Etihad Business Class Abu Dhabi to Chennai

I had had less than four hours to kill in the lounge which went by quickly after a shower and massage, but I was anxious to board my plane for the 4 1/2 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Chennai. Though the business class was an older version, it was quite comfortable and I enjoyed my flight as much as my transatlantic segment in Jet Airways First Class.

Better seat controls than I’m used to in US domestic first class.

The flight was empty so every passenger got their own row which was quite nice.

The friendly flight attendants came by with water or orange juice prior to take off.

Then cool towels and menus.

I never had a desire to visit Abu Dhabi but it was fun checking out the landscape during our ascent.

After we reached cruising altitude they brought hot nuts and choice of drink.  I decided to try the Champagne Lallier, ‘Grande Reserve’ which was perfectly nice.

For my starter I decided to go with the Arabic mezze selection of appetizers instead of the marinated prawns. I was impressed the attention to detail when plating and the fact I had my own serious breadbasket and hammered stainless steel plate for my pitas.

For my main course I decided to try the baked salmon with turmeric rice, sauteed spinach, dried tomatoes and creamed palm hearts. It was fine, but I couldn’t tell if my tastebuds were off because I was tired or if the chicken mandi would have been a better plane choice.

The date pie with rosewater infused zereshk berries was both interesting and tasty! And the perfect note to end on. At this point I was quite tired and decided to try to snag an hour or two of sleep before landing.

But of course I first had to have my cup of after dinner tea from the extensive list. 🙂

We landed, only to discover that the Etihad flight attendants had only had one of the multiple forms that we needed to fill out for customs and immigration. So it wound up being a mess with people darting up to the desks to get the forms from the agents, running back to find a place to fill them out before getting back in line to go through.

Fortunately it was late at night so only one or two other flights had come in around the same time.

Coming out of baggage claim and customs was overwhelming, you were immediately deposited outside with crowds of people waiting to greet their loved ones. I stuck out like a sore thumb and had to decline several suspicious offers of rides and help while I tried to find my Etihad Chauffer.

A cool perk of flying Etihad Business or First Class is that they will send a car to come get you at your origin and drop you off at your destination for free, even when you’re flying on an award ticket! Depending on how far away you are from the airport, this can really save hassle and dollars!

I’d decided to go with that options rather than the free car offered by the Park Hyatt and rather regretted it. I wound up calling of my chauffer that had been texted to me and it took a few more minutes of me wandering around to  find him, but eventually I was in the car and getting my first taste of traffic in India.

More from this trip:

• Planning & Itinerary
• Applying for an India Tourist Visa
• Part 1: What NOT to Do Planning a Trip to India
• Airport Overnight at Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel
• Etihad First Class Check In & Wingtips Lounge JFK
• Etihad First Class on Jet Airways: JFK-AUH
• Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Terminal 1

Related Posts:

• Etihad First Class: Flying the 4th Longest Flight In the World
• Flying In Etihad First Apartment When The Residence Is Empty
• Not the Usual Etihad First Class Check In & Lounge Experience
• Abu Dhabi Terminal 1 Etihad First & Business Class Lounge
• What It’s Like to Fly American Airlines Business Class on the 787