Etihad Airways

EY470 SIN-BNE on A332. A lot of gimmicks on their seats. They are very sturdy and you unfortunately need to give it your all for a recline no wonder some people say you can't recline on their Y seats. Cabin crew were a diverse bunch so were their level of hospitality. IFE not the best I have experienced. Food was okay but their tea was too strong!

Flight 0090 March 9 to March 24. Athens to Manila. Almost no empty seats. Food was bad. One sandwich for lunch and plain rice with some beef for 8 hours of travel. Limited space. 30 minutes delay on Abu Dhabi. Good staff. I would avoid Etihad and prefer Emirates or Qatar.

BKK-AUH-DUS in Business. The flight from BKK to AUH was uneventful however in Abu Dhabi the transfer was horrible bad signage arrogant and unfriendly assistance and than the overrated F Class Lounge. The check in to DUS was a complete nightmare there were other flights as well departing from the same lounge nobody really understood what's going to happen. Our flight delayed by hours. Than finally boarding no delays anymore. There was no communication at all. Transfer to aircraft via bus. Inflight entertainment did not work the breakfast served was not eatable at all. On my return journey to Australia I selected a different airline.

Flew from Brisbane to Bristol via Abu Dhabi and to Dublin. As usual excellent flight but chaos in Abu Dhabi both ways. Waited 56 minutes to disembark appeared to be problems getting buses from plane to terminal. Abu Dhabi airport taking far too long with its improvements many less experienced travelers would not tolerate the waiting and misinformation. Being a gold member having very little advantage in Abu Dhabi.

Worst experience from AUH to IAD. After sitting on the plane for 3 hours we had to disembark. Long story very much shortened communication from airline personnel was non-existent. Ultimately the flight arrived 23 hours late. After transmitting my objective impressions to Etihad management I received no acknowledgement whatsoever.

IAD-BKK (via AUH) round-trip. IAD-AUH (A340-600) - flight only 20% full and I had the bulkhead seat with an open seat next to me. Had a great experience with in-flight food entertainment and service. I chalk that up to the empty flight and minimal stress on FA's. Bulkhead seats are normally 75$ per leg but was able to get it during online check-in. Bulkhead had plenty of legroom and you don't have to worry about reclining seats. IFE is slightly smaller and with lower graphics quality. Cons: seats are quite hard halfway through the 12 hr flight my tailbone was so sore I had to sit on a pillow for the rest of trip. Transit AUH - first time at airport and transit in evening was a breeze with minimal lines for transfer/secondary security. I had a short layover so didn't check on the facilities. Food options are limited and expensive. AUH-BKK (777) - completely full flight and boarding process was very chaotic. Basically a complete free for all boarding. They boarded by rows but gate agents were not enforcing it. I will avoid flying on 777 especially with the 3-4-3 set up and the poor seat pitch. Cabin was very hot even though I was just in a T-shirt. FA's did their best scrambling around with the full flight. Seats again were very hard and not comfortable. BKK-AUH (777) - same experience as the inbound flight. Cabin too warm and breakfast food was pretty bad on this flight. By far the worse on the trip. Boarding in BKK still very chaotic. AUH transit with US Customs pre-clearance - 3 hour layover in the early morning and airport was very busy. Secondary security had long lines and had to wait 30 min. Food options is still terrible. US pre clearance at AUH was a mixed bag. No dedicated lines for US citizens. AUH-BKK (A340) - another full flight and a complete reversal in my Etihad experience. FA had difficult time communicating with mostly South Asian customers. Meal service was a zoo - I have never seen so many different special meal requests. There's a 30-40 min lag between special meal service and regular meal service. Special meal customers ended up holding on their meals for 1 hr. Some flyers had to take their own tray back to the FA. Cabin temperature fluctuated a couple times from cold to warm. IAD luggage took forever. Waited for a full 30 min at the carousel from the first bag to my bag. Probably would not fly Etihad economy even with the lowest price. Seat pitch way too small for intl long hauls. AUH transit was not very pleasant with lines everywhere and terrible food options.

Flew (or attempted to fly) EY440 and EY015 Ho Chi Minh / Abu Dhabi / Manchester 7 March. Flight to Abu Dhabi left almost 9 hours late. Utter shambolic chaos at Abu Dhabi. Hundreds of us queuing for boarding cards. Etihad staff apparently beyond even seeming to care. All sorts of wrong/misleading information. Pity any poor person not fit enough to be in a queue for hours on end. Had to wait until same flight 24 hours late to Manchester. I feel I owe Singapore airlines an apology for not flying with them this time. Etihad? Never again!

