Etihad TR / Business Class / Mlian - Abu Dhabi - Melbourne

[haydensydney]

Thanks heaps for the review!

I too despised the blue config. Once my partner and I were jailed in the middle two seat 'cabins' and it was scorching hot. Was probably one of the most uncomfortable flights i've ever been on....

 

[JessicaTam]

I will be visiting MXP and the *A lounge later this year, so it will be interesting to compare with the lounge you were in.

 

[lovestotravel]

Thanks for the report, and I am now in no hurry at all to fly Eithad!

 

[Stephen65]

We flew out of MXP a month ago on TG F and had many of the same experiences with a few differences:

- check in was very efficient by a local agent doing TG F

- we were given passes to the same lounge and it really is a dump, my understanding is that it's owned by the airport so airlines are forced to use it

- the express pass is really good to avoid the truly enormous queues for security screening. As you say it doesn't give you immigration express priority but the queue for immigration was very short

- TG did enforce F and J priority boarding. The aircraft was at one of the remote stands and the gate agents were quite ruthless in ensuring the first bus was only F and J passengers. Several people who tried to sneak into the queue for this bus were unceremoniously tossed out

 

[sydunipete]

I will be visiting MXP and the *A lounge later this year, so it will be interesting to compare with the lounge you were in.

I'm guessing it will be the LH Senator Lounge. I know that SAS, Austrian and of course LH use that lounge. It's deep within the bowels of the terminal and a little tricky to find. You have to walk through a service corridor, past wide open public toilets and it's just there.

Last year I did a trip report that included the MXP LH lounge. You can find it here (Sydney to Iceland via China. Mostly J, some China Domestic Y and Magnetic Levitation! - FlyerTalk Forums)

There's a heavy use of granite and manufactured stone in the airport which in my Trip Report I quoted as reminding me of 1980's Soviet Public Toilet architecture. But the lounge itself isn't too bad.

 

[JessicaTam]

I'm guessing it will be the LH Senator Lounge. I know that SAS, Austrian and of course LH use that lounge. It's deep within the bowels of the terminal and a little tricky to find. You have to walk through a service corridor, past wide open public toilets and it's just there.

Last year I did a trip report that included the MXP LH lounge. You can find it here (Sydney to Iceland via China. Mostly J, some China Domestic Y and Magnetic Levitation! - FlyerTalk Forums)

There's a heavy use of granite and manufactured stone in the airport which in my Trip Report I quoted as reminding me of 1980's Soviet Public Toilet architecture. But the lounge itself isn't too bad.

Thanks for the tip. I am looking at a mid afternoon departure so should have plenty of time to find it and enjoy the amenities. BTW, is there only the one LH lounge for all classes/FFs?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Agreed, I had a lot of fun watching people trying to sneak 4/5 bags past the eagle eyed EY supervisors!! People really did cry!

Must be an ongoing problem for them but like I said I am very 'for' them policing their own standards and wish DJ and QF would do the same domestically!

I think EY have a demographic problem. I mean they break down emotionally when managed. Different ball game here. I find AUS quite reasonable in this regard.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[sydunipete]

Thanks for the tip. I am looking at a mid afternoon departure so should have plenty of time to find it and enjoy the amenities. BTW, is there only the one LH lounge for all classes/FFs?

I can't recall, sorry. I was flying J, so I just sought that out. I can't remember if there was a left vs right turn at the front desk.

 

[JessicaTam]

I can't recall, sorry. I was flying J, so I just sought that out. I can't remember if there was a left vs right turn at the front desk.

I should have read your TR details more carefully. I am also flying J so will be heading for the same lounge regardless.

 

[pauly7]

Thanks heaps for the review!

I too despised the blue config. Once my partner and I were jailed in the middle two seat 'cabins' and it was scorching hot. Was probably one of the most uncomfortable flights i've ever been on....

Blue config was a bit disappointing, but the good news is the new brown/grey config addresses a lot of the old problems, in my opinion.

There is just a deafening silence from EY on updating the old aircraft and unfortunately for Aus - they are mostly what we get :/

I actually think the last bit of information I read on this was that it was supposed to have happened by now....

 

[pauly7]

- TG did enforce F and J priority boarding. The aircraft was at one of the remote stands and the gate agents were quite ruthless in ensuring the first bus was only F and J passengers. Several people who tried to sneak into the queue for this bus were unceremoniously tossed out

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Lucky you I mean I was in holiday mode and didn't really care, it was far more entertaining watching the Asian shopping group fight with the EY supervisors than getting on early and watching the EY advertisements on loop

EY were good with priority disembarking with a bus! Maybe it's a bus thing...

 

[jakeseven7]

Great to read your report. I wrote a trip report for EY, Milan-Syd in 2011. I also found the lounge at Malpensa to be a total failure but we found the food & wine to be great-luck of the draw I guess.

I've flown EY twice this year and pretty much they rate as an emergency back up plan airline only for me...

I agree with everyone posting that their food was terrible, on the flight over I actually got violently sick from it (plus it tasted bad at the time!!).

Seats were ok but AVOD was average and my service although the TR indicates was ok - was very poor.

I really cannot fathom why DJ are in bed with these guys and why they didn't persevere with Emirates who whip EY all over the field in my opinion.

Great TR by the way!