Etihad Airways

I am very disappointed by Etihad Airways. They changed my flight timings without even considering my schedule. They have messed up my domestic flight timings with out even considering that it is prepaid already. The only solution Etihad Airways could engage was to persuade me into cutting my trip short or make it longer which I cant .The other solution Etihad encouraged me to partake was giving me a full refund. Its so easy for Etihad Airways to dump a customer off the cliff. Happily they try so hard to take your money when a deal is made but engaging in solution is something you are poor at. I work full time. I am an employee who has to make precise schedule to make that once in a life time trip to see his family in a short notice. Very disappointed!

I have traveled Emirates Qatar Airways Lufthansa British Airways Air India and Etihad Airways so far in the last few years. But the staff service I received from Etihad Airways was so bad that I am writing this immediately after my travel. I was travelling with my 1 year old daughter and was surprised by the attitude of the Air Hostesses and other cabin staff. They were least friendly and least helpful when you ask them anything. I needed some help with my bags to be put in the compartments above the seat and I asked a staff to help me as I had my daughter who was not very happy either. But I was told point blank that she cannot carry my bags. During the flight I asked for some warm milk for my daughter and the staff gave a cup of cold milk (after asking a couple of times). When I asked if they can help me get the milk warmed I was again told clearly that that is all they can do and they can't warm the milk. Then I had to request them a few times to finally get the milk warmed. I am just putting down a couple of things here. But the experience was bad to worse and it all had to do with an unfriendly and unhelpful staff.

My wife and myself went to Colombo airport and got checked in for a flight to Munich via Abu Dhabi. The flight was in the initial beginning was late by one hour. The Etihad ground staff knew about this problem but still issued us both the Boarding Passes Colombo to Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi To Munich. On the flight we asked the Purser and the Air Hostess to check with the Pilot about our connecting flight in Abu Dhabi. All three assured us that we will be able to catch the connecting flight. Upon landing at Abu Dhabi airport we were met by a Etihad ground staff who told us that the connecting flight had left for Munich 1.5 hours ago. So all that assurance by the Pilot and the Purser was a lie. We were made to do immigration formalities and brought to the baggage collection carousel. The baggage took exactly one hour and twenty minutes to arrive. We were not offered any water nor a place to sit no one was kind nor helpful at the airport. We were handed over to Etihad Airways staff who was the rudest I have ever known. Just because she is of Arab origin she thought that everybody else are low down. She took us to the taxi rank at the airport and handed us over to a taxi driver who drove us off to Dubai. She also told us that there will a person from Etihad who will take care of us at the Dubai Terminal. Finally we reached Dubai Emirates Business Terminal and got ourselves checked in. What a difference from the Emirates Staff compared to the Etihad staff. Nobody at Etihad Airways cared a damn and they were not bothered.

Business class DUB-AUH-SYD and MEL-AUH-DUB. All flights were excellent. First rate staff and top quality meals. Seat comfort could be improved but only slightly. Otherwise very happy!

Rating : 1/10 Cabin Flown Economy Value for Money Seat Comfort Staff Service Catering Entertainment Recommended

Bangkok to Doha via Abu Dhabi. Bangkok to Abu Dhabi new B777-300ER. Excellent service delicious meals great IFE comfortable seats. Abu Dhabi to Doha on A319. A 40 minute flight but hot sandwich was served with drinks superb service. This airline is cheap compared to Emirates or Qatar Airways.

Totally disappointed by Etihad . Flight delayed 15 hours without notice no customer service baggage lost. I am trying to contact lost and found since 4 hours and I have not received a reply yet. Staff is not helpful and the Abu Dhabi airport did not have enough facilities to accommodate all the passengers. I do not suggest to fly with this company.

My wife and I flew Etihad from London-Abu Dhabi-Male on the outward journey of our holiday. Due to a major (unresolved) issue on the outward journey Etihad offered us ‘Meet and Assist’ and (if available) Pearl Class upgrade for the return journey from Bangkok-Abu Dhabi-London. We will see if they manage to redeem themselves.

