Etihad Airways has recently been offering cheap flights from Europe to Asia quite frequently. Just as when I travelled with Air Arabia from Prague to Bangkok via Sharjah, I therefore wanted to find out what the flight is like in standard economy class.

I bought a return ticket from Prague to Bangkok for 494 eur. That’s a very reasonable price for a route with one stopover. In this review, I describe the return journey from Bangkok via Abu Dhabi to Prague.

For a similar price, I wouldn’t have had any qualms about flying with Etihad. But don’t expect any exceptional experience. Etihad’s economy class struck me as solidly average – and I mean that as both a compliment and a criticism.

Check flight prices with Etihad Airways

My trip in a nutshell

	Bangkok–Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi–Prague
Aircraft	Airbus A350-1000	Boeing 787-9
Economy class configuration	3-3-3	3-3-3
Seat pitch	79 cm	79 cm
Seat width	46 cm	43 cm
Backrest recline	13 cm	13 cm
Charging	USB-A and USB-C	USB-A and universal socket
Power supply	1 main meal	sweet treat + breakfast

Etihad flight and baggage prices: watch out for the Basic fare

I paid 494 eur. I travelled with hand luggage only, so the cheapest ‘Basic’ fare suited me fine.

However, when comparing prices, there’s one important thing to bear in mind. Etihad’s cheapest fare does not include checked-in luggage.

The Basic fare includes:

• 1 piece of hand luggage up to 7 kg
• in-flight meals and drinks
• in-flight entertainment
• a pillow, blanket and headphones

You must pay extra for checked-in luggage. There is also a charge for advance seat selection. In contrast, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Saudia usually include a checked-in suitcase even on their cheapest long-haul fares.

Conversely, if you’re travelling with hand luggage only, the Basic fare makes a lot of sense. It is precisely thanks to this that Etihad often offers very attractive prices.

Etihad is not a member of any global alliance. However, you can collect miles through the Etihad Guest programme and with selected partners. I transferred mine to Flying Blue, run by Air France and KLM. It works, but Flying Blue isn’t my preferred programme – at the moment, I’m focusing more on collecting miles with the OneWorld alliance, specifically with Qatar Airways.

• You can always find the full range of fares on etihad.com

From the night train via Bangkok to the lounge

I spent the night before my flight on the night train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. I’d been walking around the city all day, so by the time I arrived at Bangkok Airport, a shower was more appealing to me than a free meal.

Before my flight, I therefore headed to the Miracle lounge, which I accessed via Revolut. The refreshments were fine, but the main reason for my visit was the shower. After a night on the train and a whole day in sweltering Bangkok, it really came in handy.

I discuss in detail how unlimited access via the Ultra plan works and when it’s financially worthwhile in the article ‘Revolut Ultra and airport lounges’.

The boarding process itself went smoothly and in an orderly fashion. No chaos, no unnecessary queues and no surprises.

Bangkok–Abu Dhabi: my first flight on an Airbus A350-1000

I deliberately chose the 9.00 pm departure. An Airbus A350-1000 was scheduled for this particular flight, and I had never flown on this type of aircraft before.

In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful commercial aircraft in service today, so I was also looking forward to seeing it from the outside.

But it was dark in Bangkok. It was still dark after we landed in Abu Dhabi. So I made my first flight on the A350-1000 without ever really getting a proper look at the aeroplane.

The cabin smells brand new, but it’s no miracle

As soon as you board, it’s clear that the A350 is one of the newest aircraft in Etihad’s fleet.

The interior literally smelled of newness, and the subtle gold-brown colours were pleasing to the eye.

To be honest, though, I wasn’t particularly impressed. The cabin is nice, clean and modern. Still, it’s just standard long-haul economy in a 3-3-3 configuration.

The seat pitch is 79 cm, the seat width is 46 cm, and the backrest can be reclined by about 13 cm. These are standard figures that you’ll find on most long-haul airlines.

A small pillow, a cosy blanket and standard headphones were already waiting on the seat. Etihad also provides a simple shopping bag which passengers are free to keep.

I received the same amenities on the subsequent flight to Prague as well.

The headrest is designed in the same way on both the A350 and the Boeing 787. One side has a more pronounced, fixed support, whilst the other part can be adjusted. It works better than a completely flat headrest, but I’ve experienced more comfortable designs. My head still kept nodding slightly whilst I was asleep.

