Etihad service in J. Anyone else disappointed?

[Jemm82]

Hi everyone,

I just returned from Moscow via AUH (a380) and I have to say i was really disappointed.

From Moscow to AUH there were minor issues such as slow service and rude FA's but on our major leg from AUH to Melbourne I was really shocked. Approx 10minutes after boarding I was offered a welcome drink of water or juice (no champagne which was today I could have after take off), another 15 minutes for pyjamas and slippers (another 10mins for my husband to receive) no FA's introduced themselves, welcomed me aboard, or used my name (this is understandable considering how many people are in J on this plane but they still lacked professionalism or passion....the staff came off aloof and bored. After taking my order for breakfast (which I found very limited ESP compared to SQ) the attendant said for me to call her as soon as I was ready to sleep so she could make my bed. Approx one hour later I pressed the call bell, waited over 5 minutes and asked the FA (different one to whom took my breakfast order) if she could make my bed for me. I was met wth a very annoyed facial expression and after a few seconds of arkward silence a very rude comment that "don't I know I do this myself!?"I have never used Etihad business before So I was unsure of the process, however I had already tried reclining the seat myself but nothing happened. When I asked this FA how to do it myself she sighed with frustration and showed me the lit buttons to use. I then explained I had tried that and it didn't work. She no kindly responded with "fine, let me do it for you" . Yet again, the seat would not recline. At this point she walked off and another FA came over to fix my seat.

I felt stupid for thinking there would be a mattress topper and that staff would want to make the bed for me. Yet as I was departing the plane I saw that many other seats did have a mattress topper. This annoyed me to no end.

Upon breakfast time I was asked again to make an order and even then only half of it was delivered. The hash brown was cold and completely wet, my one half slice of toast crumbled to pieces when I bit into it, and I only had one mouthful of my Omlette. My husband ordered the same meal but was also given a chocolate crissoant, plain crissoant but no toast. He had no condiments for his plain crissoant.

I personally find the cabin over cluttered and lacking in privacy for middle seats (wanted to sit next to husband) I could see everything the passenger on the window side was doing and the passenger sitting behind him in the rear facing seat kept looking over at what I was doing.

Furthermore at no point did any FA's collect any rubbish including the large plastic sheet from the blanket, and took ages to clear plates. I was never asked by staff if I would like/need anything else and was also treated as though I was complaining when I simply let them know the water sensor was not working in the toilet.

Maybe I am just expecting too much but after flying SQ business where the FA's can't do enough for you or even business on Qantas or Virgin where they welcome you, use your name, remember your orders, bring service promptly and make your bed. I'm also used to a large selection of food/drink and FA's excited to bring you numerous amounts of each (I couldn't decide on desserts on SQ so they gave me both, I didn't want any of the magazines she offered so she asked what ones I would liked to read etc.)

So, after this experience I am wondering am I missing something?? Was this just an "off" experience or have other people experienced the same kind of boredom and rudeness from staff in J? Also I noticed people rave about seats on Etihad a380 and whilst I must say their bed is the best I've had, I hated the cabins and would much prefer the 1-2-1 seat allocations such as on SQ. So, is there a reason people still often prefer Etihad and adore the a380?

 

[clazman]

I have experienced this on many airlines, the key to a great service experience is staff that are happy to work.

 

[knasty]

I had excellent service Syd-Auh-Lhr; both legs had English hostesses and reminded me of the Virgin Atlantic experience despite full loading. Return leg from Auh-Syd was shocking service noted by a number of passengers requesting a chat with the CSM. EY seems more of a lottery than SQ for example.

 

[Isabelj28]

I had excellent service Syd-Auh-Lhr; both legs had English hostesses and reminded me of the Virgin Atlantic experience despite full loading. Return leg from Auh-Syd was shocking service noted by a number of passengers requesting a chat with the CSM. EY seems more of a lottery than SQ for example.

When you say 'shocking service' what do you mean? I'm flying business with Etihad and want to know what things would be classed as reasonable, just so I don't have unrealistic expectations.

 

[bam71]

We're semi regulars on EY ( around 4 - 5 trips a year in J or P) and we've also noticed a slip in service. We've put it down to cost cutting. They're not making the $$ anymore, and staff morale is lower ....

 

[Jack_OC]

I have travelled in J with EY on over 40 occasions, including 12 flights last year, and while there is a bit of a hit and miss factor with EY, I would say you were very unlucky. I have certainly never had an experience anything like as bad as yours.

I'm pretty sure that every time I have flown with them the CSM or equivalent has come around and introduced himself/herself to everyone on board, addressed me by name etc. I remember once not getting offered a welcome drink, but to be fair it was a bit chaotic with Y passengers boarding via the J cabin, and when I attracted an FA's attention about this she apologised, got me some champers immediately, and came back to top my glass up twice before takeoff! In fact, it's not unusual to be offered a top up or two of bubbles pre takeoff on EY (without asking), and I can't recall that happening much (if ever) with any other airline. Also, what I really like about EY is that they take orders for post takeoff drinks and food before they get moving, which means that most people have a drink and some nuts or whatever within minutes of takeoff, followed by a meal soon after if desired. They are also generally very good at proactively topping up drinks throughout the flight.

