I recently flew with Etihad’s B777-300 in Business Class from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi. Until that point in time, I mostly flew with Etihad’s 787 and A380. These business class cabins are one of my favorite business class cabins in the industry. This was the first time I flew with Etihad’s B777-300. Is the business class cabin in the Etihad B777-300 worth considering and is it still a match to the more modern cabins in the 787, A350 and A380? Please read below to find out!
B777-300 Business Class Cabin
When you look at the Business Class seat map of the B777-300, everything looks good. A staggered seat layout in a 1-2-1 configuration, similar to the 787-9 and A380 layout. However, when you enter the cabin, things are dramatically different. The cabin in the 777-300 looks dramatically outdated and the seats are not as wide nor as big in lie-flat position as the A380 seats. Note that Etihad uses 2 different kind of seats in the B777-300. The oldest configuration is using Stelia Solstys I seats. That’s the one I was flying with. A slightly more modern configuration, is using Stelia Solstys II seats. Both seats have the same width tough; 20 inch. Both seats convert to a 76″ long fully flat bed (193cm). Not very generous and the Stelia Solstys I seats also don’t feel that way. In fact, the seats feel really tight.
When you have a ‘window’ seat close to the aisle (rows 6, 8, 10, 13), you really feel exposed with 0 privacy. I had the feeling that if I turned the wrong way when lying down, I could easily end up in the aisle! In the oldest configuration, these window-aisle seats have almost no view outside because the view is blocked by the seat behind you.
If the seats don’t give away that the Etihad B777-300 Business Class cabin is not the latest and greatest cabin, surely the entertainment system will do that. The entertainment screen consists out of a small 5.4″ screen and it’s the slowest performing screen I’ve seen in the last 10 years. At one point in time I was convinced that the system was broken. It wasn’t, it was just slow… The entertainment screens in the old Lufthansa Business Class, seem modern compared to these ones!
B777-300 Entertainment System
However, every negative point does have a positive side since when flying the B777-300 with Etihad in Business Class, you don’t need to pay for wireless internet! Normally Etihad charges for wireless internet in Business Class, but since the outdated B777-300 cannot handle the payment infrastructure of wireless internet, passengers are offered a complimentary wi-fi voucher! That’s a relief since you then don’t need to rely on the outdated entertainment system. Luckily the wi-fi was also very reliable on my flight so I was able to stream my favorite youtube channels!
Conclusion
On this specific flight, the service and meals were consistent with previous Etihad flights. That means a very high service level and a good meal service. But being confronted with such an outdated cabin with tight and small business class seats, was a big shock.
The question in the introduction was whether Etihad’s B777-300 Business Class is worth considering. The answer to that question depends on the competition on that route and the price. If the price is substantially lower than a competitor flying on the same route, then you might want to consider flying with Etihad’s B777-300. But be prepared to go 20 years back in time when you’re flying with this cabin. If you can choose, you definitely want to pick Etihad’s 787-9, A380, or A350-1000 widebody planes.
Also have a look at my video on my Youtube channel where I compare the Business Class cabins of all Etihad widebody planes. Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel!
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