Etihad Airways was my go-to airline along with Singapore Airlines for long-haul travel. Etihad had an edge as pricewise it is significantly cheaper than Singapore Air and had on-par services on board. It was 14 years ago since I last flew with the airline. Recently I took the chance to fly on Business Class from Vienna to Bangkok. Here is what I think of my recent experience on the Etihad Airways Business Class flight.
Etihad Airline Business Lounges
Vienna Airport Lounge
The whole business class experience begins with the airline lounges. At different cities , the airline uses different lounges. I started my journey in Vienna and had access to the business class lounge at Terminal 3. The catering was from Don – but I did not find anything outstanding about the lounge. The seating areas were adequate and the food offered was average at best. They did not have a call out for flight boarding and so it was up to the passengers to look out for the boarding time and make our own way there.
Abu Dhabi Airport Lounge
This is the Etihad base airport and is a better reflection of the airline services compared to a city airport lounge. I had a few hours of transit here before my next leg in the journey. After disembarking, we had to go through security check which was not very well organized. People were jostling to get pass and the attending staff were not very friendly.
After that I made my way to the lounge. The lounge was pretty full but still there were empty seats attributed to the fact that this lounge is huge and spacious. There were many different seats, sit-down restaurant style for eating, Loungers and social area seating. One thing lacking though was most of the seats did not have any charging plugs which was a pity because in this day and age – charging our devices are as necessary as food and drinks. For a fee, you could upgrade and get a private area seating for your group.
Speaking of which , the spread was not very diverse. There were middle eastern fare offered with hot meals . Taste was fine but not enough choices. There was the standard offering of coffee / tea and other drinks in the fridge. There was a bar serving alcoholic drinks as well. After the meal I went scouting around and saw that there were business centers that had charging ports but at the time all was filled up. There were luggage storage areas as well as showers. A definite perk when on long haul travel. This lounge is definitely way better equipped.
On Board Etihad Business Class
Both flights were similar on the same aircraft – the Dreamliner Boeing 787-9. I had different seats but there were no differences between the two. Etihad calls this the Business Studio. Interestingly Etihad started this route from Vienna to Abu Dhabi as recent as July 18 2021.
Seats
The seating area was very nice. I had a lot of room to stretch out on. The seats were designed in a way that felt that you had your own sphere as you are not able to see anyone directly. Plenty of buttons to configure your seat any way you feel like. Of course lie-flat option is available too. There is even a massage function on those oh so luxurious Italian-designed leather seats. The seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration which means all seats have direct aisle access. No stepping over another passenger to get to the aisle. One thing to note is : the seats are both forward and backward facing. If you have a problem with this, you should check and request a forward facing one. The seat came with nice pillows and warm blankets. More than enough storage spaces around too. I had 3 windows on my seat alone and these can be controlled electronically to dim the outside world out.
Amenity Kit
The Amenity Kit is from Acqua Di Parma – and contains a dental kit, a pair of socks, eye mask, ear plugs, hand cream and a vial of Colonia perfume. Hmmm me thinks its more practical to include deodorant on those long flights. Although I was on the night flight, there were no pajamas included on the flight.
Entertainment On Board
The screen on board was large probably the 18.5 inch touch screen together with the noise-cancelling headset making for very immersive and comfortable viewing. I found the selection of movies to be vast and I was spoilt for choice. I watched Elvis the movie on board , tearing up and feeling grateful the passenger next door could not see me in that state.
Meals
Although I read that it was possible to have meals whenever you want from the internet, I was not given that option. I decided to just go with the flow. The menu was distributed with a selection of drinks. Before take-off a drink was served and with meals there were a selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Meals are often very subjective to people’s individual taste – I personally did not find the food exceptionally delicious. It was mainly Middle Eastern Cuisine based choices which I guess is normal for the airline.
Service on Board
As I was accustomed to top notch service from Etihad many years ago, I was quite disappointed with the service on board. The crew were very clearly just going through the motions. No one offered to explain how the buttons work or where to find certain things for people who are new to the plane. For the night flight it is often the case where one crew member comes by to check if the lie flat seat was needed and working. Apart from the customary meal time order taking , no one came by to offer drinks or snacks. I had to ask for help to store my luggage overhead. On most business class I was on, I was offered help.
My verdict on flying Etihad Business Class
I found pros and cons flying on Etihad on business class. The biggest pro for the pocket is the competitive pricing compared to other airlines like Emirates, Qatar. The seats were very comfortable and designed to provide a private area for the flyer. Another big pro for the environment , is Etihad was awarded Environmental Airline of the Year 2022 by the Airline Excellence Award. Definitely a pro in my book. The con is the service level could be improved as I have encountered first hand the perfect service that Etihad provided in the past. If they could get back there, this airline would be unbeatable.
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