Etihad Reviews 

Shocking, missed connecting flight due to Etihad delays,
Although Etihad provided accomodation there was no information on what the process would be to get there.
Fortunately another passenger had experienced this before and was able to guide us where to go.
The next flight they could get me on was 48 HOURS later.
So spent 2 days in Abu Dhabi in the same clothes.
Worst part was the collection from the hotel to return to the airport.No information provided I had to constantly ask where the transport was.
Boarding closed at 1.00 AM Saturday and the transport turned up at 11.15 PM Friday then waited a further 20 minutes before departing.
Arrived at Abu Dhabi at 12.15 AM so I had to run through the airport to Passport Control and Boarding, was super stressful especially as you should be at the airport 3 hours before not 45 minutes .
Although most of the people were lovely Etihad gives the impression of a failing business plus the customer inquiries now seem to rely entirely on chat bots.
Would consider Emirates or Qatar first next time.

impossible to get past the robot which some overpaid idiot thought provided customer service

Avoid Etihad if you value being treated fairly

Our flight from Abu Dhabi to Dublin turned back mid-air due to a technical issue and we finally landed almost 6 hours late. I understand things go wrong sometimes - that’s not the issue.

The real problem started after: weeks of emailing Guest Relations, and every single time getting the exact same copy-pasted response, ignoring the actual points I raised. I was offered a compensation amount that felt almost insulting for a 6-hour delay - and then found out my own travel companion, sitting a few rows away on the SAME flight, dealing with the SAME delay, was offered several times more money than me, with no explanation given no matter how many times I asked.

It genuinely feels like they don’t read what you write, they just send template replies until you give up. I haven’t given up - I’ve now escalated to civil aviation authorities and I’m preparing legal action.

If you’re flying Etihad, keep every document, every boarding pass, every email. Based on my experience, you may well need it.

Absolutely fed up with Etihad Airways Customer Service - Business Class. They have taken 2 months to respond to me and that too after over 10 follow-up's costing me time and money. My complaint # 2607266024766 from over a month ago is still unanswered. Their Guest Relations Officer Karen Slater has not bothered to to contact me at all even after escalating directly to her and Claire Emery. I'm a senior citizen and this has caused me a lot of stress and harassment. The compensation/refund they offered but refused to put in writing was also ridiculous. Their service is very very poor and they don't care about their customers. This is not a good airline.

25 hour delay from Bali to Dublin no explanation whatsoever. Poor cabin service - hot / poor AC

One of the worst airlines I have ever experienced.

First, they made us wait at the airport for four and a half hours. Then they herded us to the gate, where around 350 people had to wait for another hour, with only one toilet for women and one for men.

After we finally boarded the plane, we had to wait another 45 minutes before they told us that the aircraft did not have a takeoff slot and that we would have to wait at least another hour.

We will definitely be seeking compensation, although I’m not sure we’ll get anything out of these thieves.

I strongly recommend never travelling with this airline. Avoid them at all costs.

🚨 ETIHAD AIRWAYS — I NEED THIS RESOLVED 🚨

I was at the Etihad airport counter with a VALID ticket and VALID visa. I followed the instructions given to me by Etihad staff, who told me that my ticket could be opened/revalidated because it was fully refundable and that I did not need to worry.

I relied on their information.

After leaving the airport, I discovered that Etihad had marked me as a NO-SHOW — despite the fact that I had been at the airport and had dealt directly with their staff.

Because of this NO-SHOW status, I am now being denied my full refund and being asked to pay additional money to rebook.

Even more concerning: Etihad's online chat support later told me that my case had been escalated and that I would receive a FULL REFUND. Now I am being told that Etihad will not honour this.

I HAVE PROOF of my booking, ticket, visa, communications and the conversations with Etihad.

I am requesting:

❌ No NO-SHOW penalty caused by staff error/misinformation.
✅ FULL REFUND of my original ticket; OR
✅ A replacement ticket at NO EXTRA COST, with my original payment adjusted.

I should not have to pay for a problem caused by incorrect information provided by Etihad representatives.

@Etihad Airways — I am asking you to investigate this properly and resolve my case immediately.

I have tried to resolve this privately. If this is not resolved, I will continue escalating the matter through the appropriate channels.

