The Most Luxurious A380: A Review of Etihad's Business Class Studios from Abu Dhabi to New York JFK

by Krish Patel

When people think of the Airbus A380, Etihad isn’t usually the first airline that comes to mind. However, Etihad’s A380s are some of the most luxurious aircraft, featuring a spacious Business Class Studios cabin, First Class Apartments with an armchair that is separate from the bed, and the three room Etihad Residence, with a private bedroom and shower. Etihad favors luxury over fun in Business Class, with premium amenities and seats with more than sufficient storage and legroom. I was excited when Etihad announced it would begin flying the A380s to New York after reintroducing the aircraft on flights to London Heathrow, so I booked a seat in their Business Studios cabin when returning from Ahmedabad, India, via Abu Dhabi.

Ground Experience at AUH

Etihad’s Business Class passengers flying out of AUH are treated to a premium check-in experience at a dedicated priority check-in area, reserved for Etihad’s First and Business Class passengers. I arrived off a connecting flight, so I don’t have much to share on the check-in experience. Upon arrival from Ahmedabad, India, I was required to go through a security screening, which barely took 10 minutes. From there, I made my way to Etihad’s Business Class Lounge.

Check out the fantastic lounge review here.

After spending almost four and a half hours in the lounge, I boarded my Etihad A380 to New York’s JFK Airport. It’s quite interesting that it’s possible to board Etihad A380 flights directly from the lounge, but that’s currently only the case for flights to London Heathrow. Etihad’s A380 services to New York don’t board from the First and Business lounges directly. In fact, the gate (B11) was almost a five minute walk from the lounge. It’s important to leave some time because the U.S. bound flights require a secondary security screening prior to boarding the aircraft.

Etihad’s First and Business Class passengers are given priority boarding, as are top tier elite status holders of the Etihad Guest program. Considering that this flight would be operated by an A380, there was a jet bridge that extended directly onto the upper deck.

Business Class Cabin and Seat

Etihad’s Business Class cabin on the Airbus A380 features spacious seats set up in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats alternate between being forwards and rear facing. Each of the seats in odd numbered rows are backwards facing and offer less privacy compared to the seats in even-numbered rows. The Business Studios in even-numbered rows are positioned closer to the window, with the side console closer to the aisle. The A380’s spacious interior allows for side storage bins on the upper deck. Even without the extra storage on the side, the seats themselves offer a lot of space for personal storage.

My seat for this flight was 18A, located in the main Business Class cabin. Behind the main Business Class cabin is a smaller section of Business Class, which feels more private with less seats.

Each Business Studio features a touchscreen IFE located directly in front of you. Beneath the E-BOX entertainment system is a legrest, under which you can store shoes or bags.

To the side of the seat is the side console, which features plenty of table space. You’ll also find the IFE remote, a panel for seat adjustments and lighting, as well as charging ports. In addition, there is a second set of seat controls at each side console.

The tray table pops out by pushing on it and folds out into a singular thick, wooden piece. Next to the table compartment is a coat hook and above which is lighting.

Across from the side console is a side storage unit, where the inflight literature can be found. There’s plenty of space for storing personal items during the flight. Above the storage unit is a reading lamp that adds a lot of coziness to the seat. It features a geometric pattern inspired by the Etihad logo.

The one thing that the Etihad Business Studio is missing is a privacy door. Even without a door, the seats offer a certain level of privacy, and the odd-numbered seats feature a privacy partition to allow for more privacy while sleeping.

Etihad’s E-BOX entertainment system can be controlled by using the touchscreen or the IFE remote. There’s a robust selection of entertainment, with plenty of genres of movies and TV to choose from, including live television and sports. There’s a dedicated slot for kids entertainment and for information about Etihad Airways. If that’s not enough to impress you, there is also a selection of games, music, and podcasts to choose from. One of the coolest features of Etihad’s E-BOX entertainment system is that it’s possible to order food and drinks directly to your seat via the IFE. I wish more airlines allowed for this feature. Another cool aspect about the inflight entertainment on the Etihad A380 is that there’s a tail camera, making it possible to see the exterior of your aircraft inflight. Etihad’s inflight WI-FLY packages start at $9.99. You can purchase Wi-Fi for the duration of the flight or a cheaper messaging package using either cash or Etihad Guest miles.

There are three Business Class lavatories on the Etihad A380, two of which are between both Business Class cabins, while the third is found near the stairway that leads down to Economy Class. The lavatories are spacious and allow for plenty of space for your legs to stretch out. Each of the bathrooms are stocked with luxurious ESPA skincare amenities. The sink is a generous size and the tiled walls and flooring give the lighting a nice accent.

You can adjust parts of the seat to a position that suits you by using the controls found on the panel. After having a late dinner, I decided to get some rest. In lie-flat bed mode, the Business Studio is very comfortable and spacious. There is plenty of space for your legs and knees to stretch out and more than enough room for your arms and shoulders to rest comfortably.

Etihad’s A380s feature an onboard lounge area located between the First Class Apartments and Business Class Studios. Known as the Lobby, Etihad’s onboard lounge makes for an impressive space to relax mid-flight. There’s plush seating for six passengers, as well as a coffee table. In addition, the couches come with pillows, additional table space, and charging ports. There’s a TV displaying some news, as well as a self-serve wine bar, which also has water and an array of packaged snacks. While this onboard lounge isn’t as impressive as the onboard bar on the Emirates A380, the ambiance of the Etihad Lobby makes it feel more exclusive. Flight attendants won’t keep you waiting here, as they constantly offer snacks and drinks.

Etihad Business Class Food and Drinks

In Business Class, Etihad offers a dine-on-demand service, meaning you can eat and drink what you want, whenever you want. This elevates the standard of Business Class service closer to that of what you might expect in First Class. Besides Etihad, the only other airline I’ve flown that offers dining on demand in Business Class is Qatar Airways.