Manchester to Trivandrum via Ab Dhabi. We were pleasantly surprised and no problem with the flights the service and the transfer through Abu Dhabi. The seats on the shorter flight to Trivandrum were comfier than the 7 hour flight and we didn't enjoy the food very much - but that may be a personal thing! Flight attendants pleasant. No problems on the return journey apart from a queue between terminals at Abu Dhabi - however it moved quickly and we were not inconvenienced. All flights on time.

EY 102 JFK-AUH business 5/3/14. EY 233 AUH-ISB business 5/4/14. EY 232 ISB-AUH business 5/10/14. EY 101 AUH-JFK First 5/10/14. Ground crew are quite unhelpful to the point of being rude. The airport facilities at Abu Dhabi including the business and first class lounges were dirty and unkempt. The staff there was quite rude and unprofessional.

We had 4 flights with them and all 4 were late one by as much as 11 hours. Not a good start! With regard to the longest delay we were put into a "first class hotel". I do not call Premier Inn first class! We were told that we would have a chauffeur car to get there. After a 30 minute wait we ascertained that the hotel was some 200 metres away so we walked having wasted half an hour. On the return flight to Heathrow we witnessed a blatant disregard to the general safety regulations when a young female continued to occupy a seat next to an emergency door when it was very obvious that she would have been unable to carry out the special duties that pertain to that position. Finally quite a proportion of inflight entertainment units were inoperable.

I flew Etihad on 9 March 2014 from LHE-AUH-IAD. My trip started horribly from LHE where the Pearl and coral lanes were not even separated ground staff had no interest towards assisting anyone. It took them 2 hours to give me my boarding pass and they gave me an aisle seat when I had checked in online with a window seat. The plane was 1 hour late and when I entered the cabin only 1 flight attendant was there to guide everyone to their seats. No welcome drink served not even water. After take off the flight attendant brought me someone else's meal and then repeated the same thing again. It was a short flight and had a longer journey ahead. When I arrived at AUH airport I was happy to see they had extended their terminals and new terminals have been added to the airport. After clearing the security check point I went to the Pearl lounge and was so disappointed that there was nowhere to sit. I went to the new US Immigration's and Customs area which was done very well. The flight was an hour late. 14 hours to DC was ok the flight was full so I couldn't get my seat again. I was very disappointed with their inflight entertainment system as it has nothing at all to watch or listen to. Food quality was ok. Landed at IAD and my limo was not ordered as per the agent at the IAD airport. The bottom line is I have been travelling Qatar Airways for the past 4 years and they are excellent when it comes to taking care of their business class passengers. I hope Etihad improves.

Melbourne to Seychelles via Abu Dhabi and it was a pretty average flight small seat pitch mediocre food only one drink served on a 13 hour flight. The way home however was a different story. On 27th April the plane took off from the Seychelles 5 hours late due to fog in Abu Dhabi. I knew I would miss my connecting but assured that ground staff in Abu Dhabi had it taken care of. When we arrived there was no sense of order or anywhere near enough staff. On arrival at 11.10pm I was told to queue at the flight transfer desk. At this point there were two people working the desk. The queue broke up and it became a free for all. After 3 hours of waiting in this queue I was rebooked on a flight to Sydney and then another one on to Melbourne the following day. I arrived in Sydney to find my luggage was not with me. I had obviously missed my next flight so was rebooked again and found myself back in Melbourne 17 hours later than intended. I finally got my luggage 4 days later.

