To Europe via Manila

JoshuaL1997

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2024
Posts
25
I'll start of with a bit of background for this trip and segments I'm hopefully going to cover, before launching into trip reports from each segment. This is really more for me to document my trip but if anyone gets anything from it event better.

I'm originally swiss and have been meaning to return home for a holiday to see extended family since the borders opened post covid. However being 6'2 and not liking the idea of forking out 3k to fly in Economy (yes thats how much Qatar and Emirates both wanted when I was searching, for reference we paid less for two people in July 2019), I decided to try out a hack which I kept reading about to get cheaper business class fares to europe by flying out of an asian gateway.

What most people who rave about this hack seem to do is book a cash business fare from cities including: Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and sometimes even Singapore and then either use their reward points or a cheap cash fare to get to that city from Australia

In my case I live in Brisbane and as we don't have direct flights to KL, Jakarta or Bangkok (until next year) my only real straight forward options were Manila and Singapore. Using google flights I found a really cheap deal out of Manila with Etihad allowing me to fly into Munich and out of Geneva all in business class for $2600 AUD in December. As I was finding this deal, Qantas also announced they were restarting direct flights between Brisbane and Manila so you can say this felt like fate and I booked the flights and a trip started to take shape.

Trip breakdown:

30/11 BNE-MNL, QF97, A330-200 Business Class

30/11-02/12 Savoy Hotel Manila, Runaway Suite

02/12, MNL-AUH, EY440, B777 Business Class

03/12, AUH-MUC EY125, B787 Business Class

03/12-05/12 Boutique Hotel Germania, Munich, Standard Single room

05/12 Munich to Salzburg, RJX65, 2nd class

05/12-06/12 arte Hotel Salzburg, Double room medium level

06/12 Salzburg to Zurich, RJX 368, 1st class

06/12-13/12 Staying with family in Winterthur, Switzerland

13/12-15/12 the Freddie Mercury Hotel, Montreux Switzerland

15/12-16/12 Nash Pratik Hotel Geneva, Standard Double room

16/12 GVA-AUH, EY146, B787 Business Class

17/12 AUH-MNL, EY440, B777 Business Class

17/12 MNL-SYD, QF20, A330-200 Business Class

18/12-22/12 Staying with family in Sydney

22/12, SYD-BNE VA989 737 Economy

Thats what I have planned and booked, lets see how this goes. Stay tuned for rolling coverage.
 
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I'll start of with a bit of background for this trip and segments I'm hopefully going to cover, before launching into trip reports from each segment. This is really more for me to document my trip but if anyone gets anything from it event better.

I'm originally swiss and have been meaning to return home for a holiday to see extended family since the borders opened post covid. However being 6'2 and not liking the idea of forking out 3k to fly in Economy (yes thats how much Qatar and Emirates both wanted when I was searching, for reference we paid less for two people in July 2019), I decided to try out a hack which I kept reading about to get cheaper business class fares to europe by flying out of an asian gateway.

What most people who rave about this hack seem to do is book a cash business fare from cities including: Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and sometimes even Singapore and then either use their reward points or a cheap cash fare to get to that city from Australia

In my case I live in Brisbane and as we don't have direct flights to KL, Jakarta or Bangkok (until next year) my only real straight forward options were Manila and Singapore. Using google flights I found a really cheap deal out of Manila with Etihad allowing me to fly into Munich and out of Geneva all in business class for $2600 AUD in December. As I was finding this deal, Qantas also announced they were restarting direct flights between Brisbane and Manila so you can say this felt like fate and I booked the flights and a trip started to take shape.

Trip breakdown:

30/11 BNE-MNL, QF97, A330-200 Business Class

30/11-02/12 Savoy Hotel Manila, Runaway Suite

02/12, MNL-AUH, EY440, B777 Business Class

03/12, AUH-MUC EY125, B787 Business Class

03/12-05/12 Boutique Hotel Germania, Munich, Standard Single room

05/12 Munich to Salzburg, RJX65, 2nd class

05/12-06/12 arte Hotel Salzburg, Double room medium level

06/12 Salzburg to Zurich, RJX 368, 1st class

06/12-13/12 Staying with family in Winterthur, Switzerland

13/12-15/12 the Freddie Mercury Hotel, Montreux Switzerland

15/12-16/12 Nash Pratik Hotel Geneva, Standard Double room

16/12 GVA-AUH, EY146, B787 Business Class

17/12 AUH-MNL, EY440, B777 Business Class

17/12 MNL-SYD, QF20, A330-200 Business Class

18/12-22/12 Staying with family in Sydney

22/12, SYD-BNE VA989 737 Economy

Thats what I have planned and booked, lets see how this goes. Stay tuned for rolling coverage.
Looking forward to this
 
