Etihad customer service: the US number, the phone menu, and following up on a complaint
A call4me user had their AI phone assistant call Etihad Airways in the US to chase a complaint about a business-class seat that wouldn't lie flat. Here's the number, every menu and key press, how long each step took, what the agent confirmed, and the whole recording.
Nick Khami · · 16 min read
The short answer: Etihad customer service in the US is +1 914-303-8393, open 24 hours a day, every day (that's what etihad.com's help page shows under Call us, then Contact us, with United States of America selected). Press 1 for English, then your cabin class, then 2 if you have an existing booking. On our call a person picked up 2 minutes 21 seconds in.
There's no Guest Relations option in the menu, and asking for it out loud at the menu does nothing. The first agent sent us back to a menu. The second agent, reached at 5:44, found the complaint in a few minutes and told us:
- The family's follow-up email about the broken seat was attached to their existing complaint case and the team was reviewing it.
- The outcome takes "up to 28 days", counted from the day the case was opened. There was "no certain date."
- There's no separate reference number for the follow-up. "This is only the case number."
- There's no dedicated Guest Relations email. The call ran out of time while the agent was answering that, so we didn't hear the rest.
The call was made on Thursday, October 1, 2026, from about 11:12 to 11:22 am Eastern, by a call4me user's AI phone assistant. It was following up on a complaint about a business-class seat that wouldn't lie flat on a flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi, with a refund of the $1,512 paid upgrade requested. Nothing was accepted or changed on the call: the brief said not to accept a settlement, voucher or waiver. The user is okay with us sharing the call. Their name, the traveler's name, all three Etihad staff names, the booking reference, the case number, the flight number and date, seat numbers, the last digits of a card, and a name and email address in an email the agent read out are muted in the audio.
Etihad's US customer service number and hours #
| US phone number | +1 914-303-8393 |
| Hours | 24 hours, daily (etihad.com/en-us/help, Call us, Contact us, United States of America) |
| Time to a person on our call | 2 minutes 21 seconds (first agent), 5 minutes 44 seconds (the agent who could help) |
| Language | Press 1 for English, 2 for Arabic |
| Guest Relations by phone | No menu option. A regular agent looked up the complaint case |
| What they asked for | A name, your cabin class, the booking reference. For a complaint: the case number and what it's about |
| Complaint outcome | "Up to 28 days" from the day the case was opened |
Listen: an Etihad complaint follow-up, start to finish (9 minutes 55 seconds) #
The whole call, with silences at the same moments as the private details listed above. Key presses don't make a sound in the recording.
- 0:00 "To continue in English, please press 1"
- 0:15 A 38-second message: travel agent bookings should go to the agent, and "our digital channels are available at any time"
- 0:57 "You may remain on the line and one of our team members will be pleased to assist you shortly"
- 1:06 Our caller asks the recording for Guest Relations. Nothing happens
- 1:26 The cabin menu: "For business flight, please choose 2"
- 1:54 "If you have an existing booking, please choose 2"
- 2:21 The first agent picks up
- 3:15 The booking reference, read back letter by letter. It takes until 3:45 to get right
- 4:06 "Allow me to transfer you to our main menu"
- 4:27 A different menu: "For economy, press 1. For Etihad Guest, press 2. For trade, press 3." No business option
- 4:59 "Sorry, but I don't recognize that entry"
- 5:44 The second agent picks up
- 7:23 The agent starts reading a different email in the same case
- 8:29 "Okay, I can see that email now"
- 8:46 "It will take up to 28 days to be resolved, this one, for the outcome"
- 9:23 "The case is handled by" (the name is muted)
- 9:33 "From the day you have raised the case on the 23rd of September, from that it will take up to 28 days"
- 9:50 "No, we do not have a certain email for that one." The call ends at 9:55
The Etihad phone menu, step by step #
Times are from the start of the call. Every key press below is from our phone provider's log of what our caller sent.
