[as141221]

I am writing to you in connection with the flight which I had booked through Eithad Airways Online. I am extremely disappointed at my most recent experience with this airline company.

On November 2nd 2012 I booked a trip to Cochin, India using Etihad Airways Online. I received my ticket that I booked through Etihad Airways online through my email. Unfortunately I had to change the date to a different day as something came up at my work. In order to change the date of my flight I called the office located in New York and spoke with an Eithad Airways agent who arranged to changed my original ticket date which was November 24th, 2012 to a later date for December 6th, 2012. The fee for this flight change was $200. I agreed to pay the difference and charged it on my debt card. My flight date was changed to December 6th,2012.

Upon our arrival at the John F. Kennedy Airport December 6th, we were stopped by the check in people saying we needed to produce the credit card that I had used to buy my ticket. Sadly, I did not have that card with me because in Cochin, India I do not use debit cards for purchases and I left the card at home. I asked the check in people why I needed to show them my credit card. They stated it was a means of identification. I had my passport, visa, driver’s license, but that was not enough. They kept on insisting I needed to show them the card that I used to buy my ticket.

I tried to find someone who could help me sort through this mess but no one was able to help my family and I sort through this situation. I spent about 10 hours at John F. Kennedy Airport, trying to sort out this mess and I missed my flight to Cochin. My family and I family were livid. Who ever you are I want you to imagine a scenario where you have been waiting for a long time to visit your homeland. You’re excited to go to your home country and the next thing you know you can not go because you’re stuck in the airport. My family and I were truly traumatized by this situation and felt that the employees of Etihad airways were very unprofessional and ill-prepared to make things right. The desk was very chaotic and disorganized. They never gave us options or helped us find a way to make our trip.

Based on our experience and the lack of any effort to compensate us or make up for these inconveniences, we are unlikely to be using Etihad airways or to recommend it to our family and friends. We feel like we paid good money to be inconvenienced and abused mentally, emotionally and physically!!

This experience has brought me to re-evaluate my airline choice. I don't think I will use your services ever again. I know given an airline of so much experience, I advise revised quality standard checks to be put in place.