Size doesn't matter, Etihad's new lounge in Abu Dhabi is a soulless beauty
As soon as I stepped into the new Abu Dhabi airport, yes I know it is not a new airport but [...]
Etihad Airways
AUH
United Arab Emirates
As soon as I set foot in the new Abu Dhabi airport, yes I know it is not a new airport but just the new terminal, but at the end of the day for the passenger, it's not the runway where you take off that matters but where you wait to board, and here it's all new, I made my way to the one immense VIP lounge of the UAE flag carrier.
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I will omit comments on the new Terminal A, I wrote a piece of my own in recent days, And I go straight to the juice: Etihad's business lounge.
Location
It is located in the C gate area, past security you have to follow the signs to the Etihad Lounges. There are two entrances one for business passengers, more grim and one for First passengers definitely brighter.
Access
To gain access to this lounge, one must travel business class on an Etihad-operated flight or hold Gold or Platinum status in the Etihad Guest program.
The national airline of the United Arab Emirates does not participate in any alliancesa, it has a number of partnerships with other companies, but it is not easy if you don't fall under these cases to get past the controls of these lounges.
How long ago are the days of partnership with Alitalia, when with the Winged Arrow card. one could enter the old, and now disused, lounges of the old terminal. It is also possible to gain access for a fee and also using miles (not to be done at all).
The lounge
Everything here is huge and to understand the size of this lounge just think that it is spread over three, I repeat 3, floors. On the ground floor are the entrances and some small lounging areas, to go up to the upper floors just take the escalators or elevators.
The highlight is on level 6, the one that houses the rooftop bar, the buffet area, and where there are more spaces to relax while waiting for your flight.
Given that this terminal is designed to handle 45M passengers per year, about 4M per month and that Etihad is the main company here it was necessary to have enough space to meet the demands of thousands of passengers every day.
It is developed outdoors on the terminal, but the impression is that they took "the leftovers", sure it overlooks the outside but it really looks like they took the least valuable surface of the terminal to make this lounge.
If I compare this lounge At the new Al Mourijan in Doha, at Turkish lounges in Istanbul the difference is really huge and on so many aspects.
The decor is boring, in typical Arab opulence style. There is nothing I don't like, but it all looks old. There are sofas and seating scattered along the corridor, when possible there are spaces where lounges are made with small buffet islands that are opened according to the turnout.
At the opposite end of the rooftop bar is the First Class lounge, considering how few seats F Etihad offers I have no idea what's beyond the gate.
On level 5 the scene is repeated, but without the bar and with a low ceiling compared to the open air of the main floor. This is also home to the family room and children's room. Again a long narrow corridor furnished in the same manner.
There are showers, really few for a lounge of this size and for the amount of passengers that potentially pass through this airport every day.
Services
When I say size doesn't matter I mean you can be as big as you want, but if you there is nothing but sessions is really sad.
I walked down the corridors and found nothing, showers and toilets excluded, There is no spa, no business center, no cinema area, in short there is practically nothing but armchairs.
Yet it took them almost 10 years to open this terminal, Etihad's managers had plenty of time to copy what the competition had done in the meantime.
Food & Beverage
This is perhaps the biggest disappointment, a lounge of this size that offers nothing but a bar. Beautiful and scenic and a small, indeed tiny, buffet.
I don't want to compare the Emirates business lounge to Dubai, but even Royal Jordanian has better food offerings than Etihad.
Qatar has a restaurant with an a la carte menu, Turkish has open kitchens with freshly prepared dishes from each kitchen. Even many, small, independent lounges have better offerings.
I was not hungry, but in any case the buffet was really sad when I think about what Emirates, Oman Air and other airlines offer in these latitudes. Really inexplicable, except that maybe it's not over yet, but then it goes back to the original point this terminal was supposed to open in the middle of last decade.
Around the lounge there are islands to equip buffets to respond to peak crowds, but that's about it. And there are also very few small tables where one can eat comfortably and not makeshiftly in an armchair, something unexplained and something I hope sooner or later someone can clarify for me.
In conclusion
Disappointment, I have to say. I was not impressed with the old business lounge And that this is an equally unattractive heir. There are only two lounges in this terminal (if you consider EY's business and first one), the Pearl opened a few days ago, and now that all flights leave from Terminal A it is the only alternative to these lounges.
Pro
- The dimensions
- Light (by day)
Against
- Boring
- There is no restaurant