Etihad Airways Business Class Review. Is it still as good?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Etihad Business Class was for a long time considered one of the best in the sky. Then the cost cutting started as Etihad reeled from a number of poor investment decisions in other airlines. Then covid hit.
So what's the Etihad business class product like now in this post-pandemic world of high airfare prices and full flights? I flew from Melbourne Australia to Etihad's home port of Abu Dhabi to find out. 14 hours in the Etihad business class suite. 14 hours of Etihad service.
Join me and I'll show you what it was like. I'll show you The House lounge Etihad uses in Melbourne and then we'll board the Etihad 787 and experience the Etihad business class service.
Then I'll answer the question: Etihad Airways Business Class - Is it still as good?
#Etihad #BusinessClass #FlightReview
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Mattress toppers shouldn’t be a cost cutter in a business class seat. Crazy.
Did Oslo to Singapore in Etihad biz few days ago. Biggest single problem is the horrendously overcrowded biz lounge at Abu Dhabi. Almost as bad as the British Airways lounges, where passengers literally have to sit on the floor, and no hope whatsoever of finding anywhere to lie down if on a long stopover. Maybe this will be solved when the long delayed new terminal at Abu Dhabi opens on 2 Dec.
I was at ANA lounge in Haneda Tokyo and it’s really crowded and packed. It’s probably due to ANA allow premium economy passengers to access lounge and higher frequent points clients.
I tried to book shower room and it’s fully booked till 48 hours later. 😅
My previous fights with Etihad were great. Wonderful food and service.
But on two out of the four Etihad flights for that holiday, I had WiFi problems. My issue was that the WiFi connected, but worked initially for five minutes and then wouldn't work again.
It's bad enough having to pay for WiFi in business class, but when it only works for less than two percent of the flight is ridiculous.
And almost six months later, with a large email exchange with Etihad, (thankfully my home WiFi is working, so I can send all the emails) I'm still waiting for a refund or even an apology.
I was looking forward to travelling again this year with Etihad, especially as their new Mid Field terminal is due to open, but the way they've handled a complaint over a few pounds WiFi charge, I might take my thousands of pounds fight booking to another airline.
Glad to see you back in the air!
I flew earlier this year from AUH to London and honestly it was so sad to see the quality of service deteriorate on what used to be one of my favourite airlines. I understand making tough decisions to steady the business but sometimes it's the little differences (like services offered at lounges, PJs, etc) that leave you with the memories, especially those who aren't fortunate to fly business class regularly. I can afford 1 business class flight globally a year and I have to say Q suite and SQ business are way better.
I fly with Qatar Business and their service also declined too. The food was terrible. The entertainment is totally pathetic and the staff wasn’t friendly at all. The seats was the only positive thing to say. It means Emirates, Singapore Airlines and ANA was still way better than Qatar, but I still bet Etihad was also still better than Qatar.
For long flights, creature comforts are my main rationale for flying business class. I have done economy class, and rarely catch more than an hour or two of fitful dozing. So a full flat bed comfortable bed is a top priority for me. It is nice to have good meals and drinks, but let's face it, the main thing is how you feel at the end of the flight, and a comfy seat and bed is 90% of this at least. You can always get good food and drinks at a restaurant.
I flew Etihad in business class from MAN - AUH- BKK in August last year and had a great experience.
Great video Dennis
Another stellar review Dennis - good to see a shift in EY and hopefully the new AUH terminal can fix the dreaded plagued issues of the older terminal, do you have any socials where we can get a heads up on any future reviews?
I would say (based on the menu) that the J class menu has improved since my last flight with them
Great flights with Etihad, but customer service is terrible. On a business class flight from Queenstown to London, 2 of our cases didn’t arrive. Not a problem as they were delivered home within 5 days. However, they had been broken into and items stolen. Etihad won’t take responsibility and hiding behind T’s and C’s. Even had the gall to say the weights of the cases hadn’t changed!! Now case is closed!
Thanks for this vlog. I really appreciate your honest report. Fly safe. Happy Monday from Southern California. Cheers.
I'm pleased to see that I'm not the only one who touches the exterior skin before boarding. It's a habit I've had since my first flight as a kid. I started it for no reason but it now brings me comfort every time I fly :)
First time flying Business Class with Etihad in October on the returning A380, lets hope its an improvement, although I'm not expecting it to be up to Qatar Airways standards.
I've found that the rear facing seats are a bit shorter in bed length than the window. Yet another reason to be at the window. 4.8 inches longer if you trust Aerolopa's data!
