Etihad Airways

We upgraded to Business Class from Manchester to Abu Dhabi and were underwhelmed. Both flights were late (although not significantly) with no explanation. The seats are quite comfortable although a bit narrow and clearly it is better than flying economy. But the service was very below par. On the first leg the crew were pleasant and attentive but got several things wrong (eg bringing the wrong meals). On the second leg though (a long one) the crew were awful. In my view we didn't even get economy class service. Nobody introduced him or herself they staff were off-hand to the point of rudeness the meals took forever to come and the staff didn't respond to any minor requests. For example I wanted a little sugar to sprinkle on my breakfast cereal-I was told that only sugar lumps were available and it wasn't until I suggested that I could go myself and collect some from economy that some appeared! This is just one example of the inadequate and even offensive service. My main course at dinner was almost stone cold and because I had waited so long for it I didn't send it back but it was really horrible. This has never happened to me in scores of long-haul economy flights. Also our trays did not have the correct cutlery on them so we had to keep asking for appropriate utensils. Again this doesn't happen in economy! Another issue was that when one pushed the button for service nothing happened. On two occasions we waited for over ten minutes and nobody appeared. Altogether - very poor we would never fly Etihad again. I have no idea where they get the good ratings that they boast about. The only good thing about the airline is that the call centre staff are very pleasant and helpful.

AUH-BKK. Morning flight. Smooth check in at AUH airport. Security check as always long queues since AUH airport has not been able to catch up with the growth in pass anger numbers. Boarding chaotic and unorganized. Flight departed an hour late due to heavy traffic. Seat the usual hard and narrow affair. The very busy FA's tried their best but they were clearly understaffed on this full flight something I've noticed on another flight a month ago. What really upset me was the "breakfast" they served. I opted for the Asian option beef congee. It was about 100 ml of rice soup with a drop of Soya sauce and a few pieces of ginger. Beef could not be found. This was the most disgraceful meal I ever had on a flight and I fly a lot. Etihad claims to be the world leading airlines but I wonder who voted for them certainly not y class passenger.

AUH-DUB return J class. Limo pick up on time and friendly check in a breeze the one negative thing I find with this review is AUH airport and this is not Etihad's fault. The place was manic lounge is not up to the mark place packed looks shabby too small. Queue for the flight no Biz class lane had to fight to get to the front all biz passengers totally confused whilst Y class Pax gave dirty looks as we were finally let through to board first. On board all great staff food wines seat and on time. Return lounge in Dublin is fantastic very comfortable fine dining staff professional. Again return staff great food and beverage super etc. Arrival fast track and into limo in 20 minutes. good job just sort out AUH airport.

To be perfectly honest two of the four flights by Etihad were ok. However the other two were so bad that they are hard to forget. The cabin crew on these two trips were mostly indifferent and disorganised. The seats were hard narrow and uncomfortable and with two tired children crying as well due to the huge delays it all added up! We had a bassinet seat and were told on the phone that we could use a bassinet but when we got there they said the baby was too big. The baby never got fed on any of the trips without asking and literally begging. After one hour and 40 minutes after adult meals were served and asking six times we were given tinned baby food! Buzzers elicited no response. After a huge unexplained delay with no food or water for the children we were allowed on the plane. The food situation was disorganised and haphazard-the food was awful. The missed connections were covered but there was more waits for hotels and transport etc. After all the fuss we got about 2 hours sleep before our connecting flight the next day. The two trips that were better were shorter (6.5 hours) and had less people on them. On both these trips we got help from an excellent nanny and some good service from that person. On one of these trips we got champagne but this was after my finger got jammed in the TV. Food was bad on all trips-seats were poor and the baby not catered for at all.

Disorganised ground staff and process particularly at Abu Dhabi. Late departures poor lounges/terminals/gates at Heathrow and Abu Dhabi. Chaotic boarding. I had not flown with Etihad before. Won't fly again. Qantas a much better flying experience. Food service outside of meals on 7 hour flight was poor - I had to ask three times for a cup of tea. Staff polite but uninterested. Disappointed.

