For the next portion of my review trip, I flew Etihad’s Airbus A380 first class on the 7hr15min flight from Abu Dhabi to London. I was looking forward to this flight, given that Etihad only recently brought back its A380s, after they were grounded for an extended period of time.
Continue reading: Review: Etihad First Class Airbus A380 (AUH-LHR)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
A pity you didn't try the camel kofta for review purposes. Many airlines serve garoupa, but I don't think many have camel...
Hey Ben, I’m really sorry to say this because it’s such a small thing.. but I don’t think you need to say “let’s get into the review” at the end of each introductory paragraph. Long time fan.. everything else is great.
Another great report Ben!
I have never flown Etihad first, but Business and Economy and will echo two things:
1. the onboard lounge on the A380 seems a curio, and unlike Emirates' A380s, isn't a highlight of the aircraft. (I suppose Emirates' is a true bar).
2. Crews have improved yes. I find that on long-haul flights they have been excellent; but on short haul flights, much more variable.
The new airport seems a tad underwhelming to me but may be it's still sorting out its teething problems. Too much walking and staff have not eased in.
Surprised you placed this only #5 on your list of “Best First Class” products a few days ago.
That is Ben's writing style and others use it too in both verbal and written speech. It's not a requirement to introduce the review that way but I find it charming. When you have your own blog, you write however and whatever you like.
Just a rant about my experience in this product: A few years ago I was flying 1st class on Etihad’s A380 on my way to the Maldives. Flight attendant dropped a glass that shattered all over the floor around my seat. I didn’t want to get broken glass in my foot on the way to a beach vacation. The only other available seat was The Residence but they refused to move me to it. I know they really protect The Residence, but this was a poor decision to make me risk broken glass instead of moving me. Bad service.
What a great trip down memory lane! Pre-Covid, we would take every chance we could to fly USA-AUH-Australia return in this amazing product. Such great experiences! It's so good to see that EY is flying the A388 again and that the service is pretty much back to the glory days. Thanks for this thorough review.
Ben, any temptation to raise it higher in your first class ratings list? I have flown quite a few first class cabins (including the apartments and qf, jal first etc) and I think it’s the best cabin I’ve flown in. So much room and privacy. Seems superior to af and ana.
Although it probably wasn’t great to have a glass break next to your seat - the crew could actually lose their jobs if they self-upgraded you to the residence. The crew in the middle eastern carriers does not have the authority to do any upgrades once the duty manager closes the flight.
I don’t think the seat color differs between odd/even number rows, but instead one side of the aisle is beige and one side brown. Unless I’m mistaken?
Flew Etihad A-380 first class a couple of weeks ago from LHR-AUH. (Seat 3k) While the seat/bed and food were amazing, the Wifi and shower weren’t working on our flight. Not a huge deal, but still annoying. Flight attendants were fantastic. Would love to see 65k Aeroplan points availability come back soon:)
Great review, great product. I am just surprised they serve quite a cheap champagne comparing even average businesses classes.
Recently flew same route. Don’t know about this being best lounge. I found it to be rather meh. The cigar lounge was turned into a general smoking room and you can no longer buy cigars in lounge. The food is ok nothing amazing. Cabin on plane was nice but the caviar was some of the worst caviar service I have had in any first class. Really disappointing. The rest of the food was ok, but they don’t even warm the bread? Lots of first class products offer that. Crew was decent. Like the cameras on the plane. Screaming baby in the cabin directly behind me wasn’t conducive to a relaxing flight. I didn’t even bother with the shower. It along with the bathroom were tiny. Better off flying emirates if that is what you want. In summary this is hardly the best first class product I have been on. The space in the cabin was nice along with the ability to close doors. Strangely enough I found the seat in BA first class to be more comfortable.