EY003 AUH-MUC First ClassI'm going to preface this review by saying that we had previously flown Etihad Diamond First class and loved it. The service and food were fantastic, the seat oh so comfortable and even flying from the small outpost of Düsseldorf felt special. On this flight, we were departing from the home airport Abu Dhabi, so had really high hopes for the experience.
Out trip started well from the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, with our complimentary Etihad Chauffeur limousine ready and waiting for us at 06:30. The Audi was nothing special, but the driver was friendly and we were soon on our way - it's great not having to worry about anything on your way to the airport. This is what First class is about - paying someone else to make sure everything runs smoothly. On arrival at the airport, we proceeded to the first class check-in. A side-note about the labels used at AUH - they are much stickier than elsewhere and actually removed the silver paint on the handle of our Rimowa! The SeatTo be honest, we boarded in a bad mood. We made our feelings known to the cabin crew who made a great show of concern but did not seem to really understand the enormity of Etihad's crime in failing to provide any first class ground services at their home airport. Indeed, they seemed not to know what the situation was.
So, back to the seat. Well, it was almost as good as we remembered, but the cabin looked a little tired with the seat covers sagging somewhat. It is a lie-flat bed, which is comfortable after turn-down, so that gives it major plus points. The controls were very jerky, a little difficult to use and unresponsive, thus it wasn't easy to adjust the sitting position to be comfy. There was also a serious lack of storage space. |
Premium Lounge & BoardingCheck-in is quick, friendly and efficient but from then on everything goes badly downhill. After queuing at immigration, we were surprised to see a very long queue for security. Why was only one lane in use for all business, first and connecting passengers? After 10-15 minutes wait, we were through security and on our way to Etihad's new Premium Lounge. At the time of our flight, this was the only lounge available as the new first class facility is only due to open end of 2014/early 2015.
Similarly to BA Terraces lounge at Heathrow, the lounge is just barely acceptable for a home-airport business class lounge. For first class, this it was utterly appalling. There was almost no space to sit (hence the few photos as it was impossible not to include people); the food was poor both in choice and quality, there was no menu, no table service, only a buffet. The showers and spa (offering complimentary 15 minute mini treatments) were fully booked and there was no space or special services set aside for first class guests. We were bussed to the gate together with coach class passengers and there was only one staircase in use so boarding took forever and was a very uncomfortable experience. Think Easyjet Luton. Food and BeverageAlthough the wine list was well chosen, the champagne (Gosset Grand Milissimé 2004) was very cheap compared to what other carriers offer in first class (€59 at Galeries Lafayette Berlin). Our breakfast order was simple but done well - scrambled egg with smoked salmon and fresh fruit.
A few hours later, it was lunch time. Our amuse bouche was more of the cheap smoked salmon with a twirl of cucumber - not inspired. Mrs d2t had a nice piece of Arabic-style fish with some rice, which she enjoyed but noted a lack of vegetables or fibre. Mr d2t was told the only thing on the menu suitable for his allergies was chicken with rice, which would have been fine except cold undercooked French fries were served, not rice. We both left the flight in need of food within a couple of hours - definitely not what you aim for after a first class flight. |
Overall Impression
We were severely disappointed with Etihad first class. To the point where we feel we won't use the service again until we read some reviews showing that it has improved dramatically. The ground services at Abu Dhabi airport were worse than British Airways, which is going some. There is no mention of the closed first class lounge on the Etihad website, which is unacceptable. To not provide even a separate area of the business lounge with waiter service and enhanced catering shows disdain for passengers paying a very premium price for their flight. The transfer to the plane was appalling - whilst bussing is sometimes unavoidable, there are ways to make this less uncomfortable, for example advising customers when to board to avoid long queueing. At present I would advise strongly against flying Etihad Diamond from Abu Dhabi.
In flight, things picked up a little but the apologies from the staff felt false and the promise that this wasn't normal and things would be followed up just hollow. We wouldn't recommend flying Etihad First class until the new lounge is open, or possibly until the new terminal opens (due 2017). If flying through the region, we would recommend Emirates, or perhaps Oman Air.
In flight, things picked up a little but the apologies from the staff felt false and the promise that this wasn't normal and things would be followed up just hollow. We wouldn't recommend flying Etihad First class until the new lounge is open, or possibly until the new terminal opens (due 2017). If flying through the region, we would recommend Emirates, or perhaps Oman Air.