Etihad Airways

I was excited about flying on the 787, despite the bad reviews I'd read about the economy seats on this aircraft. I have to say that the economy seats on the Etihad 787-9 are without exception, the worst I have sat in. I am about 181cm tall, so fairly average in height and my knees were pretty much touching the seat in front of me. I'm not a big guy and I felt so squashed due to the width of the seat that it was very difficult to get comfortable. If the seat in front was reclined, the video screen was right in front of your face. Adding to this was the fact that the seat was harder than most I've sat in. I do a lot of flying so I have a good basis for comparison on these details. I'm also a very realistic about what to expect with economy flying. I'd take a Jetstar seat in Australia over the Etihad Boeing 787-9 seats any day of the week. I'm flying British Airways in December back to Australia on their Boeing 787 and the reviews I've read about their seats is very poor. Worst part is, the Etihad flight was only 6 hours, where as the BA flight is going to be over 12 hours.

The Etihad Airways journey from London to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi was poorly served and very uncomfortable due to hard seats and lack of space. The transfer took up all of the 2+ hours we had available and caused concern as we had but 1 hr only on the return. Abu Dhabi airport is a shambles. As a frequent flyer to NZ and Aus I have passed through most International airports but have never experienced anything as depressingly chaotic as this place. How they got their rating is a mystery and one that should be questioned. On the return trip (made the transfer, miraculously, within the hour) it was equally cramped, however the crew appeared to have been assembled at the last minute as they were totally uncoordinated and the service was dreadful. Also the film I was watching on the first leg did not appear on the second screen as it had not been updated. Best I can say is that they got us there and back but I would never entertain considering this airline again and have a future benchmark for sheer unpleasantness of travel. Thanks but no thanks.

Seat 25K near emergency exit. Excellent legroom able to stretch your legs out. Seat width is about 17 inches. Airline can improve on providing regular snacks and drinks on a 8 hour flight. Only 1 meal and then snack towards end of journey was provided.

Change of baggage allowance without any notification to the customer. My wife was travelling back home for delivery and when we checked online before boarding, the baggage allowance was clearly stated as 23 + 23, and no change mentioned, however at the checkin they allowed only 30. They mentioned that the customers who booked tickets before certain date was having allowance only 30 and after the date it was 46. We had went through the whole Etihad Airways site and since it was clearly stated as 23 + 23 we planned baggages as per that. Despite my wife being pregnant and requested exception at checkin, none was provided except an extra check on my wife being pregnant, We had to pull out all the maternity documents to show it was single pregnancy despite the fitness to fly certificate provided by GP. Despite the airlines changing the baggage allowances, without notifying the customer on their official site, there was no consideration and on top of it we had a delayed flight too. The lady at our first check in counter was very rude, however when we sorted the baggage and checked in later we had a better staff to serve us. Never had such experience before. Pathetic inflight service with less crew members for the flight from London to Abu Dhabi. I had planned everything possible to make her journey comfortable however the airlines made it tough for us, I had multiple other options to fly with, but landed up with a bad choice.

We flew from Edinburgh to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi. There is plenty of leg room. Food was good, staff and service excellent. I phoned Etihad to see if we could arrange seats together and it was done with no problem. Reading some reviews can really put you of your holiday before you set off.

My recent flight Boeing 777-200LR from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco using Etihad Airways (operated by Jet Airways) was one of, if not the, worst flights of my life. The bathroom was dirty, and the sink/faucet was broken. The seats were so small that I could barely fit, and I'm not really a big guy either. They were also rock hard and extremely uncomfortable. The airplane itself was extremely run down, old, and beaten up. I actually felt like I was flying in the past. I will never purposely fly a Jet Airways operated plane again.

Etihad Airways 14.5 hour flight from Brisbane to Abu Dhabi. For the first 10 hours the air conditioner didn't work. Eventually I asked one of the flight attendants why the aircraft was so hot, I was informed that it could not be changed, and that it was not working properly. However for the last three hours of the 14 hour journey it suddenly became freezing. The seats were the most uncomfortably hard seats I have ever endured, limited leg room and when the person in front decided to put their chair back I couldn't even sit up straight and lean forward to relieve the discomfort of sitting in one position for such a long trip. The movies were mostly dated, not one new release. The food was average except for our last breakfast which was inedible. On the return flight the same old movies and dreadfully squashed up seats. I won't be travelling with Etihad Airways again on any long hauls.

There is no leg room - no tray room - it just fits but when the food arrives its a nightmare trying to eat and not knock anything off - its literally hand to mouth. What you get with this airline is what you pay for, but when you consider the cost of the flights thats wrong. I have flown with Easyjet, Jet2, Ryanair, Thomson etc. and never complained about the aircraft. If you are considered to be a large person you will struggle and feel uncomfortable in these seats and a long haul flight is hard slog. We did Manchester to Adelaide via Abu Dhabi and there was more room on the Virgin Australia (3rd flight) and that was the shortest flight. Reclining is an embarrassment to all concerned.

The seats were uncomfortable. Not enough room to even bend over to get your purse or remove your shoes. Couldn't lay on the tray like most planes, you have to be able to change your position! The person in front of me always had his seat reclined. I was literally pinned in my seat, couldn't see the screen in front of me very well, the angle was just not good. When I reclined my seat, it wasn't enough to feel like it even reclined. 16 hours like that! As far as storage, the pocket is too tight, can't put anything in it - why bother to put a pocket in it? Etihad, you have a long way to go.

The Economy seats on the Boeing 787 is very comfortable. Although I am an overweight person, the comfort level of these are good, especially compared to Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300 which I flew previously on the same route.