Flew SYD-AUH-GRU-AUH-SYD. My SYD-AUH flight was operated by Virgin Australia and was an excellent experience that I will not comment on here. The other three flights were operated by Etihad which were fine enough. AUH-GRU and return was on an A340 - the planes felt a little old but there was plenty of space compared to most economy seats I've been in. However AUH-SYD was on a B777 with quite possibly the worst economy long-haul seat I've experienced. The plane was nice and new and the IFE was excellent but the 3-4-3 layout meant the seat width was very narrow and uncomfortable even for a skinny guy like myself. It was hard to walk up and down the aisles to get to the bathrooms due to lack of space - kept bumping into people and I'm glad I wasn't sitting in an aisle seat otherwise I would have been extremely annoyed by this. Virgin Australia use a 3-3-3 layout on the exact same plane and it was very comfortable. Etihad need to learn something from their partner.

I flew back from Bangkok to Manchester via Abu Dhabi on 16th/17th July. Firstly my outgoing journey to BKK was pretty good - I have no complaints other than the usual for me not enough leg room (I am 6ft 3) however I am yet to fly with any carrier that I wouldn't say this about. The return journey was okay initially the flight left BKK on time and arrived in Abu Dhabi as scheduled. We boarded the Abu Dhabi - Manchester flight about 30 minutes late and were removed from the aircraft because of a 'maintenance issue' about 20 minutes after embarking. We were then told we could 'show our boarding pass to any of the restaurants in the departure lounge and we'd be able to get some food and a drink. Attempting this proved impossible I was told I needed a voucher from Etihad and wouldn't get anything unless I did. So a 25 minute queue for the voucher. Back to get some food. Oh the voucher only entitles me to what? A doughnut and a coffee! A 6.5 hr delay and this is all that was offered I was pretty disappointed and felt like this was in contradiction to Etihad's excellent reputation. We were eventually boarded on a flight some 7hrs later and whilst on-board the crew and staff were very attentive and professional. They provided a great service however the huge delay put a dampener on my return trip.

Very disappointed. Flew Singapore to Brisbane in July and from the moment we were ushered from the very average lounge to the gate (only to find flight delayed 1.5hours) things went downhill. Seats extremely small for business class. I am an average size western female and found the business class space tight in comparison to other airlines. Champagne served immediately. After discussing our need to make a tight connection in Brisbane with the cabin crew we were assured each time we enquired (3 during flight) that our daughter would be bought through from economy so we could exit quickly that the ground crew had been notified and that there would be ground crew to assist us to make connection. None of this happened! We fly on average twice per month and will not fly Etihad again!

AMS-BKK 17 July 2014 with a stopover in Abu-Dhabi. Packed madhouse on the EY 408. The flight EY408 - Abu Dhabi- BKK was just cancelled and merged with EY 404. The reason was that both aircraft's were half full. Packed accordingly and left 3 hours later. Originally I had carefully selected window seat 52A but had now been put down in the middle on seat 47E. Cabin layout seats was 3-4-3. Seats are so tight. After hours of waiting I discovered my suitcase was not on the plane! My luggage was supplied one day later to my hotel.

AUH-DUS return. The started on a rather bad note as the limousine did not show up. Calling the call center is a waste of time as they are rude and never call back. I took a cab and rushed to the airport. I had to fight for my taxi money but got it back. The flights were uneventful the usual long but very narrow sleeper beds well presented but not very tasty meals and the overworked and understaffed crew in C class. Etihad is an ok carrier but cannot be compared with its South East Asian competitors.

