Etihad Airways Arvostelua 

Extremely disappointing experience with Etihad Airways. Just one week after booking, I requested to cancel or change my flight due to the rapidly deteriorating geopolitical situation in the region and my genuine concerns for my safety. Despite contacting customer service several times, they refused to offer any solution—no refund, no travel credit, and not even a date change.

At a time when many airlines are adjusting or cancelling flights in the region because of the security situation, it is unacceptable that an airline with Etihad's reputation for safety refuses to make any exception or even consider the legitimate concerns of its passengers. I now feel forced to travel against my will because I simply cannot afford to buy new tickets.

Passenger safety should always come before rigid policies. This experience has completely destroyed my trust in Etihad Airways, and I will never book with them again or recommend them to anyone.

Big name with terrible service ,
Flight delays and due to this the connective flight missed
Lost one day holiday and damaged my suitcase too
No compensation and no refund and zero action

I would not fly with them again. The lady (Taya) at the counter and his supervisor (Waleed) was so inconsiderate and refused to allow 1 kg more than the weight allowance. We have flown with this airline over the years and my experiences of late it’s becoming a budget airline. Customer Service is appalling and there’s no understanding or accommodation of any requests. Last time I’ll be flying with them.

Significant Flight Change Followed by Refusal to Honour Cancellation Option

I booked and paid for a one-way flight from Barcelona to Sydney departing at 10:30pm on 18 July. Several weeks later, I received an email advising that there had been a change to my flight and asking me to accept the revised itinerary.

Like many travellers, I assumed the change was a relatively minor schedule adjustment, as airlines frequently move flights by an hour or two. Based on that understanding, I accepted the change. It was only later, when reviewing my travel arrangements in more detail, that I realised the flight had not simply been moved slightly. It had been moved to 10:45am the following day, a change of more than 12 hours that fundamentally altered my travel plans.

This is particularly problematic because I am travelling from Menorca to Barcelona on a separate flight. The revised departure time means there are no suitable flights from Menorca that would allow me to connect on the same day, leaving me with little choice but to pay for overnight accommodation in Barcelona and incur additional travel expenses that were never part of my original booking.

What I find most disappointing is that when Etihad first notified me of the schedule change, passengers were offered the option of cancelling their booking. When I contacted Etihad after realising the true extent of the change, I asked to exercise that option. I was informed that because I had already accepted the revised flight and had purchased a Value fare, I was no longer entitled to any refund whatsoever.

I appreciate that schedules can change, but moving a flight by more than half a day is not a minor adjustment. It materially changes the journey that was originally purchased. It is unreasonable that a customer who accepts a schedule change in good faith, believing it to be a routine timing adjustment, can then be left with no refund option and additional accommodation costs caused solely by the airline’s decision.

I expected far better customer service and a more reasonable approach to resolving what is clearly a significant schedule change.

Extremely bad experience with Etihad Airways.

I accidentally left my phone at the airport and only realised it after boarding the aircraft. Both the ground staff and cabin crew repeatedly assured me not to worry and promised that the phone would be collected and arranged to be sent back to me. In reality, they just wanted to get rid of the problem and move on.

I later contacted the lounge directly and was told they only hand over lost item to Etihad staff. The issue is that nobody from Etihad ever came to collect it.

I contacted customer support through chat, WhatsApp and Facebook countless times. Nobody genuinely tried to help. They only kept sending screenshots of the website, telling me they would call me back and never did. I was also instructed to fill out forms that were completely irrelevant to my situation. Then I was told that only Abu Dhabi could help, while nobody actually took responsibility.

On top of all this, Etihad also changed my return flight by 3 days, completely disrupting my plans and affecting my personal life.

This is not how you treat human beings who pay a premium to travel with your airline. The lack of communication, accountability and basic empathy was shocking. I expected far better from an international airline.

they are very hard to be contacted:
--they do not have helpful offices in many countries,
--no convenient contact number unless you want to talk to a bot on Whatsapp,
---only a web chat that you have to wait at least 45 minutes to talk to someone real who will always answer the same things,
--- when you contact them via email they take ages to reply. If you need a quick assistance and response they score very low

I have never experienced such a lack of transparency and predatory behavior from a supposedly "premium" airline. My experience with Etihad Airways has been nothing short of a nightmare.
1. The Baggage Trap: After booking a ticket, I realized the airline completely blocked the option to purchase a standard "Extra Piece" (23kg). Instead, they force passengers into a "Weight Concept" trap where you must buy extra weight by the kilo.
2. Daylight Robbery: They are charging an astronomical £276 (nearly 3,700 SEK) for just 25kg. This is almost the price of a brand-new ticket! It is a clear, calculated move to squeeze every penny out of customers who have no other choice.
3. Zero Flexibility for the Elderly: I am trying to arrange travel for my elderly mother who does not speak English. Despite explaining the situation, Etihad's support was useless. They refuse to allow a simple fare upgrade to include baggage and offer no human solution, only automated "buy more kilos" prompts.
4. Scam-like Practices: They display one thing during booking but hide the real costs until you are trapped. Trying to get a straight answer from their support is like talking to a brick wall.
Final Warning: If you value your money and your sanity, DO NOT BOOK WITH ETIHAD. They are no longer a 5-star airline; they are a low-cost carrier with premium prices and zero ethics. They are happy to exploit elderly travelers for extra baggage fees. I will be taking my business to Qatar Airways or Emirates from now on.