| Time | What you hear | What we pressed | How long it took |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | "To continue in English, please press 1." Then Arabic, press 2 | 1 at 0:14 | 14 seconds |
| 0:15 | Travel agent and "digital channels" message. Press 0 for digital services | Nothing (stay on the line) | 56 seconds |
| 1:11 | Recording notice, then the cabin menu: first class 1, business 2, economy 3, Etihad Guest 4, California privacy request 5, WhatsApp or virtual assistant 0 | 2 (business) at 1:53 | 42 seconds |
| 1:54 | "To make a new booking, please select 1. If you have an existing booking, please choose 2" | 2 at 2:02 | 8 seconds |
| 2:03 | A notice about a survey after the call, then a short hold | Nothing | 18 seconds |
| 2:21 | An agent picks up | 2:21 total |
If an agent transfers you back, you get a different menu:
| Time | What you hear | What we pressed | How long it took |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:27 | "For economy, press 1. For Etihad Guest, press 2. For trade, press 3" | Nothing at first, so it repeated at 4:59 | 32 seconds |
| 4:59 | "Sorry, but I don't recognize that entry," then the same menu again | 1 (economy) at 5:20. There was no business option | 21 seconds |
| 5:21 | Travel agent bookings should call their agent. New booking 1, existing booking 2 | 2 at 5:40 | 19 seconds |
| 5:44 | A second agent picks up | 1:17 from the transfer |
So the fastest path we heard to an Etihad agent in the US: call +1 914-303-8393, press 1, wait through the message, press your cabin class, press 2.
How to follow up on an Etihad complaint by phone #
- Have your case number and booking reference ready. The first agent asked for a name, the cabin class and the booking reference. The second asked for the case number and "what is it going on for."
- Give a name when they ask. Our caller only said whose assistant it was, and the agent ended up repeating a misheard name back.
- Spell the booking reference with a phonetic alphabet from the start. The agent read one letter back wrong, and fixing it took 30 seconds.
- Don't ask the menu for Guest Relations. There's no option for it. Pick your cabin and "existing booking," then ask the agent to look up your complaint case.
- If you sent an email, name it by date and subject before anything else. One case can hold several emails. The agent first read out a different one and asked about the wrong refund.
- Ask three things: is my email attached to the case, who's handling it, and when will I get a written answer. We got yes, a name, and "up to 28 days" from the day the case was opened.
- Don't expect a separate reference number for a follow-up. The agent said the existing case number "is only the case number."
- Do the date math yourself. The case was opened September 23, so 28 days from then is about October 21, 2026. That's our math, not Etihad's: the agent said there was "no certain date."
Other ways to contact Etihad #
All of these are on etihad.com/en-us/help and its complaints and feedback page:
- Online chat: an AI assistant, labeled "Recommended."
- WhatsApp: also "Recommended." The help page links to +971 56 688 9003. The phone menu offers WhatsApp too: press 0 at the cabin menu.
- Raise a complaint: an online form at etihad.com/en-us/help/share-feedback/raise-a-complaint.
- Check a complaint's status: log in at etihad.com/en-us/help/share-feedback/track-complaint.
- Baggage claims, Etihad Guest feedback, and claims filed on someone else's behalf each have their own link on the complaints page.
The family in our call had emailed their follow-up to feedback@etihad.ae, and the agent found it in the case. We didn't see that address on the Etihad help pages above, which point to the online form.
Where our caller fell short #
- It ran out of time. The call was set to stop at 10 minutes, and it hung up at 9:55 while the agent was answering the question about a Guest Relations email. For a complaint follow-up, allow 15 minutes or more.
- It asked the recording for Guest Relations at 1:06. It's a keypad menu, and nothing happened.
- It didn't give a name when the first agent asked, which led to some back and forth over a misheard name.
- It sat on the second menu without pressing anything after the transfer, so the menu said it didn't recognize the entry and played again. That cost about 30 seconds.
- It read its whole request in one go, from 6:04 to 7:13: over a minute of booking reference, case number, flight, seat, refund and three questions. The agent then pulled up the wrong email. Leading with "the September 25 email about the seat" would have been faster.
- It never finished one request. At 7:11 it started "And please ask the reviewer," meaning to ask Etihad to check the crew and maintenance records for the seat, and the agent put it on hold. It didn't come back to it.
- It introduced itself as "[name]'s assistant," not as an AI assistant, which is what its brief asked for.
What to say: a script for an Etihad complaint follow-up #
Hi, my name is [name]. I'm following up on complaint case [case number], booking reference [booking reference, spelled phonetically]. On [date] I emailed about [the problem, in one sentence]. Can you confirm that email is attached to the case?
