ethiad air

[bob99 0]

HI any one flown MAN to BKK Etiad would appreciate comments

Bob99

[Cennn3 0]

Flown Heathrow/Bangkok with them a few times. Good airline.

[pattysteve 34]

Yea many times,and providing you get the short stopovers at Abu Dhabi they are good.

Edited February 10, 2008 by pattysteve

[darkmancomes 75]

Hi B

Yes I agree with the others. I too have flown many tmes with Eithad they are excellent food wise service wise and planes good. Do howvever be aware that they also have some long stop overs in Abu and checki your flight confirmation. The reason I say this is that I booked in july for the short stop over flight in November. Got the confirmation in and glanced through it however nearer the time I got a change of times due to winter schedule (minutes only really) and thought nothing more of it. I should have looked at the check my flight at the bottom of the confirmation which showed I had been changed to a long stop over on one part. Howver let me make it quite clear I rang Eithad at their office in Manchester and nothing was a problem to them I got my flight changed ok I was flexible and wanted to stay a few more days. Anyway I would use them again and tried to this april but Emirates through dial a flight came in a good bit cheaper. So enjoy your trip.

 

[jacko 8,813]

The airport in Abu Dhabi is a negative.....

[Chivas 0]

Disagree with airport being a negative.

 

Smokers booths are clearly signed-impossible to get lost due to circular layout (ideal if your thai wife/girl is flying alone) cheap duty frees if you desire,plenty of seating,meet and greet ground staff when your flight lands redirecting you to next gate-not sure what more you require ??

Edited February 12, 2008 by Chivas

[Guest Fatboyfat]

Disagree with airport being a negative.

 

Smokers booths are clearly signed-impossible to get lost due to circular layout (ideal if your thai wife/girl is flying alone) cheap duty frees if you desire,plenty of seating,meet and greet ground staff when your flight lands redirecting you to next gate-not sure what more you require ??

 

Ditto above.

 

IMHO one of the best value for money Biz class, especially from Manchester, which avoids the Heathrow debacle. As mentioned check your offered flight times. The optimum stopovers at Abu Dhabi are about 2.5 Hours both directions. I have recently completed an outbound trip where the flight was delayed from Manchester (Nothing to do with Etihad, Manchester Airport problem). This left a 20 minute change at Abu-Dhabi, no problem for pax due to small design of airport, but imagine my surprise when the suitcases also arrived with me at Bangkok ! Whether that would happen in the case of 'Cattle Class" luggage is open to debate tho'.

Fairly long hike to gate at Manchester and a very long hike to gate at Bangkok, but all of the moving walkways "were" working. Apart from the blip last time, they have always been on time and are invariably early into Bangkok, up to 1 hour on occasions (Early morning arrival).

Free Limo available with Biz class, but beware when booking thru agents such as Airline Network, as they offer flight about 20 pound less, but will not honour the free limousine. The airline's website is easy to use and unlike most airlines, prices are in the vicinity of the cheapest on offer with no ambiguities as to flight connection times etc (you select the flights available).

Despite what is printed on your e-ticket confirmation, baggage allowance from Manchester is still 40 Kg Biz and I believe 30 Kg for cattle.

Lounges---- Abu Dhabi , Very good with free substantial food offerings in addition to drinks; Bangkok , OK sarnies and canapes plus drinks; Manchester "F'ing shite" Booze a plenty, but crap seating and the most substantial food on offer is a bag of stale Quavers

Edited February 12, 2008 by Fatboyfat

[yselmike 389]

You can avoid the Heathrow debacle if you can check in online

it removes that mess at the check in lines, the security scans#are getting a bit better

well I did not have to remove my shoes.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I agree with Fatboyfat. For value for money, their biz class is exceptional (flatbeds, computer power and a huge IFE screen in self-contained pods). As for Abu Dhabi ...... there will come a time when it is overcrowded, much the same as Doha/Dubai are experiencing at the moment, but it is currently only a few minutes between gates for arrivals and departures.

 

The days of varying standards/delays on leased aircraft seem to be a thing of the past amd the airline does seem to have its act together.

 

You can avoid the Heathrow debacle if you can check in online

it removes that mess at the check in lines, the security scans#are getting a bit better

well I did not have to remove my shoes.

 

Not if, as per the OP, you are travelling from Manchester.

[OmarinUK 0]

Hi Bob

Depends on what you expect!!

Travelled with Etihad on my last 4 visits to Los.

I'm not a very fussy person, found the service excellent everytime bar once when they ran out of choice of food on the menu. I wasn't hungry anyway!

Flight times were very good, all their flights departed at 10.00am from Manchester, with about a 2 1/2 hour stopover in Abu Dhabi, agree with the previous comments drab airport in Abu dhabi, but has a good point that it's really small, so you don't have to walk much during your changeover.

Arrival time in BKK was about 07.30 next day....if you're heading straight to Pattaya you would be there for 11.00 am easily....a few hours kip and out for the night!

Now they have changed their Saturday flight time to 21.00 giving you an arrival time in BKK of 19.30 next day...meaning that you don't get into Pattaya till say 23.00 (still, no rest for the wicked!)