I think this is very criminal. I booked a flight for my husband and I from Atlanta to South Africa. Due to the ongoing crisis in South Africa, my visa was not issued before the scheduled departure date. I called the airline to explain the situation and even begged for a flight credit. However, they insisted that the only option was to change the flight and pay a “fare difference” that is higher than the cost of a brand new ticket if I were to book now, in addition to a change fee of about $600. Ridiculous. Otherwise, I could cancel and receive only $101.43 in refund for tickets that cost about $2,000 per person. What blew my mind away is that in exploring the option to change, we were told that we could not change because a change had already been made to the flight - this change was made because Etihad suddenly canceled our flights, yet they refused to take responsibility for that. Who makes these rules for you? So inhumane!!! Smh

they are very hard to be contacted:
--they do not have helpful offices in many countries,
--no convenient contact number,
---an automated robotic only web chat that is useless
--- when you contact them via email they take ages to reply. If you need a quick assistance and response they score very low

their flight tickets are not that convenient and the seats on board are so narrow compared to other airlines

not that good deal

@Etihad Airways – Real Customer Experience ✈️

I am sharing our experience here, transparently.

➡️ Return flight Bangkok → Brussels cancelled on Feb 28th ❌
➡️ 4 consecutive cancellations 🔁
➡️ 17 days stranded without a solution ⏳
➡️ Assistance stopped after 2 days while we were still stuck abroad 🛑

In the end, we were only rerouted to London after so many hours chassing them for a solution 🇬🇧, and had to make our own way back to Belgium at our own expense 💸.

For one of the passengers, the return journey had to be arranged via another airline, entirely at our own cost ✈️💸.

📅 As of today (April 29):

no refund for the cancelled flight ❌
no reimbursement for the alternative ticket ❌
no coverage of additional costs (hotel, transfers, etc.) 🏨🚕❌
no respect for Montreal convention
no response to our complaint 📭

👉 The most difficult part is not the initial cancellation, but the complete lack of follow-up and the extremely bad customer service:

no replies ⏰
conversations repeatedly interrupted 📵
customer service not providing any solution 🚫
repeated requests to move to private messages… with no outcome 💬❌

✈️ We did everything possible on our side:

accepted flexible destinations 🌍
agreed to be split into groups 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
asked for alternative routes via other airlines 🔄

I want to stress that all of this is fully documented 📄.

Today, we are simply asking for:
✔ proper handling of our case
✔ reimbursement of the expenses incurred 💰
✔ a clear and concrete response

@Etihad Airways
Please handle this case properly instead of systematically redirecting to private messages without follow-up.
Do not ask me to send you info, just click on my name and you will have it all!!!! 🤬

#EtihadAirways #CustomerService #TravelExperience #FlightCancelled #PassengerRights #TravelIssues

My parents had an extremely distressing experience with Etihad Airways while travelling from London Heathrow to Bengaluru via Abu Dhabi on 27 April 2026.

Their original flight on 26 April was cancelled and rebooked, which had already caused stress and disruption. During transit at Abu Dhabi, they struggled to find the correct boarding gate. One of the passengers is a heart patient and another has screws in his leg, so walking quickly through the airport was extremely difficult and painful for them.

They reached the gate just 3 minutes late. There was no clear missing passenger announcement, no proper support for them as connecting passengers, and no assistance considering their medical conditions.

The aircraft was still docked, connected to the ramp, and the door was still open. They had even entered the glass ramp area, but the boarding staff pulled them back and refused to let them board. The staff were rude, dismissive, and showed no compassion despite seeing their distress.

What makes this even worse is that their baggage was removed from the aircraft in front of them, but they were still not allowed to board. If there was enough time to locate and remove the baggage, it is very difficult to understand why there was no effort to help medically vulnerable passengers board a flight that was still visibly there.

They were then left waiting around 6 hours at Abu Dhabi Airport with no proper care, guidance, or humane assistance. They had to book new tickets themselves, paying AED 6,345 including AED 762 for baggage because staff said the bags would not be transferred without extra payment.

Etihad staff then promised that the baggage would be transferred to the new flight and gave an acknowledgement. However, after arriving in Bengaluru, the baggage did not arrive. My parents had to wait another 3 hours at Bengaluru Airport, exhausted, unwell, and without their bags.

This was not just poor service. It was inhumane treatment of medically vulnerable passengers, followed by failed baggage handling and no accountability.

We are asking Etihad Airways for:
A full refund of the newly booked tickets for all 3 passengers
A refund of the baggage charges paid
Immediate tracking and delivery of all missing baggage
Compensation for the distress, medical discomfort, delay, and financial loss caused
A formal apology and written explanation

Complaint reference: 2604285817147.

Etihad Airways should take responsibility for what happened and resolve this urgently.

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