oneworld82

Right before take off, an amenity kit, slippers, and pj were provided. I love the amenity kit – it looks classy, luxurious, and it’s well stocked with anything you can possibly need aboard a plane (La Prairie is always a guarantee of great quality).


Amenity kit filled with La Prairie goodies

The pj was comfortable and it didn’t keep me hot during the flight – a big plus. The slippers were so awesome that I am wearing them right now as I am writing this report.



The menu was extensive and comprehensive, with a great selection of Middle Eastern and European dishes; it read as follow:

A La Carte Lunch

Appetisers

Balik salmon tartar and cucumber cannelloni with mesclun salad, wasabi cream and herb oil
Traditional Arabic Mezze. A selection of Middle Eastern hot and cold appetisers
Harira Tomato Soup
Creamy mushroom soup served with sour cream

Mains

Barbecue marinated chicken with honey roasted sweet potato, baby corn and pecan nuts
Ghouzi style roasted lamb. Arabic-spiced lamb leg with lemon-turmeric rice and grilled vegetables (a traditional Emirati recipe developed in conjunction with Mezlai Restaurant, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi)
Vegetable lasagne served with tomato-herb sauce and mixed salad
Chef’s special. Ask our chef about the “special of the day” or to create something especially for you

From the Grill
(Select your choice of meat or fish from the options below together with your preferred side dishes and sauces and our chef will prepare it all to your taste)

Grass-fed beef tenderloin
U.S. rib-eye steak
Mixed grill
Corn-fed chicken
Fillet of red snapper

Sides

Steamed garden vegetables
Roasted baby potatoes
Courgettes Provencales
Mediterranean grilled vegetables
Creamy mashed potatoes
Steamed white rice
Oven-baked fries

Sauces

Veal jus
Bearnaise sauce
Tomato concasse’
Cafe’ de Paris butter

Taste of Arabia
A selection of dishes inspired by the best of Middle East

Traditional Arabic Mezze. A selection of Middle Eastern hot and cold appetisers
Harira tomato soup
Ghouzi style roasted lamb. Arabic-spiced lamb leg with lemon-turmeric rice and grilled vegetables (a traditional Emirati recipe developed in conjunction with Mezlai Restaurant, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi)
Chocolate, cardamom and orange pudding served with rosewater custard
Sulaimani tea

Desserts and Digestifs

CHEESE
a selection of international cheeses

DESSERTS
Fresh fruit with passion fruit coulis
A selection of ice cream flavours
Dessert taster. Four mini desserts to tempt you. Summer berry pudding, duo of chocolate mousse, watermelon and apricot shot, ice cream
Raspberry crunch cake with mixed berry sauce
Chocolate, cardamom and orange pudding served with rosewater custard

DESSERT WINE
Royal Tokaji, Late Harvest 2011, Hungary

DIGESTIFS AND LIQUEURS
Taylor’s Select Reserve Port
A. De Fussigny XO Cognac
Cointreau
Kahlua
Baileys

Kitchen Anytime
(A selection of sweet and savoury items to enjoy at any time during the flight)

A selection of breads and pastries
Fruit smoothie energiser drink
A range of breakfast cereals with full-cream or low-fat milk
Breakfast taster. A selection of four mini breakfast items. Omelette roll with mixed peppers, bircher muesli, berry and fruit salad, energiser
Fresh eggs cooked to order and served with your selection of chicken sausage, rosti potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, foul medames
Kraftkorn bagel with smoked turkey, tomato and cream cheese
Selection of crispy snacks served with coriander chutney, lamb samosa, onion pakora and cauliflower bhaji
Sandwiches made to order
the Etihad Steak Sandwich with rocket leaves, veal bacon, red onion compote, melted cheese, mayonnaise and grain mustard
Cheese. A selection of international cheeses
Afternoon tea. A selection of classic tea cakes

NIBBLES
Potato crisps in a variety of flavours
Freshly baked cookies and madeleines
Swedish crisp bread
Arabic baklava

So, as I was saying, the menu is huge. Too bad it doesn’t feature any Asian option, but it definitely matched ANA’s First Class menu; and probably went beyond it. Enough said.

