What It's Like Flying in Etihad Airways' New Lie-Flat Business Class Cabin

When it comes to the world’s best airlines for business class, the same names and products have long dominated the conversation, especially when it comes lie-flat products on Middle Eastern routes. But these days, with new technology for a post-pandemic travel era coming to fruition and the elevated-class competition strong, travelers would do well to pay attention to newer business products that are emerging to compete with those major players—particularly on smaller routes, where the service is more focused and the airport less-crowded, no less.

This is the benefit of Etihad’s new Business Studios, a redesigned lie-flat product from the UAE’s second-largest airline that launched this April. The high-tech, luxe cabin is currently offered on select 787-9 Dreamliners, which operate flights from Chicago, Washington DC, New York, and Boston to Abu Dhabi (a 90-minute drive from Dubai).

The cabin has a highly refined feel thanks to white-tablecloth “dine anytime” service on actual dinnerware, hight-tech seats equipped with wireless chargers and adjustable ambient lighting, and Giorgio Armani and ESPA amenity kits. You’d be forgiven for mistaking it for first class.

Last month, I tried out Etihad’s new business class offering myself on the airline’s inaugural Boston to Abu Dhabi flight. Here’s what to expect—from in-flight dining and service to airport lounge access.

Wireless charging tables and hidden stowage compartment make for a super-organized and sleek seat design.

Onboard comforts

I was primarily impressed with the balance of service and comfort—two things that rarely seem to coexist in a business class product: As someone who has flown several different international business options over the past few years, it’s at times appeared that understaffed airlines rely on amenity kits and technology to make up for bare-minimum cabin crews and abridged service periods.

Instead, Etihad flight attendants attentively serve an a la carte menu around the clock (which is truly a feat on a 12.5-hour flight) so travelers can choose when to plug in and get some work done or close their studio door to sleep, without missing a meal service. It’s a squarely flyer-first business product, and one that’s complemented by wireless charging pads (that actually work seamlessly), USB-C plugs for bigger things like laptops, and adjustable ambient lighting. All of which add to, and don’t replace, the in-flight service.

The 1-2-1 herringbone-arranged cabins echo Qatar’s much-lauded Qsuites with notably wide seats (22 inches, to be exact—compare that to Emirates 18.5-20 inch seat width in business). The former iteration of Etihad’s business class, which is still in operation on some routes, had the drawback of some reverse-facing seats (a deterrent for those who would rather not sit backward on a lengthy flight). The now-outdated cabins do, however, have the minor pro of a massage-chair feature.

Seats on routes longer than nine hours come with Giorgio Armani amenity kits packed with ESPA products (I loved the refreshing facial spray to keep my skin in check), Armani / CASA bedding, plush Etihad pajamas and slippers, and cushiony headphones. I opted to pair my own wireless headphones, which, when coupled with wirelessly charging my phone while eating dinner, felt satisfyingly high-tech; there was nary a wire in sight to get jumbled in while dining. I purchased the super-fast Viasat inflight Wi-Fi so I could get some work done before sleeping; basic inflight messaging services work for free for those who don’t need the full internet access.

Inflight dining

In addition to the dine-anytime concept that makes the business class cabin feel more like a full service restaurant, the sizable menu includes a three-course dinner, breakfast options, and snacks and drinks. Options for grazing range from warm nuts to samosas and steak sandwiches; on the imbibing side there are plenty of mocktails and fresh juices, as well ass whiskies and fine wines from all over the globe.

After sampling some fresh juice upon boarding, I sprang for the three-course meal service. Whenever you’re ready to think about dining, order all at once (the flight attendant helpfully advised it takes about 20 minutes from your order to service). I went with the Arabic mezze platter (grape leaves, hummus, olives, and tabbouleh, all served with additional salad and breads), plus the beef filet with roasted vegetables and potato gratin. I canceled my dessert before it arrived because I was so full; the flexible dinner service was a welcome alternative to the usually rushed windows I’m accustomed to.

The airport experience

Etihad’s recently expanded New York, Chicago, and DC flight routes that launched last fall also come with the added benefit of new business and first-class lounges across the globe. I visited the joint first-and-business class lounge in Abu Dhabi’s newly minted Zayed International Airport on my way back home thanks to my business status, and was again inundated with fresh food and international wine selections, as well as a three-floor lounge with showers, massage chairs, game rooms for kids, and a roof lounge for watching the planes taxi.

Being Etihad’s home base, the Abu Dhabi lounge is open 24 hours; it was relatively empty outside the buffet areas when I visited between midnight and 2:00 a.m. just before my 3:00 am flight. I enjoyed some late-night Indian food so I could skip dinner service and sleep on my way home instead. The massive showers and powder areas are also a welcome addition for anyone with a long layover. There are plenty of booths to plug in and get some work done too, so you won’t be fighting for an outlet in a cramped lounge—something that has become all to common here in the states. While there’s no Etihad lounge in Boston, there are London (Heathrow), New York (JFK’s Chase Sapphire lounge), and D.C. (Dulles) options for those Etihad routes.

The takeaway

While Etihad’s Boston route launched in tandem with the new aircraft this April, the airline has also expanded to three additional US hubs (Chicago, DC, New York City) and Toronto—making a total of four North American gateways that connect to its Abu Dhabi hub. The Boston and DC flights operate four times weekly; the NYC routes operate 11 times per week; Chicago routes operate seven times weekly.

This service-first business product is a sleeper hit for in-the-know travelers smart enough to look beyond the bigger airlines. Plus, if you can’t swing business, some of the perks also extend to the airline’s new economy seats: The Dreamliner’s redesigned economy cabins have five extra inches of legroom (a 31-inch seat pitch) and high-tech entertainment systems similar to business class, and an Economy Extra Legroom product for those who want even more space.