Etihad Airways

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.

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.

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.

Departed Brisbane 24 Nov 2013. We found this flight extremely disappointing. Being a family with small children the main priority for us was obviously to have as smooth a trip with the children as possible. We were recommended Etihad as they advertised to have a nanny onboard and are good with the children. We flew Brisbane to Singapore onward to Abu Dhabi onward to Paris onward to Toulouse in France. The children were not spoken to nor were we introduced to a nanny as per Etihads advertising until the Abu Dhabi to Paris flight. The nanny in this flight was very pleasant. However on the previous flight I had to ask for water twice before it was brought. We are returning to Australia with Etihad unfortunately. Hopefully the service is better. I would not recommend etihad to a family. I would recommend Etihad to an individual as the food was reasonable entertainment was good and the seats are as comfortable as any other airline.

Toronto to Trivandrum by business class. On the plane from Toronto to Abu Dhabi the cabin staff were more interested in selling duty free goods than serving passengers any food. I had to ask the flight steward to serve breakfast to my son who was awake for at least 45 minutes. The trip from Abu Dhabi to Trivandrum was good. The lounge was good but Terminal 1 was crowded and poorly organized. There was a long line up to check in and business class passengers were not given any priority. On our trip back the 13 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Toronto was a disaster. They only served dinner and did not serve any food afterwards in business class! I had to ask for a cup of coffee which arrived minutes before landing in Toronto. I don't think I will be travelling Etihad again unless they change their service to passengers.

EY 23 Abu Dhabi - Düsseldorf International. Only 4 check in counter open for Etihad flights at AUH airport terminal 3. Boarding chaotic with no sequence. Plane well maintained and clean. EY's biggest problem is their poor seat pitch and hard seats. This was one of the most uncomfortable flights I have had in a long time. Lots of kids on board parents had to wait for a long time to get their bassinets set up bottles warmed up etc. Then some time ago with big fanfare announced "dedicated inflight nanny" could not be seen anywhere. Staff were friendly but it was obvious that they were severely understaffed. IFE well below the standard of other middle eastern carrier.

I just returned from Abu Dhabi to Manchester on 1st of January with Etihad. I have to say the service and the crew was above of all my expectations. It was a very pleasant surprise after my experiences flying different airlines. Their care for passengers was obvious very attentive and smiling crew throughout the flight. The seats however made me suffer a bit but overall it was a nice experience. I would definitely choose them for my next flight.

Chengdu China to Manchester UK on 29th December. Now the service on the flight from Abu Dhabi was nothing to sing and dance about a busy flight with every seat booked out and cabin crew just scrambling about to keep everyone fed and watered. They did remember my special meal but it was an odd breakfast combination but this is the only reason food and beverages did not get five stars from me. Chengdu to Abu Dhabi: While the ground crew at Chengdu were clueless the cabin crew on this flight were excellent. Attentive and interested in the well being of passengers they conducted regular cabin walks and brought water every hour to passengers in economy. They even conducted a chocolate run going through the cabin during the night to see if anyone watching films or reading would like individual chocolates with another drink. On landing they were helping get baggage down and giving directions for first timers to Abu Dhabi about gates.

Chicago to Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve. Departure board said "on time". Flight scheduled to leave at 8pm. Boarding started promptly at 7pm. Told we could get in line and board the plane first as we had child with us. This did not happen. As it got closer to 8pm passengers were being rushed to sit down and stewardesses were hurrying around trying to find places for excess carry-on bags. 8.30 pm - still on the ground waiting for plane to be de-iced. 9pm - plane still on ground. 9.30 pm - announcement there is medical condition on board. Have to pull back up to gate to unload passengers and offload their luggage. 10pm - still on ground waiting to be de- iced. 10.30 pm - still waiting. Midnight: Happy New Year! Still in Chicago and plane still at the gate. 12.30 am - have to be de iced again and announcement made that we were waiting for runway to be cleared. 1.30 am - we finally take off. No hot food served. Lousy cold sandwiches served only after siting about 5 hours.

