akalra1187

In an ideal world...

The luxury airline.

• Frequent flyer program that tracks patterns and offers real rewards like a guaranteed effort to upgrade frequent customers.
• Limo service worldwide in either an S Class, Range Rover or Maserati and you can make your choice, we won't choose for you. Similarly it's one car per ticket so if you're three people traveling we recommend an S class to sit in and two Range Rovers to provide convoy and porterage, or whatever combination suits you.
• Personalised food and drink selection, we understand some people are excited to try Dom Perigon and Caviar, but we also understand some people would rather have their favourite vintage of Sassicia on board, and others can't do without a Islay whisky, similarly request anything from Sushi to Channa Bhatura to Blanquette de Veau.
• Seat padding was our biggest problem with other airlines premium cabins, we offer a firm orthopaedic seat and a plush topper for sleeping.
• Onboard lounge, because we are an all premium airline, we have space to offer a full lounge on board with two separate bars, library, two screening rooms and four shower rooms.
• Two classes of service, Elite and Premier; Elite offers a business class style flat bed and (2) wines and spirits of your pre selected choice up to US$70 per bottle from our extensive elite beverage range.
• Premier is our First class equivalent but much better. Your chauffeur will take you to our lounge or straight to the plane if you wish. A separate bed and desk style seat on board. You can order two vehicles per person at both ends of your journey if you are one person travelling to provide convoy and porterage services. Two passengers can order three vehicles and so on. (3) wines spirits and liqueurs of your choice up to a value of US$300 per bottle from our extensive Premier beverage range. Menus by Alain Ducasse available. Priority reservations for screening rooms and shower rooms. And a personal assistant service that will greet you on arrival and complete hotel check ins and other arrangements, we don't leave you to your own devices until you are settled at your destination.
• Two screening rooms with Netflix, Hulu, BluRay player and 90" projection screens.
• Crystal bar with mellow music and a long bar or Lounge bar with ambient music and dim lights.
• Mosaic shower rooms with oversized fluffy towels and Sisley Paris bath amenities. Our attendants will press your clothes and shine your shoes while you shower.

NoY

Buy yourself a private jet.

tommy123

A quick way through the shambles of AUH is requesting a wheel chair...i did this last month and was through in 5 minutes , leaving the masses queuing behind....then just get up and walk away , to the amazement of the gawping zombies stuck behind.....what a quick recovery I made....but it works , and I shall be doing the same next month , because I'm fed up having status with Etihad and no fast track is available ....may I suggest everyone tried this and hopefully they might get the message

amnicoll

Might try it but it is a sad state of affairs when it comes down to this for what ought to be a basic part of the offering

eddibabyyeah

I can't believe someone would go thru this just to get on the plane quickly. Personally, I don't understand what the rush is to get on quickly when you will be you will spend XX hours sat down

tommy123

Nothing to do with rushing for the plane....a nice shower and a drink in the lounge is why I'm in a hurry

meelosh

Well, let me tell you about my experience with a wheelchair in AUH. I had a medical emergency (but not to that extent that I had to be driven to a proper hospital), so I was on a wheelchair from my flight to the clinic in the terminal (after security). No one would move for a wheelchair escorted by a doctor and a nurse in uniform unless yelled at (by them). But the worst was a lady that refused to step aside at transit security because she was "flying business class and shouldn't be kept waiting anymore". I think the doc actually pushed her aside. Cherry on top was UAE security who insisted that I should walk through metal detectors rather than them doing the manual check since "I wasn't paralyzed".

NoY

The things some people will do for small “pleasures” really is quite bizarre

amnicoll

This is missing the point completely. As premium passengers it is reasonable to expect (as at most airports around the world) that when transferring there are separate channels for any security screening (this is after all part of why one pays for business class or first).

At Abu Dhabi unfortunately there is usually no separation and thus long queues for every one (with only a few of the security channels even open to make things worse). Indeed before the lanes were moved there were separate channels but it was quicker to use the economy lane because, as only once you were stuck in the slow moving premium queue, it became obvious that they only had one channel open and thus it was taking longer than for the economy.

In the middle of the night it is not much fun being stuck queuing for 30+ minutes

Now this is an airport problem with not having staff on duty but the thing is despite complaints Etihad, as the airports biggest user, is unwilling to fight on behalf of their Premium customers to get the service they expect

Etihad like it's Gulf competitors is an airline that has built up it success using Abu Dhabi as a hub and if that hub is an unpleasant experience then why should I continue to use it. Answer I am not one last flight using my air miles and that is it

NoY

No, no, no. It’s not the waffle you are spouting above that’s relevant to me in the context of my comments above - booking a wheelchair to avoid the lines IS! It’s ridiculous. Yes, yes, yes I get why he did it but I do not “get it”. Simple.

As for your dissatisfaction with EY/AUH Airport? Don’t fly them. Stop whinging & take action. Simple.

amnicoll

I have taken action indeed I said so in my post . Reading between the lines from this response from Etihad they have dedicated screening when it is not busy but when it is busy then they fail to give Premium passengers priority - just when it is needed!

I can assure you that we do have dedicated security machines that are available for premium guests transiting through Terminal 3 of Abu Dhabi airport and this is managed by ADAC directly.

During peak times, the airport security may ask guests to use the available machines as both the premium and economy passenger lines meet in the same area.

akalra1187

I totally agree with the first part of your post, and I think NoY is off base complaining about someone taking a wheelchair. The person should not have to take a wheelchair, and if the customer is forced to do something like that its not their fault anymore. Cause and effect, the effect is only relevant if the cause was just.

Now, about the second part of your post. Etihad have a great priority service for J and F passengers when you are leaving AUH. Its almost a separate terminal.
Once I transited through AUH (last March) and I was flying F DEL-(AUH)-LHR, I was escorted through security and to my connecting flight.
I can only assume the queues are during transit and not departing AUH. If this is the case I've suggested before, take a day out in AUH, it makes the journey much more pleasant, and theres a free 5* room and breakfast along with transfers. Others have said that one day wasted is going to cause them great distress, if that's the case then they don't need to fly premium either, there's simply no point, because clearly long connecting flights and the stress to the body thereof is irrelevant to them. Even if one flies F, two long flights with a connection is not going to allow them to arrive fresh, and they will probably have to sleep it off at the destination anyway, which they could have done overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Another suggestion to those who can't take a day transit, fly out on a Saturday afternoon when going eastbound, arrive in AUH early morning/late night and take a late afternoon flight out on Sunday. You will be at your destination ready to work for Monday. A working day isn't even wasted. I think the argument that a long layover wastes time doesn't quite make sense.

Dogmatick

NoY didn't complain as he has gone to some lengths to explain, what he said was that he didn't understand why someone would bother to do that for the sake of a couple of free drinks.

akalra1187

Exactly, and it shouldn't be such a hassle to be able to get a few drinks.

The fault is not with the customer, the fault is with the one who caused the customer to do it.

NoY

@:-)^^