The food spread had a predictable heavy emphasis on Middle Eastern and East Asian dishes. This is an especially good value in the premium cabins, give… I usually jump at the chance to try the food of an airline’s home country when flying, but this time I went with the vegetarian pasta. Business class cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9. Business class cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9. It didn’t look it, but it was quite comfortable for sleeping. Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The Points Guy UK receives compensation. This red-eye flight was about equal in duration to the busy New York-to-London route. We booked this flight as part of an itinerary originating in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (AUH), and terminating in Seoul, South Korea (ICN). Product links are provided on a non-advised basis. Plus, the aircraft’s “new plane smell” made everything feel all the more pristine. They also have an awesome IFE system with tons of content. Etihad’s 787 business class cabin is pretty intimate — it has a total of just 28 seats. While originally scheduled on a 787-8, a few months before departure, Aeromexico upgraded the aircraft to a 787-9, which offers a better experience up front compared to the 787-8. Under the buffet counters were well-stocked minifridges with standard sodas and bottles of water. It was a simple plate but really hit the spot — I’d say it was on par with any decent Italian restaurant. The IFE – Etihad’s eBOX entertainment system was intuitive, responsive, and offers plenty of movie, TV, music, games, and other content to keep you busy during the flight. The Onboard service – We were offered a pre-departure beverage and towels upon boarding and all our requests were attended to, however I couldn’t help but notice that the flight attendants were a bit robotic. A bellman greeted me at the entrance and offered to take my bags on a luggage trolley. After confirming that my bag would be tagged through to Seoul, the agent printed out my boarding passes and sent me on my way. weet and sour chicken with steamed jasmine rice, carrots and bok choy; s, I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy UK newsletter and special email promotions. This means that no advice is given or implied and you are solely responsible for deciding whether the product is suitable for your needs. This was a night flight and Etihad keeps their cabin very dark for passengers to maximize on sleep. All of my AvGeek life, I’d been looking forward to this moment, and I was absolutely starstruck from the second I turned left and made my way into the cabin. I decided to save it for later. Etihad 787-9 Dreamliner seating chart, seat map, first business and economy class seats pitch. After I had checked in, I discovered there were two self-service kiosks available, but with such attentive service and virtually no lines, there was no real advantage over standard counter check-in. Etihad offered three Wi-Fi plans, starting at $5.95 for 50 MB to $29.95 for 300 MB. Etihad’s premium service is an area where the airline focuses a good deal of attention and the updated cabin product will help the airline further improve on that service. There will be a total of 28 business class seats spread … The airline has both the smaller 787-8 and the larger 787-9. ( Log Out /  The inflight-entertainment system was quite extensive and definitely had something for everyone. Etihad Airways operates the Boeing B787-9 on long-haul flights. Etihad’s 787s sport the same business-class seat found on the larger A380s, the so-called “business studio.” While the seat design wasn’t game-changing, the cabin finishings were simply stunning. Terminal 1 is the oldest facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, and though it definitely felt a bit outdated, it featured pretty neat architecture. I had a few bites of the green chicken curry, lamb biryani, and naan bread, all of which were delicious, if not restaurant quality. The seats were extraordinarily comfortable and spacious. Se desideri riposare, non devi fare altro che reclinare la poltrona fino a trasformarla in un vero e proprio letto e se hai fame, devi solo chiedere! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. They featured a magnetic clasp for a plug, which I’d never seen before. One offers 8 first-class suites and 28 business-class seats, but the version I flew doesn’t have a first-class cabin at all — just 28 biz seats between Door 1 and Door 2. Etihad 787-9 business class lamb quzi After I devoured the lamb quzi, I finished off the meal service with a passionfruit mousse, which was encased in a dark chocolate boat shell. I boarded through the second door on the left of the plane and I was warmly welcomed by the crew. The airline provided a plush and soft blanket for all business-class passengers. In fact, they were ahead of the ball on most things, such as remembering how I took my coffee and never allowing my beverage to dip below three-quarters full. ════════════════ ✈ : Etihad Airways ✈ : Boeing 787-9 ✈ : #A6BLZ ✈ : Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) ✈ : EY418 ✈ : 7hr15min ✈ : 7C (Window/Business) ════════════════ #etihad #787 #dreamliner #aircraft #flying #airbus #boeing #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationphotography #planespotter #avgeek #piloteyes #piloteyes737 #instaaviation #instagramaviation, A post shared by 35,000 feet (@35kfeet) on Jun 26, 2019 at 7:38pm PDT. Registered Office: Red Ventures Services Ltd, The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London, United Kingdom, SE1 2LH. I followed signs for Etihad’s business-class lounge, which was less than a five-minute walk from the security checkpoint. It was definitely smaller than its Terminal 3 counterpart but offered identical food and beverages. The purser greeted me at the boarding door and directed me toward my seat, 7C. The Etihad 787-9 business class is, in my opinion, one of the best business class products out there. