Etihad Airways

Flew Economy recently as part of a Virgin Australia fare Etihad covered the Sydney-Abu Dhabi-London leg on the way to England thankfully just the London-Abu Dhabi segment on the way back. Awful flights would avoid booking with otherwise great Virgin again if we're forced to use Etihad Airways their "code share partner". Very cramped and uncomfortable seats with a lack of legroom for tall people like me. Had a full flight very stuffy and noisy mix of rude passengers. Cabin crew tried but seemed tired and understaffed. Food was good Entertainment system was okay but a more limited selection than Air NZ and other airlines flown between Australia and Europe before. Stopover in Abu Dhabi was terrible on way to London huge lines and delays in overcrowded stuffy terminals to go through passport checks (twice) ground crew were rude. Inflight ads kept going on about how the airline had been named best airline for the umpteenth year running ? Cannot understand why will do best to avoid at all costs in the future.

I found the seat cushion lose from the seat frame it was floating all the time in flight. Only one meal was served between Toronto and Abu Dhabi with a sandwich in a paper bag at the destination. The crew is rude. No water provided for two and half hours as they were busy. At T 3 Abu Dhabi we were herded like cattle before security after arrival for transfer. No rest rooms near departure waiting areas.

BKK-GVA & LON-BKK. I have flown Etihad many times since they first started up and they are getting worse. The price of their business class tickets are now the same as airlines that fly direct. It was worth flying them when they offered a cheaper fare but not worth it now for the following reasons. Lounges both in Abu Dhabi and London a disgrace crowded with useless staff. A new policy that you only get 2 limo transfers per trip I am gold but the person traveling me was not. Bangkok refused to confirm if my travel companion could travel with me on the London transfer. It took 4 phone calls in London to get it sorted. Menu choice is now boring. Entertainment system is full of old movies. The seats on the BKK to AUH sector are old. This airline keeps stating its the best - does its management fly other carriers. The management should also try calling its offices in Bangkok and London and have to wait forever to be answered.

This airline is now black listed on our travels. We were not allowed on the flight due to over booking. There were 4 of us travelling and seats were scattered over the plane. I was not allowed to sit with my wife The vegetarian meal that was ordered at booking and confirmed 5 times at check in even by the airport manager was not loaded. Staff promised compensation but withdrew the offer after the flight had left and we were stranded. Every person we dealt with offered some form of assistance but no one actually did anything after we were out of their line of sight. Do not fly this airline.

MEL-AUH. Flight good service friendly and room to stretch as cabin was very empty. AUH-SYD. At the airport my passport is checked at check in - no problems. Passport control the passport is checked twice. I arrived at the gate 55 mins before flight departure to find a long queue. Before getting to the gate another passport and boarding card check for the name. Then the gate. We waited and waited and waited. Security also waited and waited. There are only two persons manning the gate for a full A340-600 flight to Sydney. I observed both counters. The First and Business counter was taking around 45 seconds to process a passenger. The economy counter was around 1 min 10 sec per pax. Finally I get to the gate counter 5 minutes before the scheduled departure. Again 1 minutes to process my boarding pass and no reason when I asked why they needed my passport. Tthere were 53 people behind me so I knew the departure would be late. Of course it was by 52 minutes. The flight was as good as it could be for an overnight flight with friendly staff and plenty of food.

Our dance team flew from New Zealand to Serbia and back. The staff were friendly and helpful. They even brought us a special dessert and a card to say good luck for the competition we were attending. On the return trip they gave us all a glass of champagne when we took off to celebrate our win at the competition. The food was delicious with great beverages as well. The movie range was large and the seats in economy were fine. We would thoroughly recommend flying with them again.

