Review of Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Paris in Business

Pre-trip musings

June-to-July 2025 is not exactly the cheapest time of the year to find fares in the Philippines as it is technically summer in the northern hemisphere (and Europeans travel a lot at this time). Yet as someone who teaches at university, this is only the only prolonged time-off I could conceivably ask for.

This trip would take me to Paris and Scandinavia. I was initially leaning towards Qatar Airways as it had routinely showed the most affordable fare at US$2,300-2,500. KLM had once showed something similar. Yet it disappeared right before I was confident of having enough money to charge my credit card for it. So I kept looking at Qatar Airways deals. Suddenly, Etihad had shown a similar price out of Stockholm but needed to connect from Copenhagen. When I amended the exit point from Europe back to the Philippines to be Copenhagen, I found a deal for less than US$2,100, more than US$300 cheaper than Qatar’s offers. This appeared a steal given that this was business class and involved Paris, a destination that is not exactly cheap to fly into from the Philippines.

 Initially I did not worry about booking the flight straight away, hoped to find recent Etihad trip reports saying it’s in the same league as Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines (though trip reviewers like Nonstop Dan and Jeb Brooks made reviews that made me feel Etihad isn’t a carrier worth being excited to fly. And as a consequence of this pondering, the dates I was eyeing had suddenly disappeared. But after a few minutes of panicking, I found a new pair of dates (i.e. one week later than originally planned) which might work out. It would have been tempting as Black Friday and Christmas sales were on the way. Yet as Black Friday isn’t institutionalised in the Philippines yet and low prices seemed to be going off the shelves, I felt I had no choice.

Ultimately, the Etihad flight would make sense for the following reasons:
- a $2,000-ish return business class ticket between Manila and Europe is simply a rare find. Even for a place like Manila where business class tickets in the market would often return such steals.
- On long-haul flights, you are guaranteed a flat-bed and direct aisle access. Most of Qatar's flights involving Manila do not even feature it as QSuite flights there are pretty rare. And even if you do get a Qsuite flight at booking, the risk of getting "Qatar-ed" had been quite high.
- The fare includes lounge access, free seat selection, a generous mileage bonus, even a low low change and cancellation penalty relative to the ticket price I paid.
- I wanted to use this trip to cultivate my Eurobonds (SAS) frequent flyer account. Although Etihad has its own frequent flyer programme called Etihad Guest with generous miles on offer for this fare, there’s just something unique that draws me to Eurobonus (not least is my love for Scandinavia?). Likewise, I would most likely have to fly on a standalone Air France flight from Paris to Copenhagen a few days later (spoiler alert: I made a big mistake that would see me credit the flight to the wrong frequent flyer programme). As SAS was now part of the SkyTeam, passengers on Air France may also earn Eurobonus points.
- No need to travel to the more distant Clark International Airport.

Of the four Etihad flights I was taking on my entire trip, this Abu Dhabi-Paris flight has been what I was most looking forward to.  It would be my first business class trip on the A380.  And as you will see later, it has a few extra perks that you will only get.  

But one thing I have over-agonised with on this journey is where to sit.  You see, with business class covering most of the A380's upper deck, I had three sections to choose from.  Normally I would take the section that gives up a more intimate "mini cabin" vibe.  But what helped me on previous occasions where that was possible was that the mini-cabins were in front of or behind the door where passengers embark and disembark.  That isn't the case on the A380s.  Likewise, I prefer the seats facing forward and slightly closer to the window, something on short supply in the mini-cabins.  So as a compromise I booked myself in a seat right next to the exit, which was also right behind the bar.  

Intermission: Abu Dhabi stopover

Terminal A of Abu Dhabi’s Zayeed Airport was opened to commercial flights in November 2023.  I was thankful that the first flight arrived early giving me around an extra hour to explore what this new terminal has to offer.  I was one of the first to deplane from my previous flight to see this relatively new terminal. To transit, you head up an escalator and follow the signs.  

As I connected to the internet, I received bad news from an Airbnb that I did not make a timely cancellation with. There goes a few extra kronor that I could have used somewhere else.  

I checked the overhead monitors to see details of my next flight.  It was still a few hours off.  A dedicated fast track business class security lane awaited connecting passengers. I saw my gate for the next gate was D43, which I thought was not accessible directly from the lounge. But when I entered, a member of staff clarified that it would be so.  After security check, we are deposited right at the central area which offers places to eat and shop.

Here are some photos of the airport’s offerings. But I wouldn’t spend much time outside because there was lounge access, and I would want to conserve my money for other purposes at my destination.

Unlike Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines, Etihad has one centralised lounge for business class passengers. Lucky for me, it was confirmed boarding would take place directly from the lounge.

The first order of business for me was to find a shower. Showers were found on both ends of the lounge. It was recommended I take the one that required passage through the 6th floor. That was some good advice as the it was empty when I came in but a queue formed as I finished. The shower facility was well-appointed, clean, and inviting.  

One of the disappointing aspects of this though was the food selection. Eateries were available on the 5th and 7th floors. Whilst I have nothing against middle eastern and south asian dishes, I thought the selection was rather limited unlike what I’ve heard from Qatar Airways’ Doha lounge and experienced from Emirates’ Dubai lounges. If you’re here for Western or Japanese treats, you might get disappointed although there were chicken wings and a made-to-order pizza via QR code available at some stations (which I didn't have enough time for). I wasn’t exactly here for the food given the fairly limited transit time I had - instead that was something I would reserve for the next leg.  

The lounge also had a game room and a kids’ room. Both were occupied, including by the same couple I met at the Manila lounge earlier.  

I settled for a spot on the 5th floor away from the eating areas. I was facing the monitor. The side table had a provision for AC power outlets and 2 USB A outlets.  It had a relaxing view.

