Complaint ETIHAD Flight 6389: 29th January 2015

Passengers x 4 : Christine McKeown; Peter McKeown; Daniel McKeown; Nicholas McKeown
Within a group of 18 travellers.
Flight due to depart 08:20. Delayed to 08:50. Arrived gate 07:30. Boarding commenced approx 09:15

07:30 slight snow on runway. 08:55 snow started to fall heavy. No sign of snow clearing machinery until 09:00.

If flight had been kept to schedule and taken off at 08:50 no snow on runway – all would have been well.

14:00 : still sat on plane, not knowing what is happening. Told staff we are very hungry and needed to know what was going on, she replied Etihad are making arrangements to take passengers to hotel. No other passengers knew this, I told her best to announce to everyone.

14:10 Announcement: “in 20-30 minutes will know what is happening.

14:19 Announcement : “extreme weather, you will be taken to hotel to return back to airport at 8pm for 22:45 flight, subject to change”. Also “names will be called out to collect your Transit passenger boarding passes”. No names were called passengers stood to get their hold luggage.

All announcements were in broken English – very difficult to understand.

Passengers commenced to disembark. As I left the plane, I asked staff what about food, we had not had any breakfast or lunch, they replied “ food will be provided at hotel”.

Many passengers (including myself and family) did not know where to go, it was by chance we saw other passengers and followed them. Many passengers did go the wrong way. Etihad staff did not usher passengers through the airport. There was no one to follow or give advice. The staff should have been wearing hi viz, using a banner for passengers to follow.

It was total confusion as we entered the carousel section, not knowing which way to turn. I noticed one Etihad member of staff stood talking to a passenger – I asked her where we were going and advised her it would be much more productive if she was to stand at the bottom of the stairs announcing to all passengers which direction to go in rather than ‘chatting’.

Once outside in the freezing cold (bearing in mind many passengers were wearing thin clothing and footwear) passengers were left to stand in the snow and wet ground. Children were huddled to their parents for warmth. I gave a blanket to one child. Two members of Etihad staff were stood by coach, I suggested they ‘head count’ people (especially families with young children) onto the coach to enable speedier boarding and allocate people to the next coach. She replied “it’s too icy, no”. There was no ice and we all were already standing in snow/rain! It was apparent to me that she did not want to get her feet wet. Basically, they both ignored our request.

15:00 coach left airport. 15:30 arrive Park Hotel, Manchester. Upon arrival again total chaos, staff unable to process check in quickly, passengers standing in reception for over 45 minutes. Hotel staff announced they had only received the call from Etihad one hour prior to our arrival so unprepared.

Whilst at the hotel people were being given different information, some told leaving at 20:00 flying at 22:20, some told 05:00 flight next day.

Marion Issac and another member of Etihad staff arrived at the hotel, firstly eating their tea! Whilst all passengers were still waiting on their meals. A lady with a small child was concerned about nappies and changing as she had limited resources in the hold luggage and worried that she would run out. Marion requested a list and would buy the items needed – this, later transpired was never actioned. The gentleman with her when I asked him why the plane had not taken off as scheduled to avoid the snow, he replied in great detail explaining their technology was much greater and therefore the decision was made not to fly.

Marion explained everything that had happened during the delayed 5 hours sat on the plane – but none of this was explained during the wait..... why?

Hotel buffet was chaotic, people pushing and not lining up for food, put me off my food. No organisation. Chicken was halal, I prefer not to eat halal. No choice given.

There were 18 travelling in our group to which I have a bar bill of £197.25 which did not cover all the drinks purchased in addition to this I have a further £56.40 inn personal bar bills which need to be re-imbursed.


Return to airport
One in our group had purchased 125ml aftershave in the airport lounge which was taken from him during security check – very upsetting and annoying! Fortunately this was returned later, but he was not advised during confiscation that it would be returned.

I had mislaid our (4) boarding passes as I had assumed the ‘Transit passenger boarding passes’ would be okay. The stress I endured during our return to the Etihad desk and processing of new boarding passes was awful.

All passengers on board aircraft.

22:30 captain announcement “ intro and welcome”. In understandable English! None on previous flight. It was also clear the cabin crew were all different. Had we been kept on the plane for 5 hours whilst they completed their ‘shift’?

23:05 Plane reverses
23:15 Plane returns to parking position. Announcement “Airport closed”

If the plane had taken off as scheduled we would have been in the air before the airport was closed. This was not getting extremely frustrating and annoying, I personally was getting extremely anxious as my sons medicine would be running out (stock in luggage). I, along with two other passengers approached the crew – one passenger was extremely irate. I calmed him down as the stewardess responded to him: “if you don’t calm, sir I will have no choice but to have you removed from this aircraft” This was a disgusting response given the situation the passengers were in. I stated to the stewardess “He is angry, I am angry, you have a problem because every single passenger on this plane is angry. We have all been very understanding and considerate during the 5 hours of waiting earlier today but this cannot be expected of us again! I suggest you give more detailed information to everyone and explain everything, so that we can make an informed decision as to how our holidays’ commence not you. My son needs his medication (which I was running out of) so I need to get to my luggage within the next 10 hours.”

As I turned to return to my seat, a steward was in front of me with a tray of water and biscuits AGAIN! This was an insult to every passenger! I immediately told him “do not insult me with water and biscuits again, I suggest you offer warm drinks and sandwiches” all passengers agreed out loud. At this point the gentleman who had accompanied Marion Issac had boarded the plane in an attempt to calm the situation. He was explaining to a passenger “we cannot predict what the weather does”, I immediately stopped him to remind him of his earlier statement to me (at the hotel) I said “you knew snow was coming, you knew what we had been through, yet you are still not prepared!” He went quiet. He went on to ask me what sandwich did I want – my reply “ don’t quietly ask me, ask all the passengers, in fact announce what you are doing” I was getting very impatient with the lack of professionalism. He continued to refer back to our conversation at the hotel, I replied “talking about the past is not what I want to hear, deal with the present”.

23:38 Announcement “waiting to clear runway”.

23:57 Announcement “Hot sandwiches will be served but no alcohol whilst plane on ground”. A contradiction, as we were served alcohol during the morning’s 5 hour wait.

00:08 Announcement which was difficult to understanding, but something about the runway.

12:15 Seatbelts on. Plane reverses. But the snow outside was the worst it had been all day!!

12:30 Plane returns to parking position!!

At this point sandwiches and hot drinks served. But the sandwiches were frozen in the middle and a hard crust to the edges – what bit you could eat was disgusting!!

I had now gone 20 hours without food.

12:50 Take off! The runway was not clear, snow was falling very heavily still. All passengers had their hearts in their mouths – it was a terribly terrifying ordeal.

Arrive Abu Dhabi left waiting outside airport for over 90 minutes, no information, no guidance – felt we had been left stranded. Prior to waiting outside the airport we had walked in several directions trying to find out transport again no guidance or support.

Radisson hotel – food vouchers, no drinks vouchers. Needed toothbrushes and toiletries. I personally have a further request to refund the drinks purchased. Having to wear the same clothes for almost 2 days was awful.

The overall experience flying with Etihad was absolutely terrible. Staff uncooperative, unfriendly, unsupportive and uninformative. I understand the weather has a large effective on this situation, but Etihad made everything worse.


Signed:- _______________ _________________ ________________ _________________

Christine McKeown Peter McKeown Daniel McKeown Nicholas McKeown


Dated:- 16th February 2015