Then: "Who's handling it? When will I get a written decision? Is there a separate reference number for this, or just the case number? Is there an email address I should use for this case?"
Let an AI phone assistant make the call #
This call was made by call4me, an AI phone assistant that works inside the agent you already use (Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT). You tell your agent what to get done. It calls and talks to the business like a person would, works the phone menu, asks you mid-call if something comes up, and reports back with the outcome and the transcript.
If you use call4me, paste this into your agent:
Call Etihad Airways US customer service at +1 914-303-8393. Press 1 for English, then my cabin class ([first, business or economy]), then 2 for an existing booking. Give my name, [name], and booking reference [booking reference], spelled phonetically. Ask the agent to look up complaint case [case number] and confirm my [date] email about [the problem] is attached and being reviewed. Get who is handling it, the date for a written decision, and the right email for this case. Don't accept a voucher, settlement, waiver or booking change. Allow 20 minutes.
Read the full transcript
"AI agent" is the call4me caller. Private details are muted in the audio and shown in brackets here. Key presses come from our phone provider's log.
0:00 Etihad: Thank you for calling Etihad Airways. To continue in English, please press 1. (Then the same in Arabic: press 2 for Arabic.)
0:13 AI agent: One second.
0:14 Our caller presses 1.
0:15 Etihad: Thank you for calling Etihad Airways. If your journey was arranged through a travel agent, we kindly recommend contacting your travel agent directly, as they are best positioned to assist you with your booking. For a faster and more seamless experience, our digital channels are available at any time. If your trip is still some time away, that may be the most convenient option. You can check your flight status, manage your booking, follow the status of your requests, request special assistance, select a meal, request a refund, and access many other self-service options with ease. To access our digital services, please press 0.
0:57 Etihad: You may remain on the line and one of our team members will be pleased to assist you shortly. Thank you for your patience and for choosing Etihad Airways.
1:06 AI agent: Hi, this is [name removed]'s assistant. Could I speak with Guest Relations, please?
1:11 Etihad: Your call may be recorded for training or quality purposes. We are committed to protecting your personal details. To read our privacy policy, visit etihad.com. To help direct your call, please listen carefully to the following options. For first class flight, please choose 1. For business flight, please choose 2. For economy flight, please pick 3. For questions about Etihad Guest, please press 4. If you are a California resident who would like to exercise their privacy right, please press 5. To access our digital services and get assistance via WhatsApp, virtual assistant, please press 0.
1:52 AI agent: Okay, nothing for us yet.
1:53 Our caller presses 2.
1:54 Etihad: To make a new booking, please select 1. If you have an existing booking, please choose 2.
2:02 Our caller presses 2.
2:03 Etihad: At the end of today's call, you'll hear questions about the service you've received. Your feedback is really important and helps us to continually improve our services. Please continue to hold for a few seconds after speaking with our agent.
2:21 Agent: Thank you for calling Etihad. My name is [name removed]. How may I assist you today? May I get your name, please?
2:27 AI agent: Hi, this is [name removed]'s assistant. I'm calling about booking [booking reference removed], and I'll need Guest Relations, please. It's about case [case number removed].
2:50 Agent: Okay, so may I get your name, please, ma'am? So, [name removed]?
2:56 AI agent: Oh, I'm [name removed]'s assistant.
2:59 Both talk at once. The agent repeats a name back, and our caller says again that it's [name removed]'s assistant.
3:01 AI agent: Yeah.
3:03 Agent: Okay. Are you holding a booking with the business class or first class?
3:08 AI agent: Business class.
3:09 Agent: Or this is regarding the economy?
3:11 AI agent: Business class.
3:11 Agent: Okay. Thank you so much, ma'am. Please be with me while I'm checking this. So the booking reference number is [booking reference removed, spelled out].
3:23 AI agent: Exactly. [booking reference removed].
3:32 Agent: So the last letter is [letter removed].
3:35 AI agent: [letter removed]. [booking reference removed].
3:41 AI agent: It's [letters removed].
3:45 Agent: Okay. Thank you so much. Please be with me while I'm checking this personally for you.
About 17 seconds on hold.