I flew from Manchester UK to Melbourne Aus via Abu Dhabi. All my flights to and from Melbourne were punctual clean efficient and more comfortable than expected given I was in Coral Economy Class. I have been on long haul flights with a number of airlines to India and USA and I must say that I was most impressed by Etihad and would recommend this Company. The cabin staff were exemplary in meeting the needs of all their guests treated everyone with respect and yet made me feel like a special individual. My only reservation is that if you seat at the back of the plane the menu choices can run out. However it is possible to pre-book a meal from a drop down list when booking.

2 passengers travelling as a couple LHR-HKT via AUH EY18/EY1996 15-16Jan 2014. These flights and the return in March were booked with Trailfinders UK in summer 2013. Seats were requested on the LHR-AUH flights both ways but seats on the AUH-HKT sectors could not be requested as it was operated under a code share agreement with an Etihad partner Air Berlin. The day before departure I visited the online check-in site at the permitted -24 hours to find seats on the first sector had been allocated window and aisle as requested. There was a very limited option for change so it had been well worthwhile requesting at booking. However second sector seats were allocated as 16K and 15D in opposite aisles making travel as a couple impossible. No option for change. I made a request for more equitable seats at baggage check-in LHR and the agent was able to offer us seats together in 20AC on the second sector less attractive seats due to the missing window in this row but otherwise fine. Once underway on time service on the first sector was in the modern CX/SQ mode a little better in some respects a little less so in others. Food was acceptable even tasty with a pre dinner drink and wine with the meal. Missed was the CX mid flight ice cream. Great IFE. Abu Dhabi was a work in progress crowded busy and confusing with the need to pass through security again. Better is promised for 2015. The second sector on Air Berlin was OK reasonably efficient slightly brusque cabin crew attitude and edible rather than tasty food. No pretence of offering a superior service. No alcohol offered on this breakfast flight but I believe it would have been available on request. Slightly primitive IFE. A quick route from Heathrow to Phuket slightly under 15 hours including stopover. Competitively priced 30 kg baggage allowance and service levels as you would expect but such a pity you can't pre-book seats. So home at the end of the return trip and time for a final verdict. Would we use them again? No not unless they integrate more effectively.

Flew from Manila Philippines to Malaga Spain on 8th March. Flight supposed to be delayed for departure from Manila for 2 hours which ended to be 3.5. I lost my connection to Dusseldorf and ended up in a queue along with at least 500 people from other flights and different connections lost. There was no type of prioritization communication from staff and they were totally lost. We were standing in the queue for 5 hours looking at the staff behind the counter. When I reached the counter I kept hearing "one minute sir one minute" for about an hour before getting a new reservation for connections the next morning at 4 am so 20 hours later. I then went to terminal 1 since I had to take my boarding pass from there the guy could not print them from Terminal 3. Went there sat in another queue for half an hour just to be told that I was at the wrong counter to get boarding passes for Turkish airlines and I should move to another. There are no signs whatsoever and no people that could provide useful information. It is acceptable to miss a connection it happens everywhere but the level of incompetence and lack of interest in Abu Dhabi is just ridiculous. Not flying Etihad again.

Manchester - Abu Dhabi flight 16 25/12/13. A very uncomfortable journey freezing conditions with everybody wrapped in blankets staff unable to rectify. Very small seats. Return flight was just as bad on 9/1/14. 7 hours of discomfort.

MAN-AUH-BNE. Travel out Jan 14 return Feb 14. The Pearl experience from start to finish was excellent with a couple of caveats UK chauffeur each way all on time and friendly. Check in and lounge at MAN easy and helpful. Food and drink in lounges plentiful apart from BNE where the lounge is operated by NZ airways and the am food choice limited. The men's lavatory was in need of cleaning and refreshing. In flight al a carte of a good standard as was the anytime kitchen on all legs. Both MAN and AUH lounges can be congested as has been mentioned. A request for a special wheat free diet didn't really work as the two courses offered on the first meal serving were chicken starter followed by chicken main. My companion reverted to ordering off the main menu for all other meals. Gluten free bread was not offered. Transfers at AUH were not clear for fast track passengers and there's no lounge or fast track at all in Singapore on the stop over. Flat beds comfortable I'm 180cm tall and slept well. No jet lag to worry about. IFE not the best particularly western music Mainly B rate films although I found enough to watch. In all a very good experience and would use again.

