Irishguy, thank you for the reassurance. I did have luggage checked in and the counter staff, though clueless about giving me anything in writing (including my unused boarding pass), were very helpful and even came with me to clear back through immigration and even came to see me off at the taxi stand. This courtesy was extended because I came to their defense from several other angry passengers who were growing infuriated with more than half a dozen repeated announcements by Etihad that the plane has landed but took an unusually long time to get ready for the next flight. My stopover at AUH was going to be 3 hours, and I kept repeatedly asking for assurance that I will make the connecting flight - when they finally said no - that I would either be put on a different flight of another carrier or given accomodation in AUH at the airline's expense, I asked if I have the option not to fly - which they confirmed yes. On my asking them what happens after I offload, the head counter staff woman told me I will have to call Etihad help line as they do not have any authority to decide on such issues. I thanked them and they all were very appreciative and, like I said, even came all the way to the taxi stand to see me off and wish me a good stay in Mumbai.

But the Etihad customer service people are now wrongfully accusing me of not showing up at the counter - which is proposterous since the counter staff took back my boarding passes, both for the BOM-AUH flight as well as the connecting flight which, by then, was confirmed would not be able to wait for me.

it seems Etihad has not or would not check the documentation and feedback from counter staff at the mumbai airport, hence are refusing to either to refund my ticket or issue a new one. I am just about to fly to LOS on Emirates in a few hours after having been delayed for 3 days and having shelled out three times as much as the cost of the original ticket.

Do I have any otehr options but to consider the cost of that ticket as a donation to Etihad - which I agree with Ahmeda2020 was distastefully used.