Etihad Airways
Verified643 reviews
I booked a multi-city flight with Etihad, on Etihad's own website. The first of the 3 return legs was operated by a code-share partner Precision Air. Etihad sent me repeat emails with the departure flight PW117, while the schedule on their own platform was showing a different flight, PW 4427, which did not exist on the given day. When I arrived… Read more
to the check-in counter, Precision Air staff denied me boarding, stating that my ticket could not be found in their system and that the flight was full already. Showing my (Etihad issued) e-ticket did not help. Apparently, Etihad's IT system failed to synchronise the ticket into Precision Air system. I was forced to find alternative flight, which involved departing from a different airport, and arriving to yet another airport, different again from my connecting one. Thus, in addition to the new ticket, I had to incur cost for two taxi runs as well as cost of visa (since my connection now was not at the same airport). I will not even try to describe the stress and inconvenience. Once I finally made it to Etihad's connecting flight, the staff at boarding told me that I will definitely be entitled to refund and compensation. How naïve ... I duly filled Etihad's online complaint and compensation forms, only to receive prompt refusal and advice to direct complaints to Precision Air?! Pointing out that Etihad's own T&C states that Etihad has a full journey responsibility in cases when the ticket was issued by Etihad, helped not. The fact that I bought (and paid!) the ticket from Etihad, and had nothing to do with the other company mattered zilch. Flat and insensitive refusal. Incredibly bad experience, leaving more than bad taste. Never to fly with Etihad again!
Second year we fly with Etihad to Cambodia, second year we’ve got troubles checking in because they changed our flight. First year we’ve had to wait two hours at the airport before Etihad could print our tickets. This year, we can’t check-in online because due to the change, there is an amount payable in my account that I’ve already paid when… Read more
booking the seats, Etihad says I don’t have to pay again but also they can’t mark it as paid in my account so I can’t check-in online and need to resolve it at the airport?!? WTF?! Awful customer service as well as awful service on the plain. Food last year was really bad as was the service. Thought it was a fluke but unfortunately it’s just their everyday workings.
My connecting flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo was rescheduled approximately 20 hours later, which meant I would miss important commitments in Egypt. At the airport, I asked Etihad’s transfer desk to rebook me on EgyptAir. They refused to book me on another airline. Instead, the staff told me to buy my own ticket, send the receipts, and that I… Read more
would be reimbursed.
I relied on that assurance and paid around AUD 300 for an EgyptAir ticket to reach Cairo.
Later, Etihad treated the connecting flight as a “no-show” and refused to reimburse me. I received only AUD 18.70 in refunded taxes.
I complained to the relevant Abu Dhabi authority, but the complaint was closed without the outcome I was seeking. My VCAT application also did not resolve the dispute.
What concerns me most is that I was given a clear assurance at the airport, acted on it at my own expense, and was subsequently left to bear the cost.
Airlines should be accountable for the information their staff provide to passengers during disruptions. Customers should not have to bear unexpected costs after relying on those assurances.
Has anyone else experienced something similar with Etihad, particularly when staff gave instructions or assurances at a transfer desk?
Reviews with attachments
Damaged suitcase – I was travelling from JFK to Lhe so at my final destination when I collected my suitcase I was really shocked after watching my suitcase which was completely destroyed and they put my stuff in plastic bag and sealed with Etihad Airways tag n also I had missed some stuff from inside I was very disappointed after watching this so I would never recommend this airline. Show details
From start to finish, Etihad were great. Check in amazing, on board great team, delicious food and comfy flat bed. Show details
I booked a flight was told by Etihad it was a fake company my booking didn’t exist. Book another ticket via Etihad please. I did,the next day I found my booking Etihad said it was the mistake staff should not have said it was fake booking book another ticket. They said we will refund your ticket. I said no I want refund and compensation. Etihad replied we will investigate. And now no refund only $200 as a good will. Show details
Very disappointing experience with Etihad baggage not properly registered and reimbursement refused We flew with Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt with two checked suitcases. Although both suitcases were presented at the check-in counter, apparently only one was properly registered and tagged. The second suitcase was therefore not correctly… Read more
recorded in the baggage system and could only be located after repeated follow ups and contact with Frankfurt Airport.