October 18 Seat 23H Flight EY461. Melbourne to Abu Dhabi. I suppose it is inevitable that comparisons will be made between this flight and the Emirates 777 economy service to Dubai. Having done both now I would say they are fairly level pegging apart from the fact that Etihad uses an A340 600 with a 2x4x2 configuration much preferable to Emirates 3x4x3 for couples. The A340 is very quiet and surprisingly comfortable even on a 14 hour leg. Clients wanting to stopover will prefer Dubai. While boarding was orderly and relaxed the experience was spoiled a little at check-in. I had booked through Virgin Australia using points and pay - and assumed travel on a major partner airline would be seamless. No such luck. First the check-in guy had to call Virgin - then the airport duty manager got involved and eventually phoned Abu Dhabi for approval. Meanwhile we went for a long walk - it was that or be stabbed in the back by the anxious horde waiting to be checked in. Finally all was fixed - but it took about 40 minutes. The welcoming crew were bright and chatty and flight EY461 left Melbourne on time. Note that the bins above the window seats are smaller than the centre aisle. Safety instructions are via animated video and crew demos. The entertainment screens are a good size and the touch system really easy and simple to use. Emirates ICE is also great but the touch controls don't always work all that well. About a half hour out hot paper towels were served and dinner started 40 minutes later. I had Moroccan beef casserole in couscous not the most appealing looking dish but quite tasty thanks mostly to the black olives. I was pleased to see Australian products were used. The meals are medium in size the other noteworthy point is that steel utensils are used. I had a glass of red wine and asked for another when the trays were taken but the bottle had gone. To her credit the hostess did fill my glass later. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with the lot - fine for me. To summarise: Apart from the hiccup at check-in smooth good value flying.

JIA 10/23 to Chicago on American Airlines. Then Etihad on 10/23 flight EY150 Chicago to Abu Dhabi. After seeing the pictures online and flying on what seemed like a lawn dart with AA I was so excited to fly on the Etihad Airways. However that quickly ended as soon as we landed in Chicago and had to get in another line to check in. A man met you before you even went through the line and placed your bag in the carry on stand to check if it fit. After seeing him give one lady a hard time with hers since the handle grazed the side I knew we were done. Sure enough all 4 carry ons we got on fine with AA were "overweight" and exceeded everything else they could possibly find wrong. So $700 later we had to pay for all 4. Absolutely no care about it and the guy needed a manager to override it. She even shook her head at the ridiculous fees but still did nothing. Although they present this put together and professional staff the unfriendly crew poor meals and lack of overhead complements as we saw a few quarrels over space it was anything but. I'd much prefer my laid back friendly JetBlue or Southwest staff any day. Needless to say we plan to travel extensively while living abroad in AD but will not use Etihad again.

When checking in early at Sydney airport we asked for the bassinet we had requested with the booking for my wife and young children. Unfortunately this couldn't be arranged for their connecting flight in Abu Dhabi. A little confused we asked how they could all be gone 14 hours before that flight. We were told they had been reserved. I understand that airlines have different bassinet policies and accept that. Over the next 2 hours we were told it was our fault for not buying another seat that they wouldn't have a look to see how full the 2nd flight was and they wouldn't speak to our travel agent who was trying to help us. Finally with my children distressed and my wife in tears she simply said she couldn't fly so we went home.

I travelled from Sydney via Abu Dhabi to Manchester my biggest problem the first leg to Abu Dhabi was with Virgin Australia I cannot understand why they will not issue a boarding pass for the two legs of the flight. The having to queue in Abu Dhabi for the boarding pass to Manchester was disgusting at a time when you would like to be relaxing after a 14 hour flight and looking around the airport instead you have to queue for a minimum of between 1 and 2 hours to get a boarding pass. The same on the way home had to do it all over again. The flights were very good cant complain about them but this can really turn you off flying with them again. I know they are two different airlines but flying together in unison surely this problem could be sorted out to the passengers convenience.

London to Bangkok staff very helpful found the seating very narrow and little space inside the seating and eating resting area. The film selection frankly was poor far too many children's films and poor content. The airline should review who is making the selection and look at other airlines (recommend Singapore). Food and wine good. Outgoing both aircraft had up to date equipment. The return journey Bangkok to Hub was an older type aircraft and equipment requires modernisation.

