Review of Etihad Airways flight Abu Dhabi Mumbai in First

Airline Etihad Airways
Flight EY204
Class First
Seat 4K
Aircraft Airbus A380-800
Flight time 03:40
Take-off 21 May 16, 14:10
Arrival at 21 May 16, 19:20
EY   #6 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 278 reviews
socalnow
By 2080
Published on 1st August 2017
Greetings Flight Report community and thanks for stopping by. I have been catching up on reports of trips made last year and this series will be exactly that. This series of flights was special for several reasons. First, the timing. My family was expecting a new member in July of 2016 so this window of time was my last chance to enjoy some flying for a while. Second, as a "last hurrah", it was an all points on deck sort of affair where I simply pooled every point currency I had available and sought to exhaust them into a grand adventure. Through the luck of my timing I beat the devaluation cutoff of both AA and the Alaska and Emirates. Finally the trip was loosely based around A380. The first class cabins on these machines are nothing short of spectacular so let's have a comparison.

photo map

Carrier, route, equipment, class, lounge, and procurement method:



United Airlines - LAX-IAH - 737-800 - First - United Club - Aeroplan
Lufthansa - IAH-FRA - A380-800 - First - Executive Club - Aeroplan
Lufthansa - FRA-LHR - A321 - Business - FCL and FCT - Aeroplan
Etihad Airways - LHR-AUH - A380-800 - First - Etihad Lounge - American AAdvantage
Etihad Airways - AUH-BOM - A380-800 - First - Etihad Lounge - American AAdvantage (This Report)
Singapore Airlines - BOM-SIN - A380-800 - Suites - GVK Lounge - Krisflyer
Emirates Airline - SIN-DXB - A380-800 - First - Emirates Lounge and Qantas Lounge - Alaska Mileage Plan (Coming Eventually)
Emirates Airline - DXB-IAH - A380-800 - First - Emirates Lounge - Alaska Mileage Plan (Coming Eventually)
American Airlines IAH-DFW - MD80 - First - Admirals Club - Cash (No Report)
American Airlines DFW-SNA - 737-800 - First - Admirals Club - Cash (No Report)

Etihad Lounge T2



The long awaited Etihad First Class lounge was well overdue for opening. It was still not open when i passed through AUH in May 2016. I am surprised it was built at all with an entire new terminal opening in the next few years. I suppose if the construction timeline for the new terminal is similar to the new lounge it will be a few more years than expected. You know what they say, "Over promise and under deliver." Wait, I think that's off…

There is no ground escort or preferred lounge entrance for an F passenger so this is what awaited me.

photo 20160520_215823

Disappointed not to experience the new lounge this is still a very nice facility.

I grabbed a seat in the open lounge area to enjoy some water. The lounge was under the morning crush and was very crowded. The tabels were all littered with debris from other guests. There is a roped off First Class section but I was more interested in some hydration and a shower.

photo 20160520_222604photo 20160521_001753

I visit the spa area to arrange a shower. There is no wait. The shower rooms are disappointing in that they are cramped and hot.

photo 20160521_004007photo 20160521_013248photo 20160521_013255

I do love spa water.

photo 20160521_004052

I also secure a haircut. I was feeling a little shaggy but really just wanted to get a haircut in an airport lounge. Check. It turned out well and the barber was quite affable and had a good gift of gab.

photo 20160521_013336

Otherwise my time here was sleeping on a couch as there are no proper rest rooms. Fortunately the lounge cleared out and my only company was staff cleaning for the next rush.

Comfortable secluded nap space. It might have been for VIPs but no one hassled me.

photo 20160521_013612

When the lounge was between flight banks I snapped a few pictures.