As a result, my mother had to spend four days without her suitcase or personal belongings and had to purchase essential clothing and other necessities in her vacation. All receipts and supporting documents were submitted to Etihad.
Despite the evidence provided, Etihad has refused to reimburse the necessary expenses, even though the Montreal Convention provides for claims arising from damage caused by delayed baggage.
What is particularly disappointing is Etihad’s response that because my mother eventually received her suitcase later, the matter is considered resolved. We were simply told to contact Lost & Found at Frankfurt Airport if there were any further issues.
This completely ignores the fact that she spent four days without her luggage and that the resulting expenses and inconvenience were a direct consequence of the baggage handling issue.
A very disappointing experience Etihad’s response to our claim.
- +4
I recently (May 21, 2026) traveled with Etihad Airways and experienced what can only be described as a catastrophic operational failure, corporate deceit, and a complete lack of human dignity. It started with a minor 1-hour and 14-minute delay on my initial flight from Tokyo (NRT). Before takeoff, I explicitly asked Etihad staff if I would miss my… Read more
connection. They looked me in the eye and lied, saying: "No need to worry, the system knows, they are prepared, and you have plenty of time." The delay didn't change, yet upon landing in Abu Dhabi (AUH), instead of rushing connecting passengers to the departing gates (as any reputable airline does), Etihad staff systematically intercepted and blocked us from reaching the Athens gate, forcing us to miss the flight, despite there being enough time! After hours of waiting in chaotic lines, Etihad first tried to force me to wait 1.5 days for their next flight. When I refused, they rerouted me through Cairo via EgyptAir, claiming no other options existed—despite online availability on much better airlines. This resulted in a grueling 12-hour arrival delay in Athens, a missed working day, and a sleepless night. The environment Etihad created was so volatile and stressful that exhausted passengers ended up in a violent altercation. The local police and military had to intervene, violently arresting passengers. Anyone who dared to take photos of this chaos was immediately arrested on the spot. But the worst part was the physical detention conditions. Instead of providing hotel accommodation or lounge access, Etihad staff lied, calling it a "lounge," and forced me into a degraded, unsanitary, and unsafe customer holding area called the "Guest Service Centre." The conditions were shocking for a self-proclaimed 5-star airline: the room was filthy, filled with garbage, emitted a foul odor, and featured heavy metallic doors like a storage unit or a jail. Exhausted passengers were sleeping bare-footed on the dirty floor and stained couches. I felt like cattle being stored in a warehouse. To top off this multi-layered disaster, my luggage was lost during this rerouting and took 3 days to be recovered, forcing me to return to the airport myself to claim it. When I contacted Etihad Guest Relations, they sent a cold, robotic response dodging all liability, blaming "air traffic," and washing their hands by telling me to contact EgyptAir. Etihad’s premium image is a complete, fraudulent illusion. The moment something goes wrong, they treat paying passengers with absolute contempt and zero respect. I am sharing my story alongside photographic evidence of the AUH holding cell to warn the traveling public: do not trust Etihad with your money, your safety, or your dignity. For me, the choice is clear: Etihad: NEVER AGAIN.
Case Reference: 2605255879091
Latest follow-ups
Cabin service and food in business class on etihad and China eastern are not up to the mark. Besides the seats there is nothing business class on the flight in both the airlines.
Follow-up · IN BUSINESS CLASS NOW A DAYS ALTHOUGH SOMETINES YOU PAY 8 TIMES MORE FARE STILL BESIDES A FULL STRECH BED THERE IS NOT MUCH ON TO OFFER BY THE AIRLINES IN TERMS OF SERVICE. IT IS LIKE THE ECONOMY CLASS SERVICE OF THE 70'S AND 80'S PLUS A FULL STRECHABLE SEAT IF YOU FLY A REPUTABLE AIRLINE.
