glass of red wine during meal service again we were not served and did not get back to us at all. Some crew are nice but some crew are not and can be down right rude. The economy seat was actually quite spacious and comfortable. IFE was quite good. Unfortunately due to the unpleasant experiences from certain crew or staff which ruined our trip, I don’t think I’ll be flying with them anytime sooner.

✅ Trip Verified | I have no doubt that plenty of people have had bad experiences, but I want to share a generally positive one. I've flown ~20,000 miles on Etihad now and they've always treated me well. Every single flight has left on time, no delays. The staff is nice, the food is good enough, the movie selection is good, the baggage allowance is extremely generous, the ticket prices are usually below average, etc. I'm a big fan of Etihad and would gladly fly them anytime. Also, one other detail. This is probably dependent on many factors, but I notice that at airport check-in the lines for Etihad are usually *significantly* shorter than the check in line for Emirates. Just a nice little bonus.

✅ Trip Verified | Let me share with you the awful experience I had (and still have with Etihad).It started some days before my flight (which was from the 30th of April to 1st of May, from Barcelona to Seoul, with a layoff in Abu Dhabi). Etihad has this offer where you can bid to reserve the seats on your row to have no neighbors during the flight. For my flight from Abu Dhabi to Seoul, I thought it was a good idea to reserve a seat and bid for the two seats next to me to have no neighbors, be more comfortable and get some sleep during the flight. So I bid and got the 2 extra seats reserved for me. They sent me this nice email with this great phrase "You will enjoy a neighbor-free seat onboard." I was very much looking forward to it. My friends, on the same flights, also did it (they were the ones that suggested me) and also got the bid won. Yet, I thought I should not get too happy, maybe they will mess up something...and that's what exactly happened. Two large men came and say: those are our seats and I was no, I reserved them. They politely acknowledge it, although Etihad really assigned them those seats. It was even more confusing because they put to those seats a little paper on the benches' head support saying they were reserved. They tried to sit one man on another reserved seat behind me but the couple that reserved it protested. In the end, the attendant came to me, apologize, and said that they probably had last minute reservation, and the plane was fully booked (not true as my friends and other passengers enjoyed their neighbor's free seat). The attendant told me that he will contact the airline to report the issue ASAP. Later I gave him my contact info on paper with all the details. But nobody contacted me. So I emailed them on the 1st of May, to which they answered: We're currently receiving a high number of emails. Thank you for your patience whilst we work through each case as quickly as possible. If your case requires a response, a member of our team will get back to you within a maximum of 14 days. I still haven't received any news 28 days later. I contacted their support services multiple times on Twitter and every time, they asked me to leave the time to the team to do their investigation. I asked them how long it will take and they stayed vague...In the first email, I also asked them to cancel the reservation I made for the seat I reserved for my flight back because I didn't want to give Etihad more money until my case was solved, but no one answered. Etihad didn't deliver a service I paid for and I strongly recommend to anyone to not bid for blocking a neighbor's seat as they can take it away from you if someone else books a ticket at the last minute, worst, they can take it away from you and make you wait, and not refund you (so far that's what happened to me). I fear I will soon have no choice but to contact a lawyer to get this problem solved. They should have automatically acknowledged it and refunded me once those seats were taken back from me and given to other passengers. Yet, they leave me with the impression they don't seem to really care. I had issues in the past with other airlines and have always been answered in respectable delays, even during the first month of the covid pandemic that forced many airlines to cancel flights. Etihad has so far not shown me any sign of willingness to refund me.

Not Verified | They weighed my backpack which never happens usually and they made me pay for the extras and that’s more than the ticket itself! I had to empty everything and put in the big luggage, and when I came back they didn’t even measure the backpack and they charged me for the extra kilos in the big luggage! So cheap will never fly with them again.

Not Verified | They never refunded my cancelled flight despite confirming that it would be done in 45 days. They never send you any email to confirm the cancellation they just confirm it by chat (that they don’t also forward to a email once done) then they claim it was a no show and they can’t trace back the he cancellation. Either they lie to keep the money or their system is so poor or inexistant which is quiet worrying for an airline. Lower customer service than a cheap budget airline. Would never use them again.

✅ Trip Verified | After cancelling one of my connecting flights on my return journey, Etihad refused to rebook me on another flight. They said the only option was a refund, which I begrudgingly accepted because there was no other option. I had to spend money out of my own pocket to rebook with another airline at a much higher price because it was short notice. I have waited nearly 3 months and I have still not received a refund. Every time I contact the team either on web chat or phone they just keep stalling, they keep telling me they have to email the refunds team which will take another 5 working days, and there is no chance for me to contact them directly. This is beginning to seem like the behaviour of scam artists.

✅ Trip Verified | The most disappointing airline I have ever flown with. The only reason I booked with the them was the price and promise of a free hotel when doing a stopover in Abu Dhabi. There is no free a hotel it is a SCAM. First they said it is because of the F1 black out dates, even if travelling one week before that. The availability for my dates, although you cannot check the availability until you book your flight. Then you are stuck with a multi-city itinerary that does not allow any changes or cancellations. Customer service won't answer or take any responsibility. Flights were ok I guess, food was mediocre and IFE did not work properly on one of the flights. I will avoid this airline in the future and never recommend it.