Oct 21 from New Delhi through Abu Dhabi to Washington Dulles on EY 131. It wasn't bad. There were two drawbacks. One was the long line in Abu Dhabi when transiting to India. The other is the strange rule about only one carry on. They sometimes enforce and sometimes don't but its also supposed to be under 7 kg which is unrealistic at the least. I had to put up a fight to get on the flight home with my camera and small carry on which weighed 10 kg.

Lisbon-Milan-Abu Dhabi-Sydney on 3 4 and 5th October first flight codeshare with TAP second flight crowded but nice flight very nice cabin crew tried to make flight more pleasant. Third leg Virgin Australia also in codeshare crowded also but very nice. Sydney-Abu Dhabi-Dublin-Lisbon 18-19 October also a very crowded first leg plenty of food and drinks ice creams. Second leg during the night half full flight could move seats to sleep the crew organized for all passengers to have plenty of space to sleep. Last leg codeshare with Air Lingus horrible and late. Overall a very good service will fly Etihad again.

We travelled first class Sydney to Paris via Abu Dhabi and return in September/October. We had 2 previous experiences with Etihad on this same flight both in Business Class. The first time in 2009 was excellent. Service meals attention to detail was second to none. The second trip was a little less so less attentive the calibre of meals had deteriorated somewhat and service was definitely in decline. So this time we thought we would go First Class. Such a disappointment. From the check in at Sydney Airport - where apart from not being in a queue we could have been anyone for the level of attention and reception received. Thank heavens for the Express Passes to get us quickly through customs and immigration. The cabins in First were excellent the flat beds long and as comfortable as you could get and the beds were made up with sheets. Cabin crew were efficient but certainly lacked the warmth of previous flights. The chefs advised that they could prepare anything for us where in fact the meals were very ordinary and unimaginative. It also took a long time to be served. I know they were striving for a 'dining experience' but when you are tired and hungry you don't want to wait nearly 4 hours as we did on our flight home. I also don't want to hear how tired the staff are how busy they are or any other excuses as we did on several flights. I think we have given Etihad every chance to prove themselves but we may not fly with them again.

9 Oct EY20 10 Oct EY441. 19 Oct EY440 20 Oct EY11. Flew LHR to Abu Dhabi and on to Vietnam: and then return. Found staff uncaring: food disappointing: seats uncomfortable: everything very grubby. Return flight had to wait almost 3 hours at transfer desk before they would issue my boarding pass. When I asked for a drink at midnight on return flight one attendant asked the other 'do we have anything open'? I only wanted water or perhaps orange juice!

Sydney to Abu Dhabi and then to Athens and back from Istanbul to Sydney in September and October this year. We were lucky enough to gain upgrades for the two longer legs and this made the flight more enjoyable. As all the previous writer indicate there certainly is a step up with Business class and while I could not justify paying the full price the chance to upgrade sections is worthwhile. The space is the major gain you have what seems the equivalent of 3 seats you can stretch out have places which to store books glasses and water bottles and certainly the amenity kit is worthwhile. The service also improves with a higher staff ratio and they were certainly attentive to all needs from extra blankets to late night snacks (I can recommend the steak sandwich). The food which while not that much better than economy is presented in a more sophisticated way and taken with the space makes dinning an enjoyable experience. Would I recommend the upgrade yes for the longer legs 12-14 hours for the shorter ones 4-6 hours you can survive!

Economy BRU-AHU-BKK and return. Very good onboard service excellent staff. Stopover in Abu Dhabi ok restrooms very poor.

Abu Dhabi - Jakarta. I was offered an online upgrade for which I bid $500. Didn't find out until I checked in that I had been successful. It was definitely worth every penny. Super-fast boarding very comfortable lie-flat seat/bed excellent choice of food and drinks from a very extensive menu with great presentation and very professional service. There were 4 cabin crew for approximately 15 passengers. The only negative: had to change seats as the TV remote control wasn't working. The aircraft was an older 777. Very good experience.

