Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Etihad Airways Bad communications

I HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO FLY ETIHAD AIRWAYS ON 29/01/09. WE EXPERIENCED OVER 24 HOUR DELAY ASWELL AS DIVERSION TO AL AIN AIRPORT AS WE DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL ONBOARD. THE PILOT TRIED TO BLAME THE WEATHER FOR THIS FACT ... NOT MUCH USE WHEN YOU ARE EITHER STUCK ONBOARD AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND WITH VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF REFRESHMENTS, OR THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE AIRPORT TERMINAL FOR 4 TO 5 HOURS WITH ZERO REFRESHMENTS NOT EVEN WATER. AFTER 12 HOURS WE FOUND OURSELVES IN ABU DHABI AIRPORT TO FIND OUR FLIGHT CONNECTION HAS LEFT WITHOUT US DESPITE BEING TOLD IT WOULD WAIT FOR US. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD GET AN UPGRADE BUT WE DIDNT GET ONE EITHER! WE THEN HAD 12 MORE HOURS TO WAIT IN ABU DHABI BEFORE GETTING OUR ONWARD FLIGHT. TOTAL 24 HOUR DELAY. LOOK AT THE ETIHAD WOMANS FACE AS I AM SPEAKING TO THE DUTY MANAGER IN MY YOUTUBE VIDEO SEE http://www.youtube.com/ETIHADFLIGHT. . .CUSTOMER SERVICE ETIHAD STYLE . . .HER FACE SAYS IT ALL!I WILL NEVER TRAVEL ETIHAD AIRWAYS AGAINWATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS FROM THE SAME FLIGHT TO GIVE YOU A FEEL OF WHAT A 24 HOUR DELAY WITH MISSED ONWARD CONNECTING FLIGHTS, FEELS LIKE. IN MY CASE THIS RESULTED IN JUST OVER A 24 HOUR DELAY, OF WHICH A HOTEL WAS PROVIDED FOR ABOUT 7 HOURS OF THIS. 5 HOURS WAS SPENT IN AL AIN AIRPORT WITH NO INFORMATION, NO FOOD, NOR DRINK. THE REST OF THE TIME WE WERE KEPT ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT WITH VERY LIMITED REFRESHMENTS OF RATHER POOR QUALITY. WHAT WOULD A PROPER AIRLINE DO... APOLOGISE PERHAPS AND PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR MOST OF THE DELAY WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TOLD WHAT THERE RESPONSIBILITIES WERE... PERHAPS A PROPER AIRLINE WOULD ISSUE MEAL VOUCHERS AT THE AIRPORT...PERHAPS A PROPER AIRLINE WOULD CARRY ABOUT 20 MINUTES WORTH OF EXTRA FUEL TO ALLOW FOR BAD WINDS OR ANY OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES... MOST OTHER FLIGHTS MANAGED TO DO THIS WHY COULDN'T ETIHAD???IT APPEARS THIS CASE ISN'T A ONE OFF EITHER.