sabdhabi

I am starting this discussion to try and get the opinion of fellow Gold Elite members with regard to cabin crew recognition of such passengers.

This is the beginning of my second year as a Gold Elite member. I travel reasonably often and usually in business class. A few months ago I flew Washington to Abu Dhabi and was upgraded from Business to First. During the flight, the cabin crew manager came to my seat and asked me if I would like to join the Etihad Guest programme. I showed him my boarding pass and indicated to him that I was already a Gold Elite member. He looked embarrassed and apologised profusely.

Last month I flew from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi in Business. In the galley shortly after take off, I glanced at the piece of paper which the cabin crew fill out with regards to passenger requests, namely beverages, meals and seat numbers. On this piece of paper, I also noticed a small box in which the passengers' Etihad Guest status should be recorded. However, this was blank for all passengers. During both post take off drinks and meal service, it didn't seem to matter whether you were at the front, in the middle or at the back of the cabin with regards to who got served first. It seemed a bit of a lottery. When I eventually got served my meal, I asked the cabin crew staff how come as a Gold Elite member I was last to be served with both my post take off drink and meal. He explained that they did not have a record on the passenger manifest of members' guest status. I found this hard to believe and politely told him so. I told him that on one occasion as a Gold member I flew to and from Muscat in economy and I got the fast-track immigration card when flying back to Abu Dhabi because the crew obviously knew of my status.

These are just a couple of recent examples of my slight dissatisfaction with lack of acknowledgement / recognition of my Gold Elite status by cabin crew members. Once or twice is understandable, but when it happens frequently then this is a different story.

Do any fellow Gold Elite members have any similar experiences?

EFATO

Absolutely! My experience is that I have NEVER been acknowledged in Biz or First class, but almost always in Economy. Am sitting in the back of a flight right now, my partner & I both got a welcome from the cabin senior, first service on meals & champagne + real wine on request.

This is the first flight in 8 flights in Economy though - on none of the Biz flights did I get an acknowledgement.

It is quite unfortunate - plus I hear rumours from the lounge staff that Gold Elite may not be invited back into the First Class lounge when it reopens in the summer. This would really devalue GE and relegate it to nothing more than a slightly glorified Gold.

sabdhabi

Thanks for that EFATO. I am glad it's not just me. If it's true what you hear about Gold Elite not being invited back to the refurbished First Class lounge, then I won't be going that extra mile to retain my current status. You are 100% right in saying that it would be nothing more than a slightly glorified Gold. Let's hope the rumours are incorrect. Keep me posted if you hear anything and I will do likewise. My next flights out of AUH, so far, are 13 February and 27 March.

Incidentally, I do enjoy the Thai Airways first class lounge in BKK courtesy of Gold Elite status. That is far far superior to their Royal Orchid Lounge which Etihad and other airlines share.

LausanneBoy

AFAIK the manifest does come with the pax status next to it but I think it depends on the CSM/crew.

I was once upgraded from Y to F at the gate (at an EU outstation) with the CSM waiting for me on the jet bridge and thanking me for being a GE and he hopes that I don't mind him moving my seat assignment to F ^^

I've only flown EY in Y once on an EU-AUH flight, and on that flight the CSM came to greet and gave me the fast track card, and ensured my red plastic cup was constantly refilled with champagne from F

Other times in J I think they're just so swamped with the sheer number of pax they usually don't do anything, unless there was a service issue then a gentle reminder to the CSM will send them running around with apologies.

ahmed2020

To be honest I think you should be embarrassed by such a comment. I'm not sure this is something significant enough to be upset about. Being modest and altruistic will give you more happiness in life!

mlqsko

I didn't know Golds have priority drink/meal serving.

What's next? Skip the line for the toilet because you're Gold?

LausanneBoy

For what is worth, not sure if it's because I'm GE or it's SOP, but the FA's usually insist on servicing/refreshing the lav every time before I use it

mlqsko

I am sure it's because of your GE status

EFATO

The main reason to care about meal priority is to get your meal choice before it runs out. I do prefer them to ask me what I prefer at the beginning of service instead of ending in a "sorry Sir, we are out of your choice" by the time they get to me.

As for the toilet queue, sure! Just last night I was escorted to the F toilet because the J toilets were full

mlqsko

I do understand you reasons to care, but this is not something you're entitled of and you have no reason to complain

I am not entirely sure your status had anything to do with the usage of the F toilet last night

aussielori

is this when flying Thai ? or EY
I was not aware that EY G+gets F lounge there.
though I havent flown in biz for a while thru BKK and only ever Thai.
also I don't remember being welcomed as G+ anywhere. and really nothing else is really worth the bother. I have 25k to go to retain and i think I am going to put the flts to VA as at least for the extra 500 status credits u get a partner gold .
I gave my EY partner gold 18 mths ago.

m0hamed

The problem with unpublished benefits is that you can't complain when they aren't enforced. It also creates angst from elite who have come to expect them.

On QF the CSD/CSM is supposed to greet all Platinums and higher personally on international flights. If you are flying F, this happens already. It often also happens in J. So you don't notice anything out of the ordinary unless you are in Y or Y+.

OP already indicated that he has seen one manifest that had no FF details for all pax, so perhaps at some outstations this information isn't relayed. I find with EY service varies drastically so it could also be a lazy CSM.

sabdhabi

The first class lounge access in BKK is given to EY passengers who hold Gold Elite regardless of class of travel. I am assuming that this is the same at all other airports which do not have an exclusive Etihad lounge of their own, namely access to first class lounges. The check-in staff give you the usual lounge invitation, but write "First" on it.

m0hamed

MEL, PER and until recently SYD were either NZ Koru Lounges or the QF Business Lounge. Looking at http://www.etihad.com/en-au/experien...dwide-lounges/ there a lot of stations where there is no corresponding F Lounge available.

PER does not have a QF F Lounge. Even when EY used SYD QF Lounges, QF F was never on offer.