I fly Etihad because I like their in flight service, and their ground service and partners and lounges etc in Australia and Ireland are pretty good (being an Economy Class passenger with Silver status). (Let's not mention the call centre, as you can avoid using that.)
But, why, oh why, must Abu Dhabi airport be such an awful experience? I am now in Ireland having arrived yesterday from Sydney. In Abu Dhabi, with 3+ hours to transfer, I managed to spend not much more than about 30 minutes of that in the Al Reem lounge, having a beer and a shower. Far too much time was spent in the queue for that ridiculous bottleneck internal security checkpoint that you have to go through between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (twice in my case, because I forgot where Al Reem was, and so I should have gone straight to the lounge from my Sydney flight).
And worse was the actual Dublin departure gate - gate 40, which is with 39 and 41, simply isn't big enough for three almost simultaneous departures, plus others about an hour later. Numerous people got in the wrong queues, causing more disruption. This gate area was just complete chaos. Like the security checkpoint, it really makes you feel like you are in a Third World Country (and I use this outdated term on purpose) - all that standing around in queues and crowds meant by the time I boarded the flight the shower was long forgotten. And of course the flight departed late as a result of the chaos. And I'm not a big fan of being bussed to myu aircraft, which was parked in an unsalubrious cargo area. If I'd paid thousands of dollars for a Business Class fare, I would definitely not have been happy with the departure lounge and bus transfer experiences (do they get a different experience?).
Which reminds me, Al Reem lounge having just one shower, one WC ciubicle and one urinal for such a large seating area probably wouldn't pass Australian laws! Waiting for a shower is irritating, waiting for a WC is more than irritating! (Not that I was waiting for it, but others were, including an English man with his young daughter, which was very awkward, as men came in and out and used the urinal with the door open; he spent the whole time, probably 20 minutes, criticising her for the size of her bladder. I'm so glad I don't live in England any more.)
I know the airport isn't Etihad's, but as the major user surely they could influence it to improve?
Good things? The airplane seats (both flights) were much more comfortable than I remember (okay, much less uncomfortable) - footrests seem to have disappeared which is probably good for leg room. Toilets on the Sydney Abu Dhabi flight were positively palatial (at least the ones on the middle of the Economy cabin) largest I've ever come across on a plane, which makes for a much less cramped experience. Dinner Sydney to Abu Dhabi was poor - chicken biryani is not rice with a separate tasteless and almost inedible chicken dish; in biryani they are mixed in together. Breakfast was OK, typical airline fare, fairly inoffensive. Lunch Abu Dhabi - Dublin was a little better. Service was good - as always. A bunch of Ozzie young blokes in front of me on the Dublin leg managed to get the staff to serve them another rum and coke each about every five minutes, which tells you the service was attentive and uncomplaining; that tap was never turned off, though I noticed they switched to beer as we got closer to Dublin!
Both flights very full, so no extra elbow room for Peter. Should now have enough points for upgrade to Business for both legs on the way back in three and a half weeks.
Pete
But, why, oh why, must Abu Dhabi airport be such an awful experience? I am now in Ireland having arrived yesterday from Sydney. In Abu Dhabi, with 3+ hours to transfer, I managed to spend not much more than about 30 minutes of that in the Al Reem lounge, having a beer and a shower. Far too much time was spent in the queue for that ridiculous bottleneck internal security checkpoint that you have to go through between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (twice in my case, because I forgot where Al Reem was, and so I should have gone straight to the lounge from my Sydney flight).
And worse was the actual Dublin departure gate - gate 40, which is with 39 and 41, simply isn't big enough for three almost simultaneous departures, plus others about an hour later. Numerous people got in the wrong queues, causing more disruption. This gate area was just complete chaos. Like the security checkpoint, it really makes you feel like you are in a Third World Country (and I use this outdated term on purpose) - all that standing around in queues and crowds meant by the time I boarded the flight the shower was long forgotten. And of course the flight departed late as a result of the chaos. And I'm not a big fan of being bussed to myu aircraft, which was parked in an unsalubrious cargo area. If I'd paid thousands of dollars for a Business Class fare, I would definitely not have been happy with the departure lounge and bus transfer experiences (do they get a different experience?).
Which reminds me, Al Reem lounge having just one shower, one WC ciubicle and one urinal for such a large seating area probably wouldn't pass Australian laws! Waiting for a shower is irritating, waiting for a WC is more than irritating! (Not that I was waiting for it, but others were, including an English man with his young daughter, which was very awkward, as men came in and out and used the urinal with the door open; he spent the whole time, probably 20 minutes, criticising her for the size of her bladder. I'm so glad I don't live in England any more.)
I know the airport isn't Etihad's, but as the major user surely they could influence it to improve?
Good things? The airplane seats (both flights) were much more comfortable than I remember (okay, much less uncomfortable) - footrests seem to have disappeared which is probably good for leg room. Toilets on the Sydney Abu Dhabi flight were positively palatial (at least the ones on the middle of the Economy cabin) largest I've ever come across on a plane, which makes for a much less cramped experience. Dinner Sydney to Abu Dhabi was poor - chicken biryani is not rice with a separate tasteless and almost inedible chicken dish; in biryani they are mixed in together. Breakfast was OK, typical airline fare, fairly inoffensive. Lunch Abu Dhabi - Dublin was a little better. Service was good - as always. A bunch of Ozzie young blokes in front of me on the Dublin leg managed to get the staff to serve them another rum and coke each about every five minutes, which tells you the service was attentive and uncomplaining; that tap was never turned off, though I noticed they switched to beer as we got closer to Dublin!
Both flights very full, so no extra elbow room for Peter. Should now have enough points for upgrade to Business for both legs on the way back in three and a half weeks.
Pete
