AUH - a big fat thumb down
Mar 19, 2017, 9:00 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
Programs: TINDER GOLD, STARBUCKS GOLD, COSTCO EXECUTIVE!!
Posts: 3,989
- The biggest joke - US Pre-Clearance. Never again. Security is some kind of
a payback, my wife is blond and it's her third time in a row she was pulled
for the secondary, very unpleasant screening. 3 times for 3. Plus they made
her remove almost all her loose cloth, in the same time all the local
women wearing heavy, fully covering stuff were let go without a comment.
a payback, my wife is blond and it's her third time in a row she was pulled
for the secondary, very unpleasant screening. 3 times for 3. Plus they made
her remove almost all her loose cloth, in the same time all the local
women wearing heavy, fully covering stuff were let go without a comment.
But yes. The rest of your post still holds. AUH is quite terrible. EY is terrible too, if it weren't for their amazing hard product.
Mar 19, 2017, 10:50 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 354
As much as we love Etihad First class on both 777 and 380,
AUH makes us sick. We just don't want to come back here ever again
- Chauffeur service is great, but the driver made us both sea-sick
this morning and it's not easy. Still, a great service.
- First class check in/immigration - great.
- So-called First class lounge is a huge NOTHING. Years of renovation
and the result is an average Ikea style restaurant with mediocre service
and average food. But the biggest joke is that it's a "First class" lounge.
With the crowds we saw this morning there is no way they all are flying First.
I have no idea about the rules, but they let everybody in, including their
uncles and grandmas. Comparing to Qatar lounge in Doha - a sad joke.
- They force you to go to the US flights very early, we waited as long
as we could and we almost didn't make it (!). With Global Entry...
- They force you to pass the huge crowds in those sad, low ceiling,
no oxygen duty free stores. Very little AC anywhere past that, huge crowds
attacking you from every angle.
- The biggest joke - US Pre-Clearance. Never again. Security is some kind of
a payback, my wife is blond and it's her third time in a row she was pulled
for the secondary, very unpleasant screening. 3 times for 3. Plus they made
her remove almost all her loose cloth, in the same time all the local
women wearing heavy, fully covering stuff were let go without a comment.
Security section fast track covers probably everybody, plus it's just one lane,
so it's super slow.
Immigration - not a single Global Entry kiosk is working!!! No words. And according
to some comments, this has been going on forever! They can't fix even one?
At least they have the self-service machines now, but still what a waste.
Comparing to 5 minutes it usually takes us to pass immigration
at a US airport - a sad, sad joke.
- Past US clearance lounge - didn't have time, but looks very small
and crowded, I guess not different from their "flagship" "First class" lounge...
Sorry Etihad, never again
AUH makes us sick. We just don't want to come back here ever again
- Chauffeur service is great, but the driver made us both sea-sick
this morning and it's not easy. Still, a great service.
- First class check in/immigration - great.
- So-called First class lounge is a huge NOTHING. Years of renovation
and the result is an average Ikea style restaurant with mediocre service
and average food. But the biggest joke is that it's a "First class" lounge.
With the crowds we saw this morning there is no way they all are flying First.
I have no idea about the rules, but they let everybody in, including their
uncles and grandmas. Comparing to Qatar lounge in Doha - a sad joke.
- They force you to go to the US flights very early, we waited as long
as we could and we almost didn't make it (!). With Global Entry...
- They force you to pass the huge crowds in those sad, low ceiling,
no oxygen duty free stores. Very little AC anywhere past that, huge crowds
attacking you from every angle.
- The biggest joke - US Pre-Clearance. Never again. Security is some kind of
a payback, my wife is blond and it's her third time in a row she was pulled
for the secondary, very unpleasant screening. 3 times for 3. Plus they made
her remove almost all her loose cloth, in the same time all the local
women wearing heavy, fully covering stuff were let go without a comment.
Security section fast track covers probably everybody, plus it's just one lane,
so it's super slow.
Immigration - not a single Global Entry kiosk is working!!! No words. And according
to some comments, this has been going on forever! They can't fix even one?
At least they have the self-service machines now, but still what a waste.
Comparing to 5 minutes it usually takes us to pass immigration
at a US airport - a sad, sad joke.
- Past US clearance lounge - didn't have time, but looks very small
and crowded, I guess not different from their "flagship" "First class" lounge...
Sorry Etihad, never again
In terms of pre-clearance i really love it. Even on a bad day you breeze through compared to any wait time in the US whether your a foreigner or not. Although recently US citizen lines have been even longer than tourists. Having global entry may change that in your case but for 90% of people that dont it really is a much more pleasant experience.
In terms of screening thats just bad luck or something made them check again as that has never happened to me there. In the US however have regularly received secondary screening for no apparent reason.
Just a busy day at auh, but even then still sounds better than most other experiences you can get to fly back home.
Mar 25, 2017, 6:51 am
#18
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Mar 25, 2017, 6:59 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,598