My experience with Etihad Airways
I read about Sajha thread from people asking for review about their experience with Etihad Airways and they were pretty satisfied with the company's service.
My experience was not as satisfactory, sadly. I flew from JFK to KTM with Etihad airways earlier this month. To begin with I didn't know about the new carry on bag weight limit of just 7 Kg for international flight as it's been several years that I went back home. Since mine was a connecting flight, my other luggage were already being handled by airlines. My choice was to either throw my belongings or pay a hefty $ 300 fee. I chose the latter. Etihad personnel at JFK were not even slightly accomodating.
Etihad plane didn't take off of JFK until nearly after like two hours after the scheduled flight time. So all the passengers were basically sitting in the plane waiting for the plane to take off, we didn't know why!?).
When we got to Abu Dhabi airport after a long flight, it was already late for the connecting flight to Kathmandu. When I inquired at Etihad desk at the airport, I was told that the next flight was the next day via Delhi. I was tired and exhausted after the long flight. I had to call my family in Kathmandu who were expecting me that same evening in Kathmandu. After waiting for like seven or eight hours, I flew to Delhi with Etihad airways. In Delhi after a short layover, I flew to Kathmandu. There were about eight or ten people who were flying with me from JFK to Kathmandu, all of whom had their flight rescheduled. Originally we were to arrive at Kathmandu at around 7pm but instead we arrived around 9 am the next day.
When I arrived at Kathmandu airport, I had one bag missing. I waiting a long time at the baggage carousel area but to no avail. Then I had to go to baggage lost and found area where I found several of the people I flew in from JFK. We all had one bag missing! My family had to wait outside longer as I was dealing the lost bag.
I wrote about my experience but so far haven't received any apology or thoughtful response from Etihad, which makes me feel that their customer service is very poor.
Will definitely try to avoid Etihad airways.
Qutar has the best service.
Thanks for sharing as I have flights with Etihad in two weeks time.
I, however, checked the websites of majority of other musalte airlines from mid-east like Qatar and Emirates and they have all reduced the carry-on for economy to one bag and no separate bag for laptop like US airlines allows and it has to be within 15lbs limit.
That is bullshit man, laptop itself is like 4.5 - 6 lbs and even the lightest bag is like 4-5 lbs, so how do these scums expect us to get anything in the bag.
Anyway, thanks for bringing this up otherwise I would not have checked their website and most probably got into argument in the airport.
About carry-on bag topic:
"panacea" - You are providing wrong information.I used Qatar airways to travel KTM just 2 weeks back. I could take one carry on bag (7kg) and one personal laptop bag.
"jerryswari" - If you haven't traveled in several year and didn't know the weight limit, its your responsibility to check before buying tickets or at least before going to airport. You can't expect rules to be same after "several" years.
@panacea - put your laptop in small briefcase.. Briefcase and laptop bags are similar.
"In addition to your hand baggage allowance, you can also carry personal items such as one ladies handbag or one small briefcase, one coat, cape or blanket, one umbrella, one pair of crutches or walking stick, one small camera or binoculars, limited reading material, an infant’s carrying basket, and duty-free items purchased on the day of your flight."
"Laptops and laptop bags have to fit within your hand baggage allowance."
Thanks @royal_scorpion for the clarification; in that case, as long as you don't carry a big bag in the name of laptop bag than should be fine even in Etihad because their policy is also similar.
In my all flying experience, Emirates and Qatar are better options if flying via Mid-East.
Ethiad lost my luggage last year from JFK, Apparently, Delta took it to Jamaica. I was surprised how can they even loose that from the origin destination. It took 8 months to get a reimbursement. Just comment on their social media page. They respond very quickly.
I flew Etihad 6 times last year and I was extended with the superb courtesy and service everytime.
Maybe it depends on how you look. Can both of you jerriswari and d.k.hanaal post your pictures so I can change my hairstyle to look like dikay hanaal's when i go next time, and make sure it does not look like jerriswari's.
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