Etihad Airways Reviews 194

Etihad is a FRAUD Airlines & they are CHEATING their customers. (PNR DUR6BJ)

I had booked a flight for my wife from Mumbai to London on Etihad Airways for the 3rd of October & return on 13th of October. The fair booked did not have a check-in luggage included & nowhere on their website were we able to add the check-in luggage. On contacting the airlines, we were told that the check-in luggage cannot be added in advance & we will need to do the same at the counter. On enquiring about the cost, we were told that the cost for the luggage would be max. 200$. We found this price very high & we could have booked an AirIndia or British Airways DIRECT flight for this extra, but did not have much choice as the travel date was only few days away.
On reaching the counter for the Check-In, we were informed by the staff that it will cost us Rs. 55,000/- (USD 650$) for check-in bag weighing 20 Kgs. This was ridiculous, but even after arguing with their manager for an hour, they did not even budge & as my wife was travelling alone & had a schedule ahead, we had to pay that amount.
Next day I talked to Yatra & my travel agent to cancel the return flight so that I can book another flight, but was informed that the cancellation fees is 100% & I will not get any refund, nor can I upgrade the ticket to a higher class which will include the luggage.
This means that the Etihad Airways wants me to pay a total cost of Rs. 1,70,000/- (USD 2000$) for an Economy class return flight from Mumbai to London. I can easily get a BUSINESS CLASS ticket on any reputed airlines for that price.

I have travelled the world to more that 70 countries, but have never experienced this type of shameless THEFT. This is absolute FRAUD being committed by ETIHAD AIRWAYS on unsuspecting customers.

All flyers kindly beware of ETIHAD & use it only if you want to be CHEATED. We will never use this airlines again as they are absolute FRAUDS.

SAMIR GARG (M: +91-9820127458)

The Worst Customer Service of any Gulf Based Airlines! I spent close to 22 hours flying on 2 flights without my Religious Diet because their website is not working properly and the Call Center Agents in India are beyond unprofessional and pretty clueless!

While we resided in Islamabad we booked a flight to the Maldives for holidays. It so happened that our return was to take place the day after the entry into force of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan during the air conflict in May. We were to fly Malé-Abu Dhabi-Islamabad. Etihad informed us at 23h, for a flight to take place at 09h the next morning, that the whole flight, including the Malé-Abu Dhabi leg, was cancelled as they were not operating to Pakistan just yet. The mail said we would be contacted by phone for assistance. That never happened. Nor did the chatbot service that they offered work. We managed to get in touch with no one at Etihad and faced being stranded in Malé. I booked a ticket to Dubaï, where we stayed one night before finding an Emirates flight to Islamabad. Etihad never contacted me. But that was not all: as I had booked via Booking.com I requested a refund for the return leg. Naively I expected to get a 50% refund of the total, the to and return flight being with the same company and for the same journey. Huge mistake: Booking told me Etihad could only refund 33% of the total. I asked how come the cancelled return flight proved half as expensive as the first leg. I requested an invoice issued before the cancellation, but Booking told me Etihad could not provide that. I contacted Etihad but evidently I got no response from the chatbots that constitute the bulk of their customer service. For me and from now on it is a completely blacklisted company, flying with them is subjecting yourself to daylight robbery.

An update on my case. REMOVED from flight INVOLUNTARILY due to OVERBOOKING.

Case reference: 2508124838044

Original flight plan 16 hours. Altered flight plan 52 hours.

Etihad airways have still not compensated me a penny, refused to reply to me emails, and ignored my 'letter before action' request. I can only assume the airline is refusing to pay the deserved compensation.

I have been trying to claim my. compensation for 3 months. Now Etihad have stopped replying.

I will be taking this case to the small claims courts in the UK, and suing the airline for refusal to pay the required compensation. I will also be claiming any expenses incurred, and interest accrued over these 3 months that the airline has refused to pay.

Will keep everyone updated on what happens.

NEVER FLY WITH THIS TERRIBLE AIRLINE.

Worst Airline I ever flew with. Old, run-down airplane, not even a screen for entertainment and worst: seats so hard and worn, that you can’t sit without a pillow.

Very poor, I guess this is what living in the arabic world is like. No such thing as customer service basically. It's been nearly a month since I filled information regarding a lost item on their flight. Still no email to confirm whether they received the form or any email back saying we have searched the plane...nothing

I have never had such a terrible experience with an airline as I did with Etihad Airways. It will be the first and the last time.

