Etihad Studio and Apartment to LHR

[SQueeze]

This was probably my most anticipated flights of 2015 and yes! I ended the year with the grand finale of Etihad Apartment as my last flight of the year.

The trip was not on my sight earlier in the year. It only came about with Etihad's announcement of the devaluation of EtihadGuest of unprecedented proportion in May that I decided to snap on the opportunity to try this product just once to see what all the hype is about.

EtihadGuest Programme is never an attractive Programme to begin with. The burn rate is ridiculously high. But knowing that it's going to devalue a ridiculously 50% more (now it's costing a ridiculous 181,000 miles one way!), I decided to bite the bullet and lets just try it once.

We had a really Super fantastic experience with Etihad earlier in 2015 as well (trip report here) and we really take them I high regard. So the fair bit of miles is something we are willing to part with.

The original intent was to redeem all the way in F from SIN but because of my procrastination and the Long transfer time from Citibank to EtihadGuest, by the time my miles were in, they had completely blocked F awards on SIn routes completely. Fortunately, the much-hyped about Apartments were still available. So we had to be contented with a mixed class trip consisting of the new business studio (787) to AUH and then followed by the First Apartment (A380) to LHR.

This trip report hence consists of 2 parts:

Part 1: SIN-AUH in Business Studio (787)
Part 2: AUH-LHR in First Apartment (A380)

Part 1: SIN-AUH in Business Studio

Flight: EY473
Aircraft: 787-900
Reg: A6-BLB
Class: Business
Seat: 6E
Load: 90%

The journey started on this grey carpet in Terminal 2 where check-in was quiet and smooth and bags were tagged all the way to LHR.



Being new to Etihad, we didn't know that we were entitled to use the premier check in lounge as well.



The lounge used by Etihad is the SATS Premier Lounge.
What nostalgia from being SQ Gold Long time back.



Of course there has been some renovation.



First Class was just a 'section'. What disappointment.



We didn't spend much time in the lounge and soon after we headed to the gate where our graceful bird had been waiting.



Not my first time on a stagger layout which I found ridiculous but Etihad's version I found quite better than the other I had tried or seen although I still find it nowhere near SQ's.

The single seats are definitely more private.



Etihad has a complicated layout where the staggers also have forward and backward versions.



Mine is the forward version but I find this is not the best because I could see all my Neighbours. The humongous side table is between the seat and the aisle, which is yes is more private, but for me I find it more claustrophobic.



But these forward versions are good for couples. The seats are closer together as seen here. So couples can hold hands. Haha.

Now Comparing it to sitting on the rear facing seats, the seats are separated by 2 humongous tables.



These rear facing seats are also more private. Not only that you are far from your seat mate, you also can't see any other passengers in the line of sight.





In conclusion, my preference will be the single seats by the window and rear facing.

[SQueeze]

Welcome screen on the IFE and it's nice to have all the important names highlighted. We can see it's very cosmopolitan. An announcement was soon made announcing the languages the crew spoke and I think there were at least 8 or 9 and more than half was Eastern European.



The crew was nice. They were not as wonderful hosts as our amazing gorgeous Anastasia from our last flight but yea, they were ok. And this is business class, and if I compare it with SQ's I think they are about the same. May be SQ's a bit more soft spoken.

Service started with a welcome drink of mixed juice.



And then I started exploring around.....

Etihad is simply stylish !



Blanket is Super comfortable.



Operation of the seats can be using touch screens.



Inflight magazine.



Usually I am just interested in the network map and the fleet page. Here's the fleet. It looks like they are ordering a lot more 787s and 777s and not too many A380s.



And amenity pouch. Looks rather oriental rather than middle eastern.



The contents.

[SQueeze]

And then we were in the air. And service started with Moroccan mint tea (it's to your selection, it can be anything). But what I do note is that I don't think alcohol is being encouraged unless you ask.



IFE selection I think is just okay. SQ has more interesting things to offer.



But I really like their dynamic inflight Map. This is a series of images and they dynamically move from frame to frame and change perspectives in a continuous loop.



This is interesting too - a prayer compass.



Dinner service began with table laid out sumptuously.



My selection was the Arabic mezze platter and wow it was delicious.



My partner selected the smoked duck noodle salad in hoisin sauce which was not bad as well but the mezze was definitely better.



