It was fantastic. The flight from Chicago to Abu Dahbi was fantastic. The crew, food and service were amazing. Everything was handled by the crew member assigned to us , Nicholas, was usually done before we asked for it. Highly recommend Etihad!
Wish the flight attendants were more attentive in serving food
More leg space than other flights, but *maybe* narrower seats
Old plane, old entertainment system. It wasn't working throughout the entire flight. I was offered to connect to their system via Wifi to watch on my phone. Crew wasn't very helpful except one lady who turned the experience around.
Crew Check-In – Kolkata (CCU) The crew handling check-in in Kolkata was outstanding—efficient, courteous, and highly organized. Flight Segment – CCU to Abu Dhabi (AUH) A standard flight overall. Notably, only one in-flight meal option—a vegetarian curry—was available, which seemed unsuitable for a red-eye journey. The crew offered no alternatives, which was unexpected. Flight Segment – Abu Dhabi to Rome (AUH-FCO) Comfort improved on this leg, but service quality was average, falling short of Etihad’s premium standards. Crew attention was heavily absorbed by a difficult couple in Row 15 (port side), resulting in disproportionate focus. It was concerning that a steward had to personally return to apologize, a task better suited for supervisory staff. This highlights a development opportunity for supervisors Anna and Quashim in managing guest escalation professionally.
The flight was delayed which cause me to miss my connecting flight in AbuDhsbi airport.
Seat selection screen while online check-in could include free seats to choose from and show the options before we proceed. Currently, it is auto-allocated and there are no options for free seat selections.
It has been a couple of years since I flew with Etihad last, after having a unpleasant experience with them coming out of the pandemic. I can say that the experience has uplifted, but I can’t really rate the service. At Barcelona airport the service was great, with their dedicated Etihad staff very helpful. The onboard experience wasn’t great, not very personalised and it really makes sense why Etihad doesn’t feature in the top 10 2023 Skytrax awards. The crew just seemed to be inattentive and almost absent from the cabin. I felt that I had to keep getting their attention. Even after I’d finished my meal, an hour went by before I had to call them to clear the tray/plate etc.
Crew was good, boarding mediocre, food choices were limited, seating was not comfortable
I travelled from Adu Dhabi to Melb; service was minimal at best, when I asked for a bottle of water but no meal I was told it was not available- it seemed a cup would do. The staff were un helpful & dismissive. We had a family near us who I never saw obtain any assistance from crew- they were simply avoided! Meal was simple and adequate no hot drinks were on offer until close to arriving, with a pseudo breakfast. Seats were tight despite obtaining extra leg room. I will not be flying with Etihad again and will not recommend them to family & friends.