All four legs were in business class taken during November 2013. The boarding process following a restful hour or so in the Airline's dedicated lounge at Heathrow was smooth efficient stress less and punctual. Aircraft (a Boeing 777-300) was as expected clean and in pristine condition. Although the seats in this cabin class were somewhat narrower than many other major carriers they were well appointed and functional as was the in-flight entertainment system. Food was of a high standard and served with a smile. My few requests (via the button) were answered promptly and I did not feel that they were in any way considered to be a nuisance. Arrival at Abu Dhabi and transfer to the next flight was seamless and I was soon on board. Cabin attendants were as professional as had been on the first leg as was the food. My in-built clock nudged me to operate buttons and turn my seat into a bed. It was time for some sleep. This was when the narrowness of the seat became more noticeable a pity really as a couple more inches would have given much more comfort. Following my tour”of Vietnamese culture and cuisine I returned to Bangkok - placed the top layer on and prepared for my return to London. This time after check-in I was directed to the airport's Apricot Lounge prior to boarding. Although quite a peaceful refuge its facilities fell far short of the Airline's own lounges. As expected the journey times against the prevailing jet streams were much longer but they were offset to some degree by the good service and ambience of the aircraft's business class cabin. Overall my experience of Etihad Airline certainly falls into the to the 'Very Good' category and if I had to give it marks out of ten it would score a solid nine.

This was my return flight back to Manchester my departure flight was poor bad service on the MAN-Abu Dhabi leg and Abu Dhabi-BKK was only slightly better yesterday's flights were totally different the service on both legs of the flight were exceptional good food drinks service very good could not fault any of the service side of the flight what I would say is that Etihad need to invest in new aircraft or refurbish the existing fleet as the seats and interior are getting very tired and uncomfortable. I will try another airline next year just to compare the airlines but if Etihad Want to retain their high status they need to listen to the customers that use their airline.

I booked to travel from MAN to AUH on EY22 on 20th Dec. I called EY's call centre to upgrade using miles/cash to business where I was assured that there are plenty of seats available and should head to the airport 3 hrs before departure to process this. The information given was completely incorrect as the desks opened 4 hrs before departure and all seats were taken by then which was very frustrating and disappointing. EY ground staff and EY's Business class lounge staff at MAN acknowledged the mishap and were very courteous and attentive and attempted to solve this problem. Return flight on EY21 on the 29th of December light load in J class we were well looked after by the excellent crew in J. as usual EY's catering is excellent cabin crew attentive and good hard product. I just wish they sort out the unhelpful call centre and bring back the old amenity kits in J class with Aigner products that were infinitely better than the current cheap substitutes.

We travelled from Melbourne to London and back. Poor service. Frozen food. Long waits at check in at all stops. Not happy. Will not use again. Do not recommend.

Business Class ticket for Abu Dhabi - Hyderabad India leg of a journey originating in Toronto Canada. Decided to shave and shower before the flight. Lukewarm water one bath towel no facecloths and no amenities kits in the bathroom. Etihad simply outclassed by Emirates on this score. Presented myself at the boarding gate at the appointed time. No priority check-in for Business Class passengers told that we would be ferried to the plane on a separate bus once it arrived no such thing happened Business Class passengers last to board the plane. Meal service a farce: stewardess extremely apologetic for not being able to serve my requested appetizer main course and dessert!

Never Again. Rome-Abu Dhabi (Alitalia Business Class). Abu Dhabi-Melbourne (Etihad). Food excellent on Alitalia flight and entertainment system and service very good this after experiencing the worst business class lounge I have ever been in at Rome. Went to buy a sandwich at bar outside after 5 minutes. No computers showers or food and small bar. Arrived Abu-Dhabi check in and business class lounge good but crowded. Plane terrible. Narrow seat not comfortable. Old seat. Promotes internet from device did not work. Service terrible. Movies poor. Plane old and uncomfortable. Drinks limited. Looking at leaving Emirates and Singapore will not be doing any time soon.

I flew 1st class Shanghai - Abu Dhabi - Heathrow. Lets start with the bad points we were collected from the Hilton by a driver wearing jeans in a car that needed a clean to be delivered to the airport. On arrival we were looked after promptly by Etihad ground staff and made our way to the 1st class lounge shared with Air China. This was not as good as many business class lounges and was happy to be moved on ASAP. Now the fun part on sitting down in seat 1A and drinking a glass of quality bubbly I had a very well cooked steak and drifted off for the night part of the journey. We arrived at Abu Dhabi and went through to the 1st class lounge quick shower bite to eat felt excellent. Went onto the next leg Abu Dhabi - Heathrow I must admit the level of service on this leg of the journey was the very best I have experienced. The team were a real credit to Etihad. I had a friend who was flying business class come up and join me for what was a fantastic meal all ushered through by the main steward without any hassle.

