Travelled by Y class Abu Dhabi to Bahrain. (07.Feb.08) EY 375.ETD 17.20. Etihad uses A-320 aircrafts for all intergulf sectors.
Check in staff were alright but was a trainee who had to ask the supervisor a couple of times on how to go forward with punching the data, although the whole process took a little more than 5 minutes. (without check in baggage). I asked for an aisle seat and was given one. The flight was 70% full and started to taxi bang on time.
The seats were comfortable and the upholstery was fabric with light colors. Seat pitch was reasonable. My guess is 32".Captain Patel’s announcement was crystal clear with attention to the slightest details on the route and weather, altitude and flight time. This was one of the best announcements I have ever experienced. IFE was just drop down screens with silent Bloopers which did not require the use of ear phones. This was quite entertaining.
The flight attendats were prompt to serve a glass of water followed by a light snack which consisted of a choice of 2 cold sandwiches-Fish or vegetable. I went for the fish. The bread consisted of a whole wheat brown Baguet which was soft and fresh.The filling was creamy and tasted good. We had a choice of bottled juice-Mango, apple and cocktail manufactured by Al Ain Farms in UAE. I asked for the apple by unfortunately it had just run out. So I opted for a mango. Flying time lasted for about 50 mts. During tochdown there was some crosswinds which the pilots handled with ease but the landing was touchdown was a bit harsh with a thump. Cannot blame the pilots since they were concentrating on the cross winds and heading. Overall a pleasant flight. Return from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi(09 Feb.08) EY 376, ETD 19.30. Checkin in staff were experienced and very quick. Handed me a boarding pass within 2 minutes with the seat I opted for.! The flight departed on the dot at 19.30. This time it seemed like the leased A 320 which Etihad has leased from Air Malta.( Aircraft registration number started with 9H.in contrast to A6-. for UAE registered flights.) The interious were not so good as the onward journey as the aircraft was not new. The upholstery was dark blue Faux leather which was comfortable but not as good as the Fabric seats on the previous sector. Seat pitch was satisfactory. The flight attendats were prompt with the usual welcome gass of water and the light refreshments which again consisted of the sandwiches, but this time it was a choice of Beef or Mushroom filling. I Opted for the mushroom which was good with a thick creamy sauce. The bread and beverages were the same type as the onward journey. IFS was the same with drop down LED screens and again it was the silent comedy but not the same as the onward. So this was not boring! I was the 1st one to use the lavatory but the potty was filled with little paper cups-about 10-15 of them. Maybe they fell in because they were not secured or for some reason I’m not sure of, so I had to wait for the alternate lavatory to be free. Plenty of reading material available like newspapers and magazines. The Inflight magazine was also good and bulky with seperate sections for English and Arabic. Flight touched down on time and the landing was super smooth in Abu Dhabi. Overall a good flight.