EY16 Manchester to Abu Dhabi on 14th April. Business class. Arriving Abu Dhabi there was no gangway we had to disembark using metal steps. There was no handrail and I aged 87 I had difficulty using the steps with very little to help me to climb down. At the same time an elderly lady perhaps not as old as myself but using a walking stick also had difficulty going down to ground level. There ought to have been a handrail. Thursday 1st May on my return at Sydney airport I attempted to find the Business class lounge prior to boarding EY455 Sydney to Abu Dhabi. I walked almost the length to Gate 60 before I found that it was near the Duty Free section. I had waked past with a number of people. The signing was poor and needed an overhead indication. On 3rd May EY021 Abu Dhabi to Manchester I asked for grilled beefsteak from the main menu only to be informed that it was not available. The alternative from the Anytime Menu was adequate. At all times the staff were extremely efficient pleasant and helpful.

Abu Dhabi to London on 29th April 2014. We flew a Boeing 777-300ER A6-ETN. The seats were very narrow and made you feel claustrophobic due to the 3-4-3 configuration however the comfort of the seat was good the seats also looked very attractive. The aisles were very narrow and small. The value for money was great the legroom was decent and the staff service was average. My mother asked for headphones 3 times until someone bothered to fulfil her request. She asked for water a several times and a Air Hostess looked annoyed and gave her a whole bottle. Their attitude needs some sorting out. The food and beverages were great and the IFE was very good too!

Lahore to Abu Dhabi on 29th April 2014. We flew an Airbus A340-600 A6-EHH. The plane was scheduled to be an Airbus A330-200. Last minute plans from Etihad was made which annoyed me a bit. The cabin seriously needs refurbishing it looks old and worn out inside. The seat comfort was decent and the legroom was good. The cabin crew were rushed and some were kind and some were moody. The value for money was great! The IFE was good and the food and beverages was great!

Abu Dhabi to Lahore on 31st March 2014. We flew an Airbus A340-600 A6-EHI the plane seemed a bit old inside and needs refurbishing. The flight was delayed 1 hour 30 mins due to delayed passengers and a sick passenger. When the flight finally took off we we're allowed to use the IFE and the IFE was pretty good. The cabin crew were all a bit moody and rushed which wasn't very helpful at all. The seat comfort was decent and the legroom was good. I liked the configuration of 2-4-2. The meal was also decent.

London to Abu Dhabi 31st March 2014. We flew on a Boeing 777-300ER A6-ETL And the configuration of the Coral Economy Class seats were 3-4-3 it made you feel very claustrophobic. It was a struggle to get luggage through the tiny little narrow aisles. To be different from flying the regular PIA we chose Etihad as it was cheaper. The cabin crew were all very nice and kind the seat had very good comfort. The legroom was okay the in-flight entertainment was quite good!

FRA to SGN in May 2014. Excellent food at any time during the flight. All meals were served with nice silverware and almost to 1st class standard of other airlines. You can choose any course and combination as much as you like and whenever you like. Excellent in-between-meals and they even reserve you your favourite main dish if you decide to eat later. Toilets are cleaned multiple times. I am 196cm tall and still could sleep on 100% flat beds. Entertainment a bit limited but headphones comfortable. Amenities bag complete with socks ear plugs hand and face moisturiser tooth brush and toothpaste of high quality. Most importantly and above all: the staff including ground staff in the lounges and check-in in FRA and AUH. I have never been in a better lounge then the Etihad lounge in FRA (except may be the Lufthansa HON lounge in FRA but that is a different world of it's now).

Our direct flight to Manchester was overbooked travelling from Abu Dhabi to Manchester. we were unceremoniously rushed on to a flight to Heathrow. My husband who has dementia and was seated in another section of the plane to me! We were given vouchers to spend and advised these could be used on Duty free goods this was not so. As we are unable to fly again vouchers are worthless.

SYD-CDG via AUH. Very pleasantly surprised. Good service (FA's were friendly and attentive) more than decent food and great inflight entertainment system with live television! Only minus was the B777 on the SYD-AHU leg of the trip which was definitely showing its age. Overall would more than recommend flying Etihad.

London to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi on 22nd April returning 30th April. Flying First and Business class - the worst experience I have had on an airline. Delayed 2 hours at Heathrow (no reason given) had to go on a later flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok again delayed 2 hours each time we were just sat on the plane waiting. Service on the plane very poor. Although no delays on return service was very poor again. Seemed like air crew had no interest in passengers only their own comfort. Staff in airport lounges disinterested with very rude tone.