Overall the in-flight service is brilliant, on all my flights the plane has never been full.

[jacko 8,813]

Disagree with airport being a negative.

It is some years since I went through Abu Dhabi, but then it was small (convenient if the place is empty, not so if busy), crowded and stinking of cigarette smoke. Smoking booths are of no use to me and the OP did not mention business class. Likely it is still better than LHR, I doubt whether checking in on-line would make much difference there as I would still have to do security at 2 airports and 2 gates and go through that horrendous connections centre, queues and packed buses. Edited February 12, 2008 by jacko

[yselmike 389]

Had a look on there web site for the Brussels-Bangkok return flights

it shows the times with the stopovers between 14-27 hours for just under 1000 Euro.

will stick with the direct flights from Amsterdam

[eltilza 0]

flew with them last two times

both heathrow via abu dab

 

planes clean, food ok inflight service a bit lacking - bloody romanian stewardess

everything ok except the stop over the airport is just ok

not up to major international hub standards but the toilets are worse than any i have seen

better toilets in big c in udon!!!!

[flighty 31]

September flights; just had email, Netflights.com. formerly Airline Network. £469.00 most dates September ex Heathrow available. Choice of am or pm departures via A.D. with usual shortish turnround. You might catch me playing 'Trains, and boats and planes' at the Abu Dhabi Piano Bar..velly soon

[philipd 0]

Same Same used them 6 times in last 2 years from Man. Always fly mid week Tues or Thurs evening flight out 8 - 9 pm evening flight home 8pm ish. Book through their website and choose your seat. Never paid more than £535 and always booked the short stopover in AD aprox 2.5 hrs great duty free. Enough leg room and rarely full, service and food good. Just booked for Oct again £505 can't wait. Usually stop at RG but trying the Hillside Resort this time, anybody stopped there before?

[rainsberger 0]

September flights; just had email, Netflights.com. formerly Airline Network. £469.00 most dates September ex Heathrow available. Choice of am or pm departures via A.D. with usual shortish turnround. You might catch me playing 'Trains, and boats and planes' at the Abu Dhabi Piano Bar..velly soon

 

 

Hi.

 

Just had email from Ebookers with flights to Bangkok with Etihad Airways for

September and October from £465.14 most flights with short stop-overs providing

you do not use EY020 afternoon flight out of Heathrow.

[monochromeman 41]

Rainsberger,

 

I bought this flight a few days ago for october as soon as I saw it. It was noticeably less than I'd seen before. Ethihad are genuine. I've been many times. Beware from London to get the short stop - about 90 mins. Also they're known for changing flight times on outgoing from Lon so double check. I almost missed a flight cos of this.

 

Ebookers October with Etihad from Heathrow-BKK. Good price right now. Beware changing dates by one day can alter price. eg I'm coming back 17/10. 18/10 saw £60-ish increase

[rainsberger 0]

Rainsberger,

 

I bought this flight a few days ago for october as soon as I saw it. It was noticeably less than I'd seen before. Ethihad are genuine. I've been many times. Beware from London to get the short stop - about 90 mins. Also they're known for changing flight times on outgoing from Lon so double check. I almost missed a flight cos of this.

 

Ebookers October with Etihad from Heathrow-BKK. Good price right now. Beware changing dates by one day can alter price. eg I'm coming back 17/10. 18/10 saw £60-ish increase

 

 

 

Glad you fixed up i prefer Etihad because they use newer aircraft and i am thinking about

a surprize visit back to Pattaya in September if i have the funding.

Currently though i am using Gulf Air because they were the cheapest for me at the time of

booking, my June flight was only £424 with them, and my Christmas flight though early from

22nd November to January 17th is only £496.

Etihad is well over £720 for this flight and rising.

Edited July 7, 2008 by rainsberger

[Big_Brian 179]

i am thinking about a surprize visit back to Pattaya in September if i have the funding.

It won't be a surprise now, you've told us.

[rainsberger 0]

It won't be a surprise now, you've told us.

 

 

 

Hi Big Brian.

 

Yes, you all know but my girl friend and other friends don't.

Just hope i don't get a surprise when i arrive in the early morning.

[glynbuk 29]

Etihad special offer arrived by email today for those travelling september / october

 

http://www.etihadairways.com/etihadairways...;viewmore=VRNRC

[capdagde 1,954]

Thanks for that link glynbuk. I've just had a look from Paris and at 540 euros (623 euros including TGV from Agde to and from airport) a solo trip might be on for me in September!!!!

 

Brilliant!

 

Andy Cap

 

P.S. That's 429 sterling Paris-BKK-Paris - that deal was not on any of the "cheap" search sites when I looked the other day

Edited July 8, 2008 by capdagde

[capdagde 1,954]

Doh! Silly me... So I get the okay from Winglady for the trip and go online to book and lo and behold a fuel surcharge included in the TAX part (added on after the "price"). So it's a no-go.....

 

Not 540 euros but 738 .... caveat emptor (or something like that).... mai pen rai.

 

Andy Cap

[Big_Brian 179]

Not 540 euros but 738 .... caveat emptor (or something like that).... mai pen rai.

3 languages in one sentence! Impressive.