Recently, I finally flew with Etihad’s A380 in Business Class from Abu Dhabi to London. Flying with the A380 in Etihad’s Business Class was high on my list. I think Etihad’s business class product is one of the best in the industry and combining that with my favorite plane, the A380, must be a magical combination. Please read my review below to see if this experience was indeed magical!
Seats & Seat Map
The business class cabin in the A380 is impressive with 19 rows of Business Class on the upper deck. The remaining few rows of the upper deck are reserved for First Class and ‘The Residence’.
Most Business Class rows are configured in a 1-2-1 staggered seat layout. This configuration – and the seats itself – is exactly the same as the configuration you’ll see in Etihad’s 787-9 staggered business class layout. And that’s a good thing because these seats are – in my opinion – the best Business Class seats in Etihad’s Business Class fleet. Sufficient leg space and not a tight footwell which you’ll see a lot with the herringbone configuration. Seat width is 22″ which is very good for a business class seat and there is an 18″ touchscreen.
One unique feature of boarding the A380 from Abu Dhabi, is that you can board the plane from the Etihad Business Class lounge when you fly Business Class. I think this is an excellent feature; instead of queueing at a busy gate area, you can relax in the lounge and board the plane at your own leisure. This comes close to – and in some cases even exceeds – a First Class boarding experience!
The A380 Lounge
Even though the Business Class seats in the A380 are exactly the same as the seats in the 787-9, there is one area where the A380 really distinguishes itself; the Lounge Area!
Very often I find myself near the toilets when I just want to stretch my legs in a plane. Not the best area to hang around and when you want to chat with some friends. The A380 addresses this by offering the lounge. A cool area where you can sit and chat with other passengers, mean while getting served some drinks and some small snacks. This is why you want to experience the amazing A380 plane because where else would you find such a cool area in a plane? Etihad’s A380 also offers 2 showers but these are exclusively reserved for First Class and The Residence. Maybe one day…
Amenities
On flights longer than 9 hours in Business Class, Etihad is handing out pajamas. And these pajamas are really comfortable. In fact, I think these are more comfortable than the Air France La Premiere pajamas!
Besides pajamas, of course there is an amenity kit with Espa beauty products. All in all, nothing to complain about.
Other notable mentions
If you are a frequent reader of my blogs, you already know that I rate Etihad’s Business Class food and service very high -even though my last experience in the A350-1000 was slightly disappointing. Have a look at my blog on Etihad’s 787-9 in Business Class or Etihad’s A350-1000 in Business Class.
The Business Class menu of Etihad has some seasonal variations but there are fixed items such as the Arabic Mezze, The Shortrib and the Steak Sandwich. Since my flight to London left in the middle of the night and I wanted to already get used to the European timezone, I asked for something light after take-off and I asked for the steak sandwich and fruit before landing. That wasn’t a problem at all and this steak sandwich tasted excellent. I also ordered a cappuccino. The cappuccino wasn’t the best I ever had in a plane, but it was better than nothing and this breakfast-lunch combo was certainly one of the better ones I had this year in Business Class.
I did release an Etihad Business Class comparison video, and the A380 is my favorite Etihad Business Class product. This specific trip really lived up to my high expectations. The A380 is a great plane with the amazing on board lounge. On top of that you can board from the Abu Dhabi Business Class Lounge and it’s still one of the best Business Class cabins in the industry. The service on this specific trip was great and the food didn’t disappoint. Every Business Class trip should be like this one!
Also have a look at the Youtube video I created for this trip and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel!
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