LHR-AUH-LHR in business class. Started badly as the chauffeur service decided to park round the corner of my building and not tell anyone it took 30 minutes of trying to contact the airline before we finally found them. Got to the airport my flight was more than an hour late due to late inbound equipment. Flight out was okay I had very high expectations as this was my first time with Etihad and I had heard great things. Return flight forget about it. I'm stuck in the mess at Abu Dhabi airport at the moment where technical problems closed the airport briefly. The customer service systems have totally different (and unrealistic) information versus the departure boards in the lounge. Staff are overwhelmed. If you are connecting through this part of the world stick with Emirates I will in the future.

Paris-Abu Dhabi-Melbourne first class. Paris to AUH no staff in first class cabin spoke French. Service was haphazard at best. Sink in main bathroom was blocked and this reported to crew. The same aircraft serviced the AUH-Melbourne sector. The sink was still blocked. This airline has some excellent staff however the standards are extremely uneven and one is left with the impression that training could be improved.

BRU-AUH-KUL and back. Service on board and staff were very good. The seats were very narrow on the first flight but much better on the airplane leased from Jet Airways. The food was quite tasty and the IFE was acceptable. But the transit at Abu Dhabi was terrible. The airport wants to play with the big boys but it lacks the facilities to do so. Way too many passengers than they can handle so extremely long queues. It took me two hours just to get from one plane to the other. Long bus rides from the plane to the terminal and vice versa. Wifi doesn't work properly. I thought Etihad was quite good but because of Abu Dhabi airport I am not going to fly with Etihad again. Next time I will take Emirates or Qatar Airways to go to Kuala Lumpur.

I have flown with Etihad 4 times in Pearl Business. This last flight (from Abu Dhabi to Toronto) will be my last. Prior to this the service was decent - as was the plane. This last was tired old and the staff was MIA. The only time they answered the call button was when I pushed it by mistake. My next trip to India will be with Emirates.

KUL-AUH-LHR 11/2/14. MAS Golden Lounge in KLIA continues to go downhill. Alcohol now served in a completely separate section near the entrance. You really feel like a leper having to walk all the way through the lounge to get a drink. The lounge even though recently refurbished is dirty and already looks tired. Check In was good but everything else until leaving was very poor as MAS also handle boarding and baggage checks at the gate. KUL-LHR flight superb great food staff service wine and the attention staff give each passenger is impressive. Aircraft interior looked like it had be recently refreshed and that was nice Etihad were starting to look a little tired. So well done there. AUH lounge is a disaster too busy and for a flagship it really let's down one of the best airlines around. Boarding was a mess and we ended up standing (no seats) at the gate for 45 minutes. Flight AUH to LHR great as above save for a child in Economy who decided to scream for most of the flight - but the airline can't be held responsible for the bad behaviour of passengers children. Why do people with children believe it is acceptable to trouble everyone else? All in all another excellent trip marred only by the MAS lounge and the transit through AUH lounge. Definitely recommend Etihad as one of the best - hope that now they do KUL twice daily they will invest in their own lounge at KLIA.

Recently travelled to Abu Dhabi from Manchester return. Flight EY021 and EY022. My family and I had flown with Etihad in the past and vowed never to go with them again. We decided to give them a 2nd chance what a mistake to make. The plane looked tired and the seats looked dirty. The seats were positively the most uncomfortable I have had the misfortune of sitting in hardly any space at all. The service was poor and the food awful. I can definitely say I will not be travelling with them again.

EY15 Abu Dhabi to Manchester approx 7hrs. Firstly seat remained in upright position for whole journey (night flight) staff unable to rectify. The cabin was absolutely freezing. Many people wearing overcoats to counter this. I was dressed appropriately for the flight and used the blanket and pillow provided and was still stone cold. Surely this isn't acceptable. Will never fly with them again.

Round trip AKL-SYD-AUH-FRA-AUH-SYD-AKL. First time with Etihad: Flight and service was average but despite the fact I had boarding passes already for the whole trip I needed to queue again at every single stop over airport to have the boarding pass rechecked by Etihad staff. Airport in Abu Dhabi was completely overloaded and couldn't cope with people moving to their connecting gate. But worst thing was the luggage handling! I can't recommend Etihad at all.