On 6 October 2025, my flight EY417 from Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi was delayed, which caused me to miss my connecting flight EY177 to Copenhagen. When we landed, I went directly to the transfer center, where hundreds of passengers were left waiting for hours with no clear information.

Etihad staff collected our passports, claiming they were applying for visas so we could be sent to hotels outside the airport, but then told us there were “immigration issues.” Meanwhile, passengers were stressed, confused, and completely abandoned without a real solution. Some people gave up and took their passports back because nothing concrete was happening.

I personally waited almost 3 hours before only receiving food and beverage vouchers. I was exhausted and unable to sleep on a bench, so I had no choice but to book a room at the airport hotel myself for 177 USD. Etihad refused to take responsibility despite an airport hotel being available inside the terminal.

This shows a complete lack of care, responsibility, and sense of situation from Etihad Airways. For a company representing the UAE, this was a big shame. Instead of helping stranded passengers, Etihad abandoned us in chaos.

I am now seeking a full refund of my hotel costs and compensation for the stress and exhaustion this ordeal caused me. Until Etihad takes responsibility, I will strongly advise others to avoid flying with this airline.

Worst service ever , my mother in law had stroke and had been admitted to hospital in Dublin so we submitted all the hospital documents to Etihad airways to freeze or cancel the flight ticket but the call operators are so bad that they dont know what to do and just keep on telling that they will review , today is there date of travel and even today they are coming back telling that they are reviewing documents , the staff is so lazy to review hosiptal document and issue refund of the ticket , i will never travel in Etihad again and wont recommend anyone to travel through this worst airlines

I recently booked Etihad Airways for my wife, specifically requesting wheelchair assistance throughout the journey. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing and far from what one expects from a premium airline.

Despite selecting the wheelchair assistance service, at the departure gate I personally had to push the wheelchair from the gate to the aircraft, as the staff member left us saying boarding was still an hour away. This completely defeats the purpose of requesting such a service.

The situation was even worse at Abu Dhabi airport. After landing, no wheelchair assistance was provided, and I had to struggle to request help from outside agencies. This caused unnecessary stress and wasted precious time during a tight transit. The same issue occurred again at our final destination, where no one was available to assist.

For passengers who rely on wheelchair services — especially the elderly or those with medical conditions — this kind of neglect can mean missing connecting flights or facing dangerous physical strain.

Based on my experience, I strongly recommend that passengers do not rely on Etihad Airways wheelchair assistance. If you are traveling with elders or family members who truly depend on this service, be prepared that you may have to manage everything yourself. This is unacceptable from an airline that positions itself as customer-focused.

I changed the date of our flight 3 days before due to the sudden death of my father. I sent all the documents needed and hoping to get a refund after I paid 1900 usd for rebooking of our ticket. But I'm so disappointed to hear this from etihad airways (
We
understand the circumstances and appreciate you taking the time to explain the situation. However, as per Etihad’s policy, once a booking has been reissued, we are unable to offer a waiver or refund of the penalty, as the ticket has already been processed.)

Sorry , but I really don't understand their policy if it states in their official websites this statement.
Special Circumstances:
Etihad may waive change fees in cases of verified emergencies like family illness or bereavement.

I booked with Etihad because of their advertised Stopover Program, selecting the Traders Hotel (beachfront, family-friendly). What I actually received was:

Unacceptable substitution: Etihad unilaterally replaced with Pearl Rotana (a completely different standard, no beachfront) without offering a like-for-like alternative, despite their own T&Cs requiring this.

False promises on room allocation: I was explicitly assured by an Etihad agent (chat transcript saved) that my family of four would have a enough beds or rooms. I had to contact hotel myself for the truth; only one king bed had been booked. Completely unsuitable and in breach of Etihad’s own Stopover policy.

Contradictory policies & poor customer service: Different Etihad staff gave completely conflicting information – first saying the hotel fee was refundable, then claiming it was non-refundable. When I asked to remove the stopover and fly direct (since Etihad failed to deliver), I was told I’d need to pay penalty fees. In other words, I get penalised for their failure.

Even after escalating, Etihad refused to take simple steps like contacting the hotel to arrange correct rooms, offering a comparable property, or providing a realistic refund. Instead, they passed me back and forth with “we wish we could assist further” – when clearly, they chose not to.

Bottom line: Etihad failed to deliver what was promised, breached their own Stopover Program terms, and misrepresented key booking details. The result was stress, wasted time, and potential financial loss (as I will have to pay for another room at a hotel I dont even want to stay at or book a completely different hotal that has rooms large enough for a family of 4).

