[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 !

[jimworcs]

We have a good experience of Etihad responding positvely to problems identified on this site. Hopefully you will get a positive response to help solve your problems.

[su2nil]

I am quite pessimistic.

First, I have already changed my decision due their low quality service.

Second, I failed to understand, how Etihad can reply better here if they cannot handle the on -call customers who put lot of time and energy to reach to them.

Happy new year.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear Su2nil,

Thank you for your post, and sorry to hear that you have faced an issue.

In order for me to assist you further, could you please DM me your Etihad Guest Number, and I shall get someone from the Etihad Guest department to contact you.

Kind Regards

Cazzi B
Etihad Airways Representative.

[su2nil]

Hi,

Though I don't believe that you will be of any help, but since you have asked I have already provided Etihad Guest ID to you through DM.

For your handy access I have also given the complaint ID, which I have explained to everyone whenever I call Etihad. If you want I can share (I have already sent a on mail anyway) call detail to let you know- every-time how long your IVR keeps customer hanging.

I will really look forward to see if you can change my impression of Etihad being slow and frustratingly low QoS Airline for its loyal customers.

You can see that I have already spent all of my miles along with an USD payment to redeem those.

Thanks

[su2nil]

Does anyone still belive that having Etihad rep online of any help?

I got a call from one Mr Shahid, who said that there was a system problem (why customer should suffer for the inefficient and unreliable systems, and incompetent uncaring customer care reps?). But he failed to give any solution to my issue and to the damage already done.

I have provided him detailed account of the problem, and like any other customer care he just listened, but I am yet to see any action from him or Cazzi, who is said to be online here.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear Su2nil,

Thank you for your post. I am sorry that you are not yet satisfied.

I believe that not only have you been contacted by our Etihad Guest Department, who are still working on your case, you have also had correspondence regarding your other flight issues.

Please feel free to DM me any outstanding issues, and I shall see that they are addressed without delay.

Kind Regards

Cazzi B

[su2nil]

hello Cazzi,

I do not understand whats has been done to solve the problem? Shahid called me, and he said that "he will see what can be done", which is what has been going on from past 8-9 weeks!!!!

For the other problem of denying requested meal, yes there was a mail of compensating me. But where is the compensation?

To put it simply- I was compelled to use my big amount of miles the way I did not wanted and planned, just because you could not credit my pending miles timely. Whats the compensation for that? Whats the point of building the customer loyalty offering the miles? Why your reps are not telling clearly the solution with the defined timeline? I am yet to hear when my miles of the AUH-DEL will be credited?

[Etihad Representative]

Dear Su2nil,

Thank you for your reply.

Please feel free to check both your Etihad Guest account, and your email after around 30 minutes.

Kind Regards

Cazzi B

[jimworcs]

Su2nil,

Please let us know if this issue was resolved.

Jim

[su2nil]

Hi Jim/Cazzi,

I got a mail from Etihad about the compensating it by offering me mile about 2.5 more times than I should have got. If one calls is resolution, yes its solved.

But the miles for my family memers are still missing!

Thanks

[jimworcs]

That sounds like a fair resolution of your particular situation. You should ask them to address your families case too, but it is important to recognise the work that Cazzi is doing on this website to try and get resolution. Encouraging airlines to monitor this site and help passengers would benefit us all. Etihad are to be congratulated for doing so and taking such a positive approach.

[su2nil]

Jim,

Indeed, she is doing good work. And I am appreciative of this for sure.

But, why a customer choose to come to this forum at first place, hope Etihad will look into this.

Thanks

[observerx]

I have been enquiring about using my etihad airmiles since november. It seems the staff there in UAE are incapable of reading an email and answering simple questions. Even sending the email back 5 times and asking the same simple question over and over doesn't get a reply.

My airmiles have now apparently expired (i received conflicting messages on the expiry date via email newsletters). I am totally lost as to what to do. I called the Etihad office in my hometown, Bangkok. I may as well have been talking to a brick wall. It was impossible to speak to anyone who could deal with my enquiry and it was actually impossible to speak to anyone who had the IQ capable of even understanding the problem.