I flew First Class from LHR-AUH-SIN-BNE and back again. I must say the service was excellent. Our steward was very attentive and only wanted to please. The food was excellent although I did expect breakfast to be served a bit earlier on when flying from SIN-BNE. I was slightly disappointed with the Inflight Entertainment system. It was not as good as British Airways simply because there was not as much choice. On the return journey it seemed like I had watched everything twice over. However I rather liked how the system did not turn off when the plane was beginning it's descent as it often does with other airlines. The steward was very helpful when it came to disembarking the plane. I was struggling to unload all my things and manage to my two young boys. He took my boys and led them off the plane. This is my first time travelling Etihad normally I would use BA or Cathay Pacific but I have converted over to Etihad now! Overall the best flight experience I have had. I fly at least once a month to AUH business class and every six months I fly First to Australia and will definitely be using Etihad for my future travels.

Worst flight I have been on. My husband and I flew Business class from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow in pre-booked seats. A mother and child of 4 had been allocated seats apart which is appalling and we were asked by cabin crew if we would change seats with them just for take off as the little boy was upset. Deceitful cabin crew wouldn't let us return to our seats and we had to sit apart for the whole journey. Dishonest and conniving complained to Etihad they don't want to know.

Flew on 14/4/2014 from Manchester to Abu Dhabi and then onto Jeddah. The first leg of the journey was good but the second leg was of much lower standard with one hour delay at Abu Dhabi.

Flew ORD-MAA-ORD in March/April this year. The good: Food and drink choices were very good inflight crew did they best they could. Entertainment system is among the best. The bad: Cramped seating on 10 abreast 777-300. Some airlines increase seat pitch in this configuration but Etihad still uses 31" pitch. This was unbearable especially on the 15 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Chicago. No concept of boarding zones. All 4 flights were delayed by at least 1 hour. Connecting in Abu Dhabi is a nightmare. They make you go through security just before boarding which is a primary reason for delays. Buses take passengers to smaller planes. Too many passengers are packed into one bus for a very uncomfortable 20 minute ride. Neutral: US CBP pre-clearance is nice to have but adds to delays. It was already past departure time when passengers were in the US Immigration line. All Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to the US are delayed by at least 2 hours because of this.

MAN to BKK via AUH and return. Generally faultless service. Staff polite yet not too intrusive. Drinks offered on boarding with offer to request cruising drinks and menu although an anytime menu is available. I slept well on most flights. AUH to MAN delayed with little information given the lounge staff just kept topping up my champagne glass. Flight delay caused by a child misbehaving. Amenity packs have improved. Chauffeur service excellent.

Flew BNE - Kuala Lumpur- BNE for Easter. Have previously flown from BNE to UK with Emirates and Singapore Airlines but will now fly only Etihad. Great service great food and plenty of it very friendly and obliging staff.

Very good flight from YYZ-AUH. The staff were attentive and polite overall quite satisfied with their service.

25th March Manchester to Abu Dhabi to Bangkok and flew home 9th April Phuket to Abu Dhabi to Manchester. Flight numbers: EY22 EY408 EY1999 EY15. We flew with Etihad for the first time and it will be the last time there was nothing positive to say about the flight. The seats were so uncomfortable and only acceptable if you are a sardine the food was awful and the air crew were very unprofessional. We have flown with Thai and Eva Air who were fantastic. My husband is very tall and had a miserable flight in my opinion Etihad have spent all their money on the football team and not on their airline.

Excellent flight from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi. Good comfortable flat beds with extremely attentive staff. Food hot and tasty well presented and an abundance of alcoholic drinks if desired. Toilets very clean and attended to extremely frequently. Entertainment was fine and just right for the length of flight 7 hours. I have travelled several times with Qatar and Emirates Etihad are just as good.