Take off happened about 1 hour 10 minutes late, but it went smoothly eventually; no one ever cared to announce the reason of the delay. Right after taking off, David came by to take my lunch order. Not feeling too hungry yet, I asked him for some snack suggestions to go along with a glass of Bollinger La Grande Annee champagne, and he suggested the bagel with salmon; to which I agreed wholeheartedly. In the meantime, I had a glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label with some tasty amuse bouches.


Jolhnny Walker Blue Label and some amuse bouches

I started watching “Oblivion”, a movie that had captured my imagination. It ended up being a very good one. After about half hour the bagel arrived. I had drained my glass of Bollinger already, and as the flight attendant – who didn’t know I had tried the rose’ earlier – suggested I tried the rose’, I switched to it for my meal. I think I liked the rose’ better than Bollinger. The bagel was fantastic. It was perfectly toasted, the fish was fresh, the remoulade tasty and there was just the right amount of veggies in it.




Table setup


Pre-lunch appetizers


Best bagel I have ever tried... on a Middle Eastern carrier. How ironic!

Now I was hungrier for more; I called David, and I asked for some steak. I asked him what did he recommend; he asked me how I like my meat cooked; I said medium rare. He suggested the tenderloin. I said “sure”. After 20 minutes, the steak with fries appeared. It was perfectly cooked, medium-rare to my liking, tasty, of great quality. Useless to say I finished it all. After my meat (which I had with some Chianti), I decided to indulge in some cheese; again, the presentation was great and the cheese was godo in both quality and variety. At this point, I was a happy camper.


Perfectly-cooked tenderloin with roasted potatoes



I finished watching Oblivion while having some cheese to top off dinner. Again, great selection (BLUE CHEESE!).



Then I summoned one of the FA through the control button and asked her to have my bed made. That happened in a matter of seconds more than minutes, and as soon as I came back from the bathroom my suite was all ready. Let me tell you: this is a darn good bed! Comfortable, completely flat, with a nice pad and luxurious sheets/duvet. So classy! I easily fell asleep (although turbulence spilled a glass of wine that was sitting next to me, which prompted a flight attendant to clean my seat and redo my bed) and woke up after about 3 ½ hours – jet lag is an ugly beast. I started writing this report, and ordered a Bailey’s iced coffee that David promptly delivered. It was great, bar level. After that I wrote some more and napped a bit, before starting to watch the second G.I. Joes installment.

oneworld82

Comfortable bed

In 13 hours I had enough time to take a close look around the suite. It’s certainly an amazing product. Everything is not only functional, but also eye-pleasing. The leather seat is very comfortable, wide. The side bar where the tray is stowed is classy and modern, with a dense wooden pattern that speaks of luxury. There is plenty of lighting in the suite, and the controls are quite intuitive and easy to use. There are various different lights and many intensities to them: reading lights, dining lights, side lights… pretty smart. The seat controls are interactive and easy to use as well.

http://airwaysandtravels.files.wordp...pg?w=595&h=395
Noise-cancelling headphones


Suite controls


Hidden power ports and remote


Suite lighting


Doors closed!



Comparing this suite to Cathay Pacific’s or ANA’s isn’t easy. But overall, Etihad’s has an edge, given the level of privacy it affords, the quality of materials used, the large TV, and the good lighting. I am honestly impressed by what the Abu Dhabi-based carried has achieved.


Bailey's Iced Coffee


Free (and working) in-flight wifi!

In any case, about 3 hours before landing I started feeling hungry again, and so I pressed the magic button on my remote pad and David promptly appeared within seconds. I asked for some mezze and for a steak sandwich – and David said that both would be promptly delivered.

About 15 minutes later, my mezze platter appeared. Here I was positively impressed by David. When I asked for mezze, I could notice that perhaps he had run out of some of them. But he still said: “sure”. What he delivered was a mix of mezze – what he probably still had left – and pakoras/samosas on the side. He didn’t mention once that he was out of some of the mezze, but he positively stated that he had added some Indian appetizers to make the dish tastier. This proactive, positive attitude really makes a World of difference if you ask me; it helps an airline stands out.