LHR to Abu Dhabi and Dhaka Dec 25-26 in economy. Etihad's economy product is inferior to that of Emirates. Seats small and uncomfortable. IFE not as good. Food however is excellent. Three choice of entrees and the option I chose was very well prepared though a little stingy in portions. FAs pour alcoholic beverages from large bottles in tiny amounts. Wine selection was poor even for economy and their wine bottles were empty by the time they came to me. On the whole however the FAs on the first sector were gems. They provided service from the heart with genuine smiles. But they were horribly inefficient. It took them 4 hours from take off to finish dinner service and turn the lights down. And this was on a 6 hours night flight. An hour before landing they served breakfast wraps (much appreciated) which Emirates does not on similar flights to Dubai. Economy FAs on the flight to Dhaka were functional. Migrant workers from Bangladesh needed to be transported and fed and that is all the FAs achieved. No smiley engagements as in the first segment. Not impressed.

Manchester to Melbourne : I was dreading this trip as I was travelling alone and had never flown long haul before- but I can't wait to go again. I was upgraded to Business Class for the 14 hour trip back from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi which was wonderful but even in Economy I was well looked after. The food was as good as it can be under the circumstances and the in flight entertainment was excellent. I didn't need the book I had brought with me at all. Staff were as attentive as they could be and I disembarked feeling I had had excellent value for money. I got to my destination safely. Some people expect way too much. If you want to be spoilt pay up and fly first class- and stop moaning.

Flew from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne in business class on November 21. This was an Airbus with very small seats and no space to put my handbag or a glass of water. Even though the seats were lie-flat they were just too narrow to move. No privacy whatsoever. Overall a terrible flight.

I have flown this route before with Etihad Manchester - Abu Dhabi - Bangkok first leg of the flight the stewardess seemed to keep the service for one side of business class so we had very limited and poor service no drink on arrival at seat no face towel very poor service. On the Abu Dhabi to BKK leg unless you asked for something you got nothing apart from a smile if you were lucky unless the flight home improves I will not fly with Etihad again there seems to of been many changes in the last twelve months as last years flights were perfect.

MAN-AUH-BKK in the last month. Chauffeur pick up and lounge at Manchester were excellent. Lounge in AUH was crowded. I noted that several passengers in the lounge were not travelling business class but were sprawled over the limited seating. Boarding at BKK was haphazard with no priority for premium passengers. This was my 5th trip this year with EY in Business class. I have noted some deterioration in standards but once on board this is compensated by the excellent service and meals.

Travelled from Jakarta to London Heathrow. Miserable experience with little to no customer service whatsoever. On both flights I wasn't even offered one drink aside tea or coffee during the dinner/breakfast service! I was also woken up three times whilst wearing a seatbelt to be told to put it on despite it being fastened clearly visible over the blanket! It seemed the only thing crew were interested in was the mandatory trolley service. Beyond that cabin service was non existent. My summary never again.

Travelled SYD to AUH October 2013 on a 777. Wow what a shocker. The lack of space was disgraceful for a long haul flight (or even a short one for that matter). My knees wouldn't fit had to put them either side of the seat in front and shoulders touched the people sitting next to me. Never again with Etihad.

Flew from Manchester to Sydney return via Abu Dhabi. Must say the flights were good. Abu Dhabi airport is a nightmare very busy and chaotic. Upgraded to business class for Abu Dhabi to Sydney and that was good. My problem relates to the customer services that they offer. It is very limited lip service that does not resolve any issues at all. I was charged double for the upgrade an Etihad mistake. I will not fly with them again.

JFK - Abu Dhabi - New Delhi on Dec 9. First leg was a bad experience. I inquired with the crew about the reason for such poor service delivery it turned out they only had 6 crew members to take care of 300 passengers. If you are flying at 9.40pm and don't see your dinner before 1.30am this can't justify any cost savings. I have been on shorter flights before and mostly they are able to provide full service even on flights of less than 2.5 hours. The crew were so small that even a small emergency can totally disrupt the service to whole plane. There was a health emergency and I must say the crew did pretty well. Other leg (of 3 hours) also had the same problem. I got my lunch in the last 40 mins of the flight that was after asking for it again. They had to stop beverage service minutes after they started it because the plane started descending.

