Terminator8

Any thoughts on which product you like better? Etihad Pearl Business or Emirates J on the A380

akalra1187

I'll first present the pros and cons:

Etihad Pros:

- Newer chauffer cars and mostly better cars than EK in UK & UAE.
- Cold towels and water in UAE cars compared to EK.
- Cars also cleaner in UAE.
- Seat (on the plane) has better cushioning.
- Seat's massage function is better.
- Seat has more privacy.
- Seat in my opinion is more comfortable, more ergonomic, easier to sleep in and better colour scheme of cabin (my opinions for this point).
- Food on board in my opinion is better on Etihad, but if your prefer Indian food Emirates is better.
- Billecart Salmon is much better, again in my opinion, than Veuve Cliquot.
- Scent of EY towels is amazing.
- Better bathroom amenities than EK.
- I don't know where you're flying from but in LHR T3 is chaos (EK), whilst T4 (EY) is a calm environment.
- AUH is way less busy than DXB, so queues are shorter and its more peaceful, especially if you're exiting in AUH. Transiting is another matter which I'll mention in EK's pros.
- Arrivals lounge in AUH. A free wet shave, shower, free clothes pressing and snack/fruit/coffee and a coca-cola or sparkling water bottle to take in the car is a Godsend after a long flight, and you don't have to wait to check in to a hotel/get home.

Etihad Cons:

- Some crew are very bad. Whilst on EK the worst I've seen is an average crew.
- They're more strict on luggage allowances if that matters to you.
- Food might be considered bland to an Asian palette.
- Transit in AUH is not as organised as DXB.
- Lounge food is generally not as good as EK, especially in J as opposed to the EY F lounges.
- Luggage can take a long time to arrive in AUH. DXB is generally a better setup.

Emirates Pros:

- Food could be considered better for an Asian palette.
- J lounge food is much better.
- More outstation J lounges.
- Service is far more consistent.
- Better network and more routes with A380.
- Bar and lounge on board is a real bar unlike Etihad's lounge which is silly.
- DXB duty free is better than AUH.
- DXB is more organised and a much slicker operation than AUH. Connections are much better organisationally.

Emirates Cons:

- The most important to me is that the padding and cushioning is terrible on EK J seats not only in the 380 but also the 777.
- A lot of space in the seat is eaten up by the mini bar.
- Food as mentioned in other points.
- Chauffeur cars are now showing age in UAE, and most outstations.
- DXB can take almost as long as AUH to reach many parts of new Dubai, and that too sitting in traffic in an aged Volvo.
- e-gates if you're signed up are not as efficient in DXB as AUH.

For me its Etihad as it stands, but whenever I get a bad crew, I consider going back to EK, but I haven't done so yet.

By the way, its not commonly called 'Pearl' Business anymore, and on the A380 its called Business studio.

It would help to know where you're flying from/to to give some more specific advice on lounges/chauffeur pick up/departure terminal as opposed to EK's.

Terminator8

Ideally from ORD. ORD-AUH-MLE but I only want to fly from ORD if the business seat is acceptable. If not, I can fly from JFK instead.

akalra1187

I don't have experience flying ex USA, but I'd definitely pick the A380 from JFK. The 777 of Etihad's pales in comparison. Does Emirates fly the 380 from ORD?

Terminator8

ORD doesn't have any 380s. Airport can't handle it right now.

akalra1187

Then I'd pick the 380 from JFK.

Terminator8

Gotcha, thanks!

kq747

EK and EY both operate their A380s from JFK and only 777's from ORD. JFK also has a lounge for each airline while at ORD they use third party lounges.
If you are using ORD, then EY is probably better with their direct aisle access where as EK is angle lie flat in 2-3-2.

akalra1187

Also I forgot to mention that Etihad's plating of food and crockery/glassware is much nicer than Emirates.
Emirates amenity kit is a bit better than Etihad's.
I presented the pros and cons of both and as I said for me it's Etihad.
If you value consistency (not necessarily better) of service and want to socialise and drink (EK's bar is really quite good) then maybe Emirates is the better choice for you.
Are you stopping over in the UAE either way?

Terminator8

probably no stopover as I just came from there, saw it all

akalra1187

Ok, then the chauffeur points I made are less relevant.
Still, my choice EY, if you want to socialise by the bar and the possibility of bad service really worries you, EK.
Oh and if you do decide to stop, EY provide a free night at some very nice 5* hotels in Abu Dhabi on paid J tickets.

Terminator8

I would be redeeming through AA so I think I'll miss out on both the hotel and the driver. So it's all about lounge, soft product, and hard product. But I do tend to agree that on the 380, EY wins, although one could certainly do worse than EK J on the 380.

eddibabyyeah

Very informative post. Great stuff.

akalra1187

Thank you.

amnicoll

personally I have never experience bad crew on Etihad in business they have all ranged between outstanding and very good.

Whilst OK the food rarely excites me on Etihad

Abu dahbi as an airport leaves a lot to be desired with no separate boarding for business class passengers on the 777s and long security queues