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. 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Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. About Etihad Airways’ Boeing 787-9 (two-class) The 28 Business Studios offer direct aisle access, a fully-flat bed of up to 80.5 inches in length, and an increase of 20 per cent in personal space. Prior to landing, she came over to my seat with a big smile to let me know that she had gotten the captain’s permission to bring me up to the flight deck upon arrival. We join Etihad Airways celebration of the deployment of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily scheduled services to Milan. I was able to do some light messaging and browsing, and so long as I stayed away from streaming or picture-heavy content, I didn’t encounter connection issues. Etihad Business Studio vs Qatar Airways QSuite. Etihad Airways flight EY673 took off from Abu Dhabi at 2.35am and arrived on schedule at 7.10am local time. The check-in process took just a matter of minutes. One version of the Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has 235 seats in a three-class cabin. The fruit was fresh, and the mango yogurt parfait was delicious. It was well-above average in comfort. To the right of the seat was a large storage compartment. Etihad currently runs an A380 nonstop between the two cities (meaning you can book nine hours in its incredible first-class Apartment for just 50k miles! It’s not quite on the level of Qatar’s Qsuite, but I’d wager that Etihad’s studio takes the spot for the next-best business-class product hailing from the Persian Gulf (especially considering that Emirates’ newest iteration is still a 2-2-2 configuration). The flight attendant approached my seat with a hot towel and invited me to peruse the menu, and she encouraged me to pick and choose any combination of items. Everything from the patterned seat upholstery to the accent lighting to the gentle boarding music — the cabin boasted a luxurious elegance that was truly hard to put into words. The pouch is of very good quality. Overall, I think Etihad really hit the nail on the head with its onboard catering. . A total of 13 hours in lie-flat seats for such few miles was really unbeatable — a perfect example of just how lucrative fixed-mileage award charts can be. As some of the world’s most famous airlines, the Gulf carriers have truly transformed air travel by redefining luxury in the sky. The terminal was busy with morning and holiday passenger traffic but I managed to get enough time at the airport’s two lounges. On the bright side, this gave me a great opportunity to “fly backward,” which I’d never experienced and was always curious to try out. They have a modern fleet of airplanes including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380. Etihad Airways 787 Dreamliner is a world class product with probably one of the best Business Class seats in the entire industry. I made my way over to Terminal 1 about an hour and half prior to my scheduled departure. 11645522. Etihad Business Class. By now, the lights had been switched off. I got on this aircraft after transferring off of an Etihad A320 from Kuwait. The space featured Etihad’s signature dark-wood paneling and comfortable seating areas. Ideally I would’ve chosen one of the even-numbered window seats for the enhanced privacy and proximity to the windows, but they were all occupied. The award chart has a real sweet spotfor flights between the Middle East and East Asia (typically six to nine hours long) where the airline only charges 30,000 to 50,000 miles for economy, business- and first-class redemptions. Etihad will have the same business class product on the 787-9 that they have on the A380, which from the looks of it may be the best business class hard product in the world. If you’re familiar with those short transatlantic hops between the East Coast and Europe, you’d agree that an efficient and speedy service is crucial to a successful business-class product. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. Etihad’s seats had a strikingly similar footprint to Qatar’s Qsuite (sans a closing door). These seats have 180 degree recline. At first, I grabbed seat 1A, a window-facing seat one row behind the galley. See, BREAKING: UAE is removed from travel corridor immediately, Bahamas blowout: Inside the £12,000-per-night Four Seasons villa fit for royalty, American Express dropping 1 hotel elite status benefit from the Platinum Card. Since I arrived prior to the influx of transit passengers, I initially shared the massive lounge with fewer than 10 passengers. Her demeanor immediately softened up, and we conversed throughout the entire flight, bonding over our love of flying and travel. Landing in Kuala Lumpur just over seven hours after liftoff. The dessert, dressed with a passionfruit nectar, offered the perfect balance between sweetness from the fluffy mousse, sourness from the passionfruit syrup, and velvety richness from the dark chocolate. My studio, 7C, was a rear-facing window seat. Aircraft Type: Boeing 787-9 Cabin: Business Class Seat: 6F Date: July 24, 2019. