Total Score: 17.8 / 20

Seat 4.8 / 5

Food 4.5 / 5

Service 4.5 / 5

Amenities and IFE 4 / 5

Flight Number EY 514

Departure from Amman at 2:20 PM

Seat 10K

Etihad operates two daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Amman, one overnight flight on an Airbus A320 with recliner seats in business class and an afternoon departure with lie flat business class seats on a 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A330.  I was happy to be flying the 787 on this flight which has Etihad’s newest business class product which I think is one of the best in the world. 

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Cabin and Seat

While some of Etihad’s 787-9 aircraft feature a first class cabin as well, this version does not (for the full seatmap, click here).  The business class cabin is laid out in a 1 – 2 – 1 configuration over 7 rows, for a total of 28 seats. 

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The odd numbered rows have backwards facing single seats at each window and forward facing seats in the center which are close together for couples.  The even numbered rows have forward facing single seats by the windows and backwards facing middle seats which are separated, so not as convenient for couples.  As a solo traveler, the best seats are the even numbered window seats which feature the most privacy.  I selected seat 10K for myself, a right side window seat.

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I found the seats themselves to be well designed and stylish, with ample storage, a great IFE system, and very comfortable in seat and bed mode.  One of my favorite seat features was the cylindrical lamp that provides just the right amount of light when the cabin is dimmed and just looks so cool!  Overall, this is my favorite business class seat which doesn’t feature a door. 

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Food

I’ve been impressed with the quality of Etihad’s catering in the past, so I was excited to see what food Etihad had to offer on this flight.  The menu read as follows:

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While choices were a bit limited, I went with the Lamb Biryani and it was delicious.  The chickpea starter and cheesecake dessert were very flavorful as well. 

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Aside from the unimpressive meal selection, this was one of the tastiest business class meals I’ve ever had!  Coffee cheesecake happens to be one of my favorite desserts as well, so that certainly helped them earn them some points on the meal! 

Service

I was welcomed on board by name and brought the menu, warm towel and a mint lemonade to my seat.  In addition, there was a large pillow and blanket waiting at the seat which were better than I’ve gotten on some longhaul flights!  However, there were no amenity kits distributed on this short flight to Abu Dhabi. 

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The crew were very friendly and moved the meal service along quickly.  They even returned to my seat a few times throughout the flight to see if I would like anything else to eat or drink and finally to thank me for flying with them before landing.  I really appreciated the high level of service provided on this flight and have consistently been impressed by Etihad’s service on all flights I’ve taken with them.

Bottom Line

I really enjoyed this flight.  Etihad has among the best business class seats, catering, and service in the sky and I would be delighted to fly with them again on the 787 or A380 which also features this business class seat.  Unfortunately, Etihad has had some financial issues over the last few years which has led to cost cutting, though that wouldn’t stop me from flying with them as long as they are still flying!

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