My wife and 4 kids including a toddler took a flight from Karachi to Chicago via Abu Dhabi and from Chicago to San Antonio. The stay at Abu Dhabi was 1 hour 45 minutes. Due to heavy crowds long waiting lines and less staff in Abu Dhabi my family missed their next flight to Chicago. This is second time with us that Etihad failed to provide service as they promise. My family are still at Abu Dhabi airport wondering when their flight will be. Staff are unable to provide them hotel accommodation or next flight info at this time. If you are traveling to meet a tight time or in an emergency do not use Etihad!

I have done several long haul flights with Etihad. I am satisfied with most aspects of their service. However on my last trip I waited 90 minutes in a very slow moving queue to check my luggage in at Sydney and another 90 minutes on the return journey waiting to check in at CDG Paris. I wonder if the airline is cost cutting with check in staff. Then there is the issue of the queue at Abu Dhabi. After alighting the aircraft it is necessary to stand amid a slowly moving sea of humanity all awaiting a re-scanning of hand luggage. On my last trip this wait took over an hour. After a fourteen hour flight it sure takes some stamina. I am thinking of changing airlines.

Although absolutely packed with passengers Etihad (EY32) Paris to Abu Dhabi on 8/4/2014 was one of the best flights I have had in a long while. Staff were polite and very attentive. Etihad complimentary drinks greatly appreciated!

I was scheduled to fly from BKK through AUH to LHR. Etihad run a 'tight' connection at AUH and on this last trip the whole process was a shambles. Their flight into BKK was very late and Etihad suggested that we would not make the AUH connection to LHR. I spent a lot of time (and money) on calls trying to resolve commitments in the UK accordingly. In the end rather than pay for accommodation and similar for (I estimate) 100 passengers they simply made the AUH flight wait two hours and thus inconvenienced over 300 passengers! Investigating their schedules and the way they handle their aircraft (in this case A6ETB) it was clear that they had elected to deliberately run this aircraft late for three consecutive days. When I say late I mean hours not minutes: you can imagine the difficulties that passengers face arriving at LHR and getting out around 10 pm at night rather than at 7 pm. I would and urge everyone who is considering using Etihad to be quite careful they may have an equipment shortage or simply be electing to mess people around as they know that there is limited legislation for a non-EU airline of this nature.

Dublin - Abu Dhabi - Bangkok return economy March 2014. Frequent Flyer and Etihad gold card holder. Etihad are a good but no longer great airline. All flights were punctual. The lounge in Dublin is fantastic. All flight sectors were very busy. Food onboard was OK. The food service onboard seems to take an extortionate amount of time. Also Etihad leave the main lighting on for too long on red eye flight. They should make better use of the mood lighting for those that want to sleep. The seat pitch on the A330 was not good and I could not sleep. The Boeing 777 aircraft with 10 abreast seating and narrow aisles feels cramped but easier to sleep on. The crew were friendly and professional on all sectors. They currently appear to be more interactive and helpful with passengers. I was impressed as I was greeted by name on one sector. IFE is good. Etihad now seem to have a policy of boarding almost an hour before scheduled departure which seems excessive to me. We were sitting on the tarmac after boarding for a least 30minutes on all sectors and I was one of the last few to board. There are still issues with the landing slot in Dublin airport in the morning as no stands are available to park at. Another delay after a 8 hour flight.

Booked on a flight from SGN to AUH and connecting AUH to DUS. I upgraded to Business Class for the flight from AUH to DUS upgrade of the flight was confirmed. Flight was scheduled to leave at 2.20 am from AUH. Without any information whatsoever I received a boarding pass for an entirely different flight: They simply booked me on the Air Berlin flight leaving AUH at 8.40 am! In AUH at the Business Class desk I complained and asked to receive the correct boarding pass for the flight at 2.20 am that I was booked on. They told me that the flight was fully booked and that it was not possible to get me on the flight not even in Economy class.