We had 3 flights with Ethiad (Australia - Europe - return) and the staff were miserable - we felt we couldn't even ask for a glass of water outside of the food service. There was no pre-boarding for families with kids which a few years ago for us was invaluable (with SIA of course). Our last flight Abu Dhabi to Perth today was over booked and an employee stood at the gate and announced "boarding now" so it wasn't done in seat order - absolute chaos. A family of 4 with kids under 3 was sat 2 and 2 on opposite sides of the aircraft. Abu Dhabi airport is chaotic and officious (although the Premier Inn for an overnight stay when we had an 8 hr layover outbound was the highlight and very good). The aircraft spent ages taxiing after landing (outbound and inbound) with no communication from the cockpit and likewise our last flight left an hour late with no announcement as to why. The attendant call button is very loud and seems to sound continuously throughout the flight - why can't the volume be turned down or the staff rely on a light? The temperature kept going from hot to cold and back again - very unpleasant. Overall not great and we won't go again - what you see on the advert is definitely not what you get.

20/7/2014 Bangkok - Abu Dhabi : Business Class 777-300er. Nothing special compared to the Business Class of other airlines. Abu Dhabi - Munich: First Class A340-600: I was so looking forward to be seated in the First Class again and Etihad never fail to impress me from the chef to the cabin crew. So nice and friendly from Abu Dhabi until we landed in Munich.

We had the most disappointing experience with Etihad. We travelled SFO-LAX-AUH-MAA both ways. On our way to Chennai both the flights were delayed and missed our connection flight to Chennai. We had to stand in the line for the flight transfer desk for 3 hours and stay in an airport hotel for a day. The return trip was 'lovelier'. The flight from Chennai landed in Abu Dhabi on time but was stranded on the runway for an hour and a half. So we missed our connection flight to LA and we are standing in the line at the flight transfer desk for 2 hours and still counting. We would not recommend this airline.

11/7/2014: Munich - Abu Dhabi: First Class: Atlantic lounge/Europa Lounge in Munich was not really quite what I had expected but as soon as I boarded the plane to my surprise the First Class suite was really nice. The seat was really comfortable the chef and the cabin crew were very nice and friendly. I managed to sleep all the way from Munich to Abu Dhabi after my light dinner which was prepared on my request. Abu Dhabi - Bangkok: Business Class: I was rather disappointed as the seat was rather narrow and not as comfortable as I had expected but it was ok. It was a big change from First Class to Business Class. The service was also not bad at all.

EY 641 8 July 2014 AUH-NBO. EY 642 12 July 2014 NBO-AUH. We expected much more. Both our flights we had inattentive crew malfunctioning and/or broken seat equipment and IFE weird menu options. When trying to view 'our Network' the IFE the screen simply went blank and showed a white fuzzy box. Looking in the magazine or asking crew members did not make matters better. Offering bags of plastic packaged caramel corn before landing also seemed a bit off for an award winning airline. Both of our flights departed and arrived very very late as well. The only positive for them is the quality of economy class headsets and honestly outside of that the experience on their competition especially Emirates is far superior!

BKK-AUH July 10th. An extremely unpleasant experience from the beginning to the end: chaotic check-in at BKK airport flight delayed no explanation or apologies. Equipment was an overcrowded Airbus 340-600 we were packed like sardines and temperature was extremely hot inside the airplane. Staff were rude and unprofessional. No efforts to bring the temperature down no water service I had to ask 3 times for a glass of water. Luggage delivery was also delayed.

I have just completed a 6 week holiday with my wife and had the unfortunate experience of flying Etihad on 4 occasions. The airline promises one thing and delivers another ie: we had a 3hour delay at MEL which meant we missed our connecting flight at Abu Dhabi so had another 2 hour delay which meant we were almost 6 hours late arriving in London. On the return trip we left Dublin nearly 2 hours late which really didn't matter as the flight from Abu Dhabi to MEL was delayed by well over an hour. I found the staff at the airport and onboard rude and not receptive to customers requests. 777-300 - a very cramped uncomfortable and noisy aircraft.

Very disappointed with Etihad planes late on two occasions already and now waiting in a crummy business lounge in Athens with another late plane. They only give one hour's WIFi in what is supposed to be a business class lounge and the place is hot with second rate food and service and in appropriate seating design. Entertainment system was not working in my business class seat on the way over. First world problem I know but you pay a lot for these seats and they knew the seat had issues from previous flights but still put me in it. Just not good enough. Never flying them again.