Travelled EY38 on 24 Dec 2013. Service was horrible. Stewardess did not smile. My sister and I asked for pasta upon hearing that the stewardess replied rudely that she needed to check and she cannot guaranteed that both of us would get our choice of meals. We told her politely that we could not take the other meal choice due to the meat. She replied coldly we should have asked for special meal. We understand that we cannot guarantee to have our choice of meals given a full flight. However the stewardess could told us politely. This is certainly not the service that I expected. This is the first and last time I will travel with Etihad.

Round-trip SYD-AUH-SYD. Overall excellent experience on all counts. Friendly and courteous staff. The service on the flight was excellent and staff addressed me by name. Cabin Manager came around to make personal introduction and to explain flight amenities. Food was outstanding and the wine choices were top notch. Wouldn't hesitate to fly with Etihad again. Entertainment selection also excellent for long journey.

Travelled from Manchester to Sydney on 11 February have to say Etihad proved that deserves another chance. Despite my previous experience I booked with them and this time it was a pleasant surprise. Food was average but service much better than last time. The legroom was way too small they should consider updating their config for these long routes. Ground services maybe the worst of all the airlines. However I might consider flying them again.

Flew Manchester-Abu Dhabi-Bangkok. Chauffeur picked us up at the arranged time. Check in at Manchester was seem less. Etihad lounge at Manchester is first class with very attentive staff. Etihad business class seat is a little bit narrow and anyone over 6 foot won't be able to lie flat. All seats have direct access to the aisles. If you want privacy I recommend the window seats. The paired seats are very intimate. Food and beverages very satisfactory as too was the service from the cabin crew. Very basic amenity kit was given. Changing terminals in Abu Dhabi was chaotic. Baggage first off the carousel in Bangkok.

18th January EY0455 SYD-AUH. Flight back to Sydney on 5th February EY0454. Recently flew from Sydney to Geneva. The Boeing 777 is a horrible aircraft with cramped kindergarten seats and aisles so narrow that one cannot walk to the bathroom without bumping the shoulders of sleeping passengers. Will not fly with them again.

I had been traveling Etihad for the past 3 years twice a year Business Class KWI-AUH-MNL back and forth. Food comfort and cabin crew are superb. Leaves and arrives on time. Now my only issue was when I am flying AUH-KWI. At Abu Dhabi Airport terminal waiting area Business Class passengers were being treated as Economy Class. For the past 2 flights going back to Kuwait I experienced that there is no special or separate bus for Business Class passengers. We were all being mixed with Economy Class passengers on a single bus. Before Business Class passengers always had a separate bus and had priority on boarding the bus and plane. There used to be a lane for Business Class. As I had mentioned for the past 2 flights I had AUH-KWI this does not happen anymore. I am now thinking of going back to Emirates or Qatar Airways on my next flight to Manila.

I have been doing the same trip in 1st class (Seoul-Paris/London-Abu Dhabi-Seoul) with Etihad every year for several years but have seen standards declining sharply in 2013 and 2014. At every boarding I had to actively look for someone so I could hand them my coat. No welcome aboard and guiding to my seat and nobody addresses me by my name anymore. The Champagne used to be Bollinger but has been downgraded to something cheaper. The quality of the food can vary dramatically depending on the skills of the on-board chef. Despite my request for breakfast yesterday I was not woken up in time and had to do without! The worst perhaps is the chauffeur pick-up which stressed me enormously. Nobody called me to arrange a time for pick-up in London so I had to call the UAE to arrange it myself. They did not send any text message or email confirmation despite another call to request it. The pick-up was confirmed (orally) for 6.30 am but I was woken up by the driver at 5.15 am. My flight was at 10.30 am and I was a 15 minute-drive away from the airport! On the next leg of the journey Etihad left me a message that a pick-up had been arranged for me in Dubai but the time turned out to be less than 3 hours before take-off and it takes at least 90 minutes to go from Dubai to Abu Dhabi if there is no traffic. It took me countless calls to Etihad. Luckily the driver came on time. All in all I do not envisage traveling 1st class with Etihad again.

Manchester-Singapore-Sydney via Abu Dhabi. First time flying with Etihad and impressed with their service. Planes are modern and the seats in cattle class are acceptable. The in-flight entertainment is ok but not spectacular being too limited in content for long haul. Emirates are better in this context. Abu Dhabi is not one of the better airports to change through and isn't well organised. Each time involved a bus trip to the aircraft. I think it is an airline trying to climb up the ladder and the service was the standout. I would happily use them again.

