Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Purchase first class and fly business on Etihad

Etihad Airways promoted business class seats as first class, duping travellers into forking out thousands of dirhams.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline in July this year was advertising what it called "First Special" seats on its Web site. Travellers booked seats on the understanding they were booking first class seats (pictured). Not so, says the airline - they were business class seats that were called "First Special."

http://www.malaysianews.net/story/560542

Wow. What's "First Special," anyway? This is pretty embarrassing for Etihad.

This is the problem with newly established airlines. They can not provide you with consistent product all the time. They change planes and products many times per day and they never compensate you for failure to provide the correct product that you paid for.

I had the same problem with QR which I bought with them first class ticket all the way from LHR to HKG and then I ended up in business class for the sector DOH-HKG as they don't operate First class DOH to HKG. However, they kept selling their tickets in LHR as if it is First class all the way.

This is the problem with newly established airlines. They can not provide you with consistent product all the time. They change planes and products many times per day and they never compensate you for failure to provide the correct product that you paid for.

I had the same problem with QR which I bought with them first class ticket all the way from LHR to HKG and then I ended up in business class for the sector DOH-HKG as they don't operate First class DOH to HKG. However, they kept selling their tickets in LHR as if it is First class all the way.

Usually you can look on your itinerary and it will list the class of service. If your agent was advertising an all first class ticket, then you would have recourse. Many agents think first=business since they normally fly Y and represent it that way.

FFS should have checked the forum first.
Just booked a Diamond First ticket (fare type first special). I hope i have not wasted AED2000 extra for what i though was an F ticket. I will be a very unhappy customer if i have:mad:

This is silly. The first special fare is a discounted first class fare, and the cabin flown is first. Make a booking, and the summary will show you the class of travel, and you can go on to select a seat in the first cabin. It may have been a business cabin for parts of the journey in which a first cabin is not offered.