‘Etihad’s Delayed Flight Spoiled Our Holiday. We Seek £3,300 in Compensation’

My husband, our two young sons, and I faced disappointment from Etihad on our trip to Catania, Sicily.

After several months of working in Abu Dhabi, we were eager to enjoy a holiday in March before heading back to the UK. We initially planned a flight from Abu Dhabi to Rome, followed by a connection to Catania. However, due to a technical issue with the Etihad aircraft, we experienced a delay exceeding five hours, during which the airline offered no food or water.

This significant delay caused us to miss our connecting flight in Rome. Upon contacting Etihad to book a replacement flight—there were no staff available to assist us in Rome—I learned that the earliest flight to Catania they could provide was scheduled for 4 PM the following day. Feeling we had no other choice, we reluctantly accepted this option, as we were supposed to reunite with our disabled daughter at the Catania airport. It was her first time flying alone from London, and I was anxious about her being left waiting.

After the call with Etihad, I discovered there were available seats on a 9 AM flight to Catania online. However, Etihad informed me that because a replacement flight had already been booked, they couldn’t move us to the earlier option. Frustrated, we decided to spend the night in a hotel in Rome, which Etihad covered.

The situation worsened when we arrived at the airport the next day for our replacement flight. Etihad denied our check-in, claiming our tickets were nonexistent in their system and the flight was fully booked.

Trying to maintain composure for our sons, I was worried about being stranded another night in Rome while our daughter waited alone in Catania. Desperate, we approached the ticket counter and purchased four seats on a flight to Palermo for €1,297. We then spent an additional €300 on a taxi from Palermo to Catania to reach our distressed daughter.

We eventually arrived 32 hours late. We had booked two nights at a hotel in Cefalu for €263 but missed the first night and arrived after 9 PM on the second night, rendering our accommodation ineffective for its intended purpose.

Since this incident, I have requested a refund from Etihad for the extra flight to Palermo, the taxi fare, and the missed hotel stay. We also incurred interest charges of £150 on our credit card for the new flights. In total, I believe Etihad owes us about £3,300, including a refund for our original tickets priced at £1,595. Despite reaching out to Etihad approximately 20 times since April, we have not received reimbursement or any form of compensation.

This trip was meant to be a special occasion celebrating our eldest son’s 10th birthday and creating lasting family memories, but it was overshadowed by our experience with Etihad. Name and address supplied

Katherine Denham’s Analysis

The initial long delay triggered significant complications for your travel, adversely affecting the first few days of your holiday and inducing considerable stress.

Your full itinerary was with Etihad, and the technical difficulties causing your missed connection warranted a free replacement flight to Catania from Rome.

It is peculiar that while Etihad secured you a flight the following day, they subsequently barred you from check-in. When I sought clarification from the airline, they could not provide an explanation for this mishap.

However, they did agree to refund your replacement flight tickets, taxi expenses, and one night’s hotel stay in Cefalu, amounting to €1,753.

You argued that since Etihad failed to deliver the service you paid for by not getting you to Catania, you were entitled to a refund of your original fare. Nevertheless, as your original ticket covered travel to Rome and Etihad later refunded your replacement ticket, they declined to refund that segment.

Etihad stated, “We apologize for the issues our customers faced during their journey. We have offered a refund for accommodations and ticket costs.”

But what about further compensation? Although you were traveling to an EU destination, Etihad, being based in Abu Dhabi, does not fall under EU flight delay compensation regulations. Ironically, had your flight originated from an EU country, you would have been eligible for compensation, placing your situation in a regulatory gray area.

Etihad did extend a $800 credit offer, which you declined since you have no plans to fly with them again. Despite my attempts to encourage the airline to provide cash compensation, they remained firm on their stance. You expressed: “We are extremely disheartened by this outcome. It seems Etihad does not acknowledge the distress they’ve caused us.”

Mattress Purchase Issues with Dreams

In September, I visited my local Dreams store to select a mattress for our new home. During my visit, a sales associate informed me about a heavily discounted mattress that was available due to a canceled order. Although it usually retailed for £1,700, he offered it at £1,000, including two pillows, a mattress protector, and a duvet—an enticing deal.

Upon checking out, I noticed the invoice showed that the mattress cost £540, while the additional items totaled £460. When delivery day arrived, the wrong mattress was sent; it was firm instead of the medium version I had ordered and bore someone else’s name.

After contacting customer service, I was informed that I received a display mattress, which was indicated on the invoice. However, this was not mentioned to me, leading to confusion regarding the pricing. They asserted that I should have realized it was a display item due to the price.

We referenced our consumer rights and insisted that Dreams ought to provide the mattress we had purchased. Dreams countered by offering £540 towards a new mattress but stated they could not replace the one I had originally ordered due to clearance guidelines, meaning I would need to pay an extra £1,160 for my chosen mattress.

Ultimately, they proposed a return of all items with an added £260 fee to acquire the correct mattress. As a result, we ended up purchasing a new mattress but received the incorrect one, prompting us to pay additional fees to get what we originally wanted.

Katherine Denham’s Response

Your shopping experience left you feeling misled, and you did not receive the product as expected.

The invoice lacked any indication that the mattress was a display or clearance item. Dreams informed me that incorrect information had been inputted in their system, indicating potential miscommunication during your visit. You clearly stated that had you been informed it was a former display mattress, you would have opted against the purchase.

The invoice also recorded that the mattress should have been medium, not firm. Dreams acknowledged a mix-up during delivery of the wrong item while failing to clarify the fate of the original medium mattress you ordered. Your preference was for a new product rather than a previously displayed one.

You coordinated for Dreams to collect the mattress in November, along with the included items, and begrudgingly covered the £260 to receive the correct mattress. This situation resulted from Dream’s internal mistakes, and once I got involved, they reimbursed you the £260 and provided an additional £100 as a goodwill gesture. Therefore, your total expense for the mattress was £900, a substantial discount of 47 percent off the regular price.

Dreams commented: “We have reviewed the situation and acknowledge that mistakes were made during this purchase. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.”

£1,803,029: the total amount Katherine Denham has saved readers in 2024

If you have a financial issue you’d like Katherine Denham to investigate, please email [email protected]. Include a phone contact.

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