Ok so it turns out reporting on a trip while being on set trip is harder than I thought!
Big thanks for everyone for the comments, here are the next few portions:
Manila (MNL) - Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Etihad Airways EY441
Business Class seat 9K
B777-300ER (VH-EBA)
Intro
Etihad flies out of Manila twice a day, once at 6pm (EY441) and again just before midnight (EY447). I was originally booked on the later flight which was a 787 with a long layover in Abu Dhabi but a slight seasonal schedule change allowed me to change my flights for free to the earlier EY441 flight on a 777 with a short 2 hour layover in Abu Dhabi. Now this meant I swapped for an older seat but got a better connection and an extra day in Munich rather than transiting in AUH.
Another note for people is that the later EY447 flight is now being contracted out to Wamos Air on A330-300's starting next week for the time being.
How I booked this flight
This is a cash fare, to be specific a saver value Business class ticket which I booked directly through Etihad but found it through Google flights. I booked a return multi city trip, Manila to Munich returning from Geneva to Manila. The flight cost me $2670 AUD at the time of booking, a similar price was also being charged for destinations in Europe such as Dublin and Copenhagen.
Google flights is a great tool in my opinion, with Etihad I'd play around with the dates as I found that there were some days where it would only resent 30 plus hour trip with huge layovers for the price and on other days you would get quick connections for the same price.
Check in and Security
Etihad uses Terminal 3 at NAIA which is the newest and largest terminal at Manilas main airport. Qatar, Emirates, Qantas and Cathay all also use this terminal, importantly PAL doesn't which can make transferring harder.
When driving up there are no signs as to which door passenger's for what airline should be dropped off at, making this a little confusing. My driver dropped me off somewhere in the middle which happened to be spot on as Etihad uses counters in row C towards the middle of the check in hall. Prior to entering the hall you must show your passport and evidence of travel, I suppose they do this for safety/minimising unnecessary people in the busy check in area so make sure you have your documents handy.
I found the dedicated Etihad Business Class line and was seen to immediately as no one was ahead of me. The staff member checked me in and confirmed my luggage was going through to Munich and handed me a single boarding pass with both my flights printed on it. She also weighed my hand luggage and tagged it accordingly and then handed me my lounge pass.
Now what she didn't tell me (or maybe I missed it in the excitement) is that in Terminal 3 Premium passengers can use a "VIP" security and passport check line situated between the main international line on the left and domestic on the right. This was also not sign posted but the person in the normal international security line pulled me out once she saw my ticket and pointed me to the much shorter line which I got through in about 5 or so minutes.
Lounge
Now this is absolutely one of the less fun things about this trip and flying with Etihad. Most airlines use the PAGSS contract lounge at MNL, Qantas and Qatar also point you to here but because they are OneWorld airlines you can use the neighbouring Cathay Lounge. Because Etihad is not an alliance member they have to use contract lounges in almost all airports they serve, which are often very crowded and don't offer anywhere near as good of an experience as airline managed lounges.
PAGSS was no different, situated upstairs as you exit security, when I entered they had a sign posted that the lounge was full and wasn't accepting any more Priority Pass Holders but I and many others were let through to be met by a sea of people in a fairly small space which didn't seem to be air-conditioned very well.
I took a seat and grabbed a can of Fanta and honestly only stayed because the terminal below was just as busy/ poorly air-conditioned and I couldn't see any free seating there either. I didn't manage to get any photos of the lounge or what was on offer because I don't like photographing other people but you can see my view below which is pretty cool regardless of the lounge offering.
Boarding and Cabin Layout
Boarding was announced in the lounge a full hour prior to departure, when we got down stairs boarding in economy had already commenced but I jumped in the business queue and headed down the jet bridge where I was met with the almost 20 year old B777-300ER taking us to Abu Dhabi.
Etihad has 9 B777 still in their fleets with two being much older than the rest having a tighter older Business Class Seat and guess which route they frequent.... You guessed right its Manila as well as Copenhagen and Dublin.
This bird features 28 Stelia Solstyce I Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 staggered layout between doors 1 and 2 which you can see below and a further 384 Economy seats in a 3-4-3 layout behind that.
Boarding was swift but as we boarded very early I spent much of my time just sitting there familiarising my self with the seat which seems to have recently been reupholstered when this frame was out of service earlier in the year. Despite this you could tell this was an old seat. While I was very prepared for this as I had done my research, many others around me were not and you could tell there were a few disappointed people in the room.
