I am writing to formally lodge a serious complaint regarding an unpleasant and financially unfair experience I had during a recent journey with Etihad airways
While booking through the official Etihad app, I encountered a system limitation where the app restricted full name entry, displaying an error that the names were too long. Despite multiple attempts, it wouldn’t accept the full legal names. Since there was no clear support or guidance available in the app and no alternate method explained, I entered shortened names as commonly used in official local ID formats (e.g., “Rajeesh PV” instead of “Rajeesh Payyanvalappil”).
During check-in at Bangalore airport, your ground staff suddenly claimed the names were invalid and demanded corrections—charging INR 18, 394 (approx. USD 220) for name changes. This happened without prior warning, despite the booking being done on your official platform with no clear instruction or option for long names.
Even more concerning:
Initially, we were told only two adult names needed changes.
After payment, your staff insisted the infant’s name also needed correction and demanded another USD 100, although infants only pay tax and not a full ticket.
I was forced to argue under extreme stress at the airport with my 1-year-old baby in arms, after arriving early at 12:00 PM for a 4:30 PM flight, only to be the last passengers to board.
The final infant ticket name ended up being something like “Ne Ra”, which is clearly incomplete—yet your staff allowed it after a long argument, proving that this entire ordeal was avoidable.
Why This is Unacceptable:
The Etihad app failed to provide basic support for name entry or link to customer service when errors occurred.
There was no notification or guidance that incorrect/shortened names would lead tosuch severe consequences or costCharges were applied inconsistently and unclearly, with additional fees demanded after initial payment.
This caused financial loss, emotional distress, and completely ruined the beginning of our trip—especially while traveling with a baby
This experience was extremely disappointing, especially from a reputed airline like Etihad.
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