Not Verified | Cabin staff service was totally rude and unprofessional. Especially when they serve passengers who cannot speak English. All cabin staff was always angry to someone who did not understand English. I definitely rate this airline is 1 star. Never fly with airline anymore.

✅ Trip Verified |  Complete disappointment. Very poor web system, no possibility to do check-in online, always got error, call center agent advised that it was a system error. For both sectors surprisingly. Traveling with no luggage and infant, with departure 3 am, expected to do check-in online, save time and have smooth peaceful time, unfortunately needed to arrive earlier, go to counter and all the mess at gate after. Was no organized area next to gate, it was impossible to reach gate trough narrow rows between seats, already filled with others and their luggage, how could we expect to have priority for boarding if we could not even reach the gate. The worst part. Baby stroller arrived at Rome airport and we needed to look for it, no assistance from any Etihad staff. Stroller was damaged, full of scratches and soft part was cut. This was my first experience flying with Etihad and it was a complete shock. Out trip just for a weekend turned into so many issues : no check-in online, damaged stroller upon arrival to Rome, 1 hour waiting for stroller at Abu Dhabi airport. No possibility to travel easy and be treated really well. staff at AUH airport was not helpful at all, bounced us counter-lift-counter-lift, wait for your stroller there, wait here. Etihad is not family and customer oriented in general.

✅ Trip Verified | Etihad is a really good airline. Check-in was smooth, so was the luggage processing. Their officer (JED airport) was pretty flexible with we taking a bit extra weight on the cabin. The cabin crew was pretty helpful as a number of airhostesses tended to my baby when he was crying. Food was also good, and so are the 32' pitch seats. I would highly recommend it.

✅ Trip Verified | One of the worst airlines I have flown. The flight was over 13 hours. The seats were really uncomfortable which I noticed within 30 secs and continued to be uncomfortable throughout the flight. The support (bottom) part barely covered from buttocks to half the thigh. I am 5ft 3".The seat cushions hard and the fabric rough. Almost no space between seats so you can not reach the things you may have in your bag below. And if the person in front chooses to lay back, which she did for almost the entire 13 hour flight, then you can almost no space to move. Luckily I had an aisle seat. You can barely move to the aisle from the window seat. The food trays were flimsy and low. The seat pockets hold next to nothing. Very little food was served. And 2 hot meals for the entire flight beginning and end. And the gave a paper bag in the middle of flight with sandwich. The worst flying experience ever. This kind of airplane and flights should be prohibited by law. There should be a minimum of comfort required.

✅ Trip Verified | I was looking forward to the premium experience of Etihad. That immediately ended as soon as I boarded the B787 in Zurich. Old, worn, dirty cabin with incompetent crew. Only got worse when boarding the B777 in Abu Dhabi for 13hrs to Melbourne with wife & myself literally on top of each other middle seats. It was too close even for married couples but would be a nightmare and not possible for strangers. Cannot believe Etihad can have this cabin on popular long haul legs. Only saving grace was excellent FA on my side of the aisle who was apologetic and somewhat embarrassed about the cabin, but did a great job on service.

✅ Trip Verified | Booked a return flight to Thailand with Etihad. The first leg to Abu Dhabi was with an A350, brand new plane. I must admit that Etihad livery is the best one I’ve seen. Along with on time-ish departure, unfortunately they are the only positive things I can think of. Although the plane was new, the seats are cramped, a thing that I noticed to many other airlines with new planes, and I am definitely not a tall person. They’re just pouring as many seats as possible which is very inconvenient for longer flights. Surprisingly, on the 777 plane from AUH to BKK, although was an older plane, the seats were much more comfortable, thus confirming what I mentioned above. The food onboard was just average, it lacks presentation and quality like you get on Qatar, Emirates or Turkish. IFE was just ok, not too many options to choose from. The crew was not as proactive as the other middle eastern carriers mentioned above. Together with AUH airport experience (an old and tired airport) I must admit that my first experience was not so great with Etihad and I really wanted to love them as they look so stylish (apparently only from outside). I usually fly to Asia only with Qatar and unfortunately Etihad can’t match the other carrier’s overall services, and they are on the same price range.