Dennis, I always enjoy your light-hearted, upbeat, and informative videos.
But today I saw something that I had not noticed before...
you touch the outside of the plane before boarding!
I thought I was dreaming, so I quickly checked your Oman Air video and was delighted to see...
that you did it there too!
A fellow airplane touch... er... I mean... you get it ;-)
I forgot once and apologized under my breath to the plane as I touched the interior plastic... haha.
Aren't superstitions fun! Anyway, keep on touching... uh... just keep up the good work!
Rewatching your video as I press “buy now” with points 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉.
Excellent trip report Dennis!😸
I’m due to fly next week from LHR to COK with a long layover in Abu Dhabi, for this reason I chose the instant upgrade option and paid approx £450 for eco-business. I was charged instantly however for the past two days my Etihad app has said ‘upgrade being processed’. I’m very much hoping that if I’m not upgraded I will receive a refund, it says everywhere ‘you will not be charged unless your upgrade is successful’ but I was instantly charged and yet my itinerary still says economy - very worrying to me.
Ethihad is a way behind Qatar and Emirates. They still fly old A321 Neo where the businesses seats don’t fold flat. Food is terrible too
The seats themselves look really good. I hope to fly on Eithad for myself one day.
RIP to that one foot that traveled on a low cost carrier
Thanks Dennis 😊
nice experience with etihad
Interesting that Air Canada have the same brand of lotions and potions for their inflight amenity kit.
My first flight was 2017 to London on 380 business class and I don’t like the service and when i wake up i asked for my meal and they said sorry there’s is no more food and just we have snacks like sambosa 🙂 and it was horrible recooked
Hi Dennis. Are you sure about the even and odd number rows and the ways they face.
According to the west map and your video, looks like odd rows faced forward, and even rows backwards.
Can you clarify please 😊
Dennis, you are as tall as me. I am also 181cm tall.😂😂😂😂😂
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful documentary video with us.
I totally disliked this business class when I flew it in 2019 from Abu Dhabi to Zurich in backwards facing 1A.. I need to have a La-Z-Boy type footrest. This seat doesn't have that. Also, the footwell was extremely narrow (I wear US size 13).
The suite area is much smaller compared to a year ago and there are many more compartments crammed in. The wine choice is now very poor and the wines of markedly lower quality than before, also the air stewards seem a little harassed and over stretched. I got the impression I was in some kind of economy ++ rather than true business class.
Hi Dennis,
Love your videos ..
I follow you since long time and from what I understand you’re in the travel industry….
I wonder if you can organize some days trip in Australia this summer… do you have a mail where I can write to you ?
Thanks for helping
Luca
Horrible wifi on planes is such a widespread problem. I read that Elon Musk's Starlink internet is going to be taking over soon, and as much as I don't care for him, I'm excited and think it will revolutionize having internet in the sky. I've used it before in remote areas and was impressed by the speed and clarity.
Quality pure quality 😅
I'm going back to the house
Doesn’t Etihad go from Adelaide. I like watching the planes take off. If you don’t drink alcohol, what drink can you get.
Milk
Etihad does not service Adelaide .
The in-flight menu that Dennis showed listed a bunch of mocktails.
Thank you for taking care not to film the other passengers!
Really like the one ☝️ is the
I’ve never flown business class, haha please send me your frequent flyer points 😂
❤
Just saw this. $20 extra for some pathetic looking "French Onion soup" without cheese broiled on top with a proper crouton and risotto? No thanks!
Nederlandse hoogte! Jammer!
Melbourne Florida?
No, Melbourne Australia
Why pay a fortune to fly in business class and then sleep through it? Waste of money!
Sorry but that was a terrible business class. Etihad has really fallen off.
Great video, as always....👍
Love this page from thisisoklahoma405
Did you get the 2 WiFi payments refunded?
No he didn’t! After 6 months of trying, he gave up the fight ;(
Great video Dennis! Also I really enjoyed your behind the scenes series at Qatar Airways and it is really good! Also that Etihad 787 Dreamliner from today’s adventure looks absolutely fabulous especially Etihad’s incredibly beautiful livery and that gorgeous 787 wing and GEnx window view out of the super cool 787 windows! Also the food on your Etihad flight looked perfect and incredibly delicious! 😊I cannot wait to fly with Etihad someday very soon and in Business Class hopefully! I can dream 😂
Cheers 🥂 great job my friend
I’m not a premium passenger but if this is Business I won’t be rushing to choose Etihad over Emirates or Qatar in Economy anytime soon.