Inconvience – Customer service was terrible I had no idea there was a problem with my ticket I bought, also paid for specific seating and there was no emails from Etihad to inform me that there was a problem at anytime i only found out when i arrived at the… Read more
airport to check-in that my ticket had been cancelled Checked on the etihad app and status was confirmed but they still were not interested and gave me a etihad help line to call with only 1hr 30 minutes left to board flight (Also because it was less than 4 hrs they advised they were not able to organise a nee ticket until the next day )
Staff was not wanting to help and advised to buy a new ticket even though our itenary had been confirmed and proof was shown
Follow-up · What was the ticket issue? Travel agent was later found to be frauding customers travel world sydney zara rachid (now closed down), Did you get a refund? No, airline refused as it was booked thru a licensed travel agent How was resolution handled? Not interested to help customers and after many calls and further investigation it had been… Read more
Extremely Disappointed – Never Flying Etihad Again We recently purchased two Business Class tickets with Etihad Airways, expecting a premium travel experience. Unfortunately, our experience was the complete opposite – stressful, humiliating, and… Read more
far below what any business class passenger should endure. At Istanbul Airport, the ground staff harassed us over our luggage weight, insisting we pre-pack our bags down to 32 kg, even though our tickets clearly stated a 35 kg allowance. When we tried to clarify, we were met with aggressive and dismissive behavior. To make matters worse, we were denied access to the Business Class Lounge, even though we had fully paid business class fares. When we raised this at Abu Dhabi airport, the Etihad business manager was shockingly rude, completely uninterested in hearing our side of the story and simply trying to get rid of us as quickly as possible. This experience was beyond unacceptable. Etihad’s treatment of premium customers was unprofessional and demeaning. For a so-called 5-star airline, this was a zero-star experience.
Follow-up · I never get refunded ,and other lounges were available but we had to pay extra money like we didn't had business class ticket.We had to pay extra hotel to just rest from our journey.
Positive reviews
5/5 Stars - Highly Recommend Etihad Airways! Everything about my recent flight was perfect: • Check-in: Highly knowledgeable and helpful staff. • Crew: Extremely attentive, polite, courteous, and beautifully presented. • Cabin: First-class cleanliness. • In-flight: Excellent food and a fantastic selection of movies. • Punctuality: Departure and arrival were perfectly on time. Thank you, Etihad, for a wonderful journey! Show details
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Are we in a plane! – What a amazing airline!you should have been in this airline .seats were good for lunch I had chicken teriyaki. AWSOME!
Happy Customer – Despite all the bad reviews about Etihad Airways! I had to cancel my flight 2 hours before flying due to technicalities, the customer service representative was very very helpful with my enquiry and super patient. I requested to cancel all flights and received full refunds within 4 business days. I am extremely happy with how they handled my enquiry.
Negative reviews
I have to say everything was fine from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, modern plane all the amenities great. But people be warned the flight from Abu Dhabi to Athens, was in a plane that should be decommissioned to a museum or the airplane grave yard. Seriously it was that old it still had ashtrays, the seats wouldn’t recline, no leg room, A/C was non existent. Very exhausting flight.
Don’t touch this airline. Old aircraft. Booked business class and seriously must be the oldest business class in the skies. Out from London to Abu then Abu to Bangkok. Don’t waste your money Show details
On EY63 business class AUH to LHR B777-300. This plane is a disgrace and should not be still flying. It is old, dirty and the layout is terrible. Not worth the money unless you get a huge discount!!! Show details
Recent reviews
Terrible service responding to an issue! For an airline that claims yo be the best across so many areas, they fall well short. I have been waiting 5 days now having escalated an urgent issue. No follow uo yet, and impossible yo speak to anyone who can make any assessment re the complaint. We will nwvr again fly with Ethihad. Show details
Warning. Travel Alert. Think twice about using this State owned airway. They offer non- refundable self transit connecting flights and then are party to rejection of or do not adequately advise of visa application requirements. Visa is rejected despite Etihad connecting flights and then your flights are rendered useless. They do not provide any… Read more
care or assistance and are happy to take your money with empty seats, presumably to defray overbooked flights. Think twice. Use another carrier.
