Flight Review: Etihad Airways Tokyo Narita – Abu Dhabi (Business)

I had the pleasure of flying Etihad Business on an overnight journey home to Abu Dhabi. While this was not my first experience flying Business with Etihad, my previous one was on a regional flight Business Seat (EVN – AUH), not a flatbed. So this was an entirely new experience for me.

The Ground Service (Narita)

As expected from a Japanese airport, the premium counter ground handling staff displayed a professional balance between efficiency and politeness. I enquired if it was possible at all to change my pre-assigned seat (a centre seat at the very end of the section, right next to the galley – the only one available when I checked in online several hours earlier), and the ground staff apologetically explained that the Business Class was fully booked that evening.

The security clearance and immigration also worked as efficiently, and I managed to reach the gate shortly before boarding started, and thanks to the complimentary wi-fi, was able to upload some pictures on Facebook before the gate call (in fact, I was still able to snap some more pictures and upload them as the aircraft was taxiing around the terminal building!)

I did not have access to the premium lounge as I booked at a special rate (not that it mattered since I only had around 40 minutes to boarding time, spent entirely doing last-minute shopping), so I cannot review it.

The Flight

I must admit that I was not particularly impressed when I first saw pictures of Etihad’s Business Class seat. Of course I was glad to know that all seats recline into a full flat bed, but the colour palette looked dull and the whole seat design felt bulky, not as sleek and sexy (or indeed exclusive) as some other airlines of its league (EK and QR came to mind). I initially thought this was all due to its overall cabin lay-out (Sogerma Solstys), but many other airlines use the same lay-out and manage to make the seats – to my personal taste - look more luxurious and stylish (e.g.: Thai, SAS, and Iberia).

However, once I stepped in to my seat (and thanks to the rather dim light), all these did not matter that much. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find several features which would later make my flight much more enjoyable. You may have noticed that I am a big fan of Oman Air’s Business Class seat (B/E Aerospace Apex – also available in some other carriers like JAL & Korean Air) mainly because it offers you a high level of privacy (plus the glorious IFE screen!) My Etihad seat did not offer this, but what it did offer was a proper-sized side table (practical when you want to gulp several glasses of champers at the same time), and multiple personal lighting modes (two reading and two focus light modes). The seat also came with a water bottle holder (fantastic!), in addition to the normal stuff: a USB port, a universal power socket, and a magazine rack. If anything, the magazine rack was strangely positioned facing the person next to you, so you have to get up slightly and look at his/her direction to grab a magazine. There was also an ottoman opposite your seat, although the size and the position of the IFE screen made it impossible for it to double as a visitor’s seat.

The seat itself felt very comfortable (and wide at 22”) and reclines into a 74” fully flat bed, suitable for most passengers, except those exceptionally tall or wide. The centre seats in this 1-2-1 lay-out are either situated right next to each other (great for couples) or separated by the side counters (like mine, thankfully!) Either way, all seats are afforded direct aisle access, which proved to be very practical. The absence of centre overhead bins also made the entire cabin felt more spacious (on the flip side, with the cabin fully packed, I had to surrender my hand carry luggage to the cabin crews to store).

The seat controller allows you to customize your seating “experience” by adjusting the parts manually, or choosing from various pre-selected modes (including massage features). The dining table folds nicely (and securely) to your side and your cabin crew would unfold this when preparing for your meal. Note that you cannot pull the table towards you, so if you want to eat with your seat slightly reclined (one of the best perks of flying business, I guess), you would need to adjust your seat manually (push here, pull there – it took me quite a few attempts).

The Business Class amenity kits were presented in a fancy LUXE pouch and apparently came in a few options (presumably depending on which region you fly from/to). For example, mine was red with bamboo prints on it. The amenities included all the usual suspect, such as a facial moisturizer, a lip balm, an eye mask, a pair of socks, a vanity kit, a dental pack, and earplugs, wrapped individually in Scaramouche + Fandango packs. While I personally like neutral-coloured pouches more, I guess this would make for a nice souvenir. They also provide a pair of slippers and a luxurious blanket (undoubtedly THE BEST I had ever encountered in an airplane - was tempted to steal one home, teehee).

Following a series of sleepless nights bar-hopping in Shinjuku, my first instinct after take-off was to pull up the blanket and doze off. But I was also a bit hungry, and the elaborate dinner menu looked very tempting (more about it later), so I decided to go for it and watch something while waiting.

There was nothing to write home about on the IFE (the screen was 15.4”, not the biggest in its class), but it did have quite a decent selection of movies, including some of the latest offerings (surprisingly for a flight for Japanese market, they only had three Japanese programmes). I ended up spending a few hours watching a Japanese culinary show (some gourmet trip to Kumamoto), another culinary show (Jamie & Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast), the latter half of Star Wars: the Force Awakens, and a bit of The Revenant. All in all, everything was fine, except that wearing my glasses under the headphone started to hurt after an hour or so (first world problems, I know!)

While the IFE was just okay-ish, the dinner went way above my expectations. In fact, dare I say it was the best meal I had ever experienced on board. Both the food & beverage menus were extensive, and this being an overnight flight, the service included dinner and breakfast, alongside Etihad's signature “dine anytime" service.

Here are the dinner menus (international & Japanese)…

… the dine-anytime and breakfast menus…

… and finally the beverage menus:

Not very long after take-off, the cabin crews started going around taking food & beverage orders, and I opted for the Japanese option for both dinner and breakfast, and was very happy with my decision. Note that although the Japanese options had considerably more items on the menu, every item was served in a small or bite-size portion grouped into appetizer, main course, and dessert plates. True to the Japanese-style kaiseki presentation, even the bite-size items were beautifully prepared and presented (see pictures below) – pretty amazing if you remember these were all airline food!

As expected, the service was great throughout and personalized too (each course and each beverage order was taken and delivered individually). The only downside with such a personalized service was that in a full flight like this, it could take ages to reach the poor passengers sitting at the back (i.e.: me!) I did not try any of the wines or spirits, but did have a few glasses of Duval Leroy Brut Réserve, which was very good. I also had some green tea (unfortunately, they had no Japanese tea), which was presented well.

Here is the appetizer of the Japanese dinner...

... and the main course...

... and finally the (simple but refreshing) dessert.

And here is the breakfast platter (they served a similar fruit platter for dessert as well).

The Service

Here is another great news. Having flown with a few Etihad flights in the past one year (in Economy, of course), I couldn’t help but think that their service standard was declining. For example, in a few occasions when sitting on an aisle seat, I had cabin crews bumping over my arm rest and never received an apology. Not to mention the countless times when I had my requests forgotten. However, the service I had on board at that time was significantly better. While the crews could seem a bit reserved and mechanical at times, the service was in general very good and efficient (have I mentioned that every time a passenger approaches the restroom, one of the crews would get in there to freshen it up???) The only thing I felt they could easily do (but did not) was to address premium passengers by name, at least twice during the entire service (after all, they would be interacting with the same passengers for a straight 9 or so hours!)

The Touch Down

I have never been on board an Etihad plane that did not touch down earlier than scheduled (strangely, even when the departure was delayed). I actually was a bit disappointed because it meant that my on board indulgence was cut short. However, I guess it would be good news to most other passengers.

Verdict

Solid products delivered well with efficient service. Would definitely recommend it!

LIKE: The blanket was too die for, and the meals were invariably great! These were the two highlights of the trip.

DISLIKE: Not much, though I still can’t say I am a fan of their seat lay-out.

PRICE: Fares vary depending on seasonality. Check their website for details.

DETAILS: http://www.etihad.com/

DATE OF FLIGHT: June 2016