READER REVIEW: Etihad A380 Business Class London to Abu Dhabi

Today’s article is from regular contributor, reader David.

This leg from London was my first flight on Etihad’s A-380 Business Class.

Boarding

Boarding was properly organised, meaning a completely separate boarding gate is used at T4 for First Class and Business Class passengers. Much appreciated. I noticed that First Class passengers were personally escorted through the Fast Track Security lane, a nice touch.

Once on board, there is a lounge forward of the first of the two cabins, but as I went to sleep straight after eating, I didn’t get to sample its delights.

Slippers and a rolled-up blanket sit in the footwell of your seat, while a somewhat awkward mattress/seat protector, which must be unrolled and “hung” over the head cushion, is also provided.

In the LHR to AUH sector, there was an uninspiring beauty bag with measly ESPA toiletries (hand and body lotion, 20ml, lip balm, 5ml, facial spray, 10ml, a small toothbrush, earplugs and a face mask).

Cabin crew

The staff were super-attentive, in that Qatari way we’ve all come to love over the years, although they did babble a bit when introducing themselves, so I had no idea what my lovely waiter was called. Name tags generally seemed to be missing, mostly hidden, on the girls at least, by the end of a scarf.

Likewise, the Captain’s pre-pushback announcement was rushed and largely inaudible, and after the Purser finished telling us about the onboard Wi-Fi, I wasn’t sure whether it was free for Etihad Guest members or not. It is, but you have to remember your password before a third attempt with an incorrect one, or the system will lock you out.

Cabin and seat

Initial impressions of the cabin – my seat was on the upper deck – were disappointing, with too much dark brown and leather looking a bit tired for my taste. This was at least partly due to the late departure (9.50pm), but for me there was still an element of monotony in the cabin, even in daylight.

The seat itself impressed, though. Etihad’s business class cabins are in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning EY can be relatively generous with the dimensions of each seat; none of that awful climbing over other passengers to reach it, as with BA’s old ying/yang product. Some of the power sockets and mini-lockers aren’t particularly convenient to reach from behind you, but that’s a minor quibble. There’s even an old-fashioned in-flight magazine, ‘Atlas’, which on my flight had an interesting, glitchy article about the writer’s recent holiday in Bali, and an up-to-date route network map.

If you’re lucky enough to have a forward-facing seat, your head and upper body will be closer to the window than they are angled away from it, which is important for nerds like me who like to look down at the ground from a great height, checking that the engine(s) are still connected and the wings are flexing reassuringly, and marveling at the technology involved in getting an aircraft off the ground and into the air.

There is – quite literally, and somewhat disconcertingly at first – a moving map showing the aircraft’s route, arrival time etc., where the plane on the screen flies across the screen and completes the journey to Abu Dhabi in about fifteen seconds, and there is the obligatory mention of Mecca, and the rather odd wording ‘Location of prayer time… Time until prayer’ at the bottom of the screen. Well, perhaps it is comforting to feel warmly embraced by the divine whilst ascending to 37,000 feet, I suppose.

Food and drink

I thought the food offering was good to excellent, but of course it’s hard to do justice to dinner at around 11pm London time as tiredness starts to creep in. I slept like a baby after eating so didn’t get to try the breakfast offering – I left it so late before landing that an espresso in a paper cup was all I was served.

The signature lemon mint drink was delicious, and the orange juice was premium quality; I avoided alcohol in this section, although the rosé sounded particularly tempting, judging by the description on the in-flight menu.

Traffic in Abu Dhabi

I had a one-way flight to Bangkok – it was a breeze, with liquids allowed in hand luggage, seatbelts not really an issue and negligible queues in the transit area. The airport is, of course, vast, but the signage is good and there are extremely charming staff hovering around the departures board screens to help and point you in the right direction. Due to the ‘radial’ design of the airport terminal, there are none of those seemingly endless bus transfers to and from parked aircraft halfway to Europe.

I found myself in the Pearl Lounge, which had no views of the track or the courtyard, and a limited food offering. The croissants were substandard – you’ll find better these days at your local Sainsbury’s – and the scrambled egg, although perfectly cooked and perfectly fresh, was lukewarm. I didn’t shower, so I can’t comment on those facilities.

Conclusion

Overall, I still prefer Qatar or Emirates (both of which have better toiletries, a more sumptuous feel to their cabins, a much better entertainment system and a more diligent approach to cabin discipline and safety), but I would give Etihad, based on my admittedly limited experience, a 7 out of 10. Wonderfully attentive and, it seems, knowledgeable staff at every stage.