It’s a widely accepted fact amongst long-haul travellers that Middle Eastern airlines just do it better. And whether it’s the markedly more attentive staff or their shockingly efficient queue systems, Etihad Airways more than deserves this reputation. Simply put, Etihad offers an exceptionally high level of customer service.
Unsurprisingly, business class raises the bar even higher. Think dedicated check-in desks, fast track through customs and security and, of course, the first and business class lounge. It’s like they asked passengers what they wanted from their airline, and then *shock* actually listened.
Check-in and luggage
Let me start by saying that I’m an over-packer. I like options, lots of. My forte is packing an unreasonable number of outfits and opting to wear the same trusted sun dress, day in day out, before shoving everything back in the case to take home again, ready for re-ironing.
Luckily, Etihad had planned for just such an eventuality with an extremely generous luggage allowance – a stonking 40kg. And that really sets the tone for flying with Etihad – they’ve created an experience with the traveller in mind. Business and first class passengers have a dedicated check-in desk in London, and an entire check-in area in Abu Dhabi, which leads straight through to the lounge, via security.
Lounge
The Etihad Lounge’s initial reception area spills out into a bar area, neatly furnished with an array of bar-style seating and low-level tables. Between here and the toilets (exquisite, in case you wondered – sparklingly white individual hand towels were a particular highlight) is a further lounge area, this time with bigger chairs and sporadic TVs.
Back through the bar and you reach the dedicated dining area. Crisp table cloths, ample cutlery, and an extremely pleasing staff-to-guest ratio. And here’s where the decision-making starts: a la carte or buffet. The temptation to go big momentarily quashed by the desire to truly enjoy the meal on-board, I opted for the buffet and went to town on the multiple meze options. Hummus, baba ghanoush, olives of multiple varieties, and all topped off with a super-fresh fruit salad for afters.
Boarding
Although there is no direct boarding through the lounge, the process is still pretty slick, since the lounge was conveniently located immediately opposite our gate. Naturally, all passengers are greeted at the threshold. But whilst economy class are directed en masse to turn right and find their seats, dedicated cabin crew are on-hand to greet business class guests by name, before inviting them to be personally guided to their new mile-high home.
After a brief moment to get settled, drinks are proffered – champagne, fruit juice or water – served with a bowl of cashews and almonds.
On-board experience
Food on-board is quite something to behold. Again with the options, your personal cabin crew member visits within moments of boarding to help get you settled, and establish whether you would prefer to eat your main meal immediately after take-off, or later on during the flight.
Neatly stashed below my Aqua Di Palma toiletries kit was a menu, with three choices per course and a list of all-day snacks available for ad-hoc order, whenever the fancy should strike. Since I am gluten-free, the decision was happily made for me thanks to my pre-ordered meal, but I still had decisions to make: wine. After a small amount of deliberation, I settled on a South African Cabernet Sauvignon.
Champagne drunk and glass dutifully collected, we taxied out to the runway and began to climb through the clouds. At this point, I discovered a handy button allowing me to alter just about every aspect of my seat: cushion firmness, distance between the cushion and footstool, and the extent to which I wished to decline. I faffed for a while, then opted for one of three handy pre-sets.
So, seat perfect, entertainment browsed (I’d saved watching the new Top Gun for a moment such as this and it felt wonderfully apt to watch Tom Cruise take to the skies as we did), I settled in. And then my first course arrived. Roasted vegetables on a bed of lentils and pea puree, with a watercress garnish. I had no idea food could be so beautifully presented so high in the sky. Next came chicken, and then a platter of fruit – pineapple, orange, kiwi and watermelon.
Naturally, I worked my way through the snack list, too. It was like a really fancy version of driving snacks: tasty, varied and plentiful.
The part of the flight that I’d been most excited about was sleeping. As a long-haul business class virgin, I was curious to see just how flat the flat-bed would go. Answer: all the way. And under the lowered lighting with cleverly tinted windows to protect against UV rays, I found my sleep incredibly restful. We’d pre-arranged that I would like a light snack just prior to arrival, which magically appeared as soon as I’d snuffled myself awake and re-emerged back an upright-ish position.
Arrivals
Disembarking was similarly seamless. We hustled through fast-track and collected our ‘priority’ labelled luggage within moments of hitting the baggage hall, then we were guided into an arrivals lounge. More snacks, drinks and reading materials were proffered, before we were met by a private chauffeur to complete our journey.
In a nutshell
The whole experience was a total joy, and entirely took the stress out of travelling. Etihad flights truly are an experience, not a chore – enough to seriously hope that teleporting never becomes a thing.
Factbox
A one way direct flight from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi starts from – £517.41 (bconomy) and from £2,785.31 (business).
A return direct flight from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi: Outbound flighs start from £388.41 (economy) and £1,691.31 (business). Return leg starts from £270.90 (economy) and £1,469.80 (business).
All imagery credit: Etihad
