Etihad Airways Arvostelua 191

Subject: FORMAL COMPLAINT – Denied Check-in Despite Valid Etihad Ticket

Dear Etihad Airways,

I am submitting a formal complaint regarding my missed flight due to serious failure in handling at Abu Dhabi Airport.

I was present at the airport on time and attempted to check in. However, the Etihad counter attendant redirected me to the Ethiopian Airlines counter, claiming that my booking could not be found in their system, which caused delay and prevented me from completing check-in.

At Ethiopian Airlines, my booking could not be located, and I was left moving between counters without proper guidance or resolution.

I later visited the Etihad office in Abu Dhabi, where my ticket was successfully located and confirmed as valid in your system.

Ticket details:
Passenger Name: Ivan Mulema
PNR: XZU9HF
Ticket Number: 607-5841774923
Flights: EY 6337 / EY 6442
Route: Abu Dhabi to Entebbe
Date: 19 April

Despite this confirmation, Etihad airport customer service staff, including the supervisor and manager, failed to provide proper assistance and continued to redirect me instead of resolving the issue. This clearly demonstrates a serious failure in internal coordination and passenger handling.

As a direct result:

- I was denied the opportunity to check in
- I missed my flight despite being on time
- I have suffered financial loss and significant inconvenience

This situation was not caused by any negligence on my part. I followed all instructions given at the airport and acted in good faith.

I therefore formally demand:

- A full investigation into this incident
- A written explanation of why I was denied check-in despite having a valid Etihad ticket
- Immediate assistance with rebooking under fair conditions
- Full compensation for the financial loss and inconvenience caused

If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will escalate this complaint to the relevant consumer protection authorities and pursue further legal action.

Kind regards,
Ivan Mulema

Our big yearly family trip was cancelled on account of the war only days before the flight. Eithihad promised a refund to our credit card which would take 3 weeks to process. This is well documented on our online portal under our claim. On this promise, we booked another trip. Upon our return, we were advised a credit voucher was issued instead of a refund and there was nothing they could do to reverse this. Start 3 weeks of hell trying to get through and speaking to different call centre agents and repeating our story over and over again while "investigations are underway." Eithihad has now closed the file and told us they can't reverse the credit with the assertion that we must have changed our initial request and wanted the voucher (without providing any such evidence). Now we have over 16k tied up in a voucher that we never wanted and can't easily use. In addition, against our local laws, the voucher expires in 1 year. We feel so stuck with so much of our money tied up. Feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, financially strained and exceptionally stuck. We have launched a claim with our credit card company and also with the national authorities due to their breeches, however this may take months to resolve. In the meantime, our money is tied up.
The lack of ethics and due process here is astounding and very disappointing.

Injoignables

I had a business class round trip ticket (YYZ -->AUH--> COK -->AUH --> YYZ, 12/7/25 start, 3/9/26 return) for which YYZ-COK was completed with out any issue. But for my return on 3/9/26, it was a nightmare; ~ 5 days prior to departure they cancelled the flight from COK to AUH and they did not anything about it. I understand that the middle east war situation, and there were all kind of issues. But they could have offered a new booking. They just left you ! The AUH --> YYZ on time on 3/10/26 so I thought I will book a ticket to AUH with my own money and catch that flight EY21 flight on 3/10. So I booked a flight to AUH by Air Arabia to reach AUH on 3/10 ~ 1 am so that I can catch it and emailed them to this effect. Alas, they preponed my flight to 3/9!! Well I changed my Air Arbia flight to 3/9. Guess what, they changed my flight back to 3/10 now!! Finally I got fed up and tried contact them by phone, email, chat none of them worked. Finally, I got a number (US) called and I talked to a guy (reservations@airlineswebsales?!!). The person offered to help to get a new ticket but you have to pay 4 or 5X the price; I heard that my ticket was worth 15K$ and somehow they want to bump me out (in my opinion). I got the feeling they were doing price gouging. I had good business class experience with Etihad but never expected this treatment! I was frustrated and finally asked for the refund which I eventually got.
The Etihad customer service experience was the worst for an airline... and hope they will come out better one day!

Strong business class experience with Etihad Airways. Comfort, service and catering were all at a high level and well organized. The cabin crew was professional and attentive throughout the flight. I was seated in 10A (window seat), which was comfortable, although seat privacy could be improved.
Another point for improvement is flexibility during transfers in case of delays.
Overall a very positive experience and an airline that delivers quality, with room for further refinement.