5th Feb EY12-EY402 returned on 19th Feb EY403-EY17. An airline with modern yet cultural furnishings. Etihad being the national carrier for the UAE have had fierce competitors but have not let it degrade their service. With polite and efficient staff you're welcomed with lush cuisine well presented stewards/stewardesses all topped off with a great entertainment system. Check in was extremely fast boarding was a breeze and cruising was pleasant. Meals are plentiful and delicious with two choices at hand and an additional vegetarian option. Seat comfort and recline brilliant. The airline in my opinion is one of the best. I look forward to flying with them again.

I travel a lot I've been on many different airlines but not one airline can be compared to Etihad except for Emirates. I've traveled in all 3 cabins never have I not been satisfied. The service is the best the entertainment system is excellent toilets are always clean and seats are comfortable. Last trip I had was on EY18 from London to Abu Dhabi in business class. The lounge in London was the best lounge I've been to following the one in Abu Dhabi. Onboard I was in seat 9A a window seat and being able to lay down flat is great. I slept then woke up for an excellent meal. The plane had wifi connection I was able to use whatsapp throughout the flight. The only bad thing was the main course that wasn't that good I miss their steak sandwiches.

Mumbai-London-Mumbai Pearl (Business) Class. The tiny plane from BOM-AUH (courtesy Jet Airways) did not feel anything special other than a slightly stretched economy seat. The Business class lounge at AUH felt stuffy scruffy and least inviting. Couches were occupied by sleeping passengers and food was so spartan it made a mockery of a proper business class lounge. At boarding there was no special fast track for Business Class travelers and we simply had to wait in a long queue. During long haul sections the standard business class stretch seat and cabin did not quite infuse a sense of special feeling and the cabin attendants were barely doing their routine duties and food was no more than ordinary. Really very disappointed. The distinct feeling is the Business Class has been washed down these days to be nothing special even though the price compared is almost 3 times that of economy class.

MAA-AUH - EY 269 - 5th March AUH-JFK - EY 101 - 5th March. JFK-AUH - EY 100 - 26th March AUH-MAA - EY 268 - 26th March. Really happy with the service. The cabin quality is good crew were courteous and helpful and most importantly the ground staff were co-operative and available guiding travellers to their destination. Food and entertainment was also great onboard. All in all a good experience.

Flew Sydney-Abu Dhabi-Dublin 5th March 2014. Can not fault the service. Seating good (and I am not a small person - nor am I extra large!) Had G seat - inside aisle - and empty seat beside me. Then two seats between 2 window seats. Water was offered every hour and rubbish cleared frequently Meals more than adequate- toilets clean.

March 9 2014 and flight numbers EY407 EY71. The worst customer service I have dealt with. Staff very rude with zero regards to passengers. We had a total of 24 hours delay on our flight and they did not offer us a hotel or anything and when dealing with feedback staff they did not even apologize. We received a boarding pass and were denied boarding after being re-routed because we were not re-booked properly - although there were free seats on that flight causing us another 11 hours delay.

I traveled several times with them and each time has been a nightmare. Flights being delayed for 4 to 5 hours is common. Last time I flew out of Kuwait the lady at check-in told me: Sorry Sir but the flight is delayed. 2.5 hrs on a 90 minute flight. Of course I was not offered any voucher not even for a drink of water! The worst was my recent flight to Morocco from Abu Dhabi. The flight scheduled to leave at 2 am finally left at 7 am. Not a single announcement was made to inform passengers or to guide them to some desk to get assistance or a voucher. Up to 7 am the airline's website kept listing the departure on time at 2 am. The company was not to blame with the delay the airport was experiencing a failure of the lighting system on the runways. The Etihad service desks were swamped with stranded passengers needing to be rebooked. It was madness to try to get to the desks. Etihad staff was trying their best not to been seen. No attempt was made to bring order to chaos. Things did not get any better once I finally arrived in Morocco. Being so late I had missed my connection. No help from Etihad no one in the airport to guide passengers and assist them.

