An absolutely first class flight with Etihad Airways

Four years ago your editor was one of the first journalists to brave the then very new Eithad Airways to try out its premium services. The verdict then was very good. But things have gotten considerably better.

Take the new Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport (see this article). This provides a haven of comfort for the premium traveller and the minute from the roadside to check-in is an unbeatable convenience.

Five-star restaurant

Then you have a superb new lounge with a restaurant offering food identical to the first fare on the plane, and even the same chinaware. Have breakfast then if you are early for your flight, or a massage in the Six Senses spa.

That is certainly a big gain on the slightly dated facilities at the old terminal. But the same cool minimalist interior design continues from the lounge into the new aircraft in the Etihad fleet. The old leased planes have long gone.

In the first class compartment you no longer just have a nice big seat. You have your own private compartment with doors for complete privacy if you want it.

The compartment is well equipped with a large TV screen, and the old video cassette system is long abandoned in favour of an iPod style machine with hundreds of entertainment options from the latest movies to a large CD collection.

You also have a number of different lighting options in the compartment to suit yourself, from sleeping obviously, to reading or a TV backlight. This personalisation of the service is carried over into the dining options.

A la carte dining

Instead of set meals you get a full a la carte menu before take-off and can have anything you like at any time. It is the same with beverages and the wine list is extensive. The food is always freshly prepared, although a few old first class favourites like caviar and foie gras would have been nice.

The service is also outstanding: quick and attentive without ever being intrusive. You will never see a steward hovering until you empty your glass but call and he will come immediately.

Fast track on arrival and then there is the popular Etihad chauffeur service waiting on cue. Now admittedly the initial opening offer of a ride anywhere in the UK has gone – some passengers went as far as Aberdeen – but there is still a very generous 150 mile range for first class passengers.

So there is no denying that Etihad has not only kept its edge but improved it over the past few years in premium flying, and the awards that have followed are no surprise.