Flew MEL-AUH-DUB. Booked business and got unexpectedly upgraded to First Class for MEL-AUH leg. Luxurious. Private cabin. Flight attendants were excellent. Wine and Champagne delicious. Lamb shanks were cooked to perfection. First Class flat bed is wide and long and allows for a great sleep / comfortable flight. AUH-DUB trip was business class. The business class flat bed is not long enough for people over 6". I recommend a window seat for tall people - there is 'extra' space for your legs / feet between seat and side of plane.

Jordan to Sydney via Abu Dhabi. The transit in Abu Dhabi - long queues in hot and airless conditions - was a nightmare. My computer cables were all confiscated from my hand luggage by airport security. No signs and no warning from Etihad about this regulation. The Ethiad check in was chaotic with endless checks and then the flight was delayed We sat on the tarmac for an hour in the heat. It was 2.5 hours before I got water given and it was only because I asked for it. The food on board was so bad. There was no menu choice offered for the second of the meals hours later and people near refused it completely. Never again.

Flew in September to Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi and can't praise the staff and airline highly enough for the standard of service and attention. AUH-HKG is code share with Air Mauritius which was an interesting experience but again the staff and meals were terrific. Wouldn't hesitate to travel again and for the price out performs Emirates hands down.

Etihad are getting a lot worse. Four years ago when we flew with them for the first time they were excellent a true 5 star experience even in economy. Now 3 star at best. They seem to have been taking lessons on customer service from Ryanair but without the cheap fares to compensate they will just alienate their customer base. Emirates and Qatar are now much better and from Manchester offer alternative routings at similar cost. Flew out of Manchester and jobsworth checking hand baggage size and weight really degrading for what is sold as a luxury airline. Didn't have same experience at AUH on way home although check in a complete shambles there.

25/10/13 JFK-AUH. Traveled from JFK New York to Abu Dhabi. Smiling and friendly personnel. Nice food. Entertainment was good. Champagne nice videos everything one needs for comfort.

Bangkok to Abu Dhabi. Previously travelled A340 with them and it was acceptable but this trip on Boeing 777 was torture. Ten across seats should not be allowed and will never fly this airline again. Serving trolley bumped into my shoulder no less than 6 times and have bruise to prove it! Cabin felt so claustrophobic and long queues as travelers could not get passed service trolley to bathroom. This was made worse by repetitive claims they are an award airline - what for the most cramped seats? Never again and would warn all others thinking about using this airline that their Boeing 777 should be carefully avoided. Will take a connect in future on Emirates or Qatar.

Travelled from Brisbane to Dublin return excellent service all round except business class lounge in Abu Dhabi did not seem to be big enough to accommodate the number of passengers that were there while my stop over was there.

I traveled from Washington D.C to Bangalore India. Never again will I make such a mistake! Checking in our bags at Dulles the ground staff were overly picky about the weight per bag not he total weight per passenger so I was there along with innumerable folks re-packing my suitcases. Then the hand baggage was weighed - not once but 3 times the last one being just before we got on the plane. This staff member came with a portable weighing scale and rechecked. When I got on the flight it was literally empty same thing with the return flight. I will never fly on this airline again.

EY404. Business class. AUH to BKK. Product seems much better then than - AUH product. B777-300 has larger PTV and has more storage flight seat pitch is bigger. Before take-off offered the option of pre-ordering drinks and meals. Dine anytime. As soon as at cruising height the drinks were dutifully served individually. Avoid row 11 as immediately in front of galley for economy class so very noisy. Served hot nuts choice of crab tian mezze parsnip and apple soup spiced land ouizi pan fried sturgeon tenderloins beef with red current jus. No complaints whatsoever although the amenity kits are now poor quality and basic no designer products.

MAN to AUH. Delayed landing due to fog so diverted to a regional airport after circling for a while. Plane needed refuelling and awaited weather improving. Once landed had to stay on plane but doors opened and soft drinks muffins and pastries supplied. Kept fully informed of situation by the pilot. PTV kept on and comedy sketch shows available. Delayed about an hour however whilst on board I received a text message from Etihad to inform me I would be transferred to another flight. On arrival at AUH boarding tickets awaiting us the next flight was held for us and our luggage even made the transfer. Completely efficient service. On board the meal selection in business consisted of anytime dining Aarabic mezze oven baked chicken! mushroom soup! chicken biryani! rack of lamb (exquisite) pan seared scallops tagliatelle cheeses desserts and ice cream. On board service excellent without being too intrusive.