I've had a much better experience on half a dozen long haul flights with Etihad lately than I've ever had on Malaysian and Singapore. Abu Dhabi is perhaps not the best hub to transfer through but the Etihad aeroplanes are up to date well serviced and the staff are friendly and competent if not outstanding. Travelling with a child on this airline was a breeze and they have special staff roles and extra services to help with kids.

Business class MEL-AUH then economy AUH-LHR. Business class LHR-AUH and again J class from AUH-MEL. Originally booked the entire trip in economy but bidded using Etihad's online upgrade auction that is sent out to select customers. I was successful in all 3 bids. Quick note about economy - the 777-300ER aircraft used a 3-4-3 seating as a lot of airlines are doing these days. The seating is horrible and a massive step down from J of course. Leg room was just adequate. The business class legs were great. The individual 'suites' are very private although the window seats are better and more private than the aisle seats. Seat was comfortable and very comfortable when in 'relax' mode. My only complaint was the bed. Fully reclined the bed is 185cm and I am 184cm. There is no scope for letting your feet hang out over the end of the bed. For a premium product the bed simply isn't long enough for someone who only slightly above average in height. However due to some careful manoeuvring I did manage to get plenty of sleep. Overall the airline was fantastic although transiting between terminals in Abu Dhabi is a pain. The food and service from the cabin crew were wonderful and all flights were on time except or the AUH-MEL leg which was one hour late. The Arabic mezze I had for starters on each J leg was excellent and the lamb shanks were restaurant quality. I didn't drink much alcohol but on the MEL-AUH they had a very nice shiraz that I enjoyed 2 glasses of. Champagne is offered pre takeoff. Amenity kits were basic. The economy section was standard economy. No better no worse and for 7.5 hours wasn't too bad even with a full plane. The trip back from London was very painful for me emotionally as I had lost my mother the day before. The cabin supervisor couldn't have been more helpful.

EY 394 DOH-AUH and EY17 AUH-LHR both on 24/01/14. Doha to London via Abu Dhabi with wife and 2 children. We loved both sectors. Had a bad experience last year but this time - faith was restored. Excellent cabin crew staff - polite friendly and efficient excellent food and very clean toilets. Only areas of improvement would be food quantity and most of all - the E-box inflight entertainment system. A larger variety of movies needed along with more up-to-date releases. Great airline - look forward to the return to Doha next month.

AUH-JFK direct on a Boeing 777 3-4-3 seating in economy class. Had window seat on the right side of plane. Major problem is that when the person in front of me reclined I could not reach my carry-on underneath his seat. The service was very good and inflight entertainment the best I've ever seen in economy. First meal was excellent but second merely average.

Have flown Etihad 4 times from LHR to BKK and will not be using them again I really used to enjoy Etihad but have noticed that their service has dropped to a charter airline and in Abu Dhabi you are treated like cattle when transferring to your next flight it's just chaotic with rude security personnel. The planes look old and tired and the food is below standard will prefer to pay more next time and fly Thai Emirates or Singapore Airlines.

Economy from Dublin to Abu Dhabi First to Sydney January 4th. First flight delayed 60 minutes. Chaotic check in. Very poor service onboard and food one notch above discount airline. No beer or wine offered. 777 plane tired. Second leg to Sydney delayed 2 hours. Excellent service by the staff but first class not up to Cathay Thai or Emirates. Lounge very overrated. Again food onboard was average despite the onboard chef who was very attentive. Will use other carriers in the future.

PRG-AUH-BKK and back in December and January 2014. As the leg from Prague to Abu Dhabi was served by Czech Airlines my comments refer only to the Etihad part. Abu Dhabi Airport needs to improve on signs and information monitors. I guess when switching planes within short time this will be a huge problem. On board the staff were friendly and caring except for the request to increase the temperature. The majority of the passengers were freezing sitting down covered with all available blankets and some even using their winter jackets! This happened on both flights. The food was OK just average airplane food. The entertainment system works well although the screen quality is poor. We usually prefer a long leg without the need for a stop in the middle of the trip so we are unlikely to be re-using this service.

MXP-AUH-PEK INC-AUH-MXP. 3 of the 4 legs on 330-200 with latest business class product. Excellent seat perhaps a little narrow but flat and comfortable for seating and sleeping. Entertainment system very good service excellent very friendly and professional staff. INC-AUH on 340-500 with older business class (the old turquoise seats but recovered with the new stripy fabric clever move Etihad). More cramped and less room but still good for sleeping. No privacy separation between the 2 buddy seats in the middle and if you are not travelling with your companion then it would be embarrassingly close with a shared armrest. Food very good indeed and good wine selection. Would travel again with Etihad. Only negative comment the business class lounge at AUH is overcrowded as it the airport generally. I hope there are plans in place for improvement.

