So utterly disappointed in Etihad airways. READ BEFORE YOU BOOK WITH THEM. Original flight meant to take 16 hours. With Etihad it took over 50 hours. I booked with Etihad airways to get me to Johannesburg airport in South Africa, from London Heathrow, with a 2 hour stop in Abu Dhabi. I paid a lot of money for this flight, over £1100. The flight left Heathrow on time and as the flight landed in Abu Dhabi they announced some passengers connecting onto Johannesburg needed to wait for assistance. I was met by a Etihad worker who instructed me I was being removed from my connection to Johannesburg because they had over booked the flight!!! How is this possible? I had to make my way to a hotel and stay there for two nights before they could book me on to the next flight to Johannesburg. THATS NOT THE WORST PART. After already losing a day of my holiday I had discovered Etihad airways had booked me onto another flight but instead of flying to Johannesburg, which was my original plan, which I had paid for, they instead sent me to Nairobi, Kenya, with a connection from Nairobi to Johannesburg. But guess what? They delayed this flight by 3 hours. This resulted in me missing my connection in Nairobi. Better still Etihad left me in Nairobi airport for 7 hours with no food and no water, as well as no assistance or help. I got a lovely email stating they wanted to fly me to Dar es Salam, Tanzania. Thankfully after hours of back and forth I managed to find a helpful lady who went above and beyond and booked me on a direct flight to Johannesburg. Why couldn't Etihad airways have done this?! My chaos was not over yet. After finally reaching Johannesburg over 50 hours later, Etihad airways had lost my luggage. I lost 3 days of my holiday being flown around by this incompetent airline. They finally found my bag and returned to me 2 days after landing in Johannesburg. I strongly recommend you DO NOT fly with this airline. If this was an elderly person, or a family, I dread to think the stress this would have caused them. The airline has not been in touch, nor compensated me for any of my delays, or kicking me of my first flight when they overbooked. Its a disgrace and I want to warn others. Etihad you're a disgrace.

Extremely Disappointed with the Service The issue began when an item from my checked baggage went missing upon arrival. Despite filing a report immediately, the airline's response was vague, and unhelpful. Customer Service appeared uninterested and lacking knowledge. My belongings are still unaccounted for. Received reply from airline, blaming other agencies for the missing item. These agencies have stated that item is with airline. After repeated follow-ups, not only did I receive no meaningful updates, but the staff also failed to take any responsibility. Even there is no response on my last correspondence. Customer service is incompetent, and live agents are clueless. Ground staff at Abu Dhabi are not trustworthy, are liars and extremely rude. I expected better from a company trusted to handle people’s travel and property. Will certainly not advise anyone to use this airline.

When a Giant fell from the Sky This is a sad review on one of my earlier favorite airline that carried a meaningful message in UAE. I moved to the beloved UAE in 2006 and ever since, i have been a loyal customer to the local carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways. The airline was so good that it created years for advancements to other airlines globally to catch up. Customers, including me, used to gladly pay the extra premium to get the luxury flight from airplanes, services, treatments and many more. Like many airlines, Etihad was impacted by the pandemic and incurred huge losses. But when other airlines recovered, they kept diving on a free fall with one failure after the other now to be competing with charter or budget flights that are now even better than them. Let me start my review with the basics: their call center. It is now a team of incompetent members that are full of misleading information and unprofessional behavior. A team that provides wrong information and false commitments - that is, if they would ever attend to your call. I had the bad experience where i upgraded my flight with them once and paid a premium only to find out later on that my ticket has been cancelled without issuing a new one. And the irony was that when i called them, they said that they had no record of the change despite me providing them with the proof of payment. But this was just the beginning, cut calls, non reachable numbers, and the list never ends. Their app is even worse, a live example i am living now as i wait in Muscat airport after 4 times getting my flight rescheduled. Their app shows that the flights latest update is at 23:50 while the screen at the airport is showing 22:25 and when i went to their helpdesk, the ignorant, useless guy over there could not even provide any update. When i asked him which time is the correct one, he simply said : I don’t know. 4hours of delay for a 1hr trip. I mean come on Etihad, is it too hard to send another airplane? What a shame. Now let’s get to the airplanes. They decided to save some money on maintenance and on fuel by removing the screens from the airplanes and they said that they replaced them with the EBox that never works because the inflight internet doesn’t work. And to add the cherry on top, the flights prices doubled along with the seats. The flights are so packed that you can barely fit your legs. You feel like traveling in a tuna can. I am an Etihad gold guest and i am sorry to say that Etihad became now, in my opinion, the worst carrier that should be stripped from the title of being the national carrier of UAE. They certainly do not reflect the image of this great nation.

I am extremely disappointed with Etihad Airways for how they handled flights during a time of serious regional conflict—and for their complete lack of flexibility or compassion in response to passenger concerns. My daughter was scheduled to fly through Abu Dhabi just as tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically. The day before her flight, Iran bombed a U.S. base in Qatar, and much of the regional airspace—particularly over Dubai and Qatar—was closed. Most major airlines recognized the danger and canceled flights. Etihad did not. Despite the clear and immediate threat, Etihad chose to operate flights through the region, showing a troubling disregard for passenger safety. We were not willing to take that risk, so we canceled and booked a safer alternative route—at our own expense. To make matters worse, Etihad refused to issue a refund or even offer a credit. Their response was inflexible and tone-deaf to the situation. In times of crisis, a responsible airline should prioritize safety and show understanding. Etihad failed on both counts. I expected better from a major international airline. I will not be booking with them again.