So far no wine was offered. I am already feeling that alcohol is really discouraged. So in the end I had to ping and she came and I asked for wine.

Awhile later, the mains arrived.

For mains, I had the chicken machboos - which was described as braised chicken with aromatic rice stuffed with baby eggplant and roasted cashew nuts. This was superbly moist and delicious and flavourful (spicy!) as well. So far impressed by Etihad menu.



My partner selected the beef fillet with gnocchi, broccoli, grilled artichoke, carrots and beef jus. Again, this was good as well. Both were presented well as well.



Still no wine and I was going through 75% of my mains. More pings followed suit.

And finally wine came! Just as I was finishing my last bites. Not too sure if it is official discouragement of alcohol, or it's a service lapse on just this particular flight.



Dessert had 2 selection. One was Tiramisu. Without alcohol!



And the other baked apples. Both were fine.



Etihad also has an all day menu and I think meal can be served at any time.

[SQueeze]

I checked out the toilet after the meal. It is stylish especially the mosaic bits.



Which also is on the flooring and gives it a nice touch.



No need to press anything to flush, which I think is a good idea.



And then time to rest. Lying down, the space was good but I found it warm at lower level and my eyes were in direct vision of my seat mate's side lights and it was not the most restful sleep I had.



It was then uneventful journey until we landed in Abu Dhabi bleary-eyed at 11pm local time or 3am Singapore time, which is why Middle East transits to Europe can be disruptive.

Verdict:

Seat: definitely not as good as SQ's, and I still prefer any of the herringbone formats. But among the staggers, the business studio is probably the best (7/10)

Service: pretty standard of a business class service but I suspect there could be lapses with my wine requests (8/10)

Food: above average for sure and presentation-wise wins over SQ (9/10)

I didn't take photos but I would like to highlight to readers that Etihad's toilet was a total mess after a 7 hour flight. This could be their downfall. While SQ's crew would go beyond their scope of work to neaten it, I believe no EY crew would ever touch the toilets.

[SQueeze]

Part 2: AUH-LHR in First Apartment

Flight: EY11
Aircraft: A380
Reg: A6-APB
Class: First
Seat: 3F
Load: 4/8

This portion started with a disaster: 2 lost phones! On the previous sector. And while my partner was at the brink of breakdown, we had to scramble with unhelpful Etihad ground staff on an airport that is overcrowded and is a total dump. This, I believe, is where Etihad fails: the airport and its ground service.

The phones couldn't be found by cleaners or the crew but they couldn't have disappeared to thin air. A 'found' ping was noted 24 hours after that but they were gone. But let's put the incident apart and let the pictures speak for themselves what the ground experience is like for an experience of flying in Etihad Apartment.

Let's start with the lounge.



Massive and canteen-like.



Bar area is a little nicer but I think the white shiny tiles make the place seem little cheap.



Some areas are quieter towards the spa areas.



There is a shave and haircut studio which I didn't use because we were then still tense with the lost phones.



Btw, there is no First Class lounge. It's a section!



The Six Senses Spa was however super awesome

I had a nice 15 minute personal facial in this room which massively improved the feel of my face after all the flights. This is definitely one of the few pluses of Etihad's ground experience.



I also had a shower in this cheerfully-coloured shower rooms with space-age-like automatic sliding doors.



So the spa is the saving grace of Etihad tonight.

Out from the lounge towards the gate, the airport was quite a dump with its crowds and Low ceilings. Very disappointing. It's a stressful place to be with all the mad rush everywhere you look.

[SQueeze]

It was then a superb relief to finally find my spot here - the much awaited one for 6 months.



What a huge space it is. Like in business studio, there is a forward facing version and backward facing version. And of each there is a version where the seat is near the aisle and the other is the seat near the window. They all interlock. Thinking about it, I think the footprint area is the same like 2 SQ Suites but their interlocking and the sideway arrangement make it feel like much larger.

It's a single aisle on the wide body which is why the amount of space in each apartment is enhanced visually.



It's all enclosed with manual doors.



Towards the right is a bench which will flip to make for the bed.



On the left, is the very comfortable leather seats.

Luggage all goes under the bed



Lots of cabinet space as well



And a vanity cabinet with a wow effect. It makes one feel like a star. The amenity kit pouch was empty and I could pick and select the products which they had stocked in the many little shelves



Chilled minibar is another useful item. Unlike on EK, this is chilled so it's useful.