Etihad crew , specially Swapnali, bombay desk( travelled on 22nd March) ( Mumbai to Dublin) helped me to get all my stuff sorted, she was very kind and helpful towards me..she is an amazing person.

From Elvis Gracias

Absolut enttäuschend. Ich fliege ausschließlich Business Class und habe bei Etihad Airways genau das Gegenteil von Premium erlebt.
Beschädigtes Gepäck, völlig überzogene Preise für Übergepäck und ein Service, der diesen Namen nicht verdient.
Die Qualität von Essen und Sauberkeit schwankt extrem von akzeptabel bis schlicht unzumutbar.
Für die Preise ist das eine Frechheit.
Diese Airline ist für mich komplett durchgefallen und definitiv keine Empfehlung.

Ho prenotato un volo per la Corea del sud con scalo ad abu-dhabi, ad un certo punto il mio account viene bloccato e non potevo più accedere, contatto l'assistenza ma nessuna risposta. Successivamente il volo viene posticipato di un giorno e ho preso la palla al balzo per farlmelo rimborsare e cambiare compagnia.

Never ever choose the voucher option for refund ! Its a scam, they say you Will get it instantly but its not True ! I got Nothing and cant get a hold of the customer service … really disapointed. Go Qatar Airways instead

I understand that this is a very unprecedented situation with the war in the Middle East but there is NO communication from Etihad at all. I read hundreds of posts from people who are stuck without any help. The rest of us with upcoming holidays are stuck and unable to request a refund. Today is 13th March and Etihad are only offering refunds up until 21st March everyone else is left living in limbo unable to plan or rebook anything else. No update and not even an idea of when you might update us. Sort it out! I don't recommend flying with this company, Emirates, BA Virgin all offering refunds past 31st March!

Respektloses Verhalten gegenüber alleinreisenden Frauen! Ein halbes Jahr im Voraus übers Reisebüro gebucht und bezahlt. Dann wurde mir bis Bordingtime der Sitz verweigert. Als ich das Reisebüro am Telefon hatte, ging es dann plötzlich

Lascio una stella perché zero non è possibili… la compagnia più pessima che abbia mai usato. Volo Roma Male con scalo ad Abu Dhabi il 24 febbraio 2026 all’andata tutto regolare a parte aereo un po scomodo. Per il rientro vista la situazione guerra del golfo abbiamo avuto il volo cancellato per il 04/03/2026 senza nessuna riprotezione. Chiamando in continuazione e dopo 50 minuti di attesa mi risponde un addetto e ci programma il volo per il 10/03/2026 sembra tutto regolare a parte il fatto che abbiamo dovuto pagare uno sproposito per stare in resort qualche giorno in più. L’8/03/2026 ci scrivono che il 9/03/2026 abbiamo il volo Abu Dhabi-Roma mentre il 10/03/2026 avremmo il volo Malé-Abu Dhabi… chiamo nuovamente nessuna risposta a parte che il volo ormai era stato modificato così. Mi chiede se vogliamo il volo 14/03/2026 ma anche no… troviamo un volo diretto per 11/03/2026 a 1600 euro tutto di tasca nostra dopo giorni di follia inaudita. Zero assistenza e zero risposte concrete… mai più un volo con loro… l’esperienza peggiore in assoluto mai avuta

Flug über Etihad komplett mit Umstieg gebucht. Anschluss verpasst, da der erste Flieger nicht kam. Da der Flug nicht in der EU abgeflogen ist, können wir keine Entschädigung erhalten. Koffer defekt, auch keine Entschädigung. Sitzplätze teuer gebucht nicht erhalten- hier wird auch nichts zurückgezahlt. Kein Service! Würde keinem diese Airline empfehlen und auch selber nicht mehr mit denen fliegen! Kein Interesse an Kunden! Wir hatten nur Ärger! 8 Stunden nachts auf dem Flughafen gesessen - ohne das sich jemand um uns gekümmert hat!

They are a joke.
Old, no bar service even on intercontinental flights.

