STUNNING: Etihad’s Business Class Lounge at Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport, Terminal A
by Krish Patel
Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport is massive, with one of the largest and nicest flagship lounges of an airline. Etihad’s Business Class Lounge at AUH is stunning, with beautiful accents and lighting. The lounge features shower suites, a full service bar, an extensive buffet, á la carte dining, and more than plenty of comfortable seating. After spending almost four hours in this lounge, I can confirm that it’s one of the best lounges anywhere.
Etihad Business Class Lounge Location, Hours, and Access
Upon arrival from New York, I found it difficult to locate the Etihad Lounges because the signage throughout the terminal isn’t all that helpful. Etihad’s Business Class Lounge is located between gates C27 and D43, along the corridor with the public restrooms, making it an interesting location for a premium Business Class lounge.
The lounge is open 24/7, given that Etihad has flights to and from Abu Dhabi all throughout the day. Around midnight and 7AM, the lounge tends to get packed. I would say that the best time to visit this lounge is probably during the mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when there are less departures.
Etihad’s Business Class passengers are given complimentary access to the Etihad Business Lounge. Of course, those traveling in First Class or the A380 Residence can use the Etihad First Class Lounge. Silver members of the Etihad Guest Program can access the lounge with no additional guests, while Gold members can access the lounge with one guest for free. Etihad Economy Class passengers can pay $120 (16,000 Etihad Guest miles) for up to four hours, or $150 (20,000 Etihad Guest miles) for anywhere from four to eight hours.
Etihad Business Lounge Seating and Layout
The Etihad Business Class Lounge spans a total of three levels. The entrance is located on level three. I found it confusing that the lounge’s three levels are level three, level five, and level six. What happened to level four?
Upon entering the lounge, you’ll notice the gorgeous entrance and front desk area, with ambient lighting. The lounge’s check-in staff are friendly and professional.
Past the front desk area is a sit-down dining area, a buffet, bar, and live cooking station. The ambiance of the á la carte restaurant is inspired by traditional Arabic designs and colors. Even at the lounge’s peak hours, the restaurant’s seating isn’t entirely taken up.
Up the set of escalators is level five, with plenty of comfortable seating in several variants.
The lounge doesn’t offer up-close views of the tarmac, however, it’s still possible to plane spot from a distance, with good-enough views of Terminal A’s gates. You’ll find plush armchairs, couches, high-top chairs, and chairs that swivel, some of which feature footrests. In addition, the seating areas also feature table space and charging ports.
The lounge feels well-lit, with plenty of light fixtures. During the day, the terminal’s large windows allows for plenty of natural light.
Upstairs on level six is some more comfortable seating, where you’ll also find the entrance to Etihad’s First Class Lounge, which is connected to the Etihad Business Lounge.
Level six is also known as the Roof Lounge, housing the lounge’s main bar and buffet station. The triangular-shaped bar is absolutely stunning, with a chandelier inspired by Etihad’s livery. There is a selection of complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages you can order at the bar, as well as barista-made coffee. For the best drinks in the Etihad Lounge, you’ll want to come to the Constellation Bar located here on level six.
The Roof Lounge features a large restaurant-style seating area. Past the food area is another quiet seating area, with plush chairs and couches. There is also table space and easy access to charging ports, making this an ideal spot for business travelers looking for a quiet space to work.
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Food and Drinks
The Liwan dining area located on level three of the lounge features a live cooking station, with plenty of traditional food options along with a bar. This bar is smaller than the Constellation Bar on level six. Level six is where the main food area is located.
Despite the lounge’s massive size, the buffet area isn’t the largest in a flagship lounge. However, that’s not to say that the buffet selection is all that bad. In fact, it's one of the best buffets I’ve encountered in a premium lounge.
You’ll find a robust selection of Asian and Western inspired dishes, as well as a selection of breads, dips, and salads. For those of you with a sweet tooth, the lounge has an impressive dessert selection, with Indian, Arabic, and Western dessert options. There is also a cheese board and a selection of fruit.
Throughout the lounge, you’ll find snack and beverage stations, with fruit, packaged snacks, coffee, tea, soft beverages, and bottled water. It would be nice to have a proper buffet setup at each of the stations, so the selection wouldn’t be so limited.
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Amenities
Etihad’s Business Class Lounge has several amenities for travelers to enjoy. Throughout the lounge are several bathrooms and showers, which are constantly cleaned. I noticed that the cleaners were very attentive and almost seemed to never leave the bathrooms.
The shower suites are clean and feature a toilet, spacious sink, and walk-in shower. You’ll find shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, however, having soaps supplied from a premium brand would be nice.
It can get difficult to find a shower during the midnight hours, when many of Etihad’s Europe and Asia-bound flights depart. Even though there are several showers throughout the lounge, finding one can be difficult.
Level five of the Etihad Lounge features both a games room and children’s play area. There are plenty of games available in the games room, such as foosball and air hockey. It’s not as impressive as the games room in Qatar Airways’s Al Mourjan Business Lounge, which features XBOX and PlayStation consoles. The children’s play area is a decent size, giving young children their own space to run around and play.
On level five, you’ll also find eight relaxation rooms, which come with luxurious Armani/Casa bedding. These are difficult to locate, as you’ll find them on the far east side of level five. Reserving one of these eight relaxation rooms is a project of its own. They fill up quickly and are almost never available, so consider yourself lucky if you manage to reserve one.
At various parts of the lounge’s second level, you’ll find magazine racks, with Etihad’s inflight magazine, the Atlas. The Atlas contains information about Etihad Airways, information about Etihad’s destinations, and news articles. There’s also a selection of National Geographic magazines.
Level six of the lounge features a dedicated smoking lounge and prayer rooms. During my visit, both of these spaces didn’t seem to be fully occupied.
One of the coolest features of the Etihad Lounge is that it’s possible to board select flights directly from gates D43, C29, or C27, located on level five. These three gates are designed to handle Airbus A380s, but I find it confusing that it’s only Etihad’s flights to London Heathrow that board from the lounge directly, and their A380 service to New York boards from a regular gate outside the lounge.
Conclusion
Etihad’s Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi is one of the best lounges the industry has seen. Etihad as an airline is known for prioritizing luxury, and this lounge reflects that. It’s better than some First Class lounges, with impressive food offerings, comfortable seating, luxurious amenities, and a well-thought through design with a nice ambiance and allowance for plenty of natural light. While the lounge occupies a large space, I feel that it could use some more relaxation rooms located at various areas of the lounge. The layout is confusing, and if you don’t do your research before visiting this lounge, I guarantee that you’ll find the large space difficult to navigate. I would certainly go out of my way to access this lounge, as it makes the Etihad ground experience more enjoyable.