Highly rated airlines but a totally disappointing experience. Food is really bad and the seats are really tight. Took a return flight from KL to Sao Paulo and for such a long journey the seats were really uncomfortable. Not to mention that the flight was delayed for 3 out of the 4 legs. The change over in Abu Dhabi was a bad experience as well. The change of flight required extensive walking with a 2 hr lay over only and had to go through a long line for x-ray again.

Flew Manchester-Abu Dhabi-Singapore-Brisbane in December 2013 and now Brisbane-Singapore-Abu Dhabi-Brussels and on both legs all flights were great. Very nice and friendly personnel great good with good choices good entertainment system colouring packs and games for the children everything was great. Would definitely recommend them and fly with them again.

MEL to AUH. Flight was late leaving with no explanation. The seat was very uncomfortable being hard and with no support at all. There were no headphones for the inflight AV so this needed to be requested. The sound quality from the headphones was distorted with high pitched noises making listening to anything unpleasant. The flight attendant took orders for dinner which served after midnight local time. The meal was adequate but nothing unusual or noteworthy. After dinner that was the last I saw of any flight attendant until breakfast was served many hours later. For some reason I was overlooked by the flight attendant and received no breakfast in fact I was not even asked if I wanted coffee or water. This would be unacceptable in economy class and certainly is so in business class. The flight attendant did speak to me when he wanted to sell me tax free goods from the catalogue. I will not be booking Etihad again.

EY20 28th November and EY17 on 3rd Nov 2013. Would definitely fly them again everything was immaculate the crew at LHR/AUH and on the aircraft and the aircraft itself. I was sat in coral economy and had more legroom than any carrier I've been on in that class the IFE system was great brilliant selection of TV Films Music games and more. 3 choices of main meal in economy as well as snack service and obviously drinks. You may pay a little more but the service and the airline itself is definitely worth it.

Had the misfortune of flying Melbourne - Washington DC via AUH last year in December. The planes were old and shabby. On one of the legs I was forced to sit in one of the 'love seats' with a complete stranger. I couldn't sleep as I had to keep moving his leg off my bed yes they really are that close! Complained to the airline via email they chose not to respond.

Flew to Thailand on 15th June returned on 23rd June. Flights EY16 and EY402. Returning EY401 and EY15. I have flown with Etihad many years maybe not again. I am over six foot in height and I think Etihads seats are made for small people. Manchester to Abu Dhabi and then Bangkok I was very uncomfortable all the way. Asked for extra legroom at Manchester and was told it would be £59 extra to Abu Dhabi and then pay extra again at Abu Dhabi to Bangkok. The food was adequate and TV entertainment average. Being an Etihad gold member I have seen Etihads quality go down. Very disappointed.

LHR-AUH-KUL and back. LHR to AUH on Boeing 777 3x4x3 configuration AUH to KUL on Airbus A330 2x4x2 configuration. Very good value for money quite short connection times but not a problem even though AUH is very busy. Cabin crew immaculately presented and actually looked like they enjoyed their job. Good IFE with great selection of films and it was easy to use. Food and drink was ok although I didn't have the snacks. MY only complaint were the seats they were rock hard and it felt like sitting on a slab of concrete after 6 hours. However that's the only real negative and I would fly with them again.

This is my preferred airline. Why? Because the service is excellent you feel as if you are travelling business class nothing is too much trouble for the staff. Entertainment is the best with excellent earphones. I had to travel Virgin Australia on my way back from Paris to Sydney oh the difference Etihad every time.

Flew MAN-AUH-BKK all on B777-300. Outbound no particular problems though the food offered was at best average. Inbound a different story. Food poor entertainment system barely worked had to be reset 3 times but the worst - aircraft boarding. At AUH organised boarding no way no young families first no row selection just 1 mad free for all on an almost full aircraft. Total disgrace for a 4* rated airline more like a cheap budget outfit. Not my first choice to get my custom again!