TIP: Please bring a UK/Hong Kong/Singapore adapter. Of course if you purchased your laptop or phone charger from those countries, you shouldn’t have an issue plugging them here.

Boarding

Although I had theoretically a shorter connection on this journey to Europe than on the return flight, flying on an A380 meant I would board directly from the lounge.  One had to go up to the 6th floor and down back to the 5th floor to find the gate.  There were no queues and thus it was over and done with.

EY31 from ABU DHABI to PARIS
Flight number: EY31 
Gate: D43 
Aircraft: Airbus A380 
Scheduled departure time: 02:25 
Aircraft registration: A6-APE

As I've previously indicated, my seat was immediately behind the bar. And whilst the bar looks smaller than what Emirates has on offer, it feels more intimate and not really too small. It is large enough for a group of friends to gather and break the monotony of staring at what’s in front of them for several hours.

The seat’s features were nearly identical to the one on the 787-10.  Because of that I wouldn't go into detail about the seat again (and this is the same seat for the two flights I would take homeward bound).  But it features two significant differences (which didn't have anything to do with the seat itself). First is that I have additional storage on the side facing the window. Second is that you can control the window by pushing a button to bring the window shades up and down (but the cabin crew reserve the right to take control of it).

The crew offered me a standard PDB which was orange juice for me as well as a hot towel. Another one of her colleagues explained how upgrades to first class works, not that I’m complaining about business class because I am already on an awesome product.  I've been thankful to peek at the first class product though.

I met a group of Filipinos who came from the Manila flight. It was my first time to bump into them on this trip though. Just like me, they were on holiday except for one of them who was effectively returning home.

The captain announced a slight delay to the time we would leave the gate, initially billed for 20 minutes but we were rolling already 10 minutes after.   

The amenity kit’s bag looked slightly different from the one on my first flight. They came in a Giorgio Armani purse but was square shaped.

Shortly after take-off the seat belt sign was switched off. I requested to have a quick camomile tea with honey. The hope was I would fall asleep after having a sip. I was feeling sleepy already.  

Yet it was difficult for me to sleep.  I woke up from time to time.  But it wasn’t due to the product but perhaps my sleeping habits back on the ground. The flat bed seat was still comfortable. So comfy that it felt like I slept a long time even though there was a lot of time remaining. By this time I have even discovered that you can initiate a massage with the seat controls. You can choose the firmness of the mattress.  

The IFE system was identical to the one on the first flight but strangely enough there was a second airshow or moving map channel loaded and accessible by making your audio playlists.   You can control the screen using the remote control on the side or by touching the main screen. You can also use the remote as a secondary screen.  In terms of content, I spent more time following live news of what’s happening over in the Middle East. And you can see that through the flight path we had taken for the day. I tried their WiFi again and it set me back by US$9.99. Same quality of internet as the first flight: occasional slowdowns.  Nonetheless, I think the presence of Wifi has made a huge difference in making the flight feel a bit quick.  Power sockets and USB charging were available.  I even took out my "wireless" charging help me charge my smartwatch as it has had a long day.

TIP: Wait a few hours after departure before purchasing internet on Etihad and you might save US$15. My flights were at the borderline between the lower $9.99 and $24.99 price point so it won’t hurt to hold it off.  

Two hours were left in the flight and the crew asked if I was ready for my breakfast. I chose the omelette option. On the side it featured tomatoes, spinach, fresh fruit, and croissant. I ordered a caramel coffee.    

Towards the final hour or so of the flight, I had a chance to sit in the bar again and chat with some friends I met at the PAGS lounge in Manila. I didn’t have a drink but the chance to sit down to have a chat makes with other passengers who may be seated away from you makes this an underrated gem in business class. Likewise, the crew has still had time to take my request for a warm cookie. It was served quickly.  

Here is a view of the toilet.  As it was tucked in between the aisles, there was no window view.  It was clean and well-stocked.  Nice design.  

About 50 minutes to go and the obligatory pre-descent announcement was made. Before we knew it, 10-15 minutes remain and the seatbelt sign was switched on to indicate Paris was within reach.  All I had left to do was watch as I back in Europe after less than a year.

A member of the crew returned with more information about the Etihad Guest Programme.  Ultimately I decided to keep my mileage accrual with SAS Eurobonus, which became useful later in the trip.  This was even if I would miss a virtually guaranteed promotion to silver tier as a result of this flight.  

Before we knew it, I was on the ground.  I was excited to turn on a domestic eSIM I purchased.  But more about that in a different report.  

Back to the trip, I may have not been paying attention to a key detail of which terminal we would use.  And that was because the plane would dock at Charles De Gaulle airport Terminal 1 instead of Terminal 2E as originally scheduled.  I asked the crew for my coat back and it took some moments to retrieve it and they may have forgotten what it has looked like.  But it wasn't too long.  

Disembarkation

A small part of me was honestly excited to disembark from Terminal 2E.  But at using Terminal 1 meant a shorter walk toward the exit.  We just travelled one escalator toward the main terminal.  And I was also eligible to use the fast track passport control though it was not immediately apparent where to queue up for fast track until I stood in the queue and asked.  They took me to a different queue and the wait was about 10 - 15 minutes.  After a quick inspection of my passport, I was stamped in and just had to head for the baggage claim.  My bag took another 10 minutes to come out.  I had some minor hiccups by queuing up for the wrong lift but found the correct one to the train station.  I then joined another queue to buy my NAVIGO pass for the week (even though I was spending a shorter time, it turned out cheaper than buying several day passes).  And all that was left was a train ride to Gare du Nord and a transfer to the metro whilst lugging my bags through the metro stations that did not offer much in the way of lifts or escalators (though the last station at Montreuil was abundant in them).