FLIGHT REVIEW: Etihad Business Class – Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow After a Cancelled BA Flight

• Airline – Etihad
• Cabin – Business Class
• Flight Number – EY65
• Travel Date – December 2024
• Aircraft Reg – A6-ETS
• Aircraft Type – Boeing 777-300 ER
• Aircraft Age – 10 Years Old

Booking + Cancellation

We had originally booked a return flight with British Airways for 5 of us direct from London to Dubai in business class using two Amex Companion Vouchers and a cash purchased ticket for my toddler. Having booked the voucher flights 355 days in advance, (the moment they are released) we then monitored pricing for the single cash ticket, and it varied in price from £4000 at the highest to £1800 at its lowest which was about 3 months before departure. So, we booked this as soon as I noticed it.

On our return we had booked the 10am departure which meant an early alarm in Dubai. We had packed and were just about to leave the room (literally within a minute) when my Flighty app alerted me that our flight had been cancelled! Even though I was already tracking the inbound aircraft, and I knew it was close to landing, so I am not sure what the issue was. Probably crew related.

With that knowledge, I called British Airways even before they had notified us and spent a long time trying to find alternative flights. I always thought that if there was anywhere in the world to be cancelled, it was Dubai. It appears I was wrong.

3 hours later and we still didn’t have flights. British Airways agents can pretty much rebook on any airline apart from Emirates as they don’t have an agreement with them.

Long story short, finding 5 business class seats on the same flight at short notice was harder than I thought it would be. In the end we were booked almost exactly two days later with Etihad via Abu Dhabi.

We were the lucky ones as I had heard numerous stories from others on our flight who could not get home for a considerable time. Or they had to pay to fly themselves economy with alternative airlines.

Check-in & Security

I was very excited to travel through the new airport at Abu Dhabi, having flown out of the old one a few times.

After a short 45-minute drive from our hotel in Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport, we arrived at what is a very shiny, new airport. The design wave of the building with the perfect blue-sky backdrop was a great start.

Once we exited our transfer vehicle, I was surprised we were being greeted by porters who were there to specifically carry all bags for business and first-class passengers. I felt like royalty.

Into the airport, which reminded me of the TWA terminal at JFK, but modern and on steroids. It was fantastic, everything shiny and new and it wasn’t busy at all.

Following our porter, he showed us where the dedicated business class check-in was. Through the recognisable Etihad doors and we were at a calm check-in area.

My mum and her partner took a seat at the seating area whilst I dealt with the formalities of check-in.

A few moments later and we were ready to go through security, which, whilst only Business Class, would put the First-Class Wing offered by British Airways to shame. With nobody waiting, we were straight through in what was probably the most calm and enjoyable experience from kerb side to lounge.

Lounge

After a quick peek at Duty Free and pulling our toddler away from the amazing Christmas Tree, we headed to the Business Class Lounge.

I honestly think that since Etihad did their rebrand, they have the best branding of all airlines in the world. It’s so classy and timeless, which isn’t missing from the reception area of this lounge. The warm tones are just so welcoming.

Split over several floors, again, it’s more akin to a First-Class lounge than business.

It was breakfast time for us, so we popped to the food area and based ourselves here. On offer was a variety of foods, which included a live egg station and plenty of other fresh foods. The lounge wasn’t very busy, but most of the available spaces to sit were quite dirty so we had to find somebody to clear it for us before we sat down. They responded very quickly, but we were slightly surprised to see it wasn’t being done proactively.

I took our toddler to the soft play area, which was a floor up. It was great to have a closed off area for him to burn some much needed energy. I also spotted a teenager’s room that had computer games.

Unlike some/most airlines, as you would expect, Etihad have beautiful toilets with nice design and more importantly, they are clean and constantly monitored. A lot of airlines could learn from this…

Boarding

Right next to our lounge was gate 43, our gate back to London Heathrow. The top-class design from the rest of the airport continued at the gate. Clear and welcoming signs made it easy to find.

As usual, being in business class and travelling with a younger child gave us the opportunity to board first, which was done really well. Nothing felt panicked or rushed and we all knew what to do. Easy isn’t it!

Seat & Departure

From the moment we booked, we were scheduled on a new 787 aircraft with the most recent cabins; however, just 12 hours before departure, we were switched onto one of their oldest aircraft with a very dated interior. Now, I must say that this aircraft was only 10 years old and British Airways are flying the same aircraft but they are 25 years old.