Ready for meal #2


Mezze, pakora, samosa

The mezze and samosas and pakoras tasted great. I washed them down with some more champagne (rose’), and after that I waited for the steak sandwich, for which I switched to Victoria Bitter – one of Australia’s quintessential beers together with Carlton draught. After not too long the sandwich was delivered. I cannot easily describe how good it was. I am simply shocked that it’s possible to create something like this on a pressurized environment 33,000ft above sea level. The meat, the bread, the sauce… everything came together perfectly in what was probably one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted up in the air. David, thank you so much!





After that, I got a cappuccino and went to the restroom to prepare for landing.




Time to get ready for landing


Lavatories. Large ones


Isn't the black theme cool?

We ended up landing about 35 minutes behind schedule.






Air Niugini at Sydney Airport

Thanks to the Fast Track pass I was provided to I was able to quickly go through immigration and custom and I was able to make it to my connecting flight to Adelaide.

Etihad, I am so grateful you exist! You were able to redefine my already high standards set by Cathay Pacific and ANA. Whether I was just lucky or not, I do not know; but service on my flight was attentive, efficient, and cordial. Not Asian carrier-level to be clear, but outstanding nonetheless. The hard product is simply phenomenal, really hard to beat. Catering was on par with a top restaurant and the selection of beverages was first class as well.

Thanks to this flight, I now know how I will use the hundreds of thousands of American Airlines miles I have on my account. Long live Etihad Airways!

SFO777

What a fabulous looking F product. Now I am really looking forward to our EY flight next month. Great report oneworld82 thanks for posting!

concorde02

Great report!.. can't wait to see your QF F experience. I had the best F lounge experiences on QF both in SYD and MEL so looking forward to see your opinion.
My experience on EY F was not that good. The service was good but not great and the food was a let down (overcooked meat, eggs, etc.).

themapelligroup

What a glorious trip report oneworld82!

I really like your writing style, the descriptions are punctual and give the whole perspective of the experience. I'm looking forward to reading the Australian part, I'm bond with the country for many reasons and trip reports about Australia are my favorites (I loved your previous one).

Let me also add that I appreciate your reminders of being Italian, I know many Italians who live abroad who actually aren't ashamed of their origins, but neither feel proud nor happy to make people know where they come from. I read somewhere that being Italian is a full time job and I think it perfectly fits with you.

oneworld82

Thanks concorde02!

QF was amazing as well, albeit different. I have heard people having your same kind of issues. I was either very lucky or I have lower expectations (which I do not think I have ). I definitely understand why EY won the best first class award at Skytrax. Perhaps it doesn't really stand out on one front, but it excels all around. Again, the food was excellent, and the menu extensive. But the dining experience didn't possess the "whoa" factor of the kaiseki meal with sake pairing I had on ANA. Still, chef David was so attentive that it made the experience absolutely fantastic.

Thanks SFO777. I am sure you and wife will enjoy it. I already want to read your trip report about it - I trust your critical eye as much as I trust mine

Thanks themapelligroup!

Being Italian is certainly tiring!!

neilyork

You've got me sold on Etihad that's for sure!

Lovely trip report - really enjoyed it.

oneworld82

neilyork,

Thank you so much! EY was a fantastic experience - although LH and QF were great as well!

oneworld82

After flying business class on Qantas last year from MNL to SYD and then from CNS to MEL and on to LAX, I was looking forward to this flight, as I wanted to see whether the excellent meal and service I received on a domestic sector was just pure coincidence or were a symptom of a great airline. This segment confirmed the latter.

As I mentioned earlier, my flight was delayed in AUH, but we landed only 30 minutes beyond schedule. Given the express immigration card handed out by Etihad, that meant that I was able to catch my onwards flight to Adelaide with even a few minutes to spare. Wntering Australia is like entering the US: you have to collect your luggage and go through customs. This process could be painfully slow, as Australia is very strict on its custom rules (and it actually enforces them). After this step I had to walk for about 800 ft to get to the Qantas transfer desk. A very nice lady assured me that I would not miss my flight, which was very comforting. After going through a security screening I waited for a shuttle bus to take transfer passengers to the domestic terminal – inexplicably located at the other side of the runway! And I really mean to say that whoever came up with this layout must not have had a degree in architecture or urban planning, because the airport layout makes absolutely no sense. Talk about London Heathrow being a mess….

