Etihad Airways review: Cancelled and delayed flights compensation

John Welstandkeryk PNR RY37DN

Dear Etihad Airlines, I would like to make a formal complaint about my recent flight to Japan with you. On the return journey my flight was first delayed by four hours, then cancelled. I was offered another flight that would require a 17 hour layover in Abu Dhabi and I had to negotiate a flight with a much shorter layover that would mean arriving in the UK 24 hours late.

I was informed by Etihad that any expenses such as hotel rooms, meals and refreshments, taxi to the airport would be refunded to me provided I kept receipts. Later that day I discovered that my new flight was delayed by 4 hours, this meant that we would miss our connecting flight to the UK and with that my son would miss his graduation. I then spent hours trying to get Etihad to arrange for us to get back on a different route or on a different airline. This failed and to be quite frank I was told lies after lies that it beggars belief.

I contacted my travel agents and they told me that they could not help because on your website it showed the flight as being on time, even though when you check the individual flight it showed it was delayed. (is that intentional to stop travel agents from booking us onto other airlines at your cost).

When I returned to the UK I left feedback on your website and was expecting a phone call to discuss the matter, as it says on your website. About three weeks later I received an e-mail from you offering $800 in compensation as a gesture of goodwill. It wasn’t clear if this was for me or the four of us who flew together on the booking. I replied asking why nobody contacted me to ask what expenses we had occurred so compensation could be worked out.

I rang again and was told that the $800 was indeed for the group making it $200 each, making it a far cry from the $700 each for a cancelled flight. I also asked why nobody asked about our expenses and there was no answer. I was advised to click on the no button asking if I was happy with to take the $800 and after pressing no I spent a long time formulating my response, after I pressed the send button and error code 404 came up and I did not know if you got the e-mail.

I didn’t have time to write it again so I sent a quick message asking if my e-mail was received and got this response below. I believe that maybe the e-mail did not get through and that this was a response to my original feedback.

From: Etihad Airways

Date: 10 August 2023 at 05:17:45 GMT+1

To: [protected]@hotmail.com

Subject: Compensation Consent CRM:[protected]

Etihad Airways reference: [protected] 

Date: 8/10/2023 8:15 AM 

Dear John Welstandkeryk,

Thank you for your response.

My team and I have looked into the facts and assessed everything thoroughly.

As such we are unable to consider further compensation and our position remains unchanged.

Please allow me to assure you that your feedback has been gratefully noted and shared with the Guest Experience Department for internal review.

On behalf of Etihad Airways, we would like to thank you for writing and for allowing us the opportunity to review your concerns.

 

Please respond to this offer by 8/24/2023 8:15 AM (Gulf Standard Time): Click here to proceed.

Yours sincerely,

Rhizlan 

Guest Relations Officer 

Etihad Aviation Group

New Airport Road, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

etihad.com

I am giving you the benefit of the doubt regarding this reply but even then you have not addressed the issue of expenses, you did not even ask if we incurred any during our 32 hour delay. Why? Also when you look back at previous mails you will see that I do not want Etihad credits.

I have around $1,250 worth of receipts waiting to be reimbursed so I need to know the process of reclaiming that. Also on every website I visit it says that you pay up to 600 euros for delayed or cancelled flights. My flight was delayed by four hours, changed to a flight with a 17 lay over, cancelled and the new flight delayed by four hours totalling 32 hours.

What would have to happen so people for them to get the full compensation for a delayed flight. I worked it out that based on my experience they would have to be delayed by 4 days and 7 hours. As an airline with a reputation of being one of the best you have failed miserably to take any of this seriously. I need this to be dealt with professionally and fairly otherwise I will have to seek recompense in a different way.

Yours Disappointedly

John Welstandkeryk

I wrote again and the error code for any complaint was error 404 but when I wrote asking if the system was working it went through. What i need is a number I can call and speak to someone who will tell me how to claim back expenses accrued whilst being delayed for 32 hours and why you are offering an insulting amount of compensation.