Hey hello Etihad, I'm Ethan I recently used one of your flights for my vacation,and it was so unfortunate that it didn't meet the expectations I was used and unfortunately I lost my bag on it but I'm following up . Show details
Terrible customer service. Agents give contradictory information every time I call, no one takes responsibility, no clear information given, lack of transparency. Upon ringing on the day they informed me their deadline for investigation was, I am being told that their investigation will need "some more day" and that whoever I spoke to before game… Read more
me wrong date. "Some more days" in not a professional or serious answer when thousands have been lost due to the airlines mistake.
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Extremely disappointing experience with Etihad Airways. I had a valid ticket and passport for my flight from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, but I was refused boarding and was not issued a boarding pass. I was left without a clear explanation or a proper solution at the airport, despite having everything prepared for travel. Being denied a flight you have… Read more
paid for is stressful enough, but the lack of clear communication and support made the situation far worse. I expected much better customer service and assistance from an airline like Etihad. Very frustrating and disappointing experience.
I booked return flights through Booking.com nine months before my trip. During that time, there were numerous minor schedule changes of 5–10 minutes to departure and arrival times, which were not a major concern. However, one month before departure, Etihad changed my return flight to 24 hours later than originally booked. As a result, I had to pay… Read more
for an extra night's accommodation that I neither wanted nor needed, all due to a "schedule change."
I arrived at the airport three hours before my outbound flight, only to be informed that the airline had cancelled part of my itinerary. No explanation was provided. I then spent the next three hours trying to resolve the issue with both Booking.com and Etihad. Seats were clearly available on the flight I was supposed to be travelling on, but Booking.com said they could not assist because the departure was within 24 hours, while Etihad claimed they could not help because the booking had been made through a third-party agent.
Eventually, Etihad managed to place me on a flight the following day. This resulted in the loss of a day of sightseeing and a non-refundable night's accommodation.
While I was overseas, Etihad moved my return flight to a date three days later than originally booked. This also disrupted my connecting flights. After contacting Booking.com, they managed to secure me a return flight on my original travel date, although it departed 12 hours earlier.
Unfortunately, this meant my connecting flight to the departure airport would no longer arrive in time. Changing that flight would have cost approximately €300, so I ended up purchasing a new ticket, which was slightly cheaper.
Despite Booking.com confirming my revised return flight, Etihad subsequently cancelled it without notifying me. I only discovered this when attempting to check in the day before departure.
Etihad confirmed that they had cancelled the flight and stated that they had "blocked out" Booking.com, but refused to reinstate my booking because it had been made through Booking.com. Meanwhile, Booking.com said they could only "escalate" the matter.
What followed was 24 hours of buck-passing, blame-shifting, misinformation and zero help with neither company taking responsibility or providing meaningful assistance.
Etihad acknowledges that it cancelled my flight and knew that I was actively trying to travel, including being at the airport and repeatedly seeking assistance. Despite this, they claimed there were no available flights for at least five days. They have nevertheless classified me as a "no-show" and have refused both a refund and compensation for the replacement ticket I was forced to purchase at the airport in order to get home.
This was an extremely stressful and expensive experience. Both Etihad and Booking.com failed to provide adequate customer service, and I would strongly caution others before booking through either company.
Drip pricing isn't exactly new but Etihad have taken it to new levels on the airline's site. Even middle row seats costing $50 per flight just for the privilege of booking; and you pay for every five kgs of luggage you intend to take starting from 0kg. Disgraceful. By the end of the booking process (Melbourne to Germany return) we were charged… Read more
nearly $800 extra (per person) for a stockstandard economy flight. Rip-off merchants. We decided to book elsewhere, which, in total, was cheaper
I booked and paid for a one-way flight from Barcelona to Sydney departing on 18 July at 10:30pm. Several weeks later, the airline advised that my flight had been changed and asked me to accept the revised itinerary. Like many travellers, I assumed this was a routine schedule adjustment of a few hours and accepted the change. Only afterwards did… Read more
I realise that the flight had not been moved slightly on the same day. It had been rescheduled to depart the following morning at 10:45am, effectively changing my travel date and requiring an overnight stay in Barcelona.
The original communication advised that passengers affected by the schedule change could choose a refund. However, when I contacted customer service and explained the situation, I was told that because I had accepted the revised itinerary and held a Value fare, I was no longer entitled to any refund whatsoever.
