Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
Mar 20th 2009, 11:38 am
#16
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
I found Etihad excellent in terms of food and service, would definitely fly with them again. 
Mar 21st 2009, 1:00 am
#17
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
I see that Etihad serve champagne for special occassions, does that mean they serve in-flight alcohol?
Mar 21st 2009, 4:19 am
#18
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
A340.
Yes they serve alcohol. The only airline flying between UK and Aus which you might find yourself on and not serving alcohol is Royal Brunei.
Yes they serve alcohol. The only airline flying between UK and Aus which you might find yourself on and not serving alcohol is Royal Brunei.
Mar 21st 2009, 4:25 am
#19
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
I flew with them to heathrow and back last week and they were ok. Seats were pretty uncomfortable - as all seats seem to be when flying long haul in economy- entertainment was ok, quite a few films, some new ones - slumdog millionaire was on and thats still on at the cinema i think?
food was pretty average, i much prefered singapore airs food. trolley dollies were a bit hit and miss, some quite friendly and some pretty miserable.
I sat right at the back of the plane in the 2 seats and had both seats to myself for 4 of the 6 legs of both journeys which was good but being close to the back was a pain as all the stewardesses sat out the back when they werent serving and spoke really loudly for hours which wasnt nice in the middle of the night whilst i was trying to get some kip!
when booking online it stated there was only 1 stopover in abu dhabi but it did in fact stop at singapore for a few hours as well which i thought was a bit cheeky not to disclose that info prior to booking!
overall not the worst but not the best either - i would probably rate my experience with them at around a 5 or 6 out of 10 - but on the plus side they were the cheapest flights i could find.
good luck
dan
Mar 21st 2009, 8:13 am
#21
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
Thanks for all the input, I guess it's the usual story of you get what you pay for.......
Dreaming of winning the lotto tonight and then we're going first class (I wish
)
Sam
Dreaming of winning the lotto tonight and then we're going first class (I wish
)Sam
Mar 21st 2009, 9:12 am
#22
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
A modern fleet, coupled with great in flight system, yet all offered with eighteenth century service values. That is how it seemed my wife and I at least. Our crime, it seemed, was that we failed to share share the same middle eastern culture as the in-flight stewards. I'll leave it at that.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Mar 21st 2009, 9:17 am
#23
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
What a superb description - sums up the way that I was made to feel when I flew with Emirates, and which I've never quite managed to describe properly.
Mar 21st 2009, 9:29 am
#24
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
Mar 21st 2009, 11:36 am
#25
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
A modern fleet, coupled with great in flight system, yet all offered with eighteenth century service values. That is how it seemed my wife and I at least. Our crime, it seemed, was that we failed to share share the same middle eastern culture as the in-flight stewards. I'll leave it at that.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Mar 23rd 2009, 12:23 am
#26
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
A modern fleet, coupled with great in flight system, yet all offered with eighteenth century service values. That is how it seemed my wife and I at least. Our crime, it seemed, was that we failed to share share the same middle eastern culture as the in-flight stewards. I'll leave it at that.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Both my wife and I are not awkward passengers by any stretch. In fact I'm the sort who even on a long haul flight, will only get up a few times. I'm not a smoker, so don't even get antsy because of that. I'm a very calm, easy-going passenger and my wife is the same.
However, we were made to feel like problem travellers by Etihad because we dared to ask for a blanket and some water. Neither of these requests were met - we were forced to ask for a blanket four times and water six times; both very basic needs on a long-haul flight. We noted with interest, however, that in direct contrast to this, the middle eastern passengers had similar requests met very promptly. There was one family to our left, though, who seemed to be getting things brought over the whole time. After around four hours, when we still hadn't been brought a blanket, we asked one last time - at that point we were told there were none left.
To compound this, we were sat next to a passenger who spent almost the entire flight watching footage of fundamentalist rallies on a personal DVD player. Not exactly the sort of travelling companion you wish to sit near when making a trip into Heathrow.
So, put simply, I would not recommend Etihad. Not unless you wish to feel like an inconvenience because you're not from the right racial background. I would also add that I've never been treated like this on any other foreign flight before and I've travelled widely - including Al Italia, Vietnam Airlines, El Al, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Jal, among many others. In terms of service, this was by far and away the worst flight I've ever taken and I will not fly with Etihad again.
Think it will be back to Malaysair, Qantas or Singapore then!
Sam
Mar 23rd 2009, 12:59 am
#27
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
So how about JAL,any good ??
Mar 23rd 2009, 3:21 am
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Mar 23rd 2009, 4:01 am
#29
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
Mar 23rd 2009, 4:39 am
#30
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Re: Etihad Airline - anyone used them?
SHould be fascinating. I was talking to somone yesterday about how I wouldn't mind a stopver o Tokyo. When I flew with them before I couldn't o it as I had too tight a timeline at each end for other things, but I'd love to spend a few nigths there sometime in the future.
