Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on how to proceed with an EU261 compensation claim against Etihad.

On December 1, 2024, I was scheduled to fly from Munich (MUC) to Bangalore (BLR) with a connecting flight in Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Here is the breakdown of what happened:

The Original Schedule

Dec 1, 2024: Munich (MUC) 21:45 to Abu Dhabi (AUH) 06:35 (Dec 2)

Dec 2, 2024: Abu Dhabi (AUH) 14:40 to Bangalore (BLR) 19:55

What Actually Happened

Dec 1, 2024: I arrived at Munich Airport. Even before they officially informed us about the cancellation, I noticed that none of the passengers' bags were being checked in. Then, we were told the flight was cancelled. This was the exact text they sent:

"As you are aware, Etihad Airways flight EY128 from Munich International Airport (MUC) to Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) on 01 December was delayed due to the inbound aircraft having diverted to Stuttgart International Airport (STR) due to adverse weather conditions in Munich. The revised departure time for your flight will now be 15:40 local time, Munich on 02 December..."

The weather in Munich looked completely fine to me, and no other flights at the airport were cancelled that day. It was only Etihad. However, Etihad rescheduled the flight to the next day.

Dec 2, 2024: Etihad rebooked me for the next day with a revised schedule. However, instead of taking off at the rescheduled time of 15:40, the flight was delayed even further to a 17:50 takeoff. Because of this second delay, I missed my newly rescheduled 03:00 (Dec 3) connecting flight out of Abu Dhabi.

Dec 3, 2024: Because of the missed connection, I had to wait in Abu Dhabi for 13 hours. No accommodation or Lounge was provided to me at the airport. It was a horrendous wait at the airport. I was finally put on the 14:40 flight to Bangalore, landing at 19:55. Ultimately, I arrived at my final destination 24 hours late

Because the journey started in the EU, I filed an EU261 claim using the feedback form on their website. Etihad rejected it using this exact phrasing:

"Meteorological events being beyond our control. In light of this, flight EY128 on 01 December 2024 is not eligible for compensation"

I refuted this because the weather in Munich didn't affect other flights, and they closed my case without providing any actual proof of weather conditions.

Meanwhile, I found out that another passenger on my exact same flight had their claim approved. I have a screenshot of the email Etihad sent them, which explicitly says:

"Thank you for writing to us about your flight EY128 to Abu Dhabi, which was delayed due to technical reason. You have every right to expect punctuality from Etihad Airways, and we are sorry that your flight was not on time. We understand that this may have impacted your travel plans, therefore, in line with the EC261/2004 regulation, we would like to offer you EUR 600. This payment will be made by bank transfer and the amount will reflect in your account within 30 working days."

I sent this proof to Etihad to contest their decision, but they are no longer replying to my emails. I have sent multiple emails, but it is just complete silence from their end.

What is the best next step? Thanks in advance