Etihad ranked as a 5* airline by Skytrax

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

  • MrMichael
    Participant

    I want to fly on the 1 star airline (Air Koryo).


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    A step up from your normal ride, then? πŸ˜‰ At least they give free F&B.

    Flight Review: Air Koryo in Economy – Beijing to Pyongyang


    MrMichael
    Participant

    Actually FDOS over the past few years Iberia (3 star)have improved a great deal. If Willie Walsh keeps going as he has I have no doubt they will get 4 star ranking on Skytrax like the stablemates Aer Lingus and the other airline he manages (its name slips my mind). πŸ˜‰


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    More likely that all IAG airlines will end up as 3*, I think, as they are moving to an Iberia like model.


    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    My recent Iberia experience was a 50th Birthday trip to New York with the wife.

    Travelling in Economy MAD/JFK/MAD, after all it is only 7.5 hours out and about 6.15 hours a bus class ticket at EUR 3000 each wasn’t worth the money.

    The crew on both sectors came across as bored, going through the motions, poorly turned out and common courtesy was notable by its absence.

    One toilet was in a poor condition and my wife advises the crew of same. That was met with a shrug of the shoulders and no comment.

    I have found by and large Iberia ground staff are average at best.

    By comparison Iberia’s regional arm Air Nostrum, the cabin crew even on their relatively short flights are courteous, well turned out and cheerful.

    3 star for Iberia might a stretch


    rferguson
    Participant

    I could be wrong but did Etihad not have a bit of a public spat with Skytrax a few years ago and refuse to be involved with the annual survey at all or allow their flights to be reviewed? They’ve obviously made up!


    alainboy56
    Participant

    ‘Methinks’ there is some skulduggery afoot here.
    Yes EY did have a spat with SKYTRAX a couple of yer ago and now they have kissed and made up and voila! EY is now 5*, which in the air, yes sure, they are up there with QR on service in the air. However AUH is a mess right now, its ‘new’ temporary terminal (awaiting the new mid-field airport next year) is too small and congested and some of their other services on the ground such as Baggage Services (where they never answer the telephone) are awful. As an AUH resident for more than 20 years, I was one of the first supporters of EY and became a FFP member in the 1st week and quickly became a GOLD member. However I have let that slip in the last 2 years and now fly predominantly QR, and am not the only one, so things are not all good with EY. On a personal note and it was, in IMHO, a mistake to take away the grandeur of the former colour scheme too, it was really impressive. Now the ‘media goons’ have had their way, and convinced Mr Hogan that he needed to change a winning and regal livery scheme. Now we have a tail which is a mix up between CROATIAN and VOLETEA — ‘facets of the desert indeed’ – its hardly impressive anymore, and in some ways I believe EY have lost their identity a little, and have to restart again.
    Who on earth suggested that ‘patchwork quilt’ on the tail?
    Remember another airline anyone, who changed a regal and impressive scheme and started painting aircraft in silly colourful tail schemes which completely lost them their identity!
    I forget their name now, but someone out there will remind me.
    It seems that management never learn do they.


    Dominic Ellis
    Participant

    I raised it with the CEO last week.

    “The source of it was we were very passionate about our brand, and the process was extremely detailed and took a long time, and sometimes we feel we know what we deserve… but it was a process that took longer than we initially expected, that led to a short frustration, but it’s been worth the effort.”

    He acknowledged that there is work to do in this interim period before MTC opens.

    “If it’s misunderstood that we are celebrating that we have arrived that would be dangerous, this is not a celebration that we have arrived but proof point that we are on track. We have to keep delivering in line with our vision and mandate. If you want to be a great airline that journey is continuous.”


    alainboy56
    Participant

    @Dominic Ellis
    Its a pity you didn’t ask him about the very underwhelming ‘facets of the desert’ livery.
    And if I had the chance, I would have asked him one question. “Have you ever traveled by Alitalia – shall we say ‘incognito'”?


    Ahmad
    Participant

    Having recently flown Etihad long haul after many years, I am not at all surprised by the Skytrax ranking. Their services on the ground, online and in the air have improved considerably and in my opinion, having surpassed Emirates in more ways than one, are now more akin to Qatar. There was a time when Etihad had just been rated four star by Skytrax but their service, again in my personal opinion, hardly merited even three.

    With regard to Skytrax and their reviews/rankings, I stopped reading them several years ago!


    alainboy56
    Participant

    @Ahmad
    Agree with you on comparison with EK. They have been, especially in Business, better than EK for years. I had said in an earlier contribution, that I likened them to QR
    However I also said, that their ‘Ground services’ at AUH are not 5*


    Ahmad
    Participant

    @alainboy56
    I agree that the AUH hard product cannot be compared with the new DOH but feel that Etihad’s own ground product i.e. lounges, chauffeur service, premium check-in/fast track are now definitely at the top end of 4*, bordering on 5. On my last two visits, I also felt that Etihad’s ground personnel as indeed others, including immigration/security etc., at AUH are more customer friendly than they used to be. If I remember correctly, Qatar had been rated 5* by Skytrax while still at the old DOH!


    alainboy56
    Participant

    @Ahmad
    Ah yes the old DOH, with its Premium Terminal ‘where you can relax, unwind and enjoy our 5* treatment’ — loved it, much more than the big ‘impersonal’ HIA. But that’s progress I guess.
    With regard to EY, yes I do agree with you in the main, but I just feel that T3 is a mess, its too small/crowded, and if one is NOT travelling in F or J, as I sometimes do (depending on the route), its not very comfortable, and that is why I merely question if they are 5* quite yet.

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