The A350-1000 has both USB-A and USB-C ports by the seat. The in-flight entertainment screen seemed slightly larger to me than the one I later saw on the Boeing 787, but the difference was minor.

The entertainment system will keep you entertained even on a round-the-world trip

Etihad’s IFE is very good and literally packed with the latest films and TV series, as well as classics.

Even if you forget to download videos onto your mobile or laptop, you certainly won’t be bored.

I always judge airlines by the best TV series of all time, which is, without a doubt, *Friends*! And here, Etihad passes with flying colours. Not just individual episodes, but the complete series.

Food only after two hours. This time, quite rightly so.

The flight from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi takes only about 6 hours. That’s why I wasn’t pleased that the first – and only – service didn’t start until more than 2 hours after take-off. On a night flight, that’s exactly the time one would rather have spent sleeping.

This time, however, I certainly can’t blame the crew. Quite the opposite.

We were in for some severe turbulence, and the captain had already announced before take-off that the in-flight service would be delayed because of it. He then kept us regularly updated on developments throughout the flight.

Safety comes first, and the crew’s communication was absolutely exemplary. I knew why nothing was happening and that it wasn’t down to slow or disorganised service.

There were three main courses to choose from, which isn’t always a given, even on European and American long-haul airlines. I chose the vegetarian pasta.

It was a classic economy-class meal. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t stand out either. The tray also included a salad, a dessert with coconut and mango, and a bread roll. The dessert was quite good. The bread roll, on the other hand, was absolutely inedible.

The cabin crew offered both soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, as well as coffee and tea, to accompany the meal. Once the trays had been cleared away, nothing else was served until landing.

But we’re already landing in the United Arab Emirates.

I’d barely slept for an hour in the last six hours; the journey home is going to be even more gruelling...

Connecting flight in Abu Dhabi: a brilliant airport, but a long security check

Abu Dhabi Airport is modern, large and, above all, very easy to navigate.

It reminds me of Doha, and as a transit airport, I find it incomparably more pleasant than Dubai or Riyadh.

During transit, everything takes place in a single terminal. Simply follow the ‘Transit’ signs, which will lead you to security and then to the departure gates.

It was actually the security check that was the weakest point of my transit. The queue was long and there were few open counters. In my experience, transits in Doha tend to be much smoother.

I may just have been unlucky. If you transfer via Abu Dhabi frequently, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. Is a long wait normal, or did I just happen to be there at the wrong time?

There are plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants beyond security. I headed to the Pearl Lounge, which I accessed via Revolut and the LoungeKey network.

The food and drink on offer was fine. However, the space is small and was extremely crowded during my visit. After 20 minutes, I left and decided to wait in the general area of the terminal instead.

In this respect, Doha wins out for me once again. The Revolut app usually offers me a wider choice of lounges there, and the ones I’ve visited were a cut above the Pearl Lounge in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi–Prague: Boeing 787-9, departing at 3.20

The second flight took off at the rather ungodly hour of 3.20 am.

Boarding was brilliant. It went exceptionally quickly and was one of the best-organised boarding processes I’ve ever experienced.

We set off from the gate exactly on schedule. However, we didn’t take off until about 25 minutes later due to heavy night-time traffic.

Etihad schedules arrivals and departures into tight time slots to allow for as many connecting flights as possible. The result is very heavy traffic on the tarmac.

Is the Boeing 787 worse than the A350?

I had expected the Boeing 787-9 to show its age more. In fact, both interiors struck me as almost identical.

The Dreamliner also has a 3-3-3 configuration and a seat pitch of 79 cm. The seat is 43 cm wide, which is about 3 cm narrower than in the A350. On paper, the difference looks more significant than I perceived it to be during the flight.

The headrest and the recline of the backrest – approximately 13 cm – are the same.

The main difference lies in the charging options. The Boeing 787-9 had a USB-A port and a universal power socket, whilst the A350 offered both USB-A and USB-C ports.

The screen on the B787 seemed a little smaller to me, but even that wasn’t a difference significant enough to influence my choice of flight.

If you’re choosing between the A350-1000 and the Boeing 787-9 purely on the basis of economy class, I wouldn’t make a big deal of it.

The A350 is nicer (purely a subjective opinion) and the seat is slightly wider. Overall comfort, however, was very similar.