I will never use this airline again. It is atrocious. Its prices are extortionate for the level of service you get.

[su2nil]

Observerx,

I can perfectly understand your situation, as I have just came across the same. Its only last resort for a traveler to visit this forum.

I am sure, as Jim is, that Etihad Rep will look into your matter and will handle it well.

Thanks

[su2nil]

Hello Jim, Cazzi and Tarvel-mates,

Though late, I have received my miles which were due and for which this thread started.

I am thankful to the owner of this site and surely to Cazzi B, who is putting lots of efforts to get the things moving on behalf of customer.

All the best.

[jimworcs]

Thanks for letting us know... lets hope observerx is equally satisfied.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear Observerx,

I am sorry you have faced an issue with us.

If you could email [e-mail removed by Admin - complaints must be resolved on AirlineComplaints.org], our team will look into this for you.

Kind Regards

Cazzi B

[observerx]

I am not employed by Etihad, yet as an airline you have commandeered hours and hours of my time by simply ignoring my emails over the months. It is simply exhausting as there is no customer service department it seems.

I was forced to redeem my airmiles before end of Dec 2011, after receiving conflicting emails about how I could spend them and abut the expiry date. As I wasn't alerted to their expiry date until December itself (!) I was left with little option.

I thought I can't bear to fly on Etihad again and waste airmiles opportunities with other airlines, who may ot be brilliant, but at least do not abuse their passengers, LET ALONE FREQUENT FLYER PASSENGERS, in the way Etihad do.As a travel journalist for 25 years this is the worst abuse I have ever seen. Abuse of my time and my money.

So, I opted to buy some items from the "duty free shop". I can't go into the details of how this new calamity has been handled because I don't have time. I ordered four items and have received only one amonth after ordering. It is just EXHAUSTING doing anything with Etihad. If you work for this airline I don't know how you sleep at night because if you think you are providing a service to the public you are sadly mistaken. I should send an invoice to you for all the time you have essentially commandeered from me in order to clean up the mess you leave at every turn.

How anyone can trust in you to get them from A to B is beyond me.

[observerx]

zero response from Etihad. I think a global petition should be put together to ban this abusive airline. Like AVAAZ or something. There should be a way to expose this abuse of passenger rights.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear Observerx,

I am sorry that you are yet to recieve a reply from Etihad. I am unable to direct message you, due to restrictions on this site.

If you would be happy giving your information on this thread, please feel free, and I shall do all possible to attempt to assist you.

Further to this, the normal channels to contact Etihad are open, although I can see that you have attempted this in the past.

Cazzi B

[wowc8]

Originally Posted by observerx

zero response from Etihad. I think a global petition should be put together to ban this abusive airline. Like AVAAZ or something. There should be a way to expose this abuse of passenger rights.

Agreed! I emailed them to claim missing miles four weeks ago and am still waiting on a response or even an acknowledgment that they received any of my emails that I've sent them. Awful airline!

Hope something gets resolved for you!

[jd91]

Originally Posted by Etihad Representative

Dear Observerx,

I am sorry that you are yet to recieve a reply from Etihad. I am unable to direct message you, due to restrictions on this site.

If you would be happy giving your information on this thread, please feel free, and I shall do all possible to attempt to assist you.

Further to this, the normal channels to contact Etihad are open, although I can see that you have attempted this in the past.

Cazzi B

Dear Cazzi,

I have a similar problem with the people above. I have already sent you a DM with my details. Please look into this for me.

Thank you.

[jd91]

Originally Posted by jd91

Dear Cazzi,

I have a similar problem with the people above. I have already sent you a DM with my details. Please look into this for me.

Thank you.

My issue has now been resolved. The missing miles were credited today. Thank you.

[jimworcs]

Thanks for letting us know. Cazzi does sterling work!