Review: Etihad Airways First Class A340 Seoul Incheon to Abu Dhabi

"12 seats spread across four rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration"

i don't think this math works...

@ Lantean -- Whoops, indeed!

love the weird flight path thanks to geopolitical conflicts/tensions

@Lantean - 1+2+1=3 Four rows x three seats, = 12, no?

That is honestly one of the most "wiggly" routes I've seen on a long haul...

@Greg N - not sure when 1+2+1 = 3, perhaps you better check your own math before commenting on someone else's 🙂

@Greg N

for the sake of this country, I hope you were not a math major...

The BMW transfer is just for First? Or business as well?

Also, if you're already booked into Biz on points (AA), and you get the feeling First is going to be pretty empty - chances of upgrade and how to go about it? Points? Cash?

Thanks!

JFK - AUH - CAI - AUH - JFK, this December.

I recall you saying that OZ A380 F's decor was hideous and that "barf colored tones" weren't visually appealing. Yet somehow Etihad has "nice, neutral colors?"

They're both hideous, man. Don't upsell it.

@ David -- To me the decor looks completely different. There's a difference between a beige leather and barf-colored cloth, in my opinion.

@ Ben -- Just first class. Best way to upgrade to first is to pay the difference in miles, since it's 22,500 each way.

Lucky: "Seoul Incheon (ICN) - Abu Dhabi (ICN)"

@ meegabroad -- Good catch, thanks!

The chef was creative and showed the value such a position can have, given how well he adopted to the situation (I guess you could say he learned quick, fast, and in a hurry). The flight attendant was attentive, charming, and had an eye for detail. -
Pardon me ben but I think it is supposed to be adapted instead of adopted? Hehehe

@ Dwight -- Fixed, thanks!

You should send Etihad an appreciation letter for this chef guy, he sounded amazing !

The food offering looks mediocre. Though I suppose he did the best he could with what he had.

"We used up about two thirds of the runway, and from there it was a smooth and super-gradual climb to our cruising altitude."

What a nice way to say that the A340 is slow, can hardly climb and borderline underpowered. Thankfully these birds are almost all gone. I had a pilot explain to me onetime that we were 30 minutes behind schedule because we were in a trans Atlantic track behind an A340 who was at top speed.

Disappointed that the sparkling water is San Pelligrino rather than Perrier or Voss, and the still water is Aqua Panna instead of pretty much anything else. Also that they don't have peppermint tea. But it still sounds worth trying.

"I’m not sure if we landed in Dubai and taxied to Abu Dhabi or what, but it was unreal"
Lol!!! 😉 I couldn't stop laughing.
Kudos to the chef and a great review!
This blog is really good..and a little addicting for an aviation enthusiast like me..I read all the way from your latest blog till this one already!
Keep it up! 🙂

Flew this route last week starting out in Paris. Fully agree with your glowing review. The plane, seat, staff, food were excellent and the performance of the WiFi just blew me away.
Did you see the fantastic view of the Himalayas about 90 minutes out of or before Abu Dhabi? That alone was worth the 1st Class ticket.
Only downside was that I got moved without being told, onto a later connecting flight (+20 hours!) from Abu Dhabi to CDG as a result of the French Air traffic strike. With some haggling got moved onto a LHR flight and the world was good again!

Hi Ben, Just arrived in abu dhabi after 14 hr flight. Flew first and i think we got the same chef! He was awesome. The Tarmac transfer was just the ordinary bus no BMW!

Not to be persnickety, but the brand toiletries in the amenity kit is LeLabo.

I wonder if your chef was the same Alejandro from NeverNotFlying's a380 video..
https://youtu.be/Us8KuiZ2vTo?t=267

Wdym how entitled can you be to complain about water, SP and Ap are the luxury fine dining waters. so fuck you

shut up the A340 is the greatest