Wellness onboard
Etihad Airways are gradually introducing more destinations, although most of them are yet to be open to tourists. From July onwards they plan to serve 40 destinations and will continue to fly from London.
Etihad has launched ‘Etihad Wellness’, an expanded and more comprehensive health and hygiene programme and customer guide. This builds on the stringent measures already put in place by the airline to deal with COVID-19. The programme will be championed by the introduction of specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who will provide essential travel health information and care so guests can fly with greater peace of mind.
There is an easy-to-use online guide highlighting the high standards of cleanliness, health and hygiene being applied at every stage of the journey. This includes culinary hygiene at the airline’s catering facilities and food testing laboratory, aircraft cabin deep-cleaning, check-in, health screening, boarding, inflight experience and product, crew interaction, arrival, and ground transportation.
If you want more detailed information, Wellness Ambassadors can be contacted directly 24/7 by emailing [email protected]. The multi-lingual team will offer reassurance to customers by sharing advice on travel wellbeing and details of the health and sanitisation measures being implemented throughout their journey. Etihad will soon expand the service to include a web-chat option. All Wellness Ambassadors will undergo special training at the airline’s training facilities in Abu Dhabi, and online.
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Providing for our guests, and their wellbeing, is one of Etihad’s core values, and we have a responsibility to protect them, to keep them fully informed, and to provide even greater levels of genuine warmth and personal care. We must guarantee they can travel assured in the knowledge that we have every aspect of their journey with us covered, while still providing a top-quality travel experience. The Wellness Ambassadors will play an important role in delivering this. For us it is not simply about dealing with a new normal – this level of genuine and innovative customer care has always been part of Etihad’s DNA since our inception.”
Over the coming weeks, Etihad will also introduce Wellness Ambassadors at Abu Dhabi International Airport in partnership with Abu Dhabi Airports (ADAC). This will make sure the same levels of care and support are provided at every point of the customer journey through the airport, from check-in to security, immigration, the retail areas, lounges and boarding, so that guests can fly with added comfort, security and confidence.
Once travel restrictions to and from the UAE are lifted, and the airline resumes an expanded network of international flights, Etihad will introduce Wellness Ambassadors on board, complementing the roles performed by other Cabin Crew, and providing an enhanced level of customer care focused on health and wellness inflight.
“The wide-ranging measures we are taking are a strong reflection of those already in place across the emirate of Abu Dhabi. When restrictions are fully lifted and travellers can once again enjoy the best our wonderful home has to offer, they can rest assured their trip will be to one of the cleanest and most well-maintained destinations in the world. This will of course also apply to those transiting onwards through the capital. We are grateful to our partners, including Abu Dhabi Airports, and the Department of Culture and Tourism, for their close cooperation in this far-reaching programme,” concludes Mr. Douglas.
Onboard and airport service
Etihad is still offering their chauffeur service to and from Abu Dhabi Airport for guests flying in The Residence and First, as well as select Business guests. They have added a protective screen between you and the chauffeur, and drivers will wear face masks and disposable gloves. All of the vehicles will be deep-cleaned and sanitised after every trip.
Etihad’s Business Class Lounge in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi is their own available lounge at the moment. You will be required to check in your cabin baggage before you fly. You will only be permitted to carry a personal item onboard, such as a handbag, backpack or laptop bag. This can weigh up to 5kg. Face masks are mandatory.
In terms of seats, Etihad’s The Apartment for First and the First class Suite, offer a huge amount of space and privacy from other passengers. Their business class studios are also very private in the window seats.
The good news is that although there have been adjustments to onboard service, the food is of a normal standard, just served differently. Etihad’s official statement says “We’ve also streamlined the delivery of our food and drink service in line with strict COVID-19 guidelines.”
You can see from this business class menu for next month, that it all looks pretty normal:
