[su2nil]

I have traveled CAI-AUH-DEL on 6 November 2011. The miles for CAI-AUH have been credited immediately , while I am still struggling to get AUH-DEL miles after 7 weeks.

Now the worse is that I have made more than 10 calls in past 2 months ( amounting to 5 hours talk time or more) and about 10 mails. But never got a proper assuring mails. Customer-care always tells you that in 2 days or 2 weeks I will get a proper reply. They always tell you that they are checking. I have asked them clearly to tell me how much time it will take, and I will stop calling them. But, as you can expect from Customer care, they are simply front-end- and useless, as the real mess is in beck-end.

Today itself I have wasted my 1 hour and 15 minute just to reach to their representative, but all failed.

Now please consider the learnings from this trip-

1. Do not trust that Etihad Guest has enough capacity to handle your calls.
2. Carry your own meal. The requested meal in the same flight was not provided. I have requested 3 AVMLs, and I have documented proof of the same. But the crew was actually telling me that I did not. Now think of a pure vegetarian family travelling for more than 20 hours with a 2 year old and a 7 year old, Can I really miss the essentials!
4. I have talked to one Ms Sulemiya Sulemain in Etihad in contact center in Abu Dhabi yesterday. She assured me that I will receive a call from Etihad Guest Supervisor on my insistence. This call never came. But I have wasted my more than 2 hours international call-time to reach to Sulemeya or the supervisor till now. I am simply unable to understand how could one call center be so pathetic!!
5. Atleast on Cairo Airport you can be bugged down by Etihad personnel for the tip. They will almost over-power to hand-out some. Please don't expect them to accept anything less then 50 EGP (about USD 10)

Honestly, until this incident, I never had a complain travelling Etihad, but somehow their back-end mess exposed, as I go on to redeem my miles.

I have decided to not to travel Etihad any more, and will not advise any one to take the chance. They simple don't deserve the customer-ship you spend on them. One takes the flight for a good time, but what do you do when the lack of staff, lack of communication and an intent to steal your miles wash away this happiness !