MAN-AUH-BKK return. Excellent punctual flights. Pick up by chauffeur at each end was much appreciated and transit in AUH was seamless. Food on board was wide in terms of variety but of very high quality. Cabin crew were most attentive and professional.

Purchased a return trip flying first class from Melbourne to London in Sept/Oct 2013. Flight to London was excellent - could not fault. However when arriving at airport for return flight - return ticket no longer worked? Etihad claimed it was American Airlines fault and they needed to sort it and therefore they did nothing to assist me. AA are their sister airlines but are at another terminal at Heathrow - Etihad would not assistance in sorting out problem - obviously could not be bothered. Now flying with Singapore but have to wait another 10 hours. Thank you for your lack of assistance Etihad - other airlines are far more helpful.

Flew BNE-AUH-DUB return BC in September and found the service on board excellent both ways. The food was terrific and the only point in the whole journey that let the airline down was the inflight entertainment. It was rubbish for such a long haul flight movies were very old TV shows were showing reruns.

EY22 Manchester to Abu Dhabi EY622 Abu Dhabi to Mahe EY621 Mahe to Abu Dhabi EY15 Abu Dhabi to Manchester. We decided to try Etihad rather than fly with Emirates. What a mistake. There is no leg room if you are tall. When the person in front put their seats back it was most uncomfortable and the staff only begrudgingly asked them to put them upright when the meal was being served. The food was not very good. There was no clean up of the toilets during a 7.5 hour flight. There was no way you could walk around as if you went to the rear of the plane the staff frowned if you went into their space. The films on offer were not very good. The Etihad flight from the Seychelles was an hour late and we came into gate 35 then had to rush to transit at gate 1 and then rush to gate 36 for our Manchester flight. All in all it was an experience that we will not be repeating.

Abu Dhabi (AUH) to London Heathrow (LHR). Etihad requires the passenger to check in at the airport at least 1.5 hrs before the flight. As you approach the airport the streets are filled with signs to guide you on where to go. When you reach workers with trolleys will be waiting for you to help with the luggage. While you're entering the terminal the security check is after the luggage check therefore it will be comfortable for the passenger to go through security without having to worry about the luggage. After the security check and when you are ready to board you will walk through a fairly small duty free which requires improvement. The shops were not organized and small and the food court is very small and does not have the variety that would make the passengers have a good experience at the airport. I boarded the Boeing 777 which was very large compared to the other airplanes I went on. There are two lines before you enter a line for economy class and the other for business and first class. The line for economy was much longer than the other line. I did not have to wait because my ticket was a business class ticket. The flight welcomed the passengers with smiles which was a great start. The passenger is guided to his seat and helped with placing his hand luggage. The seats were small as my expectations were higher for a highly priced ticket that cost 8130 AED. However as the plane took off and the passengers were allowed to move the seats it turned out to be very comfortable as the seats can turn into a bed. The service was very quick and I had access to food at all times during the flight. Overall it was a great flight that I recommend for all.

Flew EY878 (AUH-NRT) on 24 Sept. A332. Had to bus from the terminal to the jet. Managed to get a paid upgrade to Business. Seat seemed to be narrow But was great when flat. Service was outstanding from boarding to disembarkation. IFE in Business was the same as in Economy. I expected more from the amenity kit. I would pay for an upgrade again.

I flew on EY20 (LHR AUH) on 23 Sept. B777 in economy. The flight was empty so we were all able to spread ourselves out. The cabin service was quick and friendly. Drinks flowed and the food was actually really good for economy. IFE seemed limited but acceptable for a short flight. One crew member seemed to be new and a little lost but I'm sure she will be on top of her game after a couple flights. Leg room was fine but seat width across the shoulders may have been uncomfortable if the flight had been full. I will fly again.