There is also a sliding table by the bedside

[SQueeze]

Every single detail in this cabin is very stylish! Matt gold and fine leather are everywhere and not cheesy (like EK).

The console panels.



The sleek recess which is used to lift the dining table up.




IFE console



Plenty of ports and charging points





Night light



Night shade. If this were bigger, it would have been more stylish



Blanket and the beautiful signature pillow



Blanket is stylishly rolled



Nice slippers.



And the headphones.



The overall feel of the apartment is dark elegant luxe and sophisticated. I was wowed and wowed and wowed all over.

[SQueeze]

Now let's go with the service ...

It started with bubbly and cold towel with a note of welcome in an envelope.



The Residence was empty and there was no much-spoken butlers but the cabin crew lead went around to introduce herself. She was pleasant enough and was a good host but no oomph factor which some of my best flights had (on EY or SQ). But no complaints really...

Next was Arabic tea time! Served with dates.



My partner had this mysterious mocktail with juices and fizzes.



Next the Chef came round to take our orders. The menu for tonight. It's a short sleeper service so the menu was weighted towards the all day menu. Although he was subtle, I could sense he was directing me to the simpler all-day menu and not the grills.

In any case I was not hungry, so I went for the afternoon tea. At 3am local time! Haha.



It was a good choice as it came fast as less cooking required. It was exquisitely presented. But they were not the best. The breads were on the dry side and the coned ice creams were too soft. Having a Chef makes no difference for this selection for sure.

Mint tea came served in a pot. This was a good accompaniment.



My partner selected the famous Etihad Steak Sandwich which was better. Thick juicy beef steaks were in between the breads. While better, this is far from some of the best.

[

No dessert as anyway we were already really full and tired at 4am local time

So the bed was made up and it was as comfortable as it looks. My only complaint: I think the pillows are too thin (esp the white one, not the decorative one).



The partition between apartments can be lowered and you can have a semi double bed. On Etihad, you can hold hands with your other halves but you cannot roll over each other like on SQ Suites ! Haha.



Before I went to bed, I checked the toilet, which is very stylish a-la Etihad.

There are 2 toilets. This is the big one (without shower). The small one has a shower.



And then shortly after, it was bed time.

[SQueeze]

On the 8 hour flight, the Chef subtly directed me towards one meal, but I requested for breakfast too. I really want to soak in as much of the experience as possible despite being left with just 4 hours of rest time.

Breakfast service started with smoothie service and the Financial Times. The paper was actually of the same date as the arrival so I suspect the information may have been downloaded and then printed onboard.



I also had a nice cuppa.

Accompanied by nicely flaky croissants



And then the yoghurt with granola came and I was shocked by the quantity. I thought it would come in SQ's mini portions.



My main was the butterscotch and banana pancakes with toasted nuts. They were soft, fluffy, and perfectly cooked. This one was good.




By then we were already starting our descent down towards London.... But I still haven't had my shower yet!



But there is still time and they obliged to prepare one for me. Etihad's shower is more functional-looking than Emirates with water coming just from a nondescript opening in the ceiling but they work fine.








Post-shower, refreshed, I sat by the window admiring London on approach and all in the unusual sensation of Travelling backwards on my rear-facing seats. All in my mind was .... The flight was too short! Noooo, it shouldn't end this fast.

[j.lin]

Great report! Just a question, why are you tense on lost phones? Did you lose your phones before over there?

[SQueeze]

Great report! Just a question, why are you tense on lost phones? Did you lose your phones before over there?

I would be very anxious on losing anything with so much information. No doubt things are on cloud ... but then you are away from home base, can't get replacement that easily, for both the hardware and the sims. The number has to be deactivated, and then no calls or sms for the rest of the journey. Then can not purchase things which require otp passwords.

And there were 2 phones lost

[CarbonMan]

Nice one, SQueeze. The Etihad lounge is only salvaged by the spa!

[yflyer]

Looks amazing, SQueeze! And as usual, your gorgeous photographs do full justice to the wonderful product! Thanks for posting.

[Pinkfloyd]

Great TR! Thanks!

[timandthecity]

What route did you take flying home to SG ? Great trip report !! I'm due to fly in 5 days time. Giddy with excitement.