Apologies for the light coverage of this lounge. Please see some of my other reports for more information on this facility here:

AUH-NRT
AUH-JFK

EY204 AUH-BOM



As departure time approached I made my way the short distance to the boarding gate.

photo 20160521_040516

At the door of the aircraft I was welcomed aboard by name and shown directly to my "apartment", 4K. The delightful young famale flight attendant wiht a distinct English accent invited me to occupy any seat as I was the only F passenger on this flight. Normally those words elicit celebration in the av-geek world but to be honest it's hard to tell the difference in this product. I guess I get first pick of shower times? Oh hell yes I'm showering on a 3 hour flight.



My personal struggle of 10 hours without champagne has ended.

photo 20160521_043550photo 20160521_043623

Boarding pass. In retrospect a seat assignment was necessary.

photo bp_auh_om

The vanity and mini-bar are both stocked, even for the short hop to BOM.

photo 20160521_043205photo 20160521_044046photo 20160521_043957


Let's peruse the menu. I assume they won't have run out of anything…
1
photo 20160521_044347
2
photo 20160521_044524
3
photo 20160521_044531
4
photo 20160521_044544
5
photo 20160521_044650

6photo 20160521_044701
7
photo 20160521_044717
8
photo 20160521_044732

The Bollinger was topped up with precision. An ice bucket en-suite is something they need to consider…

photo 20160521_045220

More amenities are provisioned…for the 3 hour flight…



Welcome letter.

photo 20160521_044233

The couch/bed has a huge storage beneath.

photo 20160521_054227

My private cabin is on the move.

photo 20160521_053405

An-225 OMG! Loading a massive crane.

photo 20160521_053429

OK, we have a lot to do and a short time to do it. Let's get to work. I didn't eat in the lounge so let's take a meal.

Table setup and champagne snacks.

photo 20160521_060112photo 20160521_060415

Some really nice roti from the bread selection and the scallop starter. Good texture on the scallop.

photo 20160521_060702photo 20160521_061000photo 20160521_061018

The Gulf Mixed Grill a.k.a. plate of protein ranging from unremarkable to vile.

photo 20160521_062052photo 20160521_062057photo 20160521_062102

Despite the fantastic flight attendant pleading with me to try some other dishes I threw in the towel. Technically the towel was presented to me but…

photo 20160521_064012photo 20160521_064016

On a trip to the lav I spied over the wall at the residence.

photo 20160521_065424photo 20160521_065445photo 20160521_065457

I was surprised when they offered the shower service. NO, not that kind, what is wrong with you? I didn't think they would carry the water but I was wrong. And shower I did.

photo 20160521_043310photo 20160521_065600photo 20160521_065613

Back at my place (I know, frustrating that the toilet shower are not ensuite) I am showered again but this time with offers of final food and drink orders. I request some coffee and water. The water is accompanied by ice cream. It must be a local Gulf culture thing.



Of course this flight was coming to an end before I could even get into it. The cabin was prepared for landing and soon we were coming back to earth in the literal and figurative.

See more

Verdict

Etihad Airways

8.3/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew8.5
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Meal/catering6.0

Etihad Airways First Class Lounge & Spa

8.3/10
Comfort7.5
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Services9.0

Abu Dhabi - AUH

7.6/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.5

Mumbai - BOM

6.8/10
Efficiency5.0
Access5.0
Services8.5
Cleanliness8.5

Conclusion

The Ground Service: There is no ground service. Perhaps even a disservice of having to queue up behind travelers arguing that they should have access to the lounge.

The Lounge: It's decidedly a J lounge, just a very nice one. The Spa and Cut and Shave services are more F than J.

The Cabin: Mine...all mine! It's the one product that makes the alone in F prize irrelevant.

The Crew: Stupendous. Smiling, fun, confident and flirtatious. I don't see any way to improve.

The Food and Beverage: The roti was spot on. Otherwise not very good.

Overall: An apartment, shower, amenity kit, slippers, and pajamas on a 3 hour flight. Sure, why not?

Information on the route Abu Dhabi (AUH) Mumbai (BOM)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 5 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Abu Dhabi (AUH) → Mumbai (BOM).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Etihad Airways avec 8.3/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 3 heures et 43 minutes.

  More information

0 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !

Login to post a comment.