Book Qatar or Emirates in this region, Etihad is a budget airline bloody joke

Do not trust Etihad Airways. When things go wrong, their true colors show. On Feb 28, flight EY102 departed Madrid but was forced to divert right back to the origin. Did Etihad step up to manage the crisis? No. We landed to find abandoned counters. Their ground staff literally hid and vanished to avoid dealing with stranded passengers.
​Is this the "premium" global airline experience they constantly advertise?
​They only crawled out of hiding 5 hours later because they had to dispatch a different flight. We were given absolutely nothing. No hotel accommodation. No food vouchers. Not even a bottle of water. Instead, their staff desperately handed out empty promises of a "100% immediate refund" just to pacify the crowd and clear the terminal.
​It was a lie. I am still waiting for my money. You failed to fulfill the carriage, you abandoned us at the airport, and now you are holding our funds hostage.
​PNR: ®®®®. Have a corporate escalation manager contact me immediately, or my next step is a formal EU261 compensation claim with the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) for severe regulatory violations.

After trying 2 times to book stopover program, they both times said Hotel is not eligible for this trip, and every time it was non valid reason for it. After trying to clear with their customer service, i literally spend TWO days trying to reach them on call and online chat. On chat always says your number is higher than 12, not saying if im 13. or 150. in line. And that was without any update for hours and hours (only update on chat was sometimes "if you are still here click yes"). Hotels are not that expensive there, but its about technicalities, misleading and false principle from their side. Now i know why so much people complain (hidden blackout dates, counting full day when making stop only 2 hours because it says you will come to abu dhabi 23:55 and your plane leave 02:10 etc etc)

J’ai été victime d’une grosse arnaque avec cette compagnie aérienne. Ils ont cassé ma valise, et lorsque je suis allé sur place à l’aéroport le jour même, ils m’ont dit d’envoyer une réclamation par mail. Après m’avoir fait tourner en rond et perdu un temps fou, ils m’ont finalement informé qu’ils ne pouvaient pas me rembourser car j’avais mis trop de temps à signaler le problème. Je déconseille fortement cette compagnie à quiconque cherche une compagnie aérienne fiable. Il existe bien mieux.

Dear Etihad Airways Customer Relations Team,

Flight Details: Manchester to Abu Dhabi 30th November 2025 EY74 and Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad 1st December 2025 EY244

I am writing to formally express my deep dissatisfaction with the level of service I experienced during my recent journey with Etihad Airways. As a senior passenger, I found several aspects of the flight to be unacceptable and far below the standards expected from an international airline of Etihad’s reputation.

1. Baggage Handling and Allowance Issues

Our baggage allowance was clearly stated as 30kg in total. However, despite being within the total permitted weight, we were refused the option to check in two bags. As senior passengers, we were forced to lift and handle heavy baggage one piece at a time, which was physically difficult and extremely inconvenient. This lack of consideration for elderly passengers is unacceptable.

2. Inadequate Food Portions

The meals served were presented on what appeared to be a 5inch by 2 inch plate, with portions more suitable for a child than for an adult. The quantity was insufficient and did not meet basic expectations for a long-haul international flight.

3. No Meal Choice Before Landing in Abu Dhabi

Before landing in Abu Dhabi, passengers were handed a box of pizza with no alternative options offered. I do not eat pizza, and therefore had no suitable food available. It is unreasonable for an airline to provide only one food option without considering dietary preferences or restrictions.

4. Poor Quality Spirit Selection

The only whisky offered was Red Label Johnnie Walker, which is widely known as a very basic and inexpensive option. For a premium airline such as Etihad, this is disappointing. Better-quality and widely respected options such as Famous Grouse or Jameson should be offered to passengers.

5. Extremely Uncomfortable Seating

The seats were hard, narrow, and highly uncomfortable, making the long flight very unpleasant. Seat comfort is a fundamental aspect of passenger experience, especially on extended journeys, and this fell far short of acceptable standards.

Overall, this experience was disappointing and not in line with the image Etihad Airways promotes. I sincerely hope this feedback is taken seriously and used to improve services, particularly for senior passengers. I also expect a response explaining how Etihad plans to address these concerns.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Surendra K Vaidya

والله كنسلو طيارتي و اخذو فلوس الكنسليشن و ادق عليهم ثمان شهور مو راضين يرجعولي فلوس التذكره حراميه الله ياخذهم اخيس طياران و خدمة عملاء جدا سيئة لا تاخذو اي مافي احد يرد عليك رحله معاهم

Vergognosi !!!! Una truffa legalizzata: 1900 euro un bag in stiva da 23 kg! Piuttosto che voi vado a piedi !!!!