Anyways, I made it on time to the domestic terminal. Regrettably, I did not have enough time to check out the Qantas lounge, as my flight was about to board. As business class passenger, I was allowed to board with the first boarding group.

QF Flight #739, SYD-ADL
08:20a-10:00a
Business Class, Seat 3F
Boeing 737-800

The cabin of our plane this morning looked like the one I flew in lst year from CNS to MEL. Think about AA’s domestic First: large seats, corporate feelings… Nothing too special. The service, though, was great as usual.


View from my seat








Seat controls

Once in the cabin I was promptly offered a pre-departure drink; the flight attendant – a middle-aged woman – offered to hang my jacket as well.


Water, please!

The guy next to me was in no mood for conversation, and basically fell asleep as soon as he sat down.

Take off happened on time, and it was a while before we got to the right altitude and stabilized ourselves – the NSW skies were particularly turbulent today.


New South Wales Sky

Once we were cruising happily towards South Australia, the breakfast service started.
Now, this was a short 2h30m flight. Yet, the amount of food they served was impressive. There were basically two choices: a hearty breakfast of pork sausage, eggs et alia – your typical English breakfast; and a healthier cereals with milk. Being still full from my previous flight I opted for the cereals – not that I needed more food, but still I needed to try it for the purpose of writing a good trip report.


Breakfast tray

Perhaps I am too used to US domestic breakfasts, because I was expecting a small bowl of Kellogg’s with some milk and maybe a banana. I was instead served:

1. Muesli with milk


Very good and crunchy muesli

2. Yogurt with fruit



3. Orange juice and coffee freshly brewed out of a French press!

A lot of dairies indeed! ...and Amen to the healthy breakfast – this all must have been 500 kcals!

Anyways, short of complaining I ate (almost) it all and felt like exploding. Some TV show was played on the overhead screen, but I rather reading about Australian elections (by the way, Rudd DID did not end up winning).



Time flew by, and in the galley I was able to chat with a middle-aged male flight attendant who was very curious to know whether I was from Italy. Once I assured him I was 100% Italian, he confessed that his parents were Italian themselves from Foggia, Puglia – a 10 minutes conversation about the many Italians living in Adelaide and the good pizza to be found there ensued. This was just another typical demonstration on friendliness on Aussies’ part. I find that people in Texas are interested in me because to them I look exotic; here peopl are interested in me because I took my time to learn more about their country. Huge difference.

Anyways, we soon were over the skies of South Australia. I almost managed to snag a picture of the mighty Murray River – the ones of you who read Nancy Cato’s trilogy “All the Rivers Run” will know the significance the the steamer trade up and down this and the Darling rivers represented between the XIX and XX centuries. Some pictures:







Finally, we started our descent into Adelaide – I was able to take some good pictures with my camera. Let me tell you, the view we got was nothing short of spectacular!




Adelaide CBD

One thing that every map you look at makes clear (and that Bill Bryson didn’t fail to point out) is how perfectly planned Adelaide is. It’s central area is perfectly enclosed on it’s four sides by a vast park – a unique example of urban planning indeed.

Once landed we made our way to our gate and we were out in the terminal within minutes. While not big, the Adelaide airport certainly looked modern and well-kept.


South Australia, at last!


Even Adelaide Airport's parking is housed in a modern, attractive building!

After crossing 2/3 of the World I was finally back to Down Under. Ten, amazing days between South Australia, Victoria, and Auckland ensued. Keep on reading if you want to know why – now more than ever – I think that Australia is really the most appealing country in the World.

JetAway

At least in your pictures you look very Texan. Not "exotic" at all. BTW-that's a compliment-looking "Texan."

oneworld82

LMAO

TomVexille

Man you got a fantastic shot of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment

oneworld82

I know... it sucks it was being redeveloped, it was a major letdown when I found out!

quirrow

Etihad F looks good! The decor is very classy, much better than the Emirates F 'bling' that I see in the reports.

I am not a big fan of rose champagne though...

amolkold

I've heard Etihad F service could be a hit or miss --- glad to see it was a hit for you!