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – A state-of-the-art Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down in Lagos this morning after its inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi. The airport is beautifully decorated with middle eastern touches, but their boarding areas are rather cramped, which made boarding the flight a bit chaotic, as passengers bum rushed the gate as soon as boarding was called. These personal and kind gestures went such a long way, and no doubt were major contributors to what made this flight so special. It’s hard to think of a better value per mile than this, and I can’t express how grateful I am to have had this experience. https://www.seatmaestro.com/.../etihad-airways-boeing-b787-9-three-class There are totally 28 flat bed seats here. While they all strive to provide the best onboard experience, each airline is beautifully unique — especially when it comes to their premium products. on Review: Etihad Airways Business Class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Abu Dhabi to Seoul Incheon. In this particular situation, I didn’t care as much as my SkyTeam-SkyPriority status wasn’t recognized and I would not be able to board early (to get a clean/empty shot of the cabin). Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Editorial Note: The Points Guy UK is independent; the opinions published here are always those of the reviewer, who has final editorial approval. There were four main courses available: char siu duck salad with sugar snap peas; sweet and sour chicken with steamed jasmine rice, carrots and bok choy; sea bass mashwi with rice, green beans, spiced tomato sauce and lime; and casarecce pasta with chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella, olive tapenade and Parmesan. I’d be thrilled to have another opportunity to fly with them. It offers extreme comfort and privacy as well as plenty of room. After kicking off my second flying adventure with an Aeroflot economy flight across the Atlantic, it was time to step things up in a big way. Whether it’s Emirates’ game-changing first-class suite, Qatar’s world’s-best business class or Etihad’s otherworldly Residence, each airline has a unique branding angle that sets it apart from the rest. That being said, I can’t help to compare them with their rival Qatar Airways and sadly that’s where Etihad falls short in terms of onboard service and lounge experience. Frankfurt double daily service to go all-Dreamliner on the 787-9 Etihad Dreamliners feature industry-leading, award-winning cabins The two-class 787-9 features Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy Class cabins, configured with 299 seats - 28 Business … Later I noticed that 10K was open on ExpertFlyer, and once I confirmed that 10G and 11H — the seats across the aisle and behind — were empty and blocked, I decided to move there for a bit more privacy. They were quite comfortable, and the sound quality was fairly decent. The movie page offered 238 titles from across all genres, while the 217 TV episodes provided plenty to satisfy any binge-watching needs. Reviews will come soon! Learn how your comment data is processed. If you are not sure which is the right product for you, you should seek advice. Though she was uneasy with me snapping pictures of the cabin upon boarding, after takeoff we got to talking. Although I was pretty stuffed at this point, I couldn’t turn down the sweet offerings to conclude the meal. It was accompanied by a refreshing, hot towel. Etihad Airways offers Economy Class on all of its aircraft. I arrived well before the late-night bank of flights was scheduled to touch down, so the airport was eerily empty. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and delicious, which is certainly not a given when you’re dining seven miles above the ground. ( Log Out /  Etihad definitely checked all boxes in this department: The service was logistically efficient and seamless. Let me know what you think about Etihad vs Qatar’s business class products down in the comment section below. Frame A6-BLZ had been ferried from Boeing’s factory in Charleston, South Carolina, nonstop to Abu Dhabi just five days prior. Etihad's new Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft come with a new breed of business class – the 'Business Studio', which gives discerning travellers more privacy, personal space and comfort at 35,000 feet. the seats of the rows 5-11, are the seats of pearl business class. Finally, it was time to head to my gate. I had a glass of the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, which was delicious. Notably, I loved the Arabic Mezze, Korean Bibimbap and steak sandwich. Although American Airlines is gradually dismantling its fixed-mileage award chart, the AAdvantage program still provides some excellent redemptions. Plus, with a la carte dining, it really felt like the service was less set in stone and far more personalized. There were additional breakfast items on offer, which included anything from cereal with milk to a smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese and capers.