Travelled SYD-AUH-LHR and back. Firstly the pros the service and entertainment were great. Food and drinks (water) kept coming. Washroom was clean all the way that's pretty good for 21-22 hours. But the reason I may not travel again on Etihad on a long haul flight are the seats very uncomfortable I am not very tall so leg room was adequate but the seats were very hard and not at all good for my back. The armrest on all flights did not have the cushion part sewn on it it was just hard. For long haul flight all passengers whether first class or economy require a certain degree of comfort which was sorely lacking on Etihad. I am not anti-Etihad perhaps for a trip to NZ I would travel on it again but never again for a trip to Europe.

Flew from Manchester on 21 September to Abu Dhabi with Etihad had very mixed expectations as I had flown last year with Emirates who were very poor. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as the flight and the staff were outstanding - nothing was too much trouble. Having said how good our flight was we now had high expectations of our connecting flight to Colombo - how very disappointed we were. Badly organized didn't check seat belts left our meal tray for 45 mins after everyone was finished - not sure what they were doing. We only had to wait 20 mins for them to answer our calls and then 10 more mins to bring the wine.

Flew out on 21st Aug BNE-SIN-AUH-ATH. Returned 14th Sep EY470 LHR-AUH-SIN-BNE. This was not the cheapest carrier. Sets are too small for majority of those around 6 ft. I saw at least 7 passengers with their knees jammed in seats and one tall woman in tears. Meals were ordinary and drinks adequate - most staff do their best once on board and the cabin manager was great. Most disturbing thing is the stop and re-board at AUH. Main terminal is a disorganised mess - toilets are inadequate. Bussed to plane air conditioning useless and by the time you get to aircraft you are seething.

Flew from AUH to MAN. No check in at Abu Dhabi as was transit passenger from another airline. Was bussed from remote stand for a long ride unimpressed with the airport itself and long security lines. Seat assignment pre- booked honoured. Full flight to Manchester AVOD was decent but could be better. Found cabin crew polite professional though the male staff seemed professional. Food was good with full hot breakfast before arrival. All in all a good flight which pleasantly surprised me.

Flew from D.C to Chennai. Things were not good at Abu Dhabi the terminal and Gate to India was over crowded and no place to even stand. The arrival time to Chennai was 1.5 hrs delayed and we lost our connecting domestic flight. On the way back the seats were not assigned properly they canceled our selected seats. In a four seat row for a family of four we were given three seats and we had to travel with a toddler for a 15 hr flight from Abu Dhabi to D.C. The seats are not that great either they are narrow and not much leg space. Only good thing is the flight crew.

Flew Business class LHR-AUH-PVG. Great service on the first leg the Business class lounge at Heathrow was superb. Excellent selection and very comfy. The boarding was a little chaotic but once onboard excellent flight. Wine selection was wonderful as was the food selection. Transfer very easy. Next leg was in First. I was the only person in First and what an experience. Food was of restaurant quality having my own chef literally. The wine and champagne again was of tip top standard. As nobody else was on board I had my own dining booth and my own sleeping booth. Managed a full 7 hours uninterrupted sleep. Breakfast again was superb.

I've flown Etihad more than 20 times within the last 9 months. On my most recent flight last Tuesday I had the same great service as usual. The cabin crew were very open and friendly. Even if I couldn't sleep on the two flights the crew were offering drinks and food during the night time. Food was good as usual as well as the entertainment system. I love flying with this airline and can recommend it to everyone. Compared to others the seat comfort is good and I had plenty of leg space.

After booking my tickets I advised customer services of my disabled needs. When I arrived at the airport this information was not on my booking and so I had to explain again my disabilities and needs at the check in desk. On arrival into AUH the plane was parked on a remote stand. after the plane has disembarked I had to wait a further 20 mins for ground crew to bring the lift to get me off! I was taken straight to the connecting gate as normal. At the gate I had to identify myself to the staff who had no history of my needs and I had to stop a ground staff and request my own assistance to board the flight via the lift. I boarded nearly last which meant jostling . Again no specific instructions in case of an emergency were given - it is usual to be informed what the crew will do for me to get me off in an emergency. I have before have I been treated with less dignity or support.

