Etihad Airways review: Rescheduling

Dear Etihad Airways Customer Support Team,

I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the handling of my flight booking from Kochi to London, originally scheduled for August 10, 2026, for myself and my two children.

While checking in at the airport, I was informed that one of my children’s visas had expired. The Etihad staff at the airport advised me to reschedule the flight before departure so that I would not lose the value of my original ticket.

Following this advice, I contacted an Etihad representative and was advised to reschedule the booking to September 15, 2026, for myself and my two children. I was instructed to pay the required fare difference, which amounted to INR 49,647. I made this payment through UPI, and the amount was immediately deducted from my bank account. The UPI transaction was also shown as successful.

However, when I checked my Etihad account the following day, I discovered that the rescheduled booking had not been confirmed.

I subsequently contacted Etihad by telephone and explained the situation. I was informed that UPI payments may take a few hours to be credited. Based on this information, I waited and subsequently contacted Etihad again to confirm the rescheduled tickets.

To my surprise, I was then informed that I would have to pay an additional INR 129,000 to book the tickets for myself and my two children. This is extremely concerning because I had already followed the instructions provided by Etihad and had paid INR 49,647 for the rescheduling.

I therefore request that Etihad urgently investigate the following:

Why was my INR 49,647 payment accepted and successfully debited from my bank account if the rescheduled booking was not confirmed?

Where is the INR 49,647 payment currently allocated, and why has it not been applied to my booking?

Why was I subsequently asked to pay an additional INR 129,000 when I had already been instructed to pay the fare difference for the rescheduling?

Please confirm whether my original ticket value and associated booking rights remain protected, as I was specifically advised by Etihad staff to reschedule before departure to avoid losing the value of the ticket.

I would also like to emphasize that I acted in good faith and followed the instructions provided by Etihad representatives. I made the required payment immediately, and the payment was successfully completed through UPI. I should not be placed at a financial disadvantage because of a payment-processing or booking-confirmation issue occurring after I followed Etihad’s instructions.

If the rescheduled booking cannot be honoured for the amount originally quoted to me, I request an immediate refund of the INR 49,647 paid through UPI, together with a clear explanation of what happened to my booking and payment.

Please treat this as a formal complaint and provide me with a written response and resolution as soon as possible, as the travel date of September 15, 2026, is approaching.

I can provide the UPI transaction confirmation, bank statement/payment proof, original booking details, and any other documentation required to investigate this matter.

I look forward to your urgent response and a fair resolution.

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