However, as I said they can be a bit hit and miss, and I would say particularly when it comes to "warmth" of service. I have seen a lot of EY FAs that never smile, chat etc. This could be a cultural thing in some cases - they have staff from all over the globe. Also, while their "dine any time" concept is great, I think it leads to a certain amount of randomness when it comes to meal service. I have on more than occasion waited ages after ordering something to eat, sometimes having to press the bell again and ask what's going on. I wonder if this is down to maybe several people ordering at the same time, when perhaps some of the FAs are on breaks etc - as opposed to a designated meal time when it's all hands on deck and there is a consistent and clear process being followed. Also, while the quality of food on EY is generally excellent, for me breakfast is the weak link with most airlines, and that is definitely the case with EY. It's also true that the number of choices is quite limited compared to SQ's Book the Cook, for example.

All things considered, I rate EY's J service pretty highly, but it's not quite as good as SQ's. I would say it's probably better than QF/VA though, and significantly better than other airlines that I have travelled with in J long haul (Malaysia, Thai, Lufthansa, Air France, United and American).

 

[N860CR]

I've had similar experiences with etihad and they're one of my last airline choices. Some staff are good, but some are just awful and really ruin the whole experience. I find Abu Dhabi to be a pretty average airport so am happy not to pass through it. Etihads ground service isn't great either and I've always had issues with booking and confirming the car service (or even having it show up...)

Don't bother sending any feedback to customer service - they're hopeless. Just fly someone else next time

 

[knasty]

When you say 'shocking service' what do you mean? I'm flying business with Etihad and want to know what things would be classed as reasonable, just so I don't have unrealistic expectations.

No pre flight drink. Evening flight - Ordered food with everyone else, at the two hour mark my food still hadn't arrived whilst others were finishing dessert. Mine arrived just as I was dozing off. It wasn't just me; passenger across the aisle had something similar. No proactive drink refills. Asked not to be woken for breakfast; was woken for breakfast. Had way better service in BA Y several days earlier - staff went out of their way to check we were taken care of with drinks etc.

 

[Jack_OC]

No pre flight drink. Evening flight - Ordered food with everyone else, at the two hour mark my food still hadn't arrived whilst others were finishing dessert. Mine arrived just as I was dozing off. It wasn't just me; passenger across the aisle had something similar. No proactive drink refills. Asked not to be woken for breakfast; was woken for breakfast. Had way better service in BA Y several days earlier - staff went out of their way to check we were taken care of with drinks etc.

That really is shocking. Being woken for breakfast is really bizarre, as they don't have a designated breakfast service time - you either order breakfast at the time of your choosing or you don't. I never have breakfast on the AUH-MEL evening departures, and I've never been asked if I want it, even if I've been awake when others have been getting it (as that's supposed to be the whole concept - the passenger decides what they want to eat and when, as opposed to the old idea of serving meals to the whole cabin at a particular time). I wonder if they got seat numbers mixed up or something? A terrible way to compound already poor service in any event.

 

[knasty]

Who knows. As I mentioned chalk and cheese vs British crews on the way over who were fantastic. I'd be willing to give them another go except for the devaluation on reward redemptions via the programs of AA (many more points) and VA (surcharges).

 

[N860CR]

Who knows. As I mentioned chalk and cheese vs British crews on the way over who were fantastic. I'd be willing to give them another go except for the devaluation on reward redemptions via the programs of AA (many more points) and VA (surcharges).

That's the issue with both etihad and Emirates. The diversity of crews doesn't create a consistent experience.

I flew EK SYD-AKL and then AKL-SYD a few days later. It was like 2 different airlines. Great crew on the way over who proactively served the J cabin, whereas on the flight back they couldn't have cared less (when I asked for a wine top up, I copped an eye roll and "what, should I just leave you the bottle"). Also sampled 3 different J seats on the return and the IFE worked on none of them - again response from crew was a "yes they're clearly not working"

 

[Jack_OC]

Who knows. As I mentioned chalk and cheese vs British crews on the way over who were fantastic. I'd be willing to give them another go except for the devaluation on reward redemptions via the programs of AA (many more points) and VA (surcharges).

BTW, I'd say it was just coincidence that most of the crew were British on one of your flights. As far as I understand it, most if not all of their staff are based in Abu Dhabi, and on pretty much all of the flights that I've taken, there has been an apparently random mixture of nationalities. I think they try to have at least one or two who are local to the destination - for example on flights into Dublin there will normally be at least one Irish FA, but most will be from elsewhere.

 

[spudseamus]

I like to fly EY to Dublin as the one stop is fine by me. My experience has been wonderful with Etihad against the flights on Sin / Thai / Luf / Qf. Which in one way or another were very disappointing. I would agree that the Crew " make or brake " a flight .