Used to love flying with Etihad especially when I had my silver status with them. But my last 3 flights with them have lacked heavily with poor customer service 7 hours flight delay in Abu Dhabi and staff didn't provide any quality information unfriendly staff at gate 59 that day last month. Great customer service by staff in Australia and Germany but the UAE headquarters in Abu Dhabi is the one that pulls down the whole airline performance. Seats are still great and entertainment is ok but could be updated a little. Always flying MEL-TXL-MEL. Staff members wake you up while sleeping only to ask you if you want to have dinner. Thinking about doing future travel with Qatar airways.

I was disappointed when I tried before my flight to arrange meals that were both wheat and dairy free. I was told that I must choose one or the other. Business class surely costs enough to cover this. My first meal consisted of a starter - a chicken breast and a main course - another chicken breast! I decided that there was sufficient choice on the main menu to find suitable options. I felt that I was paying enough to be given a gluten free choice. The entertainment was really poor for European travellers.

24th Feb from Manchester to Abu Dhabi then from Abu Dhabi to Lahore. Onboard the cabin crew gave a warm welcome were polite and helped us find our seats. Seats were very comfortable the inflight entertainment was excellent and I like the fact that I could see take-off from my screen. There were not many facilities provided for infants I was traveling with my 2 year old nephew. I disliked that the food was served very late. Another irritating fact was that the airplane was just too cold. Abu Dhabi airport was good there were guides everywhere however the flight was delayed 2 hours. Flight departed 15 minutes late flight from Abu Dhabi to Lahore was quite bad the airplane was not in a good condition and smelt.

EY460 9th March from Manchester to Abu Dhabi. This was my first long haul flight so wasn't exactly sure how it would be. Excellent flight with very attentive service comfortable seats and good inflight entertainment. 2nd leg of journey from Abu Dhabi quite poor in comparison. At Abu Dhabi airport was sent to the wrong lounge and no one seemed to have information on our flight details. Lounge very busy. Once onboard the flight staff initially helpful but that soon wore off. Was offered a drink which I accepted only to have it taken away unfinished with no explanation. Obviously an older plane not the one shown on the website and the seats were a bit worn. I hadn't realised that the flight was with an Etihad partner Virgin. I chose to travel business class for the reason that Etihad have flat beds some help with how to flatten them would have been good. Most people sleeping presume this was the reason there was no meal offered? I had to ask for breakfast I don't really consider a bowl of cornflakes a round of toast or a steak sandwich on a 13 hour flight acceptable. The cost of this flight was £3400 I could probably have a few nights in a five star hotel for that. I have my return journey home in a couple of weeks can't say I'm looking forward to it!

Flight from Abu Dhabi to London 28 March. Transfer from an Air Seychelles flight easy but a long walk. Flight to London delayed but information board gave no reason and how long the delay would be. Ground staff didn't seem to know. A 90min delay. Flight full. Families had been separated and ground staff had no clue how to resolve and were just inept. Boarding chaotic with no order. Shame as once on board and off the ground the cabin staff were excellent. Nothing was too much trouble. Food good - a snack bag to start with (flight left around 3am) and then hot breakfast prior to arrival. Good entertainment system. Seats somewhat cramped - they get in an extra seat across a 777 like Emirates - and seat pitch average. Good fares. Need to improve the quality of ground staff at Abu Dhabi as this spoils a good product in the air especially their cabin staff. Worth considering.

I had flown Etihad business class from Chicago to Abu Dhabi and I rated it as very uncomfortable in fact one of the worst BC seats ever flown. On the return I did first class from Abu Dhabi to New York and the experience was outstanding. The seat was extremely comfortable and the service outstanding. The food was good and varied while the privacy doors around the seat were perfect for a 14 hour trip. I was extremely happy and wish more of the international airlines (American carriers will never get their act together) would provide similar first class experience. I look forward to my next visit to UAE and I will avoid the connection through Chicago and instead use NY.