Trip Report: Read our Etihad 777 Business Class Review flying from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Phuket (HKT) on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Our flight from Abu Dhabi was the second segment of our business class trip to Phuket, with the first part from Manchester on an Airbus A330-200.
Trip Details
- Departure Date: 30th May 2016
- Departure Airport: Abu Dhabi (AUH)
- Departure Time: 08.40
- Arrival Airport: Phuket (HKT)
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
- Flight Number: EY430
- Airline Class: Business Class (Pearl Class)
- Seat(s) Being Reviewed: 11K
Etihad Lounge
The lounge has plenty of seating areas and a wide selection of food on offer.
We arrived in time for breakfast and had a light bite before leaving to take a walk around the terminal shops.
We didn’t stay in the lounge long due to the problem finding seats to relax and tables to enjoy our breakfast comfortably.
The issue isn’t that the lounge is not big enough but more to do with selfish passengers. On walking around, it came apparent that many passengers travelling alone did not have an issue with taking up four places to sit with their hand luggage.
Boarding
We boarded the plane from bus gate 39 on the ground level of Terminal 3.
We joined the business class priority queue, and it didn’t take long for us to board the bus.
The only problem with the bus gates is that you get on the waiting bus first, but you still have to wait for the other passengers to board.
When we arrived at the plane, we were last off the bus and had to wait for the economy passengers to board the aircraft.
A glass of Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve Champagne was offered before take off, and again when we were in the air.
The flight was not full, and the business class cabin was nearly empty, so we were in the air on time without any delay.
The Seat(s) & Cabin
The Boeing 777-300ER configured aircraft we were flying on had 8 First, 40 Business and 282 Economy Class seats.
We pre-selected seats 11E, 11F and 11K before check-in. However, there were only two other passengers in the second section of the business class.
Consequently this leads to several economy class passengers thinking it was OK to move forward, however, the cabin crew dealt with the situation swiftly and moved people back to their allocated seats.
Just like our previous flight, the seats lay entirely flat in Business Class, with the one criticism the width of the seat which is 19 inches.
Amenity Kits
Etihad has introduced a new range of Business Class Amenity Kits inspired by six of the airline’s favourite cities, each kit having a different colour and design.
The Los Angeles Amenity Kit with sleep, dental, skincare and earplug products by Scaramouche & Fandango was one of the collectable bags on the flight.
- Sleep Pack – Socks and Eyeshades
- Dental Pack – Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Skincare Pack – Facial Moisturiser and Lip Balm
- Care Pack – Cotton Pads, Ear Buds and Emery Board
- Ear Plug Pack – Ear Plugs
Entertainment System
With Etihad’s E-Box In-flight entertainment system you get a 15.4-inch screen in business class. The screen doesn’t tilt, but it is large enough to enjoy watching a movie while sitting up or reclining your seat.
The latest film releases on the flight included Eddie the Eagle, Triple 9 and Hail Caesar.
Etihad is like most long haul airline and offers over 600 hours of movies and television shows via their entertainment system. You also get the added benefit of having noise-cancelling headsets ensuring that you don’t hear any cabin sounds while watching the entertainment system.
The system also provides USB, Ethernet and audio jack sockets to enable you to charge most electronic devices and outlets compatible with all the main plug types.
Food and Drink Service
What sets Etihad’s Business Class product apart from other airlines is that you can order or have your meal whenever you want.
The all-day menu included a range of breakfast cereals, yoghurts, a selection of breads and pastries. If you didn’t want breakfast, you could choose from a pulled barbecue beef sandwich or pretzel filled with smoked salmon.
The A La Carte menu offered a range of starters, including Arabic mezze, smoked salmon and asparagus soup for starters.
Mains of beef fillet, phanaeng chicken curry, fish sayadiya and spinach and ricotta tortellini.
Desserts with a selection of cheeses, delicious chocolate brownie, lemon posset, fresh seasonal fruit or a selection of ice creams.
Initially, we decided not to order any food before take-off as our daughter was not feeling well but we had another glass of Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve Champagne before sleeping on this leg of the journey.
However, an hour before landing, we decided to order from the A La Carte menu and had the beef fillet with fondant potato, rocket balsamic and roast cherry tomato.
Staff and Cabin Crew
It is usually like a cattle market boarding the aircraft at Adu Dhabi, but due to the plane not being full the process ran quite smooth for a change.
The cabin crew were attentive to a point but a bit slow when with service when we were in the air.
We couldn’t fault them before we took off as our daughter was sick and they ensured she was comfortable throughout the flight.
When we landed the process of disembarking to collecting our luggage took less than 20 minutes, which has got to be a record for getting through immigration in Thailand.
YouTube Etihad Airways 777 Business Class Review Video
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OZ-DlG6Ww[/embedyt]
Etihad 777 Business Class Review Verdict
The trip met our expectations however due to the business class section being relatively empty the cabin crew didn’t seem as attentive as usual.
My first long haul business class flight was Etihad’s 777-300ER, it’s been hard to live up to ever since!