I don't usually blog about my flying experiences since I almost always fly Emirates, so there's really nothing new to report about (except their service which for some reason is on a decline now).
For our current holiday, the husband and I booked ourselves on Etihad, so I thought why not share the experience on the blog. It was our first time taking another airline apart from Emirates which is what we have been flying loyally for years and years. However, for Morocco, we got a killer deal with Etihad and thought why not try it out. We were extremely apprehensive as we are so used to the Emirates terminal and lounges in Dubai airport and are so familiar with all their aircrafts and features. Furthermore, I had never even been to Abu Dhabi airport!
Anyway, so we got to Abu Dhabi airport and did the check in, etc. which was relatively smooth and made our way to the lounge. Featuring modern furniture with bright coloured accents, a few bar areas, a six senses spa with a nail bar, the lounge was indeed very nice. However, it was much smaller than the Emirates one we are accustomed to. For such a busy lounge, there was barely any space to sit and they didn't have a separate first class lounge which I found a bit weird. Moving on, the food was exceptional. Fettucine Alfredo, spicy beef noodles, sushi and a dessert bar (the chocolate panacotta, strawberry cheesecake were happily settled in my tummy); before I boarded my flight, I was going to explode! After eating, we made our way to the smoking room which was not very impressive. A tiny room filled with smoke made it difficult to sit inside for more than five minutes. Meanwhile, over in Dubai, the smoking section of the lounge is more like a gentleman's bar if you're flying from concourse A or like a big coffee shop in concourse B where you can help yourself to some coffee, alcohol or snacks.
Despite the average lounge experience, we didn't want to board the flight with preconceived notions. I had done my research on seatguru.com about the seat layout and size so I wasn't too worried. Once we were on board, I was totally blown away. The seat pitch was 73 inches (6'1) which is extremely generous and much bigger than Emirates. The seat width was 20 inches whereas Emirates is 18 inches. And the bed reclined to a full 180 degrees which, in the Emirates Boeing 777 is slightly angled. Plus, there was a cushioned box in the front where you can rest your feet on during take off and landing when your seat has to be upright. Under that box is a small storage compartment to keep your shoes or maybe a small handbag. The blankets were cosy and fluffy (better than Emirates) and I couldn't wait to pass out since it was a 2:30 am flight. After taking off, naturally I reclined my seat into a flat bed and fell into deep sleep for a few hours.
Food too, was excellent on the flight. There were two menus: one with three or four breakfast options and one with an all day dining menu consisting of yummy sandwiches and ice cream. I ordered the scrambled eggs with sausages and beef bacon and pretty much gobbled it all up.
Overall, this was one of the nicest flights we have flown. I have been on various long hauls with Emirates and this was by far one our best experiences. Great food, massive seats and fabulous service; I fully recommend flying with Etihad.
I find taking photos in flight really tacky, but since I was going to blog about it, I did manage to take some really random and goofy pictures!
For our current holiday, the husband and I booked ourselves on Etihad, so I thought why not share the experience on the blog. It was our first time taking another airline apart from Emirates which is what we have been flying loyally for years and years. However, for Morocco, we got a killer deal with Etihad and thought why not try it out. We were extremely apprehensive as we are so used to the Emirates terminal and lounges in Dubai airport and are so familiar with all their aircrafts and features. Furthermore, I had never even been to Abu Dhabi airport!
Anyway, so we got to Abu Dhabi airport and did the check in, etc. which was relatively smooth and made our way to the lounge. Featuring modern furniture with bright coloured accents, a few bar areas, a six senses spa with a nail bar, the lounge was indeed very nice. However, it was much smaller than the Emirates one we are accustomed to. For such a busy lounge, there was barely any space to sit and they didn't have a separate first class lounge which I found a bit weird. Moving on, the food was exceptional. Fettucine Alfredo, spicy beef noodles, sushi and a dessert bar (the chocolate panacotta, strawberry cheesecake were happily settled in my tummy); before I boarded my flight, I was going to explode! After eating, we made our way to the smoking room which was not very impressive. A tiny room filled with smoke made it difficult to sit inside for more than five minutes. Meanwhile, over in Dubai, the smoking section of the lounge is more like a gentleman's bar if you're flying from concourse A or like a big coffee shop in concourse B where you can help yourself to some coffee, alcohol or snacks.
Despite the average lounge experience, we didn't want to board the flight with preconceived notions. I had done my research on seatguru.com about the seat layout and size so I wasn't too worried. Once we were on board, I was totally blown away. The seat pitch was 73 inches (6'1) which is extremely generous and much bigger than Emirates. The seat width was 20 inches whereas Emirates is 18 inches. And the bed reclined to a full 180 degrees which, in the Emirates Boeing 777 is slightly angled. Plus, there was a cushioned box in the front where you can rest your feet on during take off and landing when your seat has to be upright. Under that box is a small storage compartment to keep your shoes or maybe a small handbag. The blankets were cosy and fluffy (better than Emirates) and I couldn't wait to pass out since it was a 2:30 am flight. After taking off, naturally I reclined my seat into a flat bed and fell into deep sleep for a few hours.
Food too, was excellent on the flight. There were two menus: one with three or four breakfast options and one with an all day dining menu consisting of yummy sandwiches and ice cream. I ordered the scrambled eggs with sausages and beef bacon and pretty much gobbled it all up.
Overall, this was one of the nicest flights we have flown. I have been on various long hauls with Emirates and this was by far one our best experiences. Great food, massive seats and fabulous service; I fully recommend flying with Etihad.
I find taking photos in flight really tacky, but since I was going to blog about it, I did manage to take some really random and goofy pictures!
 |
| The lounge - my shoes match the bar stools!! |
 |
| Nom Nom |
 |
| Hangin' |
No comments:
Post a Comment