Review of Etihad Airways flight Abu Dhabi Madrid in Economy

Airline Etihad Airways
Flight EY75
Class Economy
Seat --
Aircraft Airbus A330-200
Flight time 08:45
Take-off 12 Nov 16, 02:25
Arrival at 12 Nov 16, 08:10
EY   #6 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 282 reviews
Chibcha
By SILVER 1723
Published on 25th May 2021

Intro


Hola amigos,

This is a continuation to my Sri Lanka trip series from 2016. Previous flights on this series are:
 



So… without further ado, I pick up where I left.


Transiting at AUH


Back in 2016 (can't believe this is already 5 years ago)… Etihad was trying to build a global hub of the likes of Dubai and Doha.  However, out of the three airports, it was the smallest and it had reached its peak capacity.

And I suffered it sorely. Lines and crowds were huge when crossing security… it was quite inefficient, specially as they segregate women and men, and many of the travellers using AUH seemed to be a bit unexperienced with air travel. 

As I was battered, I chose to go straight to the gate where the Madrid flight would be departing. Happily, it was on the same terminal I had just arrived to. 

Again I was bussed to the smart A330 that was to take us to the Iberian Penninsula. 


Boarding etihad's a330-200


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Abu Dhabi's weather wasn't much of a problem for boarding by stairs. The Rolls-Royce Trent 700s looked just massive from a live view.

Upon boarding we were greeted by a cheery crew, the flight wasn't too full. 

The cabin and seat had all the expected amenities. And a chipped window frame. 



enroute to madrid


After all passengers got their seats, we got our menus for tonight


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This was a short redeye, but we were given a light snack on a bag… I found this smart as I could choose when to sleep or eat as I pleased.


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In the meantime the plane's lighting switched colours.


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Then…sleep. A short time before arriving we were given breakfast. Everything was top notch.


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sleepy arrival to madrid



I spotted this odd Conviasa 747-400…but my crappy camera didn't want to help.


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We docked at Terminal 1. I was one of the first ones to reach the Border Police, as most passengers were EU citizens. The policeman just saw my passport, asked me how much time I was to stay in Spain and waved me in without much interest.


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Verdict

Etihad Airways

9.6/10
Cabin10.0
Cabin crew8.5
Entertainment/wifi10.0
Meal/catering10.0

Abu Dhabi - AUH

6.8/10
Efficiency3.5
Access5.0
Services8.5
Cleanliness10.0

Madrid - MAD

9.4/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

Another good flight with Etihad. Crew had a better attitude this time.

Abu Dhabi was quite crowded and felt overwhelming, specially after so much travelling. Bussing around the big planes was cool though.

Barajas' Terminal 1 isn't as fancy as Terminal 4, but it does the job. I met my friend on the arrivals zone, and then I we took the Metro to the city.

Thanks for reading!

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2 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 574449 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6769 Comments
    Hey again! Another report showing big changed at Etihad in a short time as they've retired all A330s since. Though I believe this happened before Covid when they were already having big financial issues. So many changes!

    Barajas' Terminal 1 isn't as fancy as Terminal 4, but it does the job.

    Haha, yeah that's an understatement, T1 is like a different airport. T4 is one of my favourite terminals in the world--everytime I pass though I'm always in awe at the beautiful architecture.

    Thanks for sharing!

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