I travel to Melbourne from Manchester once or twice a year. This was my first trip with Etihad. The chauffeur was excellent but had not been given the correct information as to where to pick me up. Fortunately he sent a text and I found him and was in plenty of time so no worries. Unlike the other airlines I have flown with I did not feel 'looked after'. I have a gluten free diet and at the first meal the cabin crew apologised not only for there being no g/f bread but also for the very tired looking meal. The standard of food was not what I expected. I loved the configuration of the seats affording excellent privacy but was glad I am neither claustrophobic nor overweight. At Abu Dhabi the walk to the gate from the cramped lounge was very long. I felt quite ill and asked for some water to take some painkillers but was told to walk 'downstairs' to buy some. A member of staff eventually produced a bottle of water. The next leg was a repeat of the first apologies for lack of bread (I do not need bread it would have been simpler just to say nothing) and very poor food. However I slept well and there was wifi on board which for me is a huge bonus although there is a cost to this. This flight fell below my previous experiences on the MAN - MEL route.

I upped my Pearl Economy ticket to Pearl Business via Etihad bidding. Flew the first leg of my trip home (BKK- AUH). Airplane was one of the older (two class) 777-300ER of Etihad Airways. Seat area layout was ok especially when travelling alone and having one of the separated seats open to the aisle. I would not want to sit in one of the 'couple seats' with a complete stranger. Seat size was below optimum for a 1.88m/6'3'' person like me as in the maximum reclined position I wasn't able to stretch out completely. Putting one leg in the aisle was not causing a problem due to generous space especially when compared to the extremely narrow economy class aisle in 3-4-3 configured 777s. Power sockets and USB-Plug-in were somewhat randomly put into several areas and the table was too far from the person to enjoy the meal in an upright Position. The layout was clearly lacking storage room for something small like earphone case or iphone. No noise suppressing headphones were provided although announced in the ad (Website). I used my own ones and was able to sleep rather comfortably for most of the six hour flight. Food was ok but nothing much to write home about relatively small choice (again not really according to the advertised super cuisine). Overall a nice experience made the second leg in the extremely cramped economy class of a (nevertheless brand new) Airbus A330 of Air Berlin even more painful.

EY 130 24 May. EY 268 25 May. EY 269 11 Jun. EY131 11 Jun. Flew IAD-AUH-MAA last month. Very good flight. I was asked to move from the seat that I had selected which I did not like. Food service etc excellent. Polite staff.

I had to fly urgently from my home in Kathmandu to London and only Etihad had the dates and times I wanted. My flight was EY 11 on 26th June AUH-LHR Economy seat number 23D. It was a Boeing 777. After my last two terrible experiences with the seating I had vowed never to use Etihad again but this time I had no choice. The experience was just as terrible with these ten across tiny seats. It's a shame because the cabin service and meals were as usual excellent. I will be travelling by Qatar Airways Oman Air or Air India whenever possible in the future and I will use Etihad as a last resort.

Flew Sydney to Manchester return Business Class. New Business Class seats are very good.. I got the old seat from AUH-SYD and you can definitely see the improvement. Food was good. Other airlines do offer a bigger Menu. Lounge in Terminal 3 AUH very disappointing too small and at Peak times standing room only. Etihad's main competition Emirates offer a better overall product. Etihad are trying to keep up with Emirates. They are trying to grow very quickly but missing some of the simple little things that make a great airline such as Singapore or Emirates.

Flew LHR-AUH-BKK was dreading flight as planes got changed to the 777 at short notice and I had previously seen the reviews of that plane on here. I was really impressed with leg room and seat comfort even though 3-4-3 seating. I don't see what people have been complaining about. I found it more comfortable then Emirates BA and other major airlines. The entertainment was great and the food was excellent. Would recommend Etihad.

I recent flew numerous sectors with Etihad in Business Class. The cabin crew seem to enjoy their job and this shows. The Business Class product is excellent except for the smaller A320 aircraft. Very old and dingy interior. The Flagship Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi in the mornings is a complete joke. This lounge is something you'd except from a 1 star airline. I did though have the pleasure to experience the lounge mid-morning and it was very pleasant. Staff even remember my face from previous visits and coffee choice. The Etihad Chauffeur is also fantastic along with the dedicated Business/First check-in. Cannot fault this airline and it will continue to be my airline of choice!