It was a shame after all the excitement, but upon boarding the aircraft, sure, it wasn’t too pleasing to the eye, but the whole cabin was super clean and more than functional. It was a bonus that you could pop your feet up without the need to recline your chair in order for me to actually reach the footrest.

I was impressed that with a switch of an aircraft, all 5 of us were sat next to each other in the same positions I had reserved for us when we first booked.

I was sat in 11A, which was closest to the window, which adds more privacy than the alternative rows in front of me. The seat had absolutely zero storage which always makes flight a lot more difficult to navigate, especially with a toddler.

Complete with the customary pillow and blanket. The seat was also a massaging seat, that I really enjoyed. Sometimes I struggle to sleep on planes and this definitely would have helped, albeit a bit of a gimmick.

I wonder if their aircraft was in storage for a rainy day as the exterior was filthy. Very hard to comfortably look outside of the aircraft.

I was offered a predeparture drink, and I opted for the Lemon and Mint Juice. Whilst the crew weren’t actively offering bubbles, I did see them serving them on request.

On the seat was a nice square amenity bag, complete with the usual suspects: cream, ear buds, toothbrush, toothpaste and an eye mask.

Unusually, we pushed back early and on our way we went. Strangely, whilst rolling we had an overhead bin open that was full of bags ready to fall out, which thankfully they didn’t.

Food and Drink

Once airborne, I was offered a glass of champagne, which I happily said yes to. It also came with the biggest bowl of warm nuts I had ever seen. I am not complaining though as I polished these off with zero issues.

To start, I obviously had to have the Arabic Mezze that I would say was mostly good, but to me tasted a little bland. I would have liked to have tasted more punchy flavours, but overall, it was ok, however nowhere near as nice as say, Qatar’s.

For the main course I had tomato pasta with mozzarella and pesto sauce. Overall, it was, again, ok but nothing amazing. The pasta was overcooked with rubbery sides. I still enjoyed it and finished it all.

For dessert, I had the chocolate fondant which was as warm and delicious as I had hoped it would be.

My toddler had pasta too, but I wanted to show you how his was served. How cool and simple is this? Why don’t all airlines offer this? Unfortunately, it was a little style over substance, and he turned his nose up at it immediately, and I didn’t disagree with him; it was rubbery and tasted awful. He enjoyed all the other bits though.

IFE

As soon as we sat down, we were given a Wi-Fi code in order to join the internet for free for the duration of our flight. I did so and it was quick and very usable. It was a nice touch and one I hope becomes the norm for all airlines moving forward.

Headphones were also provided for the flight. they worked well and were pretty good, albeit not very noise cancelling.

The movie selection was great with plenty of new releases available to watch. The screen was of a good size, but not the best resolution and like AA I had to use my nail to get it to work. Not very responsive at all.

To show the quality, I took a picture of the external cams upon landing and as you can see, a combination of dirty plane and low screen quality meant the cameras were almost unusable.

Arrival and Bags

After a fantastic flight to London, we were on approach into Heathrow whilst the sun was just about setting.

We arrived about 30 minutes early, which was a welcome surprise.

Prior to landing, we were given a fast track security voucher, which was a new one for me, but again, welcome.

Being in business class, we had the usual “priority” tags attached to our bags. Thinking very little of them like most airlines do, I was very happy to see our bags coming first. This is how it should be done. Again, how hard can it be?

After clearing security with our bags, we were out before we knew it. It’s a shame our pre-booked transfer took a further 45 minutes to arrive!

Cancellation Costs and EU261

I wanted to give a little nod to British Airways. After cancelling our flight with less than 3 hours’ notice, we were all due £520 each in EU261 compensation.

On top of this, between the 5 of us we had built up £2500 worth of costs associated with the cancellation, such as hotel, transfer, laundry and food.

I am pleased to say that BA paid this all back with no arguing and within 3 weeks of submitting our request. Fair play!

Summary

Despite a last-minute British Airways cancellation, Etihad provided a smooth alternative. Abu Dhabi’s new airport impressed with seamless check-in and a top-tier lounge. The aircraft swap to an older aircraft was disappointing, but the cabin was clean, and service was solid.

Food and entertainment were decent, with complimentary Wi-Fi a nice touch. Priority baggage at Heathrow worked well too. 

Overall, if I had to rate this flight, I would give it an 8/10.