BRU-AUH-BKK and return in Dec/Jan 2014. Outbound: BRU-AUH: A330 with nice seats good entertainment (this was good on all flights) a good cabin layout friendly crew decent food. Transfer in AUH was a disaster with cramped and chaotic boarding change of gate from T3 to T1 with no announcement. AUH-BKK: B777 with 10 seats per row very small seat pitch extremely cramped. We had paid for exit seats with extra legroom but even these seats were extremely narrow and very uncomfortable/hard. My E-box control would not fit into its socket in so it was just hanging down next to the seat food terrible unfriendly crew. Homebound 20 days later: BKK-AUH: Check-in in Bangkok smooth and friendly same B777 as outbound I think since the e-box control in my seat would still not fit into its socket and was still just hanging down next to the seat. Very friendly crew in our section but the one in the other aisle was not. Sandwiches and breakfast (late night flight). Transfer in AUH again chaotic and disorganised with unfriendly a very cramped boarding lounge bus transfer to plane. AUH-BRU: A330 nice and comfortable plane one hour late probably due to chaotic handling of bus transfers onboard crew friendly. For some reason it was freezing cold on all our Etihad flights and despite promises by the crews to raise the temperature this was not done. Passengers had to sit with two blankets and take extra clothes out of their suitcases. All in all we were really disappointed with Etihad and there is truly a marked decline in standards since just a few years ago.

Heathrow-Brisbane via Abu Dhabi. This was the 3rd time I've flown Etihad and I could have cut/pasted my complaints from the last two flights. No seat booking with online check-in with code share despite the fact it was Etihad planes on all legs (sold as Virgin on the AD to BNE leg). My inflight entertainment on the first leg wasn't working so I asked for my system to be reset. After several attempts I finally convinced one chap to have a go at resetting it and it worked! Seats are Ryanair-esque reclining so little they might as well have not bothered. Abu Dhabi airport is as chaotic as a market bazaar. No signage small departure screens tucked away from view blank faced overworked staff. On the leg back we were made to sit on the floor while we waited for the gate to open (an hour late). Finally allowed in the departure lounge. Finally told to board the plane bound for London not by the conventional method of a public address system but by a small lady hollering seat numbers at the other end of the departure lounge. Chaos ensued as everyone rushed to the front and the queue again stretched down the gangway. They get a point for landing the plane at the right airport.

JNB-AUH EY601 (A330) Seat: 36A 11/12/2013: Check-in and Boarding was smooth. Seat configuration of 2-4-2 so was seated a row after family as I wanted the seat with the view. Seat is equipped with IFE (E-BOX) headphone jacks a variety of charging docks (USB Power plugs). 10 mins before push back the Captain announced that the flight was experiencing a problems with its power source and a restart of power unit was required. This scenario caused the push back to be delayed 30-40 mins. The front camera in the Flight Map could be used to view the terrain in-front and below during and after take-off. E-BOX had a selection of Movies Audio Live TV (CNN and some news channels) TV (nice documentaries) games etc. There was a decent collection of movies (multiple languages) and documentaries although not as big a variety as ICE on Emirates. The headphone jack on 36B wasn't working so my co-passenger had to move to another seat which gave me 2 seats to relax. Snack and beverages were served 30-60 mins after departure. The main meal was served 2hrs after departure. There were 3 options between Lamb Chicken and Pasta choose the Lamb had good portions and Appetizer and Dessert. Completed a movie and caught some sleep the mood lighting was good. The seat was a bit un-comfortable for a long flight (8.5 hrs) but due to the vacant seat next to me I could relax a bit. There was ample leg room. A light snack with coffee service was served 2 hours before landing. At AUH plane had to circle in the holding pattern for a while to the delayed arrival. Landing was smooth and taxi to gate +-10mins. The connecting was displayed on the IFE. Was taxied to T1 for connecting flight. Overall impression of the flight was good and pleaseant crew were hospitable courteous and attentive although would have expected beverage and cafe service top-ups after lunch. Toilets were clean and maintained by crew. Flight is recommend.

