Etihad Airways review: Flight EY713 – Abu Dhabi to Cairo – boarding gate change / denied boarding / customer service failure

On 03 April 2026, I was scheduled to travel on Etihad Airways flight EY713 from Abu Dhabi to Cairo under urgent humanitarian circumstances following the death of my father.

I arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport at approximately 06:00 AM and remained at the assigned boarding gate B11 from around 08:30 AM, exactly as stated on my boarding pass.

An Etihad staff member informed me that boarding had not yet started and instructed me to wait nearby. However, at approximately 09:06 AM, I received a phone call informing me that the boarding gate had been changed to D48 and that boarding had already closed.

I immediately proceeded to the new gate and arrived around 09:14 AM, only to discover that the aircraft had already departed.

Several serious operational failures occurred:

No email notification regarding the gate change was received.
No announcement was made using my name despite announcements for other passengers.
I was contacted only after boarding had already closed.
No Etihad staff were present at Gate B11 to redirect affected passengers.

As a direct result of this operational failure, I missed my flight through no fault of my own and had to urgently arrange alternative travel.

Most importantly, because of the delay caused by this incident, I unfortunately did not arrive in time for my father’s burial ceremony. This caused severe emotional distress to me and my family, especially as I am his only son.

Despite multiple complaints and follow-ups through Etihad’s official channels and social media, I have not received any meaningful response or resolution.

Case Reference Number:
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