Review: Etihad Airways First Class 777-300ER London To Abu Dhabi

Do you like their new pillows, or did you prefer the old ones? I think the new ones do spice up the cabin a bit, but it makes it less "soothing", which the rest of the colour tones tend to go for.

@Lucky.
I am going to be travelling LHR-AUH-SYD First part of journey in J then in F. Will I get the BMW transfer?

@ Ken -- If you arrive at a remote stand in first class then you should be picked up, yes (if you're flying an A380, though, those don't arrive at remote stands).

I'm flying a 77W in J In to AUH however I'm flying F out of AUH do I get treated as a F Pax on arrival? Meaning I get the transfer service because when I go on etihad.com to book a chauffeur it says not eligible.

@ Ken -- You only get a BMW transfer if you're arriving in first class.

@ Alvin -- That's a toughie. Agree they're a bit "out there," but I guess they match the new branding somewhat.

" Interesting" interactions of FA with YOUR favorite CEO... Please elaborate further 😛

@Ben,
Something makes me feel that the "excellent CEO" you're talking about is HE Akbar Al Baker

Another EY flight Between AUH and LHR in first class (of course) and the format of the review the same. I really enjoy your site and have been a dedicated reader but in my opinion there is a sameness to these posts that starting to show. I looked back through your previous reviews and they could be interchangeable. Same flights, same airlines (LH anyone?) and same locations. I know you are a passionate traveller and I still enjoy some of your more diverse posts but why not try different countries (South africa, North africa, more Asia etc) different airlines and fly business for more helpful reviews and even dare I say economy to get a better idea of a carrier. Though some are always able to turn left on entering a plane, there is a reason there are only 8 seats there and 300+ to the right. Also more of how you earn the points you do, points earning from other country perspectives and even some lighter posts (celebrities you have seen?) would keep it fresh. You have a great blog and keep up the great work... I would just like to see more diversity.

@Craig,

I actually find Ben's multiple reviews of EY, LH, EK, CX, QR, SQ etc. to be very informative and useful. A single review of an airline's premium class is not going to reveal one of the most important aspects of the service: consistency. Is the service uniformly great? We know from Ben's multiple reviews that EY's first class service standards can be erratic while CX's is consistently great, despite the questionable quality of the inflight dining.

However, you are quite correct in advocating for more diversity of airlines. And for more business class reviews. How I would love to read a review of Vietnam Airlines' long haul business class! And Ben's take on Aeroflot's President Class would have the potential of being priceless.

FYI, the order and captions of your photos in this post seem to be a little screwy.

My mezze has been plated differently every single time I've flown EY F

@Lucky,

Thanks for the great trip report. While there's no arguing that the A380 First Apartments are phenomenal products, I could actually see myself redeeming this product instead. If I were ever to travel to the Middle East, it would most likely be with my wife. The 1-2-1 configuration seems to be a better layout for traveling with a companion.

I don't recall you having reviewed the new A380 business class product, but how would you compare the 777-300ER F to the A380 J, especially when traveling with a companion? Thanks!

@ Matt S -- I'd say 777-300ER first class is still considerably better than A380 business class, in terms of personal space, privacy, bedding, food, service, etc. It's worth the premium, in my opinion.

@ James -- Hmmm, thanks for the heads up. Are you reading on mobile?

@ Craig -- I appreciate the feedback, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by some of my upcoming travels. 🙂

Interesting in your nose cam picture that there's a Concorde plane in the shot... Wonder who is using that these days...

Can I just say - as an Australian - I completely agree that the menu looked impressive, but to have Victoria Bitter as a beer option - my god, what is wrong with the world.....

Hi Jeremy,

please allow me to answer. The Concorde can be found at the beggining of RWY 27L, it is a static, which means nobody is using it. Good catch though!

George

George, thanks for mentioning the Concorde. I saw it during a recent trip which had me connecting through Heathrow. I was shocked by how small it is!

Do you know if Etihad sells their pillows? I love those geometric patterns.

@ Ken -- Heh, I don't believe they do.

Belatedly thanks George! Been a while since I flown thru LHR sadly. Time for a return!

"Arabic appetisers"??? Applying the word Arabic to everything Arab (and not just the language and its literature) is a common mistake, sure, but surely Etihad should be able to get that one right!

Can't believe it but I was just able to book an Etihad first class ticket (Class O) from BOM to JFK next January. We can't wait to try out the suites! Wanted to thank you for all the work presenting this information allowing and encouraging us to get the most from our miles. We will be arriving at the domestic BOM airport on a positioning flight from MAA. Are we entitled to a free ride from the domestic terminal to the new international terminal? Are we entitlee to a ride home from JFK to our house? Also what's the Etihad lounge like at the BOM airport?

Thanks and keep up the good work!
BIll

@Lucky - what would you choose? Etihad 777 First or A380 Business?

Thanks - Great review. My wife and I have a forthcoming trip to Sao Paulo with Etihad and I was thinking about upgrading from Business to First, the flight time is 15 hours and 40 minutes! Your review has made up my mind!

Thanks again