Flew Manchester to Sydney 18/12/2013. Flight OK apart from 1 hour delay in Abu Dhabi sitting on runway. The return flight on 04/01/2014 was nothing short of a nightmare checked in at Sydney with Etihad partner Virgin Australia. Flight to Abu Dhabi was superb service etc very good. Our cases booked right through to Manchester but told to pick our connecting boarding card up in Abu Dhabi. On arrival the problem started we were told our flights did not show on their system and we were basically cut adrift by Etihad in the middle of the night. Told to pick up our cases from a deserted luggage hall at 3am then had to find the Etihad booking desk managed to book tickets for myself and my wife. The help and assistance we had from Etihad was zero.

DOH-AUH-JNB return. Flight out to JNB was fantastic first leg on an Airbus A320 from Doha to Abu Dhabi a short flight that went smoothly. The were people to meet and assist at Abu Dhabi the connection was very smooth and the onward flight was on a newly refurbished A330 with the newest product in Business Class and the food was superb as was the IFE. Cabin staff were excellent and addressed us by our name I would like Etihad to give a much better amenity kit than the very poor one they give out right now. On the return it was nothing short of a disaster on all levels after arriving at JNB airport and getting our tax work done and checking in our luggage the lady at check in tells us that we will not be flying on Etihad but on Air Seychelles. I would have appreciated it if Etihad would have contacted me before I left my hotel and told me of the situation and given me a choice. The seats on the flight were uncomfortable and very hard though the leg room was good the sleeping position was terrible as it was not straight and the IFE was terrible the screen was very small and the selection was poor I refused to have a meal and just had a glass of Orange juice. I was contacted by Etihad after arrival and they offered me an apology which I accepted I will give Etihad another chance but they could have handled the situation so much better than they did.

My wife and kids (5 yr old and 8 month) travelled from Chicago to Chennai on Dec 9th. As my wife and kids were travelling without me I selected Etihad because of the reputation it had and also the promise of an onboard nanny. 5 hours ahead of the flight departure I went to book a bassinet for my 8 month old just as was told that I cannot book a bassinet seat online and had to do in person. I had to wait 30 mins at the check in desk for the bassinet seat as they told me there was none available. Later they gave a bassinet seat for my wife/infant and 3 rows away a seat for my toddler. Finally all completed in 30 mins and we were let go with bassinet seat and seat beside for my toddler son. My wife and kids boarded without issues. However their cabin baggage was put elsewhere because the flight was full it was total chaos. The flight took off 3 hours late. As the flight left 3 hours late connecting flight from Abu Dhabi to Chennai would be missed if the connecting flight was not delayed. The stroller for the infant was sent to the connecting flight directly. My wife had to carry the infant and walk with the 4 yrs old 2 cabin bags and laptop bag. Why was there no service offered. I would not suggest this flight to family's travelling with toddlers and infants.

AUH-KUL-AUH by Jet Airways aircraft but operated by Etihad Airways. The plane is looking old and most of the seats were torn. IFE selection was good and the food was nice. From check in I would say the crew were very friendly. Overall experience was very good even from KUL take off on time and on time into AUH. The service during entire flight was fantastic with very helpful FA's. I definitely recommend Etihad.

My wife and I flew in Business from LHR to BKK via AUH on EY18 and EY408 on 16th/17th October. Business Saver fare was an absolute bargain. We booked the limo service from Suffolk to LHR and this arrived on time and dropped us outside T4 for an additional charge of just £20 since our home was just outside the 100 mile trip limit. Quick check-in having pre-booked our seats and apart from the pretty useless Fastrack courtesy of Heathrow's disinterested staff we were in the lounge shortly thereafter. As lounges go it was fine - quiet comfortable and good service. Boarded 15 mins before departure with no delay and the gate was conveniently opposite the lounge. Jacket taken and champagne provided. Settled into comfortable seat in the Airbus 340 the excellent cabin staff explained the menu and took orders alongside after take-off drink requests. Flight took off on time and the rest of the inflight service was outstanding. The freshly made steak sandwich as a snack from the kitchen was as good a snack as I have had on any airline. Arrived into AUH on time but we had gated at the old terminal and had to transfer to the new one for our flight to Bangkok. Business lounge was very busy so we went in the First Class lounge and had a shower. Boarded EY408 on time and had a trouble free flight to BKK in a 777 this time but pretty similar set-up. Steak sandwiches just as good. Arrive BKK slightly ahead of schedule and given card to use its Premium lane so was cleared of immigration and collecting bags of carousel in quick time. Return leg was exactly the same with excellent service throughout and punctual arrival into LHR. My only gripe? The complimentary chauffeur. I initially booked one for arrival in BKK to our hotel but never got confirmation and when I tried to it seemed their was some confusion as to eligibility (2 journeys per adult passenger). Since it is hardly an expensive taxi from the airport to downtown Bangkok I cancelled it to make sure that we had the return from LHR to home but given the confusion wanted to make sure this was understood. I had to call Etihad in AUH in the end and it took ages and then started getting calls from the limo company in Bangkok advising what time they would be collecting us! When we arrived back at LHR they had organised a car for me and a car for my wife! We declined and continued our journey together. Seems like the system on these could be improved but it did not detract from the superb service.