The seats them selves are not half bad, you have direct isle access, they lay flat and are somewhat private but why Etihad chose to install them on the 777 is odd to me as airlines including Etihad mainly used this type of seat on A330's with a much narrower cabin. So while the seat feels narrow, the isle is very spacious. The seat also lacks any kind of storage and for those sitting closer to the window or in the middle seat it can be challenging to get out of the seat.
A gentleman sitting in the centre seats with his daughter complained that he felt very constrained but as no other seat was free in the cabin he couldn't move to an isle seat which was less restrictive. Sitting by the window I couldn't help but notice that the seat was about 2 inches away from the fuselage which made it feel less cramped but again demonstrated that the seat could also just be wider.
The crew served drinks and handed out hot towels and later slippers, no PJ's on this 9 hour and 30 minute flight despite Etihad saying flights over 9 hours would receive them but then for the price I paid I didn't expect PJ's.
Additionally another gentleman a few rows up (you can see in the photo above) noticed during the safety video screening that his screen didn't work, when he brought this up with the crew they tried to reset it which didn't seem to work. The head flight attendant ultimately offered him a free wifi voucher so he could use his own device to stream content.
Service
Now this is where Etihad really came through, drinks and warm nuts were served after takeoff and orders for our meals were taken after this. The menu below:
You can see leaving Manila meant a very Phillipino inspired menu which I envoy and think is a nice touch but there were loads of other options also available.
An hour and 20 minutes into the flight I received my entree, I went for the classic Arabic Mezze which came with bread and a little salad which was great and super light perfect for when ordering multiple courses on a plane. Only note is that my triangle pastry thing seemed a little chewy and potentially the dough was a little undercooked on one end, I'd also love it if Etihad just spelled out what everything was in the menu seeing as this course seems to be very consistent from what you can see across the internet but i didn't really know what I had infront of me. 6/10
About 30 minutes after this my second course came around, I ordered the Chicken Inasal which was honestly the best chicken I've had on a plane. It had spicy, it had umami, it was smokey and juicy and citrusy and I'd order it again in a heartbeat. 10/10
Finally about 2 and half hours into the flight I had the leche flan for desert which again hit the spot. The light attendant serving my isle also gave me the option of delaying my dessert in case I needed a moment but as I wanted to get some sleep I didn't take her up on the offer. 8/10
Throughout Dinner I watched a movie (Fly me to the Moon), while Etihads entertainment system isn't overwhelming it had lots of new options for those that havent been to the movies in a while.
Bed and Amenities
As this was a evening/night flight arriving around midnight in Abu Dhabi most people went to sleep including me. As the cabin is not very private and the person in front of me was already asleep I didn't get a photo in bed mode but its pretty much what you'd expect. There was a large pillow on my seat as well as a rolled up mattress cover which was mistaken by some as a second pillow, and a large blanket.
While the seat is narrow and this would potentially bother a back sleeper, as a side sleeper I loved the extra space between the seat and the wall and the lack of cocoon structure of the seat let me bend my knees like I would in my own bed something I couldn't do on my next flight on the newer 787 seat.
Amenities included slippers and a stylish kit which is branded by Armani but its content were strangely mostly Espa branded featuring a hand & Body lotion, hydration face mist, lip balm as well as a Etihad branded eye mask and ear plugs and tooth brush and tooth paste. This is one of those pouches pretty enough that one can use it again.
Arrival in Abu Dhabi and final thoughts
We landed a couple minutes early and had a lengthy taxi to our gate where the crew ensures business class passengers were let off first. As I was transferring I went through the clearly sign posted dedicated business transfer security line after walking 5 minutes from our gate through the very bright terminal.
Overall the soft product on this flight was a real standout and went along way to make up for the shortcomings of the hard product. With aircraft shortages around the world we can expect these birds to stay in the sky for a while which is why I thought it was a shame Etihad didn't install newer seats on these planes when they had a chance as its really light years behind the new offering on their A350's and newer B787-9 creating a Qatar like risk for passengers who are lured with the advertising of shiny new seats.
I also hope Etihad looks at its lounge offerings in MNL as the PAGSS lounge just isn't up to scratch. But over all for the price I paid I really can't say very much, while I'd love newer seats for this price I think one can easily do this again.
