The worst airliner ever. They cheated me

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Etihad Airlines
★★☆☆☆
2.1
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105Crabtree's review of Etihad Airlines

“The worst airliner ever. They cheated me”

★☆☆☆☆

written by 105Crabtree on 28/06/2015

Back in April, wanted to book a ticket for my brother from Cairo to Hong Kong. I came across Etihad (have never heard about it before then). It was my first time to do business with this airliner. With good faith, I book a return ticket for my younger brother to visit me in Hong Kong. He lives in Alexandria/Egypt. He was supposed to be travelling On Friday 19th June from Cairo to Hong Kong where I have been preparing and getting ready for his arrival. He didn't sleep at all Thursday night as he was excited. He took a taxi from Alexandria to Cairo more than three and a half hours. He left Alexandra at 7am and arrived at Cairo airport at around 10:45 am. His flight was scheduled at 1:30 pm. When he got to the check-in counter, they refused to check him in saying that he was required to obtain a letter form an immigration office somewhere in Cairo and just told him there was no way and he should go back home!!! What a shame!! They have been sending us email almost every day begging us to upgrade to a business class. They have NEVER told us anything about such weird regulation. I called them all the way from Hong Kong but they refused to talk to me. I called their UAE hotline and they gave me no details. They put me on hold for 20 minutes and after that told me a manager would be calling me in an hour. After 4 hours nobody has ever called me. I called them again and again till I gave up. I became tired.
They only contacted me when I posted my story on their Facebook page. After long wait they came back telling me that the check-in was denied due to incomplete document (what a lie). That was NOT true as everything was furnished with care. They said there was an article published in a newspaper in Cairo back in March stating that people traveling to Hong Kong for the first time should have an approval letter from the immigration in Egypt. My God, they risk peoples travel plans depending on an article in a newspaper. I asked them to email me a copy of the newspaper. They never came back to me and never emailed me anything.
I called them again and was answered buy a bloody customer service associate who only know how to prove a customer is the one to blame and that they were always perfect. She was so rude. At that time I did some research on the internet and foud out scores of other victims. Tens of them lost their luggage for several months and never got them back. They never got any assistance nor compensation. The airliner employees ignored them until passengers gave up.
Finally I asked them what could be done. They said an approval letter is required and it could be obtained at somewhere in Cairo. I sent my poor younger brother to the address they gave me and their was the SURPRISE. The officer told him they have given no such instructions to the airliner regarding travellers to Hong Kong. The officer-in-charge told my brother they is no such letter and he is free to travel. After long wait, their a guest relation officer sent my an inept email only telling me that his company is not liable for anything and that we are liable for everything.
I asked him to email me a copy of the instructions given to them by the authorities in Egypt that people travelling to Hong Kong for the first time are required to have an approval letter, they didn't acknowledge ,my email and never replied to me. I believe they don't have any instructions. How could they depend on rumors in the newspapers or whatever?? That's devastating. Now they want me to pay for a new ticket.
Be careful of those scammers. Don't risk you travels with those shameless rude swindlers.
They shamelessly blocked me and deleted my posts on their Facebook page and sent an email to ma telling me that my case is closed and that they will never respond to me.

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