Review – Etihad A380 Business Studios Melbourne – Abu Dhabi

by Zac George
a row of seats with tvs on the back of a plane

After a fantastic time in the Etihad Melbourne lounge, I headed down and boarded EY461 headed for Abu Dhabi. I was quite excited for the flight as I haven’t yet reviewed Etihad business class on the blog. Boarding was fast, and within a few minutes, I was seated in seat 12A.

a seat and window in an airplane

Seat 12A

Etihad’s A380 has 70 business class split into 3 areas. There are 44 seats in the first section, 20 in the second and 6 in the third. I was actually quite surprised I got so far forward considering I booked a day before the flight. All business class seats lay fully flat at 6 feet and have direct aisle access.

a tv in an airplane

Business Class IFE

Each seat has a 15” touch screen monitor, USB, in-seat power, built-in massage functions and noise canceling headphones. On the left of your seat, you’ll find the side console where you’ll find the seat and light controls and remote.

a cotton candy on a metal plate

On these two panels bellow, you can choose the angle of your seats, cushion firmness, light settings and even put your seat into ‘Do Not Disturb.’

a screen with icons and symbols on it

Seat Functions

 

a close up of a seat

Seat And Light Controls

On the right you’ll find two storage containers, there are only accessible for forward facing window seats.

an airplane seat with a light on the side

Seat Storage

The flight left Melbourne with only one spare seat in business; Etihad is filling seats on all Australian legs very well.

a man standing in an airplane with tvs

A380 Business Class Cabin

Passengers In first and business can use the lounge area called the ”lobby” which is located in the main galley, in front of business and behind first.

a couch and table in a room

A380 Lobby

The lobby can seat up to 6 passengers and even has charging points and seat belts. The lobby also has a 32-inch screen on the wall that plays live TV.

a couch in a room

A380 Lobby

a round table in a room

A380 Lobby

Opposite the lobby, you’ll find the bar area. The bar is serviced by a crew member, not self-served.

a bar with bottles of liquor and glasses

A380 Bar

a group of bottles of alcohol

A380 Bar

After taking photos of the lobby I went back to my seat and ordered dinner. Here are the menus:

a menu with text on it

All Day Menu

 

a menu with text on it

A La Carte Menu

 

a white paper with black text

Beverage Menu

 

a menu of a drink

Beverage Menu

 

a menu of a beverage

As you order your meal you are brought some warm nuts and a drink of your choice; I choose sparkling water.

a bowl of nuts and a glass of water

Nuts And Sparkling Water

For the entree, I went with the Arabic Mezze

a plate of food on a tray

Arabic Mezze

 

a plate of food on a table

Arabic Mezze

For the main, I went with the beef tenderloin.

a plate of food on a tray

Beef Tenderloin

 

a plate of food on a table

Beef Tenderloin

And for dessert, I went with vanilla and chocolate Ice-cream.

a bowl of ice cream and a knife

Ice-cream

 

a bowl of ice cream

Ice-cream

The meals were fresh and quite filling. After finishing eating I decided to go to sleep and ended up having around 10 hours of deep sleep, it felt fantastic to be refreshed and alert.

a cup of coffee and croissants on a tray

After waking up I went and took some photo’s of the bathroom which weren’t exactly spotless, but that’s understandable with 70 people using them.

a toilet in a bathroom

A380 Bathroom

The A380 have five lavatories onboard for business passengers,  three at the back of the large section and two right at the end of the cabin.

a sink with a soap dispenser

A380 Bathroom

Etihad uses Scaramouche + Fandango products in the bathrooms and in the amenity kits.

a group of bottles in a shelf

Scaramouche + Fandango

Here are some more pictures of seat 12A.

a seat in an airplane

A380 Business Class

 

a seat in a plane

A380 Business Class

 

a seat in an airplane

A380 Business Class

 

a cushioned seat with a blanket inside

A380 Business Class

 

a table with a black and yellow object and a mask

Business Class Amenity Kit

Etihad provide noise canceling headphones which are alright, but I much prefer to use my Bose QC35’s

a pair of headphones on a table

Noise Cancelling Headphones

You’ll notice that the headphone has a special adapter do you won’t be able to take them home with you 😉

a black plug on a wood surface

Noise Cancelling Headphones

You also have various amounts of reading material and a duty-free magazine.

a group of magazines on a table

Bottom Line

Etihad didn’t fail to disappoint. From the lounge to arrival the experience is fantastic. Etihad often has business class fares on sale and also always have availability in advance and last minute.

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3 comments

Mike January 10, 2017 - 3:26 am

Re Thai A350 to Melbourne they have again pushed back now to April !
It’s becoming a farce !
Cheers Mike

Zac George January 10, 2017 - 4:53 am

Cheers Mike, will post and give credit to you.

Zac George January 10, 2017 - 4:57 am

Hi Mike – I’m seeing the A350 services in the system from March 26th onwards.

Comments are closed.