Abu Dhabi - Kuala Lumpur - Abu Dhabi. B777-300 3x4x3 economy class. Very slow check in at Abu Dhabi airport flight delayed for 5.5 hours without prior notification and also without a word of apology. Return flight on time. I have commented before on seating comfort on those flights after 7 hours you feel the impact of hard seats in your limbs. Food quality and services very good both legs so is the inflight system.

Traveled with my wife from Abu Dhabi to Sydney in June. Seats were so close together it was impossible to stretch legs in any way easily the worst we have encountered. Cabin service was almost non existent and food was well below average. Etihad ground staff in Abu Dhabi were rude and very unprofessional. We will never consider Etihad for any future flights.

13-16 Sep 2013 EY421 Abu Dhabi to Dublin EY 42 Dublin to Abu Dhabi. My two flights can only be described as the worst flying experiences I have had to date. Aircraft was an old A330 with a "brown" interior and the tightest long haul seating configuration I can recall. Service on board varied from dated to simply rude and unhelpful. Special meals booked in advance did not arrive and no alternates offered. However all of this was minor in comparison to the purser on the return leg who was rude to the point of being intimidating. Inflight entertainment system was old but would have been better if it had actually functioned. Recommend you eat well before the flight and take a book for entertainment if you have to travel with this airline.

Moscow - Abu Dhabi - Bangkok. A good trip although check in staff member seemed not to speak English. Flight was a little late leaving Moscow and arriving in Abu Dhabi which made the transit a little stressful as it was not clear that I and my luggage would make the second flight. Cabin staff were friendly and attentive but no one spoke Russian on the Moscow - Abu Dhabi sector. Food and wine were good but the service a little slow especially on the Abu Dhabi sector where I was trying to get a reasonable amount of sleep. Both planes were good and clean and with seats being fully flat beds were restful and spacious. The IFE was good on both planes and we were permitted to use the IFE until we had landed. The airport in Abu Dhabi was undergoing extension/renovation and a bus was used to transport passengers to the terminal. The lateness in arrival meant that the plane was about to board so it was not possible to eat in the lounge and then only sleep on the second flight. Here supper rather than dinner was late being served so valuable sleep time was lost. Bag did make the second flight but it was one of the last off the plane in Bangkok so received zero priority!

26th June was going to Washington from Lahore. Lahore - Abu Dhabi was fine Abu Dhabi - Washington was good though seats were small there was no room to stretch legs on such a long flight of 15 hours. Flight was on time. The staff were friendly from Abu Dhabi to Washington. Service was really good but the food was pathetic on both flights. Staff were bad coming from Washington to Abu Dhabi. They weren't listening to bells and were taking too much long to bring even water. Overall it was a good experience.

I flew from Manchester UK to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi on 18/19 Aug 2013. Worst flight I have had since I travelled Kenya airlines in the eighties! From Manchester seating was very uncomfortable. The flight to Bangkok was turned around as we taxied for take-off to decant two passengers who were headed for Jeddah not Bangkok! Delayed one and a half hours.

Flew from Manchester to Bangkok through Abu Dhabi. Everything was excellent from the chauffeur service to the Spa in the business lounge in Abu Dhabi. I have flown with many of the worlds airlines in business class this was far superior. The food was excellent the seat / bed was extremely comfy the staff and service could not have been faulted. I am flying again to Sydney at the end of October and am looking forward to the trip as the flight can be part of your holiday rather than just the drag at the beginning and end. I would highly recommend Etihad as farms I am in Club world layering the year to LA and know its going to be a let down in comparison.

29/7/13 EY 455 Sydney - Abu Dhabi. 30/7/13 EY 19 Abu Dhabi - Heathrow. 20/8/13 EY 2 Frankfurt - Abu Dhabi. 20/8/13 EY 454 Abu Dhabi - Sydney. I had the pleasure of travelling a combination of business and first class to and from Australia. The staff were exceptional making sure all requirements were attended to without intruding. A very pleasant experience.

