Airline Review: Etihad Airways (long haul Economy)

The Etihad Airways long haul Economy has been reviewed by us in the past, but as the fleet is anything but homogenous, it’s worth also reviewing the Etihad Airways Economy Class on a Jet Airways Boeing 777 operated by Etihad. The airplane looks totally different, the seating is not as good as the one of Etihad, but at least the service and the food are the same.

We reviewed the Etihad Airways First Class on a Jet Airways Boeing 777 several days ago, but as we know that most passengers fly Economy Class, we want to review this particular class as well.

• Airplane: Boeing 777 (configured by Jet Airways)
• Cabin Class: Economy
• Daytime: Morning till evening
• Food: Lunch
• Seat Pitch: 32 Inch (81 Centimeter)
• Seat Width: 18.5 Inch (47 Centimeter)

This review is especially interesting as the Etihad Airways long haul Economy differs heavily from the normal Etihad Airways long haul Economy, which we reviewed earlier. Not only have the Boeing 777’s a Jet Airways painting, but the interior wasn’t changed, too.

This means that you’ll sit in an Indian inspired airplane instead of the typical Etihad Airways Economy Class which I find to be really nice when it comes to the color scheme and the seats themselves.

Seating in the Etihad Airways long haul Economy

The configuration of the Etihad Airways and Jet Airways Boeing 777’s is the same in Economy Class with a 3-4-3.

As we were lucky with a truly friendly attendant in the Etihad Airways Premium Lounge Abu Dhabi prior our flight, we were lucky enough to get a full middle row for ourselves. The seats which are red and have a white makassar look rather comfortable at first sight.

Nevertheless, the seats are obviously rather old and a little worn out. At least, the seat pitch is decent, while the seat width is basic.

For our flight of approximately six hours, the seating in the Etihad Airways long haul Economy on a Jet Airways configured airplane was just fine, but for longer flights, I’d actually prefer the fresher and more comfortable seats of the “normal” Etihad Airways planes.

At least, the amenities including a good blanket, one of the better pillows in the industry and noise-cancelling headphones are the same as in the normal Etihad Airways Economy Class.

Food in the Etihad Airways long haul Economy

Service for a flight of just six hours started with a little snack. At the seat, there was also a written menu awaiting you, a truly lovely touch.

My flights with Etihad Airways in Economy Class are usually not very long, but the food offerings tend to impress me each and every time.

For this flight, the choice was between “Steamed Chicken”, “Baked Dory Fillet” and “Braised Tofu”.

Appetizer were black beans, which were okay, but nothing to write home about, and warm bread was served.

The dessert, chocolate mousse, was the perfect finish of a very nice meal.

The vegetarian option (sometimes I have to try something special) as a main was just okay, while Sabrina’s fish was well cooked and tasty. There was also another service prior landing which came with a large sandwich which most people took with them.

So did we and were happy we’ve done so as the sandwich was really good and was the perfect snack for us while waiting for our driver.

Entertainment in the Etihad Airways long haul Economy

While several European carriers still offer newspapers and magazines in the long haul Economy Class, Etihad Airways has no service like this one.

Yet, there’s a board magazine awaiting you by your seat if you want to read something. In contrast to all other Etihad Airways planes, the Jet Airways Boeing 777’s also come without Wi-Fi.

This means that the entertainment is limited to the In-Flight-Entertainment, which I find to be one of the better systems in the industry. The screens in the Etihad Airways long haul Economy on a Jet Airways configured Boeing 777 have a decent size and an average quality, but are just fine in combination with the decent noise-cancelling headphones.

The selection of international movies, shows and music could be a little better, but for a six hours flight, it was absolutely fine.

Bottom line Etihad Airways long haul Economy

I’d always prefer the normal Etihad Airways Economy Class over the one in the leased Jet Airways Boeing 777’s. Nevertheless, I was actually positively surprised by the experience. While I expected the service and the very good dining experience on Etihad Airways to be the same, I didn’t find the hard product to be really inferior.

Sure, the seats are older and a little less comfortable and the entertainment screen may have a quality which is a little inferior, but the differences are very little. At least for a short flight like the one from Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, I wouldn’t really mind whether the airplane is a true Etihad Airways one or a Jet Airways Boeing 777. For longer flights, like the ones from the US to Abu Dhabi, I’d however definitely prefer the “normal” Etihad Airways Economy Class.

• You can find more information about Etihad’s flights, schedules, prices and much more as well as book your next flight on the website of Etihad Airways!

 

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