Review: Etihad Business Class 787-9 Washington to Abu Dhabi

During a recent trip to the Maldives, I flew Etihad business class 787 from Washington (IAD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH). While I’ve flown Etihad business class before, this was my first time on the 787-9, with the newer seats. Say what you want, but Etihad has one of the nicest looking cabins and they get the ambiance just right.

The entryway featured faux (?) hardwood floors, providing a touch of warmth. The dim lighting emphasized the chicness of the seats and color scheme. Upon boarding, Frank Sinatra’s “Come fly with me” was playing. 

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Boarding

The flight attendants were already making the rounds, serving pre-departure drinks and hot towels. Amenity kits were placed at every seat along with headphones and blankets. 

There was an elderly man sitting in the window seat to my left and a young girl was helping him get settled. She was very attentive, put his bags away, showed him how to adjust his seat and told him she would come back and check on him during the flight.

I assumed she was seated in a different row, so I told her I’d gladly switch seats with her if she wanted to sit next to him. Her response? “I’m in economy class.” Awkward.

At that moment, a flight attendant came around and told her, “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of him” and they really did. They checked on him more than any other passenger, held his hand on the way to the bathroom and brought him food even when he insisted he didn’t want anything. They couldn’t have been nicer.

Etihad business class 787-9 seat

I had aisle seat 8G. Despite a partition to my right, the seat felt pretty exposed. I’m not a fan of seats that have large partitions facing you. It feels claustrophobic, which I realize is at odds with my earlier assessment that the seat felt too exposed. Place the bulky partition at the opposite end would have been a better design decision.

In terms of the best seat on this plane, I’d go with 9H and odd window seats. Seriously, how gorgeous are the window seats?

There was plenty of storage space to the right and under the seat. The USB outlet didn’t work, but the power outlet on the lower right side of the seat did. It’s out of sight but somewhat visible, thanks to a green light that turns on at take-off. 

There was no armrest on the right side, which isn’t very comfortable. Overall, there was too much obstruction to the right (no political pun intended).

The seat looked really nice at first sight, but eventually, I noticed it was already showing signs of wear and tear. Underneath the seat, a piece of plastic paneling was dangling.  

The cabin, in general, was a little dusty and worn. The lighting really helped mask that – at least on the surface. 

In terms of comfort, you could practically break a tailbone plopping down on those seats. They have no cushion. The seat controls allow you to adjust the firmness, which made it only slightly more comfortable. Bottom line: The seat just didn’t have enough padding.

Etihad business class amenity kit

The Etihad business class amenity kit was pretty nice. It featured Aqua Di Parma products, which sounds high-end but TBH doesn’t ring a bell for me. 

I found the items practical and the bag itself really nice. On this flight, I got a black bag that looked pretty average. On the return I get a yellow one, which is a really nice color – go for the yellow if they let you pick.

The IFE had lots of great movies and tv options. I ended up watching the new Aladdin movie but fell asleep before the end. I thought it was a fun movie and Will Smith was great as Genie. 

Service in Etihad business class 787 IAD-AUH

The crew on this flight was terrific. They were professional, attentive and just generally on top of things. 

At one point one of the flight attendants was delivering a meal to a woman sitting in my row, by the window. I don’t know what happened but I heard him speaking to her in a very gentle tone and she responded with a loud scream: “Leave me alone!” He stepped away gracefully and not a minute later, brought me my meal. No sign of distress – just a positive attitude, like nothing had happened.

Several flight attendants kept checking on the elderly man sitting next to me. He didn’t want to eat anything, so they kept offering him fruit, tea, desserts, etc. One of them took it upon himself to bring him a bread basket and appetizers, which he ended up eating.

Overall, the crew gets a thumbs up.

Etihad business class 787 meal service

The food in Etihad business class is always solid. I ordered the beef short ribs, which they said would take 25 minutes but ended up being ready in 15. When flight attendants say this, I always just assume they’re trying to discourage ordering an item because it’s too much work. Or there isn’t enough to go around. In any case, I always ignore these estimates.

The short rib was tender and the mashed potatoes were buttery and delicious. I have the eating habits of a picky 5-year-old, so I pretty much skipped the vegetables.

I try to avoid eating chicken or fish on airplanes to avoid food poisoning. Beef is usually my default and it can be a hit or miss. In this case, it was a hit.

If you’re wondering what the other options were, here is the menu:

Dessert

I ordered the apple crumble for dessert, which was served fairly hot. It was more cherry than crumble but still good.

Breakfast

When I woke up after eight hours of sleep, water bottles had been distributed. I headed to the bathroom to freshen up and on my way out, the flight attendant in the galley asked if I wanted anything to eat. I told him maybe later.

A while later, another FA came by to check on me. I wasn’t really hungry, so I ordered a cup of coffee. He insisted on bringing me pastries. “Ok, maybe just one.” He bought two and I felt obligated to eat them both. It’s fine. Carbs don’t count on planes. 

On a side note, sugar cubes need to become a thing stateside. They taste better and I feel like dropping these into my coffee cup is more elegant than dumping a stream of sugar from a crusty dispenser.

Etihad business class 787-9 Wi-Fi

There were three WiFi plans to choose from on this flight. I chose the Flex option at $15.95, though I have no clue what 150 MB amounts to. 

The connection was pretty good and the Flex plan lasted most of the flight. I wasn’t able to connect my laptop to the onboard WiFi, so I settled for my phone.  I used it to tweet and post to my Instagram stories, so it worked great for that purpose.

Final thoughts on Etihad business class 787-9 

Overall, I had a great experiencing flying Etihad business class from Washington D.C. to Abu Dhabi on the 787-9. The crew was great, the food solid and the cabin was gorgeous, if a little worn upon closer inspection. My only complaint is that the seats weren’t that comfortable and the wear and tear was becoming visible. #stillbeatscoach

Another negative aspect was the de-planning process. Normally, first-class passengers get off first, followed by business and economy class. The curtains separating economy class were opened and passengers took that as their cue to rush into the business class cabin and de-plane before everyone else.

Passengers should de-plane based on where they’re seated. Those in the front of the economy class cabin should go first, followed by everyone behind them. Otherwise, it’s chaos and equivalent to line-cutting.

Other stories about my trip to the Maldives

• How I booked a $21,200 Maldives trip for $1,686
• Etihad business class Lounge Dulles (IAD) review
• Etihad business class lounge Abu Dhabi review
• Etihad Business Class review: A320 Abu Dhabi to Male
• Waldorf Astoria Maldives boat transfer
• Waldorf Astoria Maldives review
• Waldorf Astoria Maldives beach villa review
• Waldorf Astoria Maldives overwater villa review