An Oreo after take-off and breakfast over Turkey

Shortly after take-off, there was a brief service. The cabin crew served drinks and handed out miniature packets of Oreo biscuits.

I just missed it. I didn’t ask the crew for any more biscuits and carried on sleeping.

I didn’t wake up until we were flying over Turkey, just as the main in-flight service was beginning. Breakfast was served about two hours before we landed in Prague.

There was no turbulence this time. On a night flight like this, I’d personally prefer breakfast to be served a little closer to landing. Every extra half-hour of sleep counts.

I chose an omelette with a sausage. The portion was rather small for my liking, but otherwise it was just a standard economy class meal. Nothing particularly bad, but nothing I’d remember once I got home either.

After breakfast, I spent almost half an hour straight gazing at the incredible beauty outside. It’s simply because of views like these that I always sit by the window.

It never gets old.

And here I am enjoying the traditional view of Prague – a bit overcast this time, but never mind. Home is home!

By bus to the terminal in Prague

Upon arrival, a final little surprise awaited me. Etihad didn’t pull up at the jet bridge, so we took a bus to the terminal.

We have an office at the airport right above Terminal 1, so I keep an eye on the traffic practically every day.

This was the first time I’d personally seen an Etihad aircraft at a remote stand. I’d therefore regard this as an exceptional situation, rather than the norm for the Prague route.

Even here, however, the organisation didn’t let us down. There were plenty of buses and the information was clear, so the disembarkation went quickly.

Etihad vs. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia

This assessment is, of course, purely my own subjective opinion. Every passenger has different priorities.

When making my choice, apart from the price, I also take into account the loyalty programme, baggage allowance and the airports where I’ll be changing flights.

If the final price were the same, I would choose Qatar Airways.

Qatar is a member of the oneworld alliance, where I like to collect miles. My ticket price included checked-in luggage, and on a longer flight I was also given a small amenity kit. What’s more, I find the transfer in Doha runs more smoothly and the range of lounges is better.

Conversely, for a similar price, I’d prefer Etihad to Emirates. Not because of any major difference on board, but because of the airport. For me, a stopover in Abu Dhabi is significantly more pleasant than one in Dubai.

Air Arabia is in a different league. It’s a low-cost carrier where you have to pay extra for meals and checked-in luggage. However, if you’re travelling light, it can be an interesting alternative. I go into more detail in my review of Air Arabia’s flight from Prague to Bangkok.

The most important factor is therefore always the final price. If, after adding all the necessary services, Etihad is the cheapest option, I’d have no reason to avoid it.

Etihad can be exceptional. Just not in economy

My assessment of economy class may sound a bit lukewarm. That doesn’t mean Etihad can’t create a product you won’t forget.

On our website, we’ve also shared our experiences of all the premium cabins:

• Etihad Business Class on a Boeing 787-9 from Prague to Abu Dhabi
• Etihad First Class on an Airbus A380 from Abu Dhabi to Paris
• Etihad Residence from Singapore to Abu Dhabi

It is precisely this comparison that clearly illustrates what Economy Class has to offer.

Reliable travel, modern aircraft and professional service. Not the sort of experience that would make you choose Etihad regardless of the price.

Conclusion: is Etihad worth it in economy class?

Yes, if the price is right.

My return ticket from Prague to Bangkok 494 eur was a very good deal.

Nothing particularly bad happened on any of the flights. The aeroplanes were modern, the crews were professional and the organisation at all the airports was excellent.

Etihad also scores points with me for its frequent special offers and the straightforward transfer in Abu Dhabi.

On the downside, there was a long queue for the transit security check, the Pearl Lounge was overcrowded, and the cheapest fare doesn’t include a checked-in bag.

The in-flight experience itself wasn’t particularly noteworthy. The seats, food and service were on a par with standard long-haul economy class. Nothing disappointed me significantly, but nor was there anything that would make me choose Etihad over its competitors at a higher price next time.

My verdict is therefore simple:

• if Etihad is the cheapest even after adding baggage, by all means fly with them
• at the same price, I’d personally prefer Qatar Airways
• I’d choose Etihad over Emirates mainly because of the more pleasant connection
• I wouldn’t pay extra for Etihad just for the economy class experience

Would 494 eur? Without hesitation, I’d choose them again. At a significantly higher price than Qatar? No.

Find flights with Etihad Airways