EY407 BKK-AUH. Business. Rear cabin toilet appeared to be constantly locked. On enquiring was told that it was kept locked to stop economy class passengers from using it. Therefore had to ask when wanted to access the toilet. British crew particularly friendly. Usual high standard of service and menu.

Flew from Buffalo to Mumbai via Chicago and AUD. American Airlines from BUF to ORD. From previous experiences with BA and other better airlines I was carefree about connecting at ORD. Only to realize later that I had to go through another check-in at another terminal. Reaching the check-in counters there was a long queue. Apparently everyone was waiting to check-in. So even with the boarding passes I had of AA they meant nothing. Nowhere did anyone tell me about rechecking in. I waited patiently. Elderly passengers who were also connecting from different cities in the US were annoyed. A rude man walked up and asked everyone with AA boarding passes to queue up separately. I was to fit my industry standard carry-on bag in a non-industry standard bag frame. I was told that I will have to check my bag. Having already paid in Buffalo for excess luggage it seemed like a way of making money out of people's miseries. So apparently the check-in was another money collecting routine by the airline. Went through security again. By the time I reached the gate it was chaotic: noise and chaos galore. Onboard the seats were hard space was tight. FAs were nice and pleasant. Inflight entertainment was ok. Food service and drinks service was very good. Liked the fact that they had steel cutlery. Connecting at AUD was painful. Long walk. The walkways were not helpful. AUD to BOM flight was in a Jet Airways plane. The interiors were old. Run down. General drunk passenger. FA handled him courteously. Food was good again. Inflight Service was very good throughout. Will fly Etihad maybe Business/First because if you're Economy no one cares.

I recently travelled (Nov 24 2013) from Washington DC - Abu Dhabi - Hyderbad (India). The only problem I had on my journey is from the inlight staff. I was traveling with a six month old baby. In order to get a small cup of water I had to ask three times. The flight staff were not willing to offer any help when required and whenever I called for some help they never showed up. I hope this will be my last trip with this airline.

During my trip from Washington DC to Chennai the nightmare started in IAD when they forced us to remove things from hand luggage when the weight was 7.05 kg. I was asked to remove the 0.05 kg! I was travelling with my wife and two kids but were only carrying 2 carry on and two laptop bags and 3 check-in bags. so we rearranged things and were able to get it all through without throwing anything away. Then towards the end of the flight I went back to the kitchen area to get water the flight attendant couldn't find a cup and she just picked up a couple one of the two cups already had a little water in it. The flight between Washington DC and Abu-Dhabi is long. 13 hours going east and 15 hours going west. After a few hours the restrooms smell with water everywhere. Abu-Dhabi airport is horrible no trams/trains connecting the terminals. After 13 to 15 hours on the flight walking and standing in security lines - horrible experience.

NBO-AUH-BOM-AUH-NBO. A320 and 777-300ER respectively and vice versa in return. Flight was very comfortable with adequate leg space. Best was the IFE which had lots of choice of latest Movies and Songs. FA's were very beautiful helpful ever smiling and organised. All flights were on time and in fact arrived earlier than ETA. Will travel more often if this type of service continues.

Travelled to Australia in October it was a very enjoyable experience. Staff very pleasant and helpful good food and economy seats quite comfortable. It was our 6th trip to Australia and have got to say the best so far if possible will definitely go with them again and have already recommended the airline.

Brussels-Abu Dhabi-Bangalore November 9. One of the totally "I don't care about you" type of airlines. From Brussels to Abu Dhabi I tried to get a drink of water. Pressed the call button and someone came over after 30 minutes. Again about 2 hours before touch down pressed the call button. This time nobody even came by. Even after calling twice. Would never fly this airline again. I wonder how it could get a four star rating.

AMS-AUH 23/10 AUH-JNB. JNB-AUH 16/11 AUH-AMS 17/11. All was well but the seats are very small and totaly not fit for the European market. We are both 1.85 m. We have never had this before. We were sore when we arrived after 2 flights of 6 hours. The transfers in Abu Dhabi is not nice no seats to rest and very crowded.

AUH-JFK-AUH AUH-SIN-AUH both in business. Excellent seat excellent staff very good food and beverages. Very satisfied with the service. Complimentary chauffeur service was also very good which is something you don't normally get as a business class flier in the other airlines. Overall I am very satisfied with EY the only downside is their horrible terrible Customer Service responses. When something goes wrong (such as claiming missing miles) you will test your endurance and tolerance level to the limit. Often you encounter extremely slow or no responses even if you get responses you will likely see the customer care staffs making so many mistakes so you will have to start the claim process all over again. I can guarantee the worst quality customer care center really kills the EY's reputation.