We missed a flight and Etihad-airways cancel our return flight tickets. When we wanted to used our return flight tickets we HAD TO PAY more than twice for our tickets.

We flew from Barcelona to Da Nang with a stopover in Abu Dhabi, then via Kuala Lumpur to Da Nang leaving on 11th March. The flights to Abu Dhabi were fine if perhaps a little stingy on the food and drink. The hotel we were given by Etihad for the stopover was also fine. We had one ticket for the while trip using Etihad Airways and their partner airline Batik Air and paid the full invoice to Etihad. We arrived at the boarding gate in Kuala Lumpur and the staff of Batik Air refused to allow me to board the flight. They insisted I needed a visa for entry to Vietnam (I didn't). Our only option was to try for an immediate visa online so that I would be able to board. By the time we had obtained the visa, it was too late. So we had to book another flight. We had to take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Min city and then another flight to Da Nang. Malasia Air in Kuala Lumpur did not request any evidence of a visa when we checked in and on arrival at Ho Chi Min city the immigration official explained that I did not need a visa to enter Vietnam. I was entitled to a 45 day stay with no visa. So then began the battle with Etihad. Emails are replied to saying that they are very busy and they might reply within 28 days, but if they do not "please feel free to contact us again". A phone call to customer services was almost less helpful. The person I spoke to had only two phrases in his repertoire; "I am sorry sir, I cannot help you with that sir" and "I am sorry sir, I am not authorised to deal with that sir". So after an incredibly stressful day and extra expenses of some 800 euros through no fault of our own it seems that Etihad are not in the slightest bit interested. The return flights were Ok apart from the flight from Abu Dhabi to Barcelona. We boarded and the crew disappared for 3 and a half hours! The battle with Etihad will continue......

We wanted to fly to Singapore on 28.12.24 with 4 people. One person fell ill, so we had to cancel the flights. Since 29.12.24 I have been trying to get the ticket costs (minus the cancellation fee of 40%) back from Etihad Airways. Despite 8 times! phone calls and several emails that the costs will be refunded after a processing time of 40! (ridiculous) days, nothing has happened to date (6 months later!). It's a shame that you can only enforce your rights with a lawyer! I strongly recommend not to travel with Etihad Airways!

Dear AirlineRatings.com Team, I am writing to share my deeply disappointing experience with Etihad Airways, which has left me feeling frustrated, disrespected, and undervalued as a passenger. Despite providing all necessary documentation and evidence, Etihad has refused to offer fair compensation for damage to my checked baggage, violating my rights under the Montreal Convention (1999). Here is a summary of what happened: Incident Details: On January 22, 2025, I traveled with Etihad Airways and checked in a brand-new suitcase. Upon arrival, I discovered that the suitcase was severely damaged while in Etihad’s custody. Claim Filed: I immediately filed a baggage damage claim with Etihad, providing: Photos of the damaged suitcase. A detailed damage report. Proof of purchase for the suitcase, including an authentic receipt issued in Argentine pesos (ARS 324,998.70, equivalent to approximately 295 EUR). The receipt includes a QR code and a CAE number issued by the Argentine tax authority (AFIP), confirming its authenticity. Etihad’s Response: After over 40 days of delays, Etihad offered me USD 50 or a USD 75 voucher, which is far below the actual value of my loss. They claimed my receipt was “inauthentic,” despite it being a valid, government-verified document. Etihad has ignored my repeated requests for a fair resolution, acting in bad faith and violating my rights as a passenger. My Rights Under the Montreal Convention: Under Article 17(2) of the Montreal Convention, Etihad is liable for damage to checked baggage that occurs while in its custody. The convention sets a compensation limit of 1,288 SDR (approximately 1,500 EUR), and I am entitled to a fair reimbursement that reflects the actual value of my loss (295 EUR). Etihad’s refusal to honor this obligation is a clear violation of international law. Lack of Accountability: This situation has caused me significant stress, inconvenience, and financial loss. I trusted Etihad with my belongings and expected a level of service that reflects the airline’s reputation for excellence. Instead, I have been met with incompetence, disrespect, and a blatant disregard for my rights. Why I Am Sharing This Experience: I believe it is important to hold airlines accountable for their actions and to inform other passengers about their rights. I hope that by sharing my story, I can prevent others from experiencing the same frustration and disappointment. I have attached all relevant documents, including: Photos of the damaged suitcase. The damage report filed with Etihad. Proof of purchase (receipt with QR code and CAE number). Correspondence with Etihad. I trust that AirlineRatings.com will take my complaint seriously and use it to highlight the importance of fair treatment and accountability in the aviation industry. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Eduardo Araujo

Old airplane, old entertainment, worn-out flight attendant uniforms (though the crew was great), half of the food was tasteless, especially the bread, which I expect to be freshly baked and warm, was hard, cold, and wrapped in foil. extremely limited legroom for a long-haul flight, and worn-out (hence hard) seats. Etihad is no longer what it used to be. Route: Vienna - Abu Dhabi.

Watch out for their hustler baggage rules. Only 7kg baggage allowed for long distance flight on economy. Price for 30 kg checked in baggage is almost the same as the total ticket price - totally crazy. No help at all from their customer service - that really is hustler attitude.