I’ve written before about flying first class with Etihad Airways. And, to be honest, I thought I’d be writing now about the business class experience on my flight from Abu Dhabi to Munich.
But then they upgraded me to first class. So this is about that experience. And it was slightly different to last time, because it was a different aircraft.
Last time, I flew on a Boeing Dreamliner. This time, it was an Airbus A330-300. The seat was almost identical, although on this occasion I was in 1C, which is in the middle row of two, rather than the window seat I had on the B787.
It was close to the forward galley, which is a tight fit but still allows the inflight chef sufficient room to create minor culinary masterpieces on a single hot plate.
The food and beverage options were of a high standard, with plenty of variety on the menu, including fixtures such as the steak sandwich and a chef’s special which, on this occasion, was a chicken dish with truffle infusion (I think).
I ordered a steak with hollandaise and peppercorn sauce. Served with potato gratin, it was as good as I’ve had in any restaurant on the ground, and far better than any I have prepared myself. The meat melted away and the sauce was tasty without being overwhelming.
The service from the chef, the cabin manager and the crew was exceptional, and while I didn’t stretch the bed to its fully flat extent, I did manage about four hours sleep on a six-hour flight. Which is amazingly good for me.
Oh, and I got to see the first 90 minutes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the large screen before I succumbed to sleep. I still have 30 minutes or so to go, ao I hope to complete it on my return journey to Abu Dhabi on March 20.
Until then, no spoilers please!
Summary: another first-rate first-class experience with Etihad. As one of my WhatsApp friends noticed, I really am a spoilt Brett.