I flew return from Sydney to Abu Dhabi with in a trip to Norway and back. I found this airline to be fairly good. The food quality was good though maybe more water rounds would have been helpful. Seats were relatively comfortable though being when the person in front put their seat back it seemed to be a big recline. I was in the seat with the wall behind me and not able to put mine back as far to compensate. Leg room was much better than Air Berlin who I have traveled the other part of the trip. Staff were friendly and assisted as needed to all especially those with small children. My only complaint was with the toilets. The sink was blocked straight after take off one ran out of toilet paper and by the end of the 16 hour flight were revolting. Cleaning needed to be done during the flight and was not.

Flew economy London - Abu Dhabi - Male return previously always flow Emirates however this fare was £500 cheaper in the sale so thought we would try them. The two flights on the larger planes in and out of London were awful no leg room and as other people say when you recline your seat the base goes forward leaving you with no leg room. Even my 9 year old was not comfy the seats are hard and narrow. The flights from Abu Dhabi to Male were better more room bigger seats however toilets are at back next to galley so a nightmare squashing in and out. Food on all sectors was disappointing given a brown paper bag with a sandwich. Had run out of our choice on one leg. Found staff in general to be very abrupt. Also one drinks service coming into London. I also don't like that when I asked for a gin and tonic they mix it themselves instead of giving you the mini bottles so you have no idea how much they have put in. Thought the entertainment was okay but nothing amazing. Apart from the minimal leg room the worst part was being stuck for 3 hrs in Abu Dhabi airport. It is small with very limited eating areas Abu Dhabi to male we didn't even have seating at the gate everyone was on the floor then straight on. Queues for transit both ways were horrendous and badly organised we were in the end taken through the business express lane. If you are used to Dubai airport I don't recommend it. I wish we had spent the £500 more and flown Emirates. Will never fly again with Etihad.

Comfortable - no space - none competency - lacking. My parents and I travelled from Dublin to Abu Dhabi and then to Sydney on Oct 25th and return on Nov 15th. I am just 5ft 3 and I found seat space minimal. Food was disgusting on both journeys. We found the staff rude and unhelpful. They ran out of food and by time they got to us there was no choice left. One of the air hostess actually said to me 'I have nothing left for you. I guess I can check 1st class but don't hold your breath'. I was polite to all staff but was ignored on more than one occasion. As for Abu Dhabi the airport is easy to get around but again the staff are lacking in basic customer service. Will never travel to Abu Dhabi again nor will I fly with Etihad again.

ORD (Chicago) - AUH-BOM (Mumbai India) in March 2012. I'm 6 feet tall. Negatives: They have the least amount of leg-room I've experienced on any airline. The articulating seat pan makes the problem unbearable - when you recline the seat back your seat cushion moves forward thrusting your knee into the seat in front of you. The worst part is that I had to endure with this on a 14+ hour transatlantic flight. Understaffed - slow service. They only allow 7kg/~15lbs for carryon baggage. This equates to a near empty rollaboard or a small backpack. Positives: You can redeem American Airlines miles on their airline. I got safely to my destination.

A330-200 SIN-BNE. Not a pleasant experience. Plane interior looked dated seat was very uncomfortable and leg room was extremely tight. I would have thought this pitch suitable for a short haul route but not long haul. Entertainment was so-so better than some but not up to their competitors standard. Snack after take off was adequate given the time of departure (chicken wrap or pumpkin and fetta) I was just given one and had no idea which it was until biting into it but took a very long time for anything to be served or offered. Breakfast was quite decent although served extremely early before arrival. Service took a long time to complete due to only one crew operating my side of the cabin. There seemed to be a distinct lack of crew throughout the economy cabin. Nothing else was offered between services. Blanket and pillow were good as was amenity pack. What lacks was the seat comfort. Crew were polite and seemed to work hard to compensate for the lack of comfort.

LHR-AUH-KUL first flight very good because aircraft only half full and plane pretty new. Service efficient and food quite nice in this flight. 2nd leg on older plane more cramped and plane crowded. Staff efficient but less nice. Funny to watch censored version of movies but system was quite good. Better than American carriers not as good as SIA. Emigrating so 30kg better than standard 23kg will be flying soon as far as Brisbane.