I flew from Abu Dhabi to New York the plane was not an Etihad plane but an Indian Jet Airways plane. The plane was filthy they ran out of water and the toilets were so dirty my colleague were reluctant to use them. A 14 hour flight. Numerous people complained. Etihad code share with so many people now its a gamble what sort of plane and service you are going to get. I used to love Etihad but you no longer get what you pay for.

Flew with MAN-AUH-NRT and back. Flights to and from MAN were on 777-300. These planes are very cramped in 3-4-3 configuration. That said staff were courteous and the food perfectly acceptable. However the perennial problems with delays leaving Manchester reared their ugly head (apparently waiting for passengers from a connecting flight which has arrived some time before the scheduled departure). This resulted in a mad dash transferring through AUH to get my connection to NRT. Flights to and from NRT were on A330 which seemed much more spacious in terms of legroom. As the flight to NRT was half-empty there was plenty of room to stretch out. Arrival at NRT spoilt by the non-arrival of my baggage. Credit where it's due the Etihad representative was straight on the phone to track it down but this has happened to about 12 people on the flight. Even more disturbing the Etihad rep had told me that it happened to 7 people the day before. Service on the flight was perfectly acceptable but the delays and transit issues at AUH and temporary lost baggage spoilt the "Etihad Experience" for me.

Flew coral economy class DEL-AUH-DEL and was very impressed and comfortable. Cabin crew on both legs very professional and also very friendly at the same time. Food quality was very good. This is part of the flight experience. Good food good clarity on the screen for the on demand media and they also have decent noise cancelling headphones. Service was good even though the flight was full.

Flew Athens-Sydney and had pre-allocated seats down the back (A and C) so wife and I would not be hassled by adjacent traveler in overnight flight. At check-in we were changed to BC seat with no explanation nor would they change it. Seat A was occupied and plane only 60% full. After takeoff I moved to vacant aisle seat with no one beside me. Mid flight a stewardess pushed 2 more into the seats next to me. Why as there were other vacant seats? I checked our original seat allocation and found 1 child under 5 occupying both A/C seats with parents in aisle seat with 2 spare seats next to them. That's unbelievable. Terrible flight and can't believe how poor seat allocation is. I will not fly Etihad again.

We flew from Milan to Abu Dhabi and on to Sydney on May 24th and enjoyed the flight very much. The flight departed both Milan and Abu Dhabi on time. The Aircraft's were clean and comfortable. The meals were tasty and the cabin service excellent the flight crew were attentive and prompt in handling any request.

Flew business class Dublin to Abu Dhabi return and was very impressed. The driver collected us on time and the lounge in Dublin is excellent. Cabin crew on both legs very professional and also very friendly at the same time. Food and wine top notch and loved the fact you can eat when you want and what you want. The beds are narrow but comfortable. The only gripe is that the lounge in Abu Dhabi is dreadful. Its overcrowded and too small. To say this is their signature lounge is a joke. Passengers were sitting on the floor as there were not enough seats! This is part of the flight experience but its letting the product down big time.

Flew KWI-AUH and AUH-MNL on 15-16 May 2014 and then MNL-AUH and AUH-KWI on 8 June 2014 . In-flight food service entertainment in all flights and Premium Lounge were quite superb. Staff were accommodating. Special lanes for the Business Class passengers now exists again. I had much better experience now than the last flight I had with Etihad last December 2013 and January 2014.

Flew MEL-AUH-AMS. Seats were cramped. Food was pretty good and so was the entertainment. Flight attendants were ok but they were quite peculiar about giving you more water. Being on planes for more than 15+ hours one gets dehydrated. Clean up after meals were too slow. It took them more than half an hour to come back and collect the rubbish. Transiting through Abu Dhabi was horrible. They make you go through security again and on our flight back to Melbourne we had to go through security twice. Boarding and transiting logistics needs to be looked at it's it not streamlined overlaps and absolutely chaotic. Other than the transiting in Abu Dhabi flight was pleasant.