I flew them recently in BC it’s a much poorer offering than in the past The crew were grumpy The food on board was as you said quite good Totally disagree with you on the lounge at Melbourne Airport it was poor Mind you better than the abysmal Qantas BC international lounge at Melbourne airport Qantas is budget carrier only these days We’ll out of Melbourne anyway
Why not do a chargeback on the credit card? Give the airline one chance and a few days with no response and call the credit card company.
Great video! My only business class experience is flying Etihad from Bangkok to London on 787-10s. Thought product was very good and service was efficient, some crew were better than others though. Would definitely happily fly them again.
The worst thing I experienced about Etihad was that tiny Airport in Abu Dhabi and its pathetic transit queues
🤣🤣🤣TRY ANY u s airports Freaking dumps especially New York the biggest garbage dump🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This December the new airport will open its huge and amazing I saw it
theyre opening a new and bigger airport in abu dhabi in december so hopefully you'll change ur mind
🤣🤣🤣🤣 ETIHAD SERVICE COACH ECONOMY IS 100 times by far better than American Delta United together their 1st class🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😅 LOVE ❤️ ALL MUSLIM ☪️ CARRIERS DAMN RIGHT ✅️
The air-to-air shot of the Qatar 777 was SO COOL
Thanks for the updated review Dennis. Any chance you can do the same for Singapore Airlines?
I'm not a fan of the backwards facing seats. My missus would outright refuse, she doesn't even like facing back on a train.
Food looked great...too bad they cut cost with the mattress making the seat less comfortable. They could reduce crackers by 50% for increased savings instead.
Adelaide needs more international flights especially Premium Economy. It's annoying for travellers to have to go on domestic flights to connect and those come with risks.
What risks?
Need to tell us the cost of these flights please, so we can evaluate if it’s worth it…
Did AUH - SYD in Apr 2022, it was fine. No matress pad and no PJs. I'm not sure if it's worth 100000 points. Part of my RTW F/J trip.
early Sunday morning, cup of coffee, and a new video from Dennis, great way to start the week!
Thanks Dennis, Ethiad seems very outdated compared to Qatar. Great review ❤
When I fly business class, all I want is comfy seat and decent friendly service. I am not into Business class food as at the end of the day, they are all microwaved food.
Hi Dennis, hope all is going well. Thank you for another great unbiased review and noting the highs and the lows of the flight! Cheers!
Great having regular uploads from you!! Proper binge watch. Cheers🍻
I prefer Emirates due to the sleeping foot room, which is much better for taller passengers. Both Etihad and Qatar have restricted foot room.
Only on the A380 then. Cause their 777 product is awful with their 2-3-2 configuration
I had my worst ever flight experience in July 2022 with Etihad Economy Class London to Sydney return. The food was terrible - most of it was inedible. On all of my previous flights on various airlines I found all of the food good enough to eat.
Great video, thank you for sharing with us. I pray for everyone watching this video that you get the life upgrade you have always hoped for. Remember Jesus loves you!
About 18 months ago, I had an overnight flight from London to Abu Dhabi in the same seat. The food was really good, crew were attentive when they came around (as you said, hidden away for most of the flight unless needed), and in seated mode the seat was great. However, I'm 6ft 1 and could not get any sleep because of the same problems, especially the foot well (made even worse by me being a side sleeper). I had an issue with the IFE that was barely an issue and was given a WiFi voucher for the rest of the flight but that didn't work either.
I was put on that flight by a company I worked for at the time, and it's the only time I've flown Business Class so I am grateful to have that experience, but if I had paid for it I'd have felt quite deflated. Just goes to show how important the product is!
Thanks Dennis. Another great post as always. Think i would choose Oman Air going by your post on them recently. Have a BC flight on Qantas and Malaysian in August. Looking forward to it. I know Qantas always get smashed but ive never had a bad flight with Qantas in BC.
Air France and KLM don't do mattress toppers as well, and that is quite weird given most reputed airlines do. I know, first world problems, but when one is paying a large sum for a business class trip, expectations are high!
I've not used The House lounge in Melbourne, but recently did in Sydney.
It was poor. The food selection was average at best, and the chairs looked as if they required refurbishment. Staff were ho-hum.
I last flew Etihad more than a decade ago.
Etihad continually seems cheapest ex Bangkok/Manila to London and/or Europe in J.
It'd be preferable if you didn't use terms like 'sensational flight' near the commencement. Hyperbole that you had to correct later on, using the anodyne word 'nice'.
