What I liked
- Large and spacious seat
- Tons of privacy
- Excellent drinks selection for business class
- Friendly Crew
- Good (calorific!) food
- Classy amenity kit
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Business class done right! The Etihad Business Class Studio is really terrific. It’s not over the top like Emirates, but everything was very good. The seat was spacious and comfortable, the food was tasty and premium alcohol was offered.
Etihad is one of my absolute favourite airlines! I’ve had lots of good trips with them. Check out my review of the First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi for a recent example.
I flew Etihad Business Class from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi. I paid with cash and didn’t get a deal, which is unusual for me! Normally I book trips with points or at a large discount. As I needed to travel at short notice, I wasn’t able to get a deal.
Etihad currently have a global sale. There’s good deals to be had in both economy and business class. Go to this page for details.
The Etihad Business Class cabin has a staggered formation. Along with Reverse Herringbone, it’s the most popular type of business class product. The seat is very similar to the one I flew with China Southern.
I sat in 22A, which is a true window seat. It was large, spacious and also a very private. The seats aren’t ideal for families, as there’s a lot of distance between them. The seats had the following features
I liked the seat. A lot of thought had been put into the design. The cabin had a very classy feel, with mood lighting and beautiful lamps. I got a couple of hours sleep. I found the bed to be firm, which I like.
In my experience, Etihad has one of the best entertainment systems in the sky. There were tons of English options. The screen was also large and clear.
The food was fantastic, one of best experiences I’ve had in business class. During the flight, I had the following dishes
The Arabic Mezze was awesome, with an assorted array of hummus, hot bread and pastries. The vegetarian tortellini was rich and tasty.
Shortly before landing, I had a cheese and steak ciabatta. It was served with potato chips – pure comfort food! The sandwich did the job. It was oven reheated - similar to what you might get at a Starbucks. Was it healthy – no! But most airline food tastes like crap, so it’s fine with me!
I had a white Americano with my snack. It was ok, definitely a little bitter for my liking.
In the slideshow above, I’ve got lots of food photos. I’ve also got photos of the menu
I was impressed with the range and quality of the drinks. For a business class flight, they had a really good selection.
I enjoyed the champagne. I had 1 glass, even though I’m not a huge fan of champagne. When I’m on an airplane, I feel as if I should! They served Piper Heidsieck cuvee brut, which retails for around $60.
After that, I switched to Chivas Regal 18 years. It’s an excellent whisky, that retails for $100 for a bottle.
The Etihad Business Class bar is more of a lounge. It’s basically some seating where you can mingle with other passengers. The mood lighting was terrific – as in the rest of the cabin. The seating was comfy leather.
That being said, the space felt like an afterthought. There was a lack of privacy as the cabin crew were nearby, preparing items. Also, unlike the Virgin Atlantic bar, there aren’t any snacks laid out.
I ordered a chamomile tea as I sat down for 30 minutes. After that I left, as I felt weird, sitting there alone!
Etihad have clearly put some thought into the business class lavatory. There’s classy lighting and a full length mirror! Perfect for the vain traveller!
I loved the Acqua Di Parma amenity kit! Full of high quality items inside a nice bag