Booking reference: 727X28

I’ve a very bad experience with Etihad airways this is the first time I’ve chosen Etihad airways over Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines and I’m very disappointed on the customer service what they provide to their customer they don’t reserve the pre check-in seat for their customers for free even the window seat they have charge the extra legroom seat I understand but they have charge to reserve any seat before you check in and this never happened to me before with any airline as I travel Allie but this is the first time I’m seeing this kind of service and they charged me extra charged me extra price what it was showing on their website and what they actually deducted was a different amount and whenever I say can I talk to your supervisor they never let me talk to them it’s very annoying and rude. I’ll never ever choose Etihad airways again and you also don’t choose it

Changed confirmed connection out by 20 hours mid journey on a late notice expensive one way trip. And charged for a seat upgrade that I didn't get.

I Cancelled a flight immediately after making an error and therefore I was owed a full refund for the cancellation given that I cancelled with in 24 hours . It took 4 months of constant back and forth and being bounced from the booking agent ( mytrip) to the airline with on going excuses , being told it’s on its way etc . It took 4 months to return the cash after legal letters , resolver , countless customer service chats , calls emails etc . I would never use them or my trip again . Very stressful and very disappointing!

If there is a zero star option I would give that .. cheating people and. Taking money , not giving proper rerouting for missed connections which was their fault due to operational delays . What was supposed to be 18 hrs turned out to be 35 hours with a toddler in hand .. never flying in ethihad . Always emirates 😍

​As an Air France / Flying Blue Platinum for Life member, this was my first time flying Etihad Business Class (EY33 AUH-CDG). The ground experience at their Abu Dhabi hub was completely unacceptable for a premium airline.
​3h55m Arrival Delay & Gate Chaos: Contradictory gate changes were sent via email within 20 minutes (Gate A1 → Gate D43 → Gate A1 → Gate D43), forcing passengers to walk back and forth across Terminal A.
​No Business Class Priority: No priority line or boarding filtering was enforced at Gate D43, creating total chaos and stripping away paid Business Class privileges.
​Breach of UAE GCAA Duty of Care: No water or refreshments were provided during a 3+ hour ground delay. When explicitly requested at 16:50, gate staff falsely claimed Duty of Care only starts after a 4-hour delay, violating UAE GCAA regulations which mandate care after 2 hours.
​Falsified Flight Status: Etihad's official app listed the flight as "Departed at 15:46" while passengers were still physically stranded at the gate well past 16:35.
​Bad-Faith Customer Relations: Etihad initially confirmed in writing that the delay was due to "technical reasons", then completely altered their story weeks later claiming "circumstances beyond control" to avoid accountability (Case 2607216011634).
​Unprofessional ground management, deceptive communication, and complete disregard for passenger rights. File officially escalated to the UAE GCAA.

I have a claim with Etihad for compensation after having to wait 4 days for delayed baggage. Had to collect the luggage when it arrived, even worse had to go to the airport and collect bags myself. They do not cover you for this cost. When I try to follow up, my case comes up as closed. They offered me only a percentage of the claim, which I finally accepted as you clearly only deal with AI and there is no room for negotiation or explanation! I have not heard another word or received any money. They are a rubbish airline and treat their customers disgracefully!

Extremely disappointing experience with Etihad Airways – unacceptable communication and customer service

This has been one of the worst airline customer service experiences I have had.

Our flight was significantly delayed, yet Etihad failed to communicate the situation to us properly and directly. Because we have a connecting flight, this delay affects our entire journey. At the very minimum, passengers deserve clear and proactive information.

Instead, we are currently travelling without even knowing when our connecting flight will be.

We repeatedly tried to get basic answers from Etihad: What happens if we miss our connection? Which alternative flights are available? When will we actually fly? If we are forced to stay overnight in Abu Dhabi, will Etihad provide a hotel?

Nobody could give us a clear answer.

Then came the baggage issue, which made the experience even worse.

Our outbound and return flights were part of the same booking. On the outbound journey, we were able to check our bags without this issue. Yet on the return journey, we were suddenly told that only one checked bag was included and were charged 4,125 THB just to check an additional bag.

How does the baggage allowance change so dramatically between the outbound and return portions of the same booking?

If different baggage conditions somehow applied to the return flight, this should have been made absolutely clear when the ticket was purchased — not discovered at the airport when passengers have little choice but to pay.