My family and I were flying Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok on 18th Dec 2013. The flight was 3 hours delayed and no service was given like a drink or food voucher and it was not operational problems. As an example we were about 250 passengers having boarded the flight and then a further delay of 1 hour as Etihad wanted to wait for 4 passengers. The captain in his first delay announcement did not even apologise for the delay and the crew did not feel responsible either and did not apologise. I and my family will never fly Etihad again.

BKK-AUH-CAI. Flight from BKK to AUH was on a Boeing 777 and excellent Pearl Business lay flat seats. Flight from AUH to CAI was a very old Airbus 319. Small plane cramped seating old and worn fabric. Recliners didn't really recline and the screen was in the armrest. Limited menu due to 4 hour flight time. Uncomfortable and ridiculous for the amount we paid.

Poor Service BNE-SIN-BNE no recognition of Frequent Flyer status. Outbound leg no immigration cards for SIN but Cabin Manager did not bother to advise. If you can't load a plane or actually have someone meet the aircraft with the immigration cards in 7.5 hours there is something wrong. Will not fly again.

Heathrow to Sydney via Abu Dhabi. Flight was packed with kids - obviously the sales pitch of the Norland trained nanny worked though I didn't see much evidence of them being around there was a lot of screaming/squealing all through the flight. Seat allocation is a nightmare be sure to get on-line as soon as you can and book your seats do not leave it until you get to the airport or you'll end up wedged in the middle of a middle section. I've flown a lot on many different airlines and I found the seats in this one incredibly tight and uncomfortable so much so that I woke up in the middle of the night once I got home because my back was so sore. The food was pretty ordinary in the middle of a 14hr leg to Sydney we got a cold bread roll with three thin slices of tomato on it. I have never been so hungry on a plane! The final service before landing was rushed with the staff basically tossing the food at us from piles in their arms there was only one choice and half the contents of my tray were missing but the staff were so stretched I didn't bother to harass them about it. The 30kg baggage allowance and the large toilets on board are good points but the rest of it was pretty average.

Manchester to Kuala Lumpur via Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve. On boarding dispute over 2 people sitting in wrong seats woman refused to move stewardess did not know how to handle it eventually after unsuccessfully pleading with her to move she told the couple whose seats they were that she would find them somewhere else to sit but they would be apart naturally they refused! Meanwhile nobody else could get past to get to their seats. Service on board was extremely slow we had the wrong menu card. Even though the Cabin Crew were wearing 'Happy new year' hats when we boarded there was only a passing reference to it being 2014 as we passed over Romania. Abu Dhabi airport experience was an awful chaotic shambles. Multiple flights arrived simultaneously and they clearly could not cope with the thousands of passengers in transit. Nobody knew what they were queuing for or even if they were in the right terminal. Airport staff were taking no notice of those who were trying to tell them they would miss their connection if they stayed in the queue luckily we had a 3 hour wait so we were not worried just bemused at the chaos. Security control was a joke only 6 manned and shouting to us to 'leave everything in your bags'. Not looking forward to going back through on the way home. Food on board was nothing special entertainment not brilliant headphones didn't work. Overall not a good experience would not use Etihad again travelled to KL with Emirates last time and there is no comparison. Must say however that landings were excellent hardly a bump.

AUH to GRU: Cabin was hot and meal wasn't very good. I'm not demanding in terms of food but was not happy to see my wife and children barely eating. I thought the a/c had a problem I just had a t-shirt on and I was sweating. Second leg back to AUH: Again the cabin was too hot - very uncomfortable. It seems nonsense to keep temperatures high inside the airplane until someone complains. The flight attendants were very nice. Food again was a problem: we barely touched our first meal the last meal at the end of our flight my wife and children didn't even accept. Seat comfort entertainment are the usual similar to Emirates. Unfortunately I will not give Etihad another chance.