✅ Trip Verified | We were very disappointed by the following: Seats very cramped, when queuing for the toilet you felt you were imposing on peoples personal space. Service poor - we waited for over two hours for some water, our wine with dinner on all flights never appeared. On each journey we only had one drink! bearing in mind our flights were all over 11hrs. The in-flight entertainment system didn't work on our last flight, the only things available was BBC world news and a few games. The food selection was poor and often ran out. On one flight both meals had bland, dry pasta for the vegetarian option. (the vegetarian curry option on another flight was actually very tasty). We will not be booking with airline again and have advised friends and family to avoid.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst Airline, avoid if you can. My return trip was scheduled on 24/09/2022. I went to Ottawa airport at 4pm to check-in for my connection trip to Toronto via Air Canada. On the check-in counter, I spent over 45 minutes as the agent was not able to find the boarding passes for the Etihad Flight from Toronto to Abu Dhabi. When I tried to clarify the reason of not being able to get the boarding passes of the second flight, the agent answered that I have consumed too much of her time and Air Canada does not have contract with Etihad Airways and I need to contact Etihad Airways as this is not their problem and Air Canada is not responsible for the remainder of the flight. I have spoken to Air Canada Duty Supervisor as well who was not able to find any solution for me. In fact, the duty supervisor answered me in a very rough way when she came to know I am flying on Etihad that they have no connections with Etihad and will not provide any assistance or feedback on my inquiry. On the boarding gate of Air Canada flight to Toronto we came to know by 5:45pm that there is a delay for 6pm flight to Toronto by 2 hours due to technical problem in the aircraft. The flight was rescheduled for departure by 8:10pm and arrival to Toronto by 9:10 pm while Etihad flight departure to Abu Dhabi is scheduled 9:40pm. My husband contacted Etihad customer service in Abu Dhabi for a solution. He contacted Etihad Customer Service at 2:28AM Abu Dhabi Time. During the conversation he was directed to supervisor. The supervisor confirmed that I will not be able to catch Etihad Flight and recommended rebooking on the following day 25/09/2022 same itinerary (Ottawa – Toronto on Air Canada departure 6pm arrival 7pm and Toronto – Abu Dhabi on Etihad departure 9:40pm). Hence, I asked Air Canada to cancel my check-in to allow Etihad for rebooking. I had to collect my 8 pieces checked-in luggage (which included 2 car seats) + 2 handbags and stroller and booked a taxi back home. The Supervisor informed my husband during the call that there is a Transfer desk in Toronto Airport where I will find upon my landing to print for me Etihad boarding passes. Unfortunately, this information is not correct. On the second day, I booked a taxi again and reached Ottawa Airport at 4pm and checked in on Air Canada Counter. They were also not able to issue my boarding pass for Etihad flight due to absence of contract with Etihad. On the boarding gate, I was again informed that Air Canada flight got delayed and will depart 7:40pm instead of 6pm. The reason provided by Air Canada is “No Aircraft”. Air Canada took off 7:59pm and reached Toronto Airport around 8:50pm. However, I had to stay in the aircraft for around 25 minutes as there is no facility in Toronto Airport to receive the aircraft for the gate.

✅ Trip Verified | Having never flown on this type of aircraft before I was appalled at my journey yesterday. The seats are super tiny, think child size but squeeze an adult into them. I’m not a large person at all, 5ft 4 female but was squashed in between two large guys, one who insisted on typing on his laptop most of the journey and continually invading my space with his arms/elbows. Refreshments are not very forthcoming and I had to keep asking for water, which when it arrived was half a paper cup. Food was disappointing. The only saving grace is that i didn’t get my upgrade to business offer accepted and waste more money as these seats also looked well past their sell by date. Overall, extremely disappointing and won’t be in a rush to fly Etihad again.

✅ Trip Verified | Overall a horrible experience. Delayed departure from Frankfurt of more than 1h. Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, the Gangway did not work, so we were made to wait another 35min before disembarkation. Needless to say the connecting flight to Riyadh was missed but the worst part of it was that the ground staff were completely clueless and hardly helpful. No service quality at all. I have Platinum status of Etihad as a frequent flier, but after that experience and the ridiculously high prices for average to below-average service quality. It looks like the Etihad management is detached from the reality of service the airline is providing in general. A complaint filed with the Etihad Guest Platinum Service, was replied to after 22 days. For me this was my last trip with Etihad.

✅ Trip Verified | Very bad service, not very Clear where to go for Help. Help desk even in security zone to pass by. Overbooking is on regular basis unfortunately. In cabin the service is ok. But airline itself is disaster. No Hotel inside airport so you have to go outside if you miss your flight because of overbooking by Airline and pay meals, taxi yourself.

✅ Trip Verified | Travellers beware when you book flights with Etihad Airlines because they don’t always give you what you paid for. I recently travelled on Etihad Airlines economy space class ticket round trip from Toronto to Calicut, India via Abu Dhabi. The regular economy class ticket is Can$1771 but an upgrade to economy space is Can$2000 more but provides better seats with more legroom for long flights. My economy space ticket cost Can$3100 but on my return flight I was given a regular economy boarding pass and told I would be given an economy space seat only to be told on board the flight that there were no more economy space seats. Once we landed in Canada my legs were so swollen I could barely walk. I’ve called Etihad customer service and was told a manager would call me to sort out the problem. I’ve called every day for 5 days because no manager has called me to remedy or compensate anything whatsoever. They just don’t seem to care. So travellers beware when you fly Etihad Airlines because you don’t always get what you paid for.