Each Business Class seat is provided with a menu upon boarding. The selection of appetizers and entrees are quite extensive compared to what you would get on most other airlines, though I think that Etihad could use more than one vegetarian entree on the menu.

Unlike Emirates and Qatar, who both offer a proper breakfast service on their ultra-long haul flights, Etihad has an all day menu, where you can order a breakfast item or snack at any time during the flight.

The beverage selection on Etihad is quite impressive compared to that of most other airlines. You have three mocktails to choose from, as well as an extensive amount of teas and quality warm and iced coffee drinks. The menu also comes with a wine list that highlights the champagnes, red wines, white wines, spirits, liqueurs, and beer on offer.

Pre-departure welcome beverages were offered before pushback, and I opted for Etihad’s signature lemon mint, which made for a refreshing start to a Business Class flight.

After departing Abu Dhabi, the meal service commenced with warm nuts and a beverage of choice, for which I opted for the orange sparkler, one of Etihad’s three mocktails.

Etihad partnered with Armani/Casa for the glassware and silverware that is used for the meal service in Business and First Class. While the meal is served on a single tray, the presentation is beautiful. Etihad keeps each of the courses spread out rather than serving everything on the tray at once, which is what you would expect at a fine-dining restaurant.

For my appetizer, I opted for the Arabic mezze, which consists of a variety of Mediterranean appetizers. The mezze course was delicious and flavorful, as expected from a carrier with some of the best inflight catering in the airline industry.

Despite the fact that Etihad’s catering out of Abu Dhabi is usually superb, I wasn’t expecting my entree to taste bland and dry. I opted for the almond crusted vegetable kofta, which probably wasn’t the best thing to get off the menu.

However, my warm peach cobbler for dessert was delicious. It was sweet on the outside, and rich on the inside. At this time, I also requested the crew for a cup of sencha green tea, which paired nicely with the sweet dessert.

Before arriving in New York, I ordered a light breakfast from the all day menu. I opted for the bircher muesli, which was refreshing and tasted great. The breakfast was served alongside two pastries and butter. For my beverage, I opted for a decaffeinated iced cappuccino. Etihad has some of the best inflight coffee drinks out of any airline.

Etihad Airways Business Class Amenities

Etihad partners with Armani/Casa for the inflight amenities that are offered in Business Class. Upon boarding, each Business Studio was stocked with a memory foam mattress pad, a plush pillow, and a thick blanket. Etihad’s inflight bedding is exquisite compared to their main competitors, Emirates and Qatar.

The amenity kit provided is made of Italian leather in collaboration with Giorgio Armani. Inside, you’ll find a variety of skincare products supplied from the premium brand, ESPA, such as face moisturizer, lip balm, and lotion. The kit also contains a pair of earplugs, a small dental kit, and an Etihad branded eye mask.

Etihad offers inflight magazines, unlike many other airlines these days. The Atlas contains information about Etihad Airways, news articles, and articles about destinations that Etihad flies to.

As expected, the Etihad branded noise canceling headphones fit comfortably and function well.

Pajamas and slippers were also distributed to Business Class passengers before departure. This made the experience feel more like First Class. The pajamas and slippers were both soft and comfortable.

Etihad Business Class Service

Etihad has some of the most courteous, friendly, and professional cabin crew. The service provided by a proactive multilingual and multinational cabin crew left me impressed. Flight attendants offered extra beverage refills and amenities for those who wanted them. Etihad only offers turndown service upon request, and I wish that Etihad offered turndown service without passengers having to ask.

Booking/Pricing

For one-way tickets on Etihad from Abu Dhabi to New York, prices start at around $3,500 ($5,800 round-trip), but keep in mind that the ticket pricing varies. Etihad publishes an award chart, which only shows minimal pricing for the route. Because the route from Abu Dhabi to New York is more than 6,001 miles, award prices for Business Class start at 120,000 Guest miles one-way in Business Class. On some days, the prices fluctuate up to one million miles. In addition to the ticket price in miles, you’ll have to pay a certain amount in fees and taxes.

Etihad Airways is a partner airline of Air Canada, KLM, Air France, Oman Air, and American Airlines, just to name a few. You can book Etihad Business Class by using Air Canada Aeroplan points or American Airlines AAdvantage miles. One-way from the Middle East to the U.S. costs 70,000 AAdvantage miles or 90,000 Aeroplan points if you fly Etihad Business Class.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has several transfer partners. American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer to Etihad at a 1:1 ratio. If you have the Platinum Card from American Express or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card, you can use your points to fly Etihad Business Class, as both premium credit cards offer high welcome bonuses and earn transferable points. However, Etihad’s hotel partners, such as World of Hyatt points, Marriott Bonvoy points, and IHG One Rewards points transfer to Etihad at uneven ratios, making them not the best options for transferring your points.

Overall Thoughts

When it comes to flying long haul in Business Class, Etihad is one of my favorite airlines. Etihad’s flagship Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi is one of my favorite Business Class Lounges, with luxurious amenities, mouth-watering food, and comfortable seats spread across three levels. The A380 cabin is nice too and offers passengers spacious lie-flat seats with sufficient storage space. Having an onboard lounge to enjoy food and beverages mid-flight is one of the best parts of Etihad’s A380 and I wish more airlines chose to install a social space on their jets. The amenities supplied from ESPA and Armani are also premium quality, as is Etihad’s catering out of Abu Dhabi. Being able to dine-on-demand makes the experience more personalized and elevates the service level. Etihad’s E-BOX entertainment is impressive and offers an expansive TV selection, with many genres to choose from. Overall, I would definitely consider flying Etihad’s A380 again in Business Class for the great seats and the comfort of the cabin.