Backwards=facing seats are a no-no thank you on any mode of transport.
Your poor sleep concurs with what a couple of others have suggested. The J fares are cheap for a reason; EY looks in food and sleep quality to be quite a deal below below Oman Air, the latter having mattress toppers and also 'dine-on-demand, but with a better menu.
I never find sleeping on planes in business class to be as good and restful as in a rail sleeping berth in your own private compartment.
My oldest daughter flew with Ethiad in August 2022 in economy for a roundtrip from OSL-AMS-DOH-MEL and she said it was the best flight ever in economy
If she flew through DOH, she must’ve flown on Qatar, not Etihad
No A380.... tut tut, they also don't fly in to Perth, hence why I've dumped them. I'm flying Emirates BC to the UK next year because I wanted to go all A380's and Business Class. Having done BC on the Emirates A380 before, they were already in the running for me and when Qatar already costed more and I couldn't get A380's all the way, an easy choice was made for me
I flew ex Dublin a 1 week stopover Abu Dhabi and onwards to Sydney in Dec 2022, food excellent on both, crew and aircraft condition better in and out of Dublin, fares have more than doubled for this Dec, traveling KLM this year via Amsterdam and Seoul for similar 22 Eithad cost
🇦🇪 Etihad Airways
Looks not great
Hi Dennis, thank you for the video, very insightful. I travelled with Etihad in business class in the glory days, it was excellent, the ticket even included a limo to collect you and bring you to your home airport......what a great service. It is a pity they are not doing so well anymore, still not bad by the looks of it. I might try them again in the future 👍👍
Facing backwards, your head is a little higher than your feet due to the slant of the aircraft inflight. I think that is more natural than the other way around.
I've only flown international Business Class, on a different Middle Eastern airline, once so far. And I had trouble adjusting to dine-on-demand. Since it was up to me to call the flight attendants, I kept feeling like I was being ignored (even more than in Economy) like I could literally receive no food and beverages if I didn't speak up.
Fly this same leg just in April ‘23 and was very disappointed. Firstly, the cabin was very very worn. Secondly, the F&B and service wasn’t great if compared to Qatar (always been the best) but even Cathay and dare I say British Airways. Will give Etihad anither chance but would hooe for a newer plane. BTW - don’t fly their 777 as cabin layout a disaster!
I flew Etihad Business when they brought this product out around 2015. Was unbelievable back then,,, just starting to look a bit dated now,,, Hard to beat Qatar I think!
I got lucky years ago with Eithad flying economy back when they still had the A340. I got all 3 seats in a row to myself so was lucky enough to have a sort off business class bed experience at economy prices ! The flight itself was as good as could be for a long haul from Sydney in the cheap seats ..plane was not to full and the food and service was good ! The airport back then was not upto much. I just remember a round circle with various levels to it and not much else apart from leaving my duty free on the plane and having to go back for it. Sadly this has not been the last time I have left duty free in various places over the years..the mens toilets at sydney international only a few months ago and right in front off an underground ticket kiosk in london being a few examples off my utter stupidity when traveling...
After watching your videos for years I think I have almost nailed whistling the intro, love your work :)
Thanks again for another useful review Dennis, I always check your reviews when planning trips.
I’m flying hem mid next month to London, I’m curious to see if much has changed since since Aug 22
Always great watching your videos, thanks for sharing
My favorite Australian TH-camr and travel vlogger.
Thanks for the video! Have had a lot of experience flying Etihad over the years in both Economy and Business. Completely agree with your findings that the food, entertainment and seat comfort (upright in Business) being the best aspects. Also agree that the flat business bed could do with improving! Still one of my favorite airlines to fly
my favorite part is watching you show the food on the plane
i think you need to fly on that plane that was flying next to you in business class and it's a batter airline as well
i few EY Business 6 years ago, and today it looks DATED as
Dennis could you please upload films in 4K :)?
Why is this video way funnier than it should be
Great video Dennis Thank you
I ❤️ Dennis!! He is nice!!
Loved the cheese stack😃
Hello, Dennis!!❤❤❤
Glad to see Etihad has improved over my last flight with them just prior to Covid.
As good as it is to see them on the up, I just can't fathom choosing to pass through the sh*tshow that is Abu Dhabi again.
But I suppose if the price was right, I might reconsider.
Looks very nice but I still rate Emirates A380 business class as the best. I had the pleasure of that experience last August from BNE to MAN.