Etihad Airways

Dear Etihad Airways Customer Relations,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding an extremely disappointing and distressing experience with your airline involving a recent booking made through a professional travel agent.

A booking was made for three passengers on an Etihad Airways international flight. At the time of booking, the fare selected did not include checked baggage – something that was not made sufficiently clear or transparent either to us or to the travel agent, who has over 28 years of experience in the industry and has never encountered such an issue with your airline.

It is highly unreasonable to assume that passengers traveling internationally would do so with hand luggage only, and yet this is what your system defaulted to — without clear warning or notification during the booking process. Even more concerning is that when the travel agent reached out for help, no one from Etihad was willing to assist or escalate the issue.

To now be told that we must pay R340 per kilogram for checked baggage at the airport is not only excessive, but feels exploitative. This is not a standard fee — it is a penalty-level charge imposed because of unclear fare conditions that were not properly disclosed.

I am formally requesting the following: 1. Immediate assistance to add checked baggage to our booking at a reasonable pre-paid rate, not the excessive airport fee. 2. A review of how baggage allowances are presented to travel agents and customers in your booking system to prevent further cases of this nature. 3. A written response acknowledging this complaint and outlining the steps Etihad will take to resolve the matter.

This experience has left us extremely disappointed with Etihad Airways. We expected professional service and fair treatment — not to be misled into an unfair fare structure and face excessive charges.

We ask that you respond urgently, as our travel date is approaching. If this matter is not resolved satisfactorily, we will be forced to escalate the complaint through applicable consumer protection bodies and airline regulators.

Sincerely, Carl Human Email: carlhuman100@gmail.com Mobile: 082 328 3016