4:06 Agent: Okay. So in this case, to ensure your request reaches the right support channel, allow me to transfer you to our main menu, and [unclear] be selecting the option that best matches your request, [name removed]. Okay?
4:19 AI agent: Sure, no problem.
4:21 Agent: Thank you so much. The call will be transferred now. Have a lovely day.
4:25 AI agent: Yeah, you too. Thanks.
4:27 Etihad: To help us connect you with the right team and provide you with the best possible service, please select from the following options. For economy, press 1. For Etihad Guest, press 2. For trade, press 3.
4:42 AI agent: Still tuned in. Still waiting.
4:59 Etihad: Sorry, but I don't recognize that entry. Please try again. To help us connect you with the right team and provide you with the best possible service, please select from the following options. For economy, press 1. For Etihad Guest, press 2. For trade, press 3.
5:18 AI agent: I'm getting the next set of options now.
5:20 Our caller presses 1.
5:21 Etihad: If you booked through a travel agent or other third party, please contact them directly for changes or refunds. To make a new booking, please select 1. If you have an existing booking, please choose 2.
5:40 AI agent: Checking the next menu.
5:40 Our caller presses 2.
5:44 Agent: Thank you so much for calling Etihad. This is [name removed]. May I know your name, please?
5:48 AI agent: Hi, this is [name removed]'s assistant. I was hoping to reach Guest Relations about a case.
5:55 Agent: Okay, sure. I will help you with that one. May I know the case, what is it going on for, and the case number if you have, so that I can study the case?
6:04 AI agent: Right. I'm calling about booking [booking reference removed] and Guest Relations case [case number removed].
The agent repeats the first digits, and our caller reads the case number again.
6:24 AI agent: On September 25th, an email went to feedback at etihad dot ae about a separate complaint for [traveler's name removed]'s business seat [seat and flight number removed] from Chicago to Abu Dhabi on [date removed]. The seat wouldn't lie flat, even though they tried to fix it on board. We requested a refund of his $1,512 paid upgrade back to the original payment card. Could you confirm that email is attached to the case and being reviewed as a separate seat malfunction complaint? And could you also give me a reference number for that complaint, confirm who is handling it, and a date for a written decision? And please ask the reviewer...
7:13 Agent: Yeah, allow me one minute.
7:14 AI agent: Sure.
7:18 Agent: Please allow me a minute, let me confirm this one.
7:22 AI agent: Yeah, no problem.
7:23 Agent: So I can see that, yeah, I can see that there's a description mentioned here.
The agent reads aloud a different email in the same case, about a seat the family paid extra for on the same trip. It includes [name removed], [name removed], [email address removed], [seat numbers removed], the last digits of a card [removed], and the dollar amounts paid.
8:02 Agent: So you are looking for the refund of 236 USD, right? Since you upgraded to the business class.
8:11 AI agent: Hang on, let me check that. No, not that one. This is a separate September 25th email about [traveler's name and seat removed] on [flight number removed], not lying flat. And we're requesting the $1,512 paid upgrade refund.
8:29 Agent: Okay, I can see that email now. I can also read it out if you want.
8:36 AI agent: No need. Please just confirm it's attached to the case and that it's being reviewed as a separate seat malfunction complaint, please.
8:46 Agent: Sure, I can see it has been attached with the email here, and the team will take a little bit of time. It will take up to 28 days to be resolved, this one, for the outcome. The team has been reviewing this one, and email also has been found here.
8:58 AI agent: Okay, that's great. Can you give me its reference number, confirm who's handling it, and give us a date for a written decision?
9:08 Agent: Sure. So I'll just let you know about this one. First of all, sorry for the inconvenience. And the case number is the same that you gave it to me, [case number removed]. This is only the case number. And the case is handled by [name removed].
9:28 AI agent: Great, thank you. And what's the date for the written decision?
9:33 Agent: So there is no certain date mentioned here. So from the day you have raised the case on the 23rd of September, from that it will take up to 28 days.
9:42 AI agent: Got it, thank you. Do you have an email address for Guest Relations, by any chance?
9:50 Agent: No, we do not have a certain email for that one. Any email that you would like to send...
The call reached its 10-minute limit and ended at 9:55, in the middle of the agent's answer.
