In this post, I review Etihad’s excellent business class on the Boeing 787. This flight was part of my trip to the Maldives and my journey of many many flights to eventually get there.

PART 1 - Etihad Business Class Review - Toronto To Abu Dhabi

PART 2 - Etihad Business Lounge Review - Abu Dhabi

After my layover at the Etihad Business Lounge in the Abu Dhabi Airport and a hot shower to freshen up, it was time to leave and get ready for boarding. I had a great time at the Lounge but the Airport itself felt very outdated and not as spacious or modern as I was expecting.

I followed the gate signs and reached the boarding gate after a few minutes of walking. The gate was located in a very crowded corner. When we arrived, there was already at least a hundred other passengers in the cramped area. There was no plane parked outside; instead the gate was served by shuttle busses that would transport passengers to the plane.

Boarding began on time with an announcement calling for business class passengers to board first. There was a separate bus for business class and there were very few business class passengers compared to economy.

As we hopped on the bus and settled down, we were expecting a quick ride to the plane. Instead, we waited on the bus while all passengers finished boarding and three busses filled up and each had time to leave and drop off their passengers on the plane. Once the gate area was almost empty and most passengers were on board, only then did our bus finally leave. This is definitely not the level of service one expects when flying in business class. The few other passengers and us were the last to arrive on the plane. The bus dropped us off on the tarmac and thankfully boarding was quick and achieved via a set of outdoor stairs.

I quickly checked luggage location using the Find My App to ensure it was loaded on the plane. (I always leave an Airtag in my suitcase so I can track my luggage. Airtags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile. They are also useful to locate your luggage in case the airline loses them).

SEATS

The seats were large and comfortable and the cabin absolutely beautiful. More photos available here in my review for a similar flight I took to Abu Dhabi. They did a fantastic job with the decor. It felt a level above the usual white and grey cabins of standard airlines like Air Canada or Air France.

This time, we chose the window seats so we'd have a view of the islands on landing (more on that below). The centre seats were perfect for couples while the window seats offered more privacy for solo travellers. If you want to see what the centre seats are like, here is my other review.

The flight attendant came by to greet us and handed out some menus for tonight's dinner. I asked for a bellini to start but the flight attendant notified me that they don't serve it on this flight unlike the previous one I just flew on. This was unexpected and made me wonder if they are taking cost cutting measures. They still served champagne and a warm bowl of almonds and cashews to accompany it like on the last flight so it was not a big deal by any means but I am not certain why the difference in the level of service and selection of drinks from Toronto to Abu Dhabi compared to this flight. Perhaps my previous flight is considered long haul at 13 hours and includes a different variety of food, drinks and service.

By this time, it was past midnight and I was very jet-lagged. I had only slept a few hours since leaving home almost 24 hours ago. We waited on the ground for some time until the pilot made an announcement that we would not be taking off right away since we would arrive at Male too early (before 6 am) and he advised that we would not be allowed to land. I took this time to explore the entertainment options. There were plenty of tv shows and movies in various languages. The screens were giant and very bright!

At my seat were complimentary noise cancelling headphones although I can’t comment on their quality since I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper.

You can identify which seats you will be on by checking the plan ahead of time on seat guru. Seats A and K are the best windows seats with more privacy whereas I would avoid C and H. We eventually took off with a night-time view of Abu Dhabi for our short four hour hop to the Maldives.

DINNER

Dinner was served soon after takeoff. I ordered the lamb shank mandi which was just to die for. I already had so many meals at this point but this dish was too tasty to refuse. I was not expecting to eat much but the lamb was so irresistible that I ended up eating the entire meal.

I washed it down with loads of champagne and wine followed by ice cream for dessert.

Hot Tip: The Maldives is a Muslim country where pork and alcohol are banned. Is is illegal to import any of these products into the country so avoid any liquor purchases at duty free as you won't be able to enter the country with it. Private resorts do serve alcohol at steep prices but there is no alcohol available at hotels and restaurants located on local islands and that applies to tourists as well. As such, I enjoyed my last few drinks on the plane and with my tummy full, I was sound asleep for the rest of the flight.

I woke up a little before landing just as breakfast service was beginning. The view out the window was breathtaking. As the sun rose over the ocean, the atolls began to appear in the distance.

If you are visiting The Maldives, you can pre-purchase your esim on the Airalo App so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and WhatsApp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first purchase!

Just before landing, we flew past the main island of Male. This one looked nothing like the other islands. It was large and crowded with dozens of buildings surrounded by busy roads.

Arrivals was a breeze. We were off the plane quickly and walked over to the terminal. It was 6 am and the airport was barren. We were the first people to go through immigration and after a quick security check of our carry-ons to ensure no alcohol, pork or pornography was being imported into the country, we were off to baggage claim.

Note that if you are bringing a drone, you need to fill out the drone application form before arrival and submit it to the Maldivian authorities. They scanned my bags and did not comment or ask about my drone. Our checked luggage arrived quickly afterwards. It must have been less than 30 minutes from landing to exit. As we walked out, an agent from the Westin Maldives was waiting for us at arrivals and took us directly to check in for our seaplane.

Etihad’s business class is simply gorgeous and a pleasure to fly on although my previous flight from Toronto to Abu Dhabi offered a higher level of service than the Abu Dhabi to Male flight. The meals were huge, hot, fresh and delicious! A wide selection of drinks was the cherry on top. I will definitely be flying Etihad again!.

As we exited the airport, we looked for the agent to take us to our seaplane flight bound for The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort.

Have any questions about Etihad’s Business Class? Leave your comments or questions below.

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