I find this extremely disappointing. The airline made a significant change to the service I originally purchased. The revised flight creates additional accommodation costs and travel complications, yet the airline is refusing to honour the refund option that was offered when the change was made.
Consumers should be aware that accepting a schedule change without scrutinising every detail may result in losing access to options that were initially offered, even where the airline has substantially altered the original itinerary.
My experience with Etihad Airways has been extremely frustrating and stressful, especially due to their poor customer service and faulty online system. Our flight was cancelled, and we immediately tried to contact customer service. However, we received no response for hours. Their AI chat system simply redirected us to their website instead of… Read more
providing real assistance.
When we attempted to use their online option, we encountered a serious system glitch. While entering the departure date, the system automatically completed the booking incorrectly. We tried multiple browsers, but their feedback/complaint page also produced errors. We even took screenshots showing different behaviour across browsers.
Despite clearly explaining this issue, Etihad refused to help and insisted that we must “prove” the website problem. I am not sure what more a customer is expected to do beyond providing screenshots and detailed explanations.
Because of this situation—and since our holiday was already booked—we were forced to purchase a new return ticket at our own expense.
What is even more concerning is that:
There is no proper contact method in Australia They claim even authorities like NSW Fair Trading must contact them via their chat system Their chat system takes hours and does not resolve issues They shift responsibility to the customer instead of addressing clear system problems
This creates a situation where customers are effectively left without support or a fair way to escalate complaints.
Overall:
Flight cancellation with no timely support Faulty and unreliable online booking system Refusal to acknowledge or investigate technical issues No proper complaint handling process Significant financial loss for the customer
I strongly warn others, especially Australians, to be extremely careful when booking with this airline. If anything goes wrong, you may be left with no help and no accountability.
I will not be using Etihad again.
Beware, Etihad now uses charter flights! Between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon, Etihad now uses a charter company, Hi Fly. A couple of weeks before our flight, we received an email informing us of this change. After checking, it appears that Hi Fly is not an airline but a charter company. The aircraft was an old A330, the crew was Portuguese. Basically,… Read more
what you get is the level of a low cost airline for the price of Etihad. Old seats, almost non existent IFE: the large screen above your feet doesn't work, nor does the remote control (even for the lights). You need to use your own tablet and earset, scan a QR code hidden on the armrest, and get access to a list of maybe 10 movies, none of them worth watching. The crew was unprofessional and noisy (they all gathered in the front pantry to chat loudly, even with ear plugs I couldn't sleep). I complained to Etihad who couldn't care less. I had to press them to reply to me, which they finally did. Their position is that Hi Fly is their "trusted partner" and that I have no reason to complain. So, know it, between LIS and AUH, you will pay for Etihad and fly Low Cost. Of course, they play on the lack of alternative when you fly to the Far East from Lisbon. We will never fly Etihad again.
Etihad was extremely unhelpful during the Iran war disruption. Wait times were long, which I can understand, but the airline kept directing customers to its website, even though the website had little real ability to make meaningful changes. The only practical option available was to cancel. The bigger problem is that Etihad takes weeks to refund… Read more
points after a cancellation. Not minutes, not hours, not even days, but weeks. That meant I couldn’t rebook onto a new flight when I needed to, because my points were effectively locked up the whole time. Most other airlines return points instantly, or at least fast enough that you can actually make new plans. Etihad doesn’t.
I called to try to fix it and simply apply the same points to a later flight, but because the booking had been cancelled, they said they couldn’t help. So the result was that both the points and money were tied up for weeks, making it far harder to deal with an already stressful situation.
Etihad is probably fine if nothing goes wrong and you never need to change anything. But if you need flexibility, or if there is disruption, good luck. The process is slow, unclear, and not customer-focused.
Flight cancelled right before getting on the plane. No information about what to do next. I tried to write to them but there's barely any info on the site, the option they try to force you to use doens't work. I spend a lot of money to get back to home and still didn't receive any information from etihad. Avoid at all times. Show details
I'm so lost you still haven't told me anything