My whirlwind Asia tour booked with Air Canada Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy points spanned eight days and took me to three countries. I had eagerly awaited this trip and was excited when I finally got to kick it off with this first flight. For the initial leg of my journey I was flying in business class on Etihad Airways from Toronto to Abu Dhabi with a brief layover before continuing on to Singapore.
Additional posts from my whirlwind 8 day tour of Asia:
Etihad Airways 777-300ER
Check-In
I arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) around 6 pm, stationed in terminal 3, I expected a swift and efficient check-in process. However, that wasn’t the case as I didn’t see any signs for Etihad counter. I eventually approached a customer service desk for assistance. They had let me know that the Etihad Airways counter was not yet operational but would be set up at counter 434 by 6:30 PM.
I waited on the side and as the economy line gradually extended, the Etihad staff arrived and began their preparations to opening the counter. With three hour and 10 minutes remaining until departure, the counter opened for check-in. Making my way to the business class line, I was greeted by a kind and considerate staff member. With their help, I completed the check-in process, gave them my luggage and received both my boarding pass and connection details.
Boarding
The departure gate for my flight was C30 and the boarding process was a bit chaotic at first as they announced “zone 3,4,5, please stand up to get ready for boarding” This confused those who were zone 1 and 2 and they all got up too. What they were trying to do is get those in zone 3, 4, and 5 to line up at their proper spot, away from the main boarding area, and keep those in zone 1 and 2 seated until they were called for boarding. Boarding was very quick for zone 1 after they made the announcement to board. I made my way to the airplane, excited for my first Etihad airways experience. As I boarded the Boeing 777 I received a very friendly welcome greeting by the flight attendants.
Once I walked into the business cabin, I was a underwhelmed as this cabin is the older outdated one compared to their more recently updated cabins on other aircraft. My seat for this flight was 6K and I found the seat was odd looking – very bulky with no elegant designs that stood out. The one thing I can say even with this cabin and seats being outdated, they have maintained it well. It was definitely cleaner than some of the newer business class cabins I have flown in.
Business Class Cabin
The Boeing 777-300ER features a 1-2-1 seating configuration. Seat A and K are positioned next to the windows, while the H and C window seats were closer to the aisle. However, these latter seats don’t offer as much privacy, and when in the fully lie-flat position, your body could extend into the aisle.
Service & Entertainment
The service on the airline in business class was truly outstanding. Right from the beginning of the flight, the flight attendant and cabin manager introduced themselves and remained attentive to my needs, ensuring my comfort throughout the journey. The flight attendant was efficient in delivering pre-departure and in-flight drinks promptly.
I did find the inflight entertainment system monitor to be outdated with a touchscreen that was not very responsive. Although I was excited to use the external camera feature, the screen quality was disappointing, making it difficult to see. On the brightside, the movie and T.V. show selection was excellent, with a wide range of newly released movies and the latest shows available. Wi-Fi was also provided on board, starting at $19.99 for the entire duration of the flight. The Wi-Fi service was compatible with Boingo, allowing me to utilize my complimentary access as a one of the benefits of having a World Elite Mastercard.
I received an amenity kit from Acqua Di Parma, which included a stylish pouch along with standard items such as a toothbrush, socks, toothpaste, earplugs, and a perfume sample. The blanket and pillow provided were from Armani, adding a touch of luxury to the experience.
Amenity Kits
Food
In terms of meals, both dinner and breakfast were served on this flight. I opted for the Arabic Mezze as an appetizer for dinner, consisting of a selection of hot and cold Arabic appetizers. My main course choice was the roast chicken with steamed lentils, carrots, radishes, parsnips, and gravy, followed by a chocolate and hazelnut cake for dessert. For breakfast, I chose the strawberry waffle. While the food was good, I had expected it to reach a different level of excellence. The chicken was moist and flavorful, but the waffle was decent at best. Additionally, cashews were provided as a pre-dinner snack.
Flight Menu
Arabic mezze
Roast chicken
Chocolate and hazelnut cake
Waffles
Wrapping it up
Overall, considering this was my first experience flying with Etihad, the service exceeded my expectations. However, the quality of the hard product, particularly the inflight entertainment system, could have been better. Based on this experience, I would likely only book an Etihad flight with the newer business class cabins in the future.
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