Life’s a Dreamliner

It took a while for me to get around to my first flight on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, but it was certainly worth the wait.

Sweetening the deal on my Etihad Airways flight from Brisbane to Abu Dhabi was the fact that I was upgraded from business class to first class. (Yes, this has been happening to me quite a bit lately. I try to explain why here.)

The headline news is that I had the best and longest sleep I’ve ever had on an aircraft. I was genuinely surprised when the crew woke me up for breakfast (as I had asked them to do).

The seat design is a refinement of that I’ve enjoyed on other Etihad aircraft, most recently the Boeing 777.  Basically, it’s a private, rectangular box, with a large TV screen and extra bench seat at one end (so you can entertain a visitor), a stow-away table big enough for two diners in the middle, and a comfy main chair that accommodated my larger-than-average torso with ease. Of course, it all converts to a bed, with massage options thrown in for good measure.

Most notable was the fact that the bed was longer than in other aircraft, allowing me to stretch out to my full 173cm, with quite a bit of room to spare. I’m not sure if it is wider than the B777 version, but it certainly seemed so.

My main course was as good as anything I’ve had in the air, and better than that served by many restaurants on the ground. Given a choice, I usually opt for steak — and I could’ve had a tenderloin or rib-eye — but this time I had the lamb rack with macadamia crust, which was cooked to my specification by the onboard chef.

Other options included fish and chips with mushy peas, chicken supreme, lamb shank and the catch of the day (in this case, due no doubt to the flight’s Queensland origin, it was barramundi).

The list of beverages included the very fine Bollinger la Grande Anne 2005 Champagne, a 2013 Nautlius Estate Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s famed Marlborough region, Jim Barry “The Lodge Hilll” Shiraz 2000 from Australia, and many other premium wines, plus a range of spirits and liqueurs.

To top it off, Etihad — once again — got the service just right. The crew are friendly and helpful but not intrusive.

The flight was a little bumpy, but there’s little the airline or cockpit crew can do about turbulence and it didn’t stop me from getting a long, refreshing sleep. There was also a minor mix-up with the airbridge in Abu Dhabi, but that cost us no more than a few minutes. The 5.35am Monday arrival meant I would’ve breezed through passport control even without my fast-track card.

A quick double espresso in the Etihad arrivals lounge and a chauffeur-driven trip to my door topped off a truly first-class trip.