Etihad Reviews 

Worst customer service I've ever seen on a "luxurious" company.

Not to mention their flights arent even comfortable

The laziest company in the world when it comes to customer support. These 'geniuses' put a travel discount for pets that I needed, but the catch is you have to buy the ticket first, and only then do they give you the chance to add a pet. I bought the tickets, followed all the deadlines (I was told via email it must be 72 hours before the flight), sent them all the certificates, and I haven't received a response for 4 days and they need to send me the payment link. My flight is in a few hours and still nothing. I sent several reminders and called them, I was on hold for 25 minutes only to speak for 5 minutes just for support to tell me I have to keep waiting. This is a massive scam and the worst airline, even though they position themselves as premium. Don't ever fall for it!

Worst experience ever and worst customer service. I booked transit flight and faced serious issues with customer service because of that wasted almost 2000€ and since Dec 2025 I'm waiting for their actions, still they didn't respond, neither took any action. I've never seen such careless customer service and I'll never recommend anyone to fly with Etihad Airways.

I booked business class with Etihad but received a notification that my flight was transferred to Hifly — a charter I’d never heard of. Paid for a Mercedes, got a Ford. If you value comfort and transparency, think twice before booking with Etihad

@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

Etihad Airways is holding my money hostage for a flight they CANCELLED themselves. On March 7, they rescheduled my connection to depart at 10:05 AM, while my first leg from Istanbul was at 14:00 PM. They literally expected me to travel back in time.

Later, on March 10, they officially sent an email stating: 'Your flight is cancelled' due to airspace closures and admitted they couldn't find an alternative. Despite their own cancellation notice, they are obstructing my refund process through the bank. This is purely fraudulent. I have all the time-stamped proof of these impossible changes and the final cancellation notice.

Booking Ref: 75F6OS
Ticket Number: 6072414301016
Do not trust this airline with your money.

Booked flights with Etihad Airways and our stopover has been changed from 1 hour 30 minutes to 7 hours 45 minutes.
We are travelling from London to Abu Dhabi and are now expected to remain in transit for nearly 8 hours with a 2-year-old, after an already long flight, while also losing valuable, fully paid resort time at our destination.
This is clearly a significant change to the journey, yet instead of helping resolve it, we have been redirected to the booking agent. As a result, we are stuck between airline and agent with no one taking real ownership.
For a premium long-haul journey, this level of support is disappointing. When plans change to this extent, especially for families travelling with young children, you expect the airline to step in and assist, not pass responsibility.
This needs proper resolution.

I flew with the Etihad Airways at the end of February. First of all, my experience on air with the Airbus 380 was great. Staff was very nice and food was good. But as soon as I arrived at Abu Dhabi, my one bag was missing. Sure, they got the bag in the next flight, but no ground help at all. After going back and forth, my trip really got wasted being in the Abu Dhabi for two nights. However, got to India. On the way back, they cancelled my ticket and then they reissued the ticket without my luggage being booked on it. But at the end of the day, I ended up paying $1,200 for my luggage. However, coming to Canada, trying to contact the air Etihad Airways was very, very, very bad. I have no luck for two months since I arrived to Canada about my luggage was damaged, but no service. Ground service is very, very bad.

One of the biggest weaknesses of this airline is that they are simply unreachable. If you have a problem, you cannot contact anyone.

It has been 2 months, and I still have not received a refund for my ticket. My refund request is completely justified, as the flight was delayed by 13 hours. On top of that, my ticket included insurance with a refund option, yet I have still not been paid back.

What is even more frustrating is that you cannot reach any of their offices, neither in the Netherlands nor in Abu Dhabi.

Selling cheap tickets is one thing, but not taking care of customers when problems arise is unacceptable.

Anyone considering buying a ticket from this airline should be aware: if you face an issue, do not expect a solution.

Called today to cancel flight Seul to Monachium in August.
Agent less than helpful.
Online we receive only 50 % of refund on the phone agent offered only taxes which would be only 1/4 of the amount.
Refund takes 45 days and I do not remember that we have agreed to interest free loan to Ethihad for 45 days.
We expect our refund to reach the nominated account asap.
Very disappointed

I can’t rate them with 0 stars.

Lowcost experience for luxury prices. The always wannabe.

It is my first time flying with them (if possible last). first of all, all my flights had changes on the departure time.

During the first flight, we only had one meal for 7 hours. No snacks, and the trolley with drinks only came once.

The second flight was no better. The first meal, I had no choice as 2 out of 3 meals were sold out. For the second one, they offer me two options, but the one I chosed was sold out (I do not get offering me food that they do not have).

On these two flights the attendance was mediocre.

Now, on my return flight, I got charged 200€ to check in my cabin luggage. It was exceedding for 3 kilos (for comparision, it is close to half of my price). I was carrying a cabin luggage and a backpack, which they used to not let me pass even if I had comply with the weight. It is their policy and I can understand having to pay a fee, but for me, this is unreassonably. Especially when I see people carrying a handbag (as I was doing) or purse as big as my backpack.

7 kilos forces to check in bags at an incredible expensive price, which was the same as thorugh the app the week before.

Additionally, I have tried to discuss this with them, but the client service is no responsive at all.

I would recommend not flying etihad if you want to avoid a lowcost experiece for a luxury price.

I received an Etihad voucher & set up a Etihad Credit account which then says the voucher is incorrect. I've sent emails, talked to real & virtual people/bots for the last 6 days, but no resolution. Very poor service, is a chargeback on my original flight my last resort?

Very cheap feeling and clunky app, for such a huge airline.

Flights were cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East, which is understandable. The refund process however was dreadful. The form made no sense, emails arrived with other peoples names on them, and of course the online chat would never connect you to an advisor. Took over a month to receive the refund.

