Etihad Planes
On the long 14-hour leg to and from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Etihad deploys its noisy Boeing 777-300ER jet plane. There’s a distinct lack of storage space for spectacles, toiletries and reading material. However, the Aqua di Parma amenities bag, with hand sanitiser, hand cream, toothbrush/toothpaste, socks with grips and eye mask, was a welcome relief.
The seats slide to a flatbed and the Armani-designed plush duvet and pillow are conducive to sleep on a long-haul flight. But there are seats facing the rear which look odd. You can see your fellow passengers clearly – not always a good thing!
Toilets are basic and stark – there is no hand lotion or skin refresher – only soap and hand sanitiser are provided. And on one long-haul flight, the toilet rolls were not replenished.
The airline deploys the much newer Boeing 787-9 on the Abu Dhabi-Milan and Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi legs of the journey. The plane looks refreshed. The feel of the plane is newer and more pleasant as the aircraft noise is not so over-powering.
Etihad Lounge
The House lounge which Etihad uses in Sydney Airport is adequate but not at all flash. While you can order a la carte food, the buffet offerings are limited, service is slow, and you have to go to the bar for a glass of bubbles. It is also not easy to locate, as it is tucked away next to the Amcal chemist. The good news is that the Business Class lounge we visited in Abu Dhabi has been superseded by an all-new lounge at the recently opened Terminal A. The Etihad lounge in Frankfurt is the worst of all – small, unimpressive and with a limited choice of hot food. But it does have free WiFi.
The food in the Etihad lounge
Check-in
This is where the airline fails miserably in Abu Dhabi. When gates open and it is time for passengers to board the plane, there is a lack of clarity that priority boarding is reserved for first and business classes and passengers with children or those in wheelchairs. All passengers surge forward, and it is a struggle to push through the queues to get to the front. Proper priority lanes should be set up so that all passengers – economy and business class – are fully aware of when to board the flight.
Overall rating
This is my first experience of Etihad business class. The fare is expensive, the toilets are basic and business class does lack… well… class! Surprisingly, on the long haul from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, I managed to sleep for several hours – with noise-cancelling headphones. With so many carriers on this route, Etihad certainly wouldn’t be my first choice.
Source link : https://cruisepassenger.com.au/travel/etihad-review-great-food-shame-about-the-airline/
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Publish date : 2024-02-29 08:00:00
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