Flight delays can happen. What is unacceptable is leaving passengers without information, without clear solutions and without anyone taking responsibility.

We are literally travelling right now without knowing when our onward flight will depart or when we will reach our final destination. We don’t even know whether accommodation will be provided if we are stranded overnight.

For an airline that presents itself as a premium international carrier, the entire experience has been shockingly poor.

Poor communication, confusing baggage conditions, an unexpected 4,125 THB charge, and customer service that has been neither helpful nor welcoming.

I would seriously reconsider ever flying with Etihad again.

⭐ 1 STAR – Extremely disappointing
Etihad has completely failed to resolve our confirmed family booking 7WHAYK.
We are a family of four, including two children aged 14 and 8. Our confirmed flight on 4 September 2026 was moved to 6 September, despite the original 4 September service still appearing to operate and Etihad continuing to accept bookings for that date.
I have contacted Etihad repeatedly, spoken to multiple customer-service representatives and received different case references, yet no one has resolved the issue or provided a satisfactory explanation.
If the original flight is operating and seats are being sold to new customers, why can't our confirmed family booking be reinstated?
This has caused unnecessary stress and disruption. Etihad needs to explain what happened and have senior management urgently resolve this.

Very poor customer service. I cannot recommend Etihad based on this experience.

My luggage was damaged and I'm applying for compensation. But it's very difficult to get in touch with the customer service. I've tried on the official website and via WhatsApp, but it's too difficult.

I paid extra in advance for a specific seat selection. Upon boarding, my seat was arbitrarily changed without prior notice or explanation. Staff simply scribbled "Seat Change" on my boarding pass and placed me in a terrible seat right next to the lavatories.
Ground staff refused to offer any on-the-spot solution and brushed it off with "just file a complaint online." months later and after multiple attempts, I have received absolute silence. Charging customers for a specific service, failing to deliver it, and then completely ignoring legitimate refund requests is unacceptable (PNR: 9MX6G2).

Avoid this airline like the plague. Customer care is completely non-existent—they do not care about their passengers at all, only about taking your money.

I thought there were good but i guess that was before...now they reach a lot of destinations but their service is crap now for the price (gva Asia around 1000 euros). Low cost in Asia (air asia x- long distance) is better...lors of little things that matter, the worst is checking in online (beeing the first) lots of seats available but, as a family!!! Tu hey dispatched us! To make more money, never seen that before. The 787-9 has the seats too near, a pain in the butt and i am a thon person and my neighbours were average size...good is ok but not picked up for over un hours?! , flight changes to loose another hour, the late etc etc etc..too many things not ok for such a powerful company. And i heard customer service is nasty!

Absolutely outrageous baggage policy from Etihad

I am genuinely appalled by Etihad’s new baggage policy.

We have spent around £3,000 on flights for a family of five, only to discover after booking that we cannot simply purchase a normal 20kg checked bag!!!

Online, I am being quoted around £65 for just 5kg, ONE WAY as overweight/extra luggage option. That means approximately £130 return for only 5kg of checked baggage. For a completely normal 20kg suitcase, the cost becomes absolutely absurd.

I am not trying to take an overweight suitcase or exceed a standard baggage allowance. I simply want to purchase a normal checked bag for an international long-haul journey. Why is there no straightforward option to pay a reasonable fixed price for a 20kg suitcase?

What makes this even more infuriating is that this was not made sufficiently clear when we booked the flights. Had I understood that selecting this fare meant not only that checked baggage wasn’t included, but that I also wouldn’t be able to subsequently purchase a normal 20kg checked bag at a reasonable fixed price, it would absolutely have affected my decision to book with Etihad.

I have no issue with airlines selling cheaper fares without checked baggage included. What I find completely unreasonable is charging passengers around £65 per 5kg, per direction, meaning a family could potentially pay hundreds of pounds simply to take an ordinary suitcase on holiday.

For a family of five already paying approximately £3,000 for the flights, this feels excessive and incredibly poor value.

Etihad needs to make this policy far more prominent before customers pay, including clearly showing what adding a typical checked suitcase will actually cost for the return journey.

I expected considerably better from Etihad. This baggage policy is ridiculous, and it has seriously changed my opinion of the airline before we’ve even travelled.

Mustafa at the check in at ATL for our our ATL-AUH flight was very helpful. Very courteous and super friendly.