After leaving paradise, I immediately snapped back to reality as I was confronted by a huge crowd waiting to pass through transit security. Although there was a business / first class line, it wasn’t being enforced, which meant I had to wait 30-40 minutes before I was able to pass through.
I headed to the Etihad Lounge, which serves both first & business class passengers. In contrast to the opulent Qatar & Emirates lounge, the Etihad Lounge was rather muted.
The lounge features various lounging & dining areas with comfortable leather seats. The design itself wasn’t ground breaking, and since the lounge can get quite crowded during rush hour, Etihad is almost forced to squeeze in as many chairs as possible.
At the center of the lounge is the main bar area, but since it was early in the morning, I decided to take a break from the alcohol consumption and get some juice instead.
There is a separate business area, which is well designed and sleek.
The lounge offered mostly continental food options, and since I had just eaten “breakfast” on my previous flight, I decided to just grab a few cold bites.
Business class passengers receive a complimentary treatment at the Etihad Spa. My therapist was amazing, and although the treatment lasted only 15 minutes, it proved to be extremely refreshing after a long flight.
Soon enough, my flight to Male was ready for boarding and I headed out. Compared to most international competitors, the business class lounge at Abu Dhabi was top class and was more than comfortable enough to spend a couple of hours in.
Along with the other business class passengers, I boarded onto a bus and headed to our Airbus A330, which typically is used to fly medium to long haul flights. I was warmly greeted by an impeccably dressed flight attendant and shown to my seat.
Forget the domestic first class seats that US airlines have, the business class seat on the A330 is definitely miles ahead, with every fully lie flat seat having direct aisle access!
Another unique feature is the tray table that is actually bolted onto the back seat.
The business class cabin is spread out in a 1-2-1 formation, which does mean each seat is a bit cramped at only 19 inches wide.
However, for a 4 hours 30 minute flight, this seat was probably among the best in its class. Before departure, I was offered a glass of champagne and some warm nuts
Soon after taking off, breakfast orders were taken. I started off with a plate of fresh fruit and a cup of tea.
This was followed by an omelette with a side of beef. The omelette was a bit cold, but the beef was delectable!
The portions are a bit small, so I asked if could get another entrée. The flight attendant indulged me with a plate of cold cuts.
Overall the food offering was more than adequate for a 4-hour morning flight. After my meal, I decided to try out the lie-flat seat and watch the movie Rush.
The seat must have been real comfortable as I quickly fell asleep, and only woke up when we were beginning our descent.
Outside my window I caught a glimpse of the stunning Maldivian atolls, with sparkly blue waters surrounding each island.
We soon landed at Male airport and quickly disembarked.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience on the Etihad A330 business class. The hard product is definitely unbeatable for such a short flight.