Will fly Emirates next time.

Etihad had cancelled my flight so I applied for a refund. They said agent will inspect the case (I mean what is there to inspect, it’s pretty clear) and they will get in touch. After 3 weeks I did not get any refund nor reply. So I contacted the customer support just to see that they havent reviewed the case yet. The agent said she will finish the refund straight away. Then she said I have to pay a cancellation fee of 300 AUD - really?! I refused to pay any fees at all, as they claim on their website that the issue full refund if they cancel the flight. Luckily the agent said Im right and change it to full refund. But the actual refund can take up to 45 days. I flew with Etihad once before without any trouble and their service was great, but be careful with their customer service.

Avoid Etihad Airways if you value your time and your money.

They cancelled my flight and still have not issued the refund.

What is even more concerning is that I received an official email clearly stating that the refund would be processed within 14 days. That deadline has long passed, and every time I contact them, I am now told to wait 45 days instead — something I can prove with chat transcripts.

I have spent hours on their chat, only to receive the same scripted, meaningless responses from different agents every single time. No one takes ownership, no one provides a clear answer, and nothing progresses.

At this point, it genuinely feels like a deliberate strategy: delay the process, repeat generic replies, and hope the customer eventually gives up. Reading back the chat transcripts makes this painfully obvious.

This is not just poor customer service — it raises serious concerns about their reliability and how they handle refunds.

I strongly recommend avoiding this airline if possible

Update – April 29: I have now received my refund, but only after escalating the case to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority.

Without this external intervention, it is unclear whether the refund would have been processed at all, as the initial 14-day commitment was not respected and communication remained inconsistent throughout.

In addition, the cancellation caused me to lose several onward domestic flights after Jakarta, leading to significant financial losses that have not been addressed.

While the refund has eventually been issued, the overall handling of this case raises concerns about reliability and customer support.

This is the first time in my life I feel the need to write such a detailed airline review. Unfortunately, my experience with Etihad Airways was far below any acceptable standard.

Our journey included a connection in Istanbul, and we experienced serious issues on both the outbound and return flights.

⸻

✈️ OUTBOUND FLIGHT (Istanbul Transfer)

* The passengers arrived in Istanbul at around 03:30 AM.
* There was no Etihad staff, no guidance, and no assistance available.
* Despite being transfer passengers, the entire process had to be managed independently.

Most importantly:

* One of the passengers has reduced mobility and uses a prosthetic leg.
* Despite this, no proactive assistance was provided.
* We were forced to navigate the airport entirely on our own for several hours.

⸻

💺 Upgrade & Check-in Issue

* A Business Class upgrade was purchased
* However, it was not properly reflected during online check-in
* The system allowed check-in under Economy

This clearly shows:

❗ a serious disconnect between the system and the actual service delivered

⸻

🛋️ Lounge Access Issue

* Despite being Business Class passengers,
* no proper lounge access was facilitated

In fact:

* we were only able to access the lounge
* thanks to the help of a random person we met at the airport

⸻

🔁 RETURN FLIGHT

The return journey was even more disorganized:

🧳 Baggage Issue

* On the outbound flight, baggage was checked through to the final destination
* On the return flight,
* we were forced to collect our baggage in Istanbul and re-check it again

This reflects:

❗ clear inconsistency and poor coordination

⸻

♿ Wheelchair Assistance Issue

* Wheelchair assistance had been requested
* However, the staff arrived
* without any proper equipment

Even more concerning:

* we were expected to use our own wheelchair
* which shows a complete lack of planning and professionalism

⸻

📩 Communication with Etihad

After the journey, we contacted Etihad Airways.

However:

* their responses did not reflect the actual events
* several statements were contradictory
* initially, customer service claimed “we tried to call you but could not reach you”
* this was not true, and once evidence was provided, they changed their explanation

In short:

❗ instead of acknowledging the issues, they attempted to justify them

⸻

❗ OVERALL ASSESSMENT

* Transfer experience → ❌ poor
* Assistance for disabled passenger → ❌ inadequate
* Coordination → ❌ weak
* Customer communication → ❌ defensive

⸻

💬 FINAL WORD

If I had to summarize Etihad in one word:

❗ “chaos”

Etihad may have strong branding and marketing, but based on this experience:

❗ the actual service quality falls far below expectations

Leaving Business Class passengers — especially a disabled individual — to manage everything on their own is simply unacceptable.

⸻

❌ FINAL DECISION

❗ Etihad again? Never.

Very disappointed by the way they tackled the critical situation during the recent crisis. Staff at the contact center are not polite and helpful, and lack empathy. The same with their social media - utterly useless.

Terrible in every way. I was stuck in the middle east and didn't get one email or call despite days spent trying to phone customer service and contact them on digital channels. No refunds and no support on accommodation. Stick to european carriers and avoid this crowd at all costs!

If we could, I would give no stars for this awful company. We’ve booked our trip to go to the Maldives and have since received a refund for our holiday provider. We were due to travel 2nd May from London Heathrow And we had paid and pre-booked our seat selection £374 directly with you . After many phone calls to yourselves it’s been agreed that we can have a refund but it will take 45 days to get this refund. That is absolutely outrageous. We will never fly with you again .

May be the flights are luxury, but the customerservice is more than bad. They changed my itinery to a flight schedule what eas impossible for me so I had to rebook to another airline. Their chatservice guide you in a loop from messenger to their ownchat and back. Also very difficult to tell them what happens when a flight is rebooked to another airline, the original flight with Etihad is than no longer active and out of the system, so they can not help you because they can not find your data/booking. I just want a refund for the seats I reserved, Etihad made me rebook the flight because they changed the itinery. So whos is to blame!