If you are considering Etihad’s stopover offer – avoid it. It is misleading, unreliable, and customer service will not help you when things go wrong.

They broken my new luggage and they never refound me despite written claim and several attempts

Etihad Airways (Manchester to KL) the only positive of 2 flights, 14 hours of travel, the website, bidding process were 2 fantastic check in ladies at Manchester Airport.
The website can be extremely temperamental. The inability to download boarding passes is unusual in an age when digital tickets are common place. Customer service via the telephone is non existent. The bidding system for upgrades is a frustrating procedure which didn’t conclude until the check in staff confirmed our ticket status.
The aeroplanes (Dreamliners) were old, dated, the seats were hard and uncomfortable, the headrests didn’t stay in position, the food on the whole was inedible the toilets were dirty and not looked after at all during the flight.
The staff were surly, bad mannered, brusk and didn’t offer any level of good customer service. They spoke to customers with complete disregard. There was no customer centricity throughout the experience once we departed Manchester.
Having lived in Abu Dhabi in the past I was shocked at the poor service and customer care.
Having travelled with Emirates, Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airways, Ryanair and Easy jet in the last 18 months I have to say Etihad are at the bottom of that pile. Sadly it’s an airline we will never use again or recommend to anyone.

I was refunded incorrect amount and despite numerous phone calls and emails , not getting any response. Very disappointing experience with this airline.

In March 2025 I flew from Barcelona via AbuDhabi and Kuala Lumpur to Da Nang. I was denied boarding in error as I was told at the gate in Kuala Lumpur that I needed a visa to enter Vietnam. As the holder of a UK passport I do not need a visa. I have had many emails back and forth to Etihad with the usual standard replies. Yesterday I emailed them and included this text "pursuant to the Vietnam Government's Resolution No.128/NQ-CP dated on August 14, 2023. Visa exemption will be applied to nationals of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a maximum temporary residence period of 45 days from the date of entry". Their reply to me is: "After reviewing your case, I must inform you that it does not qualify for compensation or reimbursement. I understand this may not be the response you were hoping for, and I truly empathize with the difficulties you faced during your travel. We have fully reviewed your case and fairly addressed all your concerns. As our position remains unchanged, respectfully, we now consider this case closed." Case closed and no compensation for the 800 dollars extra I had to pay. I tried calling them this morning and was advised to open the case again (and waste another three months!)

rude staff , far from a great airway provider ..

over night long hauls ,, sure staff goto sleep aswell

unless you in business class...

contacted etihad ... blamed turbulance for no cabin crew walking plane for over an hour....

pay more ,, use other airlines seriously !!

I called the customer service to cancel my ticket with no penalties as I was at the edge of 24 hours. Call took 6 minutes to connect and the agent told me I am 3 minutes late and need to pay around $800 for three minutes late even though the call took 6 minutes to connect.

No consideration at all!

Harsh...

This is for flight number EY 417
24/4 2025 Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi
I want to thank the crew in my seat area 18D

I know two of the crew members names
Cherry(8 years experience )from Kairo and Amin
Algerian and Vietnamese girl.
Most excellent service and friendly staff ive ever met.
They deserve to be honoured for their attitudes and approach to customers.

I want to thank these four Etihad staff for their effort to make the flight comfortable and pleasant.
They told about their way into the job and how they trained to qualify..
Thank you for a totally nice 7 hour flight
From Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi
Im from Denmark

Probably the worst airline customer service i've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. They will do ANYTHING to keep compensation from you, even if you're entitled to it.

I have flown Etihad numerous times and it's always hit and miss as to whether you get a nice plane, or a rubbish plane, yet the airfares stay just as high.

Exposed wiring on controllers, tops of armrests coming off, seats which do not stay reclined, no inflight entertainment, seats with missing padding meaning the bottom of the edge of the seat dug into my thighs for 8+hours (i'm 8.3st fyi)... the list goes on.
Lastly, we are given a letter when returning from UAE to Manchester, stating that we will all receive 10,000 airmiles as an apology for a faulty inflight system, all we need to do is email a complaint and have an Etihad Guest ID, easy right? WRONG! They will send a confirmation email for YOU to respond to, which will either go straight into your junk or not at all, then they MIGHT compensate you when you choose between 100USD (???) OR 10,000 airmiles....why not just add it on to the guest account number?!?!?!?

For an airline which prides itself on how good it is, it's anything but.

Disgraceful