On our outward trip from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg I was allocated seat no 22c and my husband was allocated seat no 22a next to me but for reasons unknown ground staff decided to change my husbands seat to 26g. This was done without consulting us. Assuming that the passenger seated next to me must have made a specific request for that seat I was surprised to learn from her that she has made no such request. When I pointed this out to the air hostess she was apologetic though it was not her fault. For a flight of 9 hours my husband and I were made to sit apart. On our return from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi we a group of 9 adults who are strict vegetarians had to make do with bread and juice and a couple of packets of nuts as our meal request for avml or asian vegetarian meal was not showing in their system. To sum it up our experience with Etihad was bad and the only saving grace was the air hostesses who were very considerate.

17 hours I was in Abu Dhabi international airport on my way to New York because the flight EY 253 was delay about one hour. It was not only me there were about 20 passengers from different countries also sitting on chair for delay. The airport people only gave us two meal voucher nothing else.

Travelled from KUL to Munich early May and awaiting my return flight at Munich airport. Flight to Munich was delayed by an hour with no explanation or apology by the pilot. On the return flight I asked to be upgraded to business class and was quite happy to pay a surcharge but was shocked that the surcharge was the price of my Return Economy. Seats are cramped and uncomfortable and in flight entertainment is terrible. I will never ever fly Etihad ever again.

The crew that make the difference on a journey. SYD-AUH-LHR in April 2014. The crew from Sydney were far superior to the AUH-LHR crew. Both were competent but the first crew were better. The comfort level is high in Business Class and the starlight effect in the cabin is lovely. The food on varies from good to excellent depending on choice. The wine list is quite nice but I hope next time they will have changed their champagne.

The service on Etihad is possibly the worst. Booked special meals which never arrived on a long haul flight from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi. The same happen on our flight from Jeddah to Abu Dhabi. The seating on flights to and from South Africa is really poor On our flight 21 April 2014 two emergency exist doors did not operate. Delays experienced on at least 2 hours from Jeddah and Abu Dhabi.

I have flown Etihad 4 times in the last 12 months. Each time the service gets poorer. Last time 27th April I was rescheduled Manchester to Heathrow to Bangkok. I was assured there was ample time to transfer from T1 to T3 LHR .Not so had to dash only made it because BKK flight was delayed. I do not need such stress. Now the return leg on 18th May from BKK to AUH. No member of cabin staff identified me as a gold member each request was declined and the stewardess was totally out of her depth. for example when I asked for a glass of dessert wine I was told I would have to wait until business class was finished and see if there was any left. One hour and 25 mins later it arrived. By such time I had lost the will to complain . On the flight from AUH to MAN I was boarding with business class passengers . As I entered the aircraft the cabin crew manager said to the gentleman in front 'lovely to see you again sir through to the right' - to myself "in there to the left" with a look of disdain then to the next two behind lovely to see you etc. As a frequent flier and gold card holder I feel the treatment I received was abysmal.

New York to Abu Dhabi is one of the worst flights I have traveled. Seats are cramped and extremely uncomfortable not much leg room. Cabin was too cold and cabin crew was not helpful. Food was not great. I had a horrible experience and it took 2 days to recover from all the tiredness. Don't try this airline even though they offer a the cheapest price.

Travelling Etihad Airways from Athens-AbuDhabi-Sydney was terrible. More crowded than domestic seating seat allocation changed for no apparent reason and my wife and I stuffed into Seats B/C with A occupied when only 60% full. I moved to another unoccupied E aisle seat with 2 vacant spots beside me and during middle of night for unknown reason flight attendant installed 2 more people next to me. Unbelievable. Checked our original 2 seat allocation and it was occupied by one child under 6 with spare seats next to her parents in middle seats. Unbelievable. Never Etihad Airways again.