Its all about the crew SYD-AUH-LHR EY455 - friendly efficient crew -long haul 14 hours to AUH and delayed out of SYD by an hour due to missing PAX. Good flight seat 35H. But this flight EY19 to LHR is like 'chalk and cheese' with a very unfriendly crew running out of food and disinterested in passengers why do the job?

Very disappointed seats in economy uncomfortable very little leg room worse when the passenger in front reclines their seat. On our flight FA forgot to serve meal to our row almost 3 hours and only provided with a small cup of water during this time (a 14 hour flight). Service was poor on all 4 flights on journey to UK from Sydney. On one of the legs of this travel FA advised they had only vegetarian meals available on next leg of trip the inflight entertainment system failed on the majority of passengers. Generally not a good experience.

My Husband daughter (20 mths) and I recently flew to Dublin via Abu Dhabi from Sydney on August 2nd 2013. It was the worst flight we have ever encountered! Our seats were very uncomfortable very little leg room! We had to request a safety belt for my daughter just before takeoff as we were taxing down the runway! No cabin staff checked if I was familiar with the procedure of applying this belt or indeed if I had applied it correctly . Only infant food available no alternative offered despite requesting alternative toddler food. My Toddler had no food except what I brought onboard. Cabin staff were rude and definitely not child friendly! Hot food was just put down despite having a toddler on my knees! Inflight entertainment was very poor. My flight from Abu Dhabi to Dublin improved in terms of more efficient customer focused cabin staff but otherwise very disappointing overall experience.

Melbourne to Belgrade 17/07/13. MEL-AUH-BEG. Upgraded a few days before trip. The seat was exceptional as usual and the service was spot on. On flight from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi we were able to use onboard internet. Only downside is the Business class lounge at AUH which is a bit small. I will fly them again next June.

FRA-AUH-CMB on 27 July. First the flight was delayed from 11.15-15.00. Then told that we would get a new connection FRA-AUH-DOH-CMB. Spent more than 11 hours waiting in Abu Dhabi. They couldn't book us on the Doha flight as our baggage was lost. They booked us on a Male flight. In Frankfurt they promised us a hotel room in Abu Dhabi - it wasn't the case. Baggage arrived 2 days later. It was the worst flight we have had and will never fly again with them.

Booked a return flight from Australia to England. I was on crutches and informed the airline that my surgeon had requested that I needed to keep my foot elevated during the flight. The airline assured me that there would be no problems and that I would be able to sit in the baby section which had more leg room. When we arrived at the airport and checked in I found out that I did not have the extra leg room. I got on the plane and spent the next 14 hours with my leg up on the food table which was extremely uncomfortable. While on the plane the hostess also had to take away my crutches so they were out of the way of other passengers. At other times within the flight I pressed my buzzer to call the flight attendant over and I was completely ignored. This was the worst experience I have encountered.

My wife and I travelled to Frankfurt in early June with a wonderful 2 day stopover at the Jumeirah Hotel in the Etihad Towers Abu Dhabi. The service comfort and overall experience was better than other first class airlines including Emirates Qantas and British Airways. I would recommend Etihad to any first class traveller. Our return flights in late August 2013 were just as memorable as was the 3 day stay in the Etihad Towers.

As a regular Etihad flyer (UK - Australia return every 3/4 months) I have to say the service quality is slipping below an acceptable standard. All their efforts are spent on their first or business clients so if you are going economy you can only expect the bare minimum of customer care and comfort. The entertainment system is very good but lost baggage seat comfort pre-assigning seats and being able to easily contact a helpful customer service when things do not go to plan are also part of the service I consider myself to be paying for and Etihad do not deliver on these points. Also they code share with airlines that are well below Etihad's standard its very disappointing to believe you are paying extra for a good airline only to find you've been code shared onto a second rate partner airline.

Abu Dhabi - Bangkok- Abu Dhabi. B777-300ER 3x4x3 configuration. Slow check in both ways delayed take off both legs (2.5 & 1 hr). Traveled economy class food quality and choice very good average services seats not comfortable.