 

[maz1]

When you say 'shocking service' what do you mean? I'm flying business with Etihad and want to know what things would be classed as reasonable, just so I don't have unrealistic expectations.

Same for me- I hope i'm not disappointed as I have high expectations of this airline

 

[knasty]

BTW, I'd say it was just coincidence that most of the crew were British on one of your flights. As far as I understand it, most if not all of their staff are based in Abu Dhabi, and on pretty much all of the flights that I've taken, there has been an apparently random mixture of nationalities. I think they try to have at least one or two who are local to the destination - for example on flights into Dublin there will normally be at least one Irish FA, but most will be from elsewhere.

Indeed the overall crew was mixed nationality, 'my' crew British.

 

[Lemon_Party]

I flew PER-AUH-LHR before christmas and the whole journey (PER QF lounge excepted) was spectacular, one of the best flight(s) I've ever had. So it would seem to be pot luck. Service on way back (one leg in F) probably wasn't quite as polished tbh, but still good.
On the PER-AUH leg for every course the FA's waited at the galley till both were ready and would walk each aisle together to place mine and +1 meal down in sync. Small things, but the whole experience was extremely good - very attentive, friendly and professional staff - it made the start of our holiday.

My first etihad experience and I was impressed - particularly after reading some reviews like in this thread.

 

[Pleb Status]

Having just flown LHR-AUH-PER in J last Sunday, I am reasonably happy with the EY J product overall and the service level was similar to previous EY experiences.

In comparison to EK, I would rate EY better onboard the aircraft (service, seating on 388/789) but EK better offboard (lounges etc). I did not receive a 'welcome' from the CSM on either flight but was 'welcomed' by the FA assigned to my area of J. Service was adequate but did not match the better Asian carriers. No PJs or mattress topper were offered (do EY offer these on any flights?).

One thing I did like is the new (for me at least) 'dine at anytime' concept in J. If you eat in the F lounge just before the flight, it is good to allow three or four hours to pass before eating again on the aircraft. I would like this concept to filter through to all airlines. I know a number of airlines offer it in F.

One other thing to note was the J seat on the 388 was very hard, even after adjusting the seat cushion stiffness. The same J seat is used on the 789 and is more comfortable.

 

[darraghk]

I have found the a380 service inferior to the 777/330 crews. The larger cabin is more impersonal and the FAs seem to run around and ignore you half the time.
Nicer cabin and flight but a worse soft service.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Having just flown LHR-AUH-PER in J last Sunday, I am reasonably happy with the EY J product overall and the service level was similar to previous EY experiences.

In comparison to EK, I would rate EY better onboard the aircraft (service, seating on 388/789) but EK better offboard (lounges etc). I did not receive a 'welcome' from the CSM on either flight but was 'welcomed' by the FA assigned to my area of J. Service was adequate but did not match the better Asian carriers. No PJs or mattress topper were offered (do EY offer these on any flights?).

One thing I did like is the new (for me at least) 'dine at anytime' concept in J. If you eat in the F lounge just before the flight, it is good to allow three or four hours to pass before eating again on the aircraft. I would like this concept to filter through to all airlines. I know a number of airlines offer it in F.

One other thing to note was the J seat on the 388 was very hard, even after adjusting the seat cushion stiffness. The same J seat is used on the 789 and is more comfortable.

I was on the AUH-PER flight the day before you. Mattress toppers were handed out, but they are pretty thin tbh. I didn't notice a firmness issue, but I do think that they have staggered the seats a little different. On the 789 I felt like I was looking directly at the pax across the aisle, whereas the 388 their head was definitely hidden from view by the seat in front of me and it felt a little more private. That said, its still a pretty cracking seat/studio.

I felt like the footwell was slightly wider on the 388 as well - I'm a side/foetal sleeper and felt like my shins were pushed against the side wall more on the boeing. Probably all in my head though...

 

[Pleb Status]

I was on the AUH-PER flight the day before you. Mattress toppers were handed out, but they are pretty thin tbh. I didn't notice a firmness issue, but I do think that they have staggered the seats a little different. On the 789 I felt like I was looking directly at the pax across the aisle, whereas the 388 their head was definitely hidden from view by the seat in front of me and it felt a little more private. That said, its still a pretty cracking seat/studio.

I felt like the footwell was slightly wider on the 388 as well - I'm a side/foetal sleeper and felt like my shins were pushed against the side wall more on the boeing. Probably all in my head though...

I completely agree with your observations Lemon_Party.

Were you sitting in a window seat (it appears so)? I was sitting in a forward facing window seat on both sectors and the 388 felt far more spacious due to the presence of the standard storage bins between the wall of the aircraft and the J suite. On the 789, the J suite is just rammed against the wall and immediately felt more cramped (particularly when flying the two aircraft back to back).

The EY J studio on the 388/789 is probably the best staggered J arrangement I have experienced to date. However, I still prefer most reverse herringbone J arrangements like those offered by CX/VA/QR etc.