Brisbane (BNE) - Manila (MNL)
Qantas QF97
30/11/24
A330-200, VH-EBD
Business Class seat 4K

Intro
As laid out in the introduction post, I had to make my way to Manila for my very affordable Business ticket to europe with Etihad and as Qantas re-launched the BNE-MNL route after a 14 year absence I got an opportunity to use up some Qantas frequent flyer points to make the journey even more fun. Qantas flies four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays leaving Brisbane at 7:15m landing in Manila at 1am the following day.

How I booked this flight
I used 68,400 Qantas frequent flyer points plus $210 in fees and taxes to book this direct flight. Alternatively for the same number of points and an extra $60 in taxes you can also book the flight via Sydney which runs daily. The direct flight retails around $3900 AUD return and $3000 AUD one way, $400 more than my ticket to europe from Manila return.

Check in and security
Qantas uses check in counters in row 8 at Brisbane International, these are all automated meaning even in a $4000 business class seat you are tagging your own bags. The machine also prints you a flimsy boarding pass ala Jetstar, in my case the bag drop machine didn't seem to want to work and there was a single person responsible to assist all passangers that afternoon.

While the whole process is quick in my opinion this is a big sign of cost cutting at Qantas and cheapens the experience.

You do get priority security screening with a Business Class ticket however at this time of day it really made little to no difference as I managed to get through within about 10 minutes.

Lounge

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Qantas as you'd expect has a large lounge complex at the BNE international terminal spanning across three levels. The entrance is located at the end of duty free opposite of Gate 80. While the ground floor doesn't seem to be in use, escalators take you to level 1 where the entrance, bar and buffet are, above this is another level with just seating.

Lots of windows give the lounge a nice open feeling and during my time in the lounge you didnt get the feeling it was full despite a few other departures just prior to my flight.

There is a small buffet with several hot options as well as salads, fruit, cheese and crackers and a couple sweet treats. You can see the menu below from my visit:

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Boarding and cabin layout

We boarded from Gate 83 with a 15 minute delay. Gate agents managed the process very well and I managed to be the first person on board.

Qantas operates two versions of the A330-200, one with 28 business class seats spread across two cabins which only has a single bathroom for both cabins and one with 27 business class seats also spread across two cabins which has two bathrooms. On this flight we had the 28 seat layout which meant that a single loo was in hot demand by passengers and crew alike.

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On this flight I was in seat 4k, a true Window seat in the first cabin. While the privacy in these seats is great, if you do struggle with mobility I'd suggest you pick an isle seat (rows 1, 3, 5 & 7) as it can be difficult to get in and out of the window seats.

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While boarding was swift doors did not close and about 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time the Captain made an announcement to say that there was a discrepancy with some paperwork relating to the fuel load which he needed to clear up. About 30 minutes later he assured us that that had been ironed out but now due to flight controler shortages the airspace between Mackay and Cairns was closed and we needed re-routing. Ultimately this led to a delay of about an hour but I wasn't mad, they kept us well informed which is key during these delays.

Service
Things started with a welcome drink on the ground which turned into two due to delay, crew also took the extra time to take everyones meal orders.

Our menu for the flight

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About 30 minutes after pushback crew came round with the aperitivo, I ordered the margarita and nuts, they did not scrimp on the booze with this one. Oh boy did I sleep well after this.

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This flight included the new tray service which had its ups and downs. Major plus is that the crew was far more efficient, you can also move your tray out of the way (to the console next to you) between courses and head to the bathroom if need be, down side is that its obviously less pretty and a much smaller surface space but seeing as Qantas uses tiny dishes I don't think that a major upset.

20 minutes after the aperitivo the trolley came down the isle, and we were delivered the new tray which included cutlery and Neils famous leaves & dressing which seemed to be a cheap $3 woolies mix today, as well as a single slice of focaccia. Drinks were also offered and after my heavy marg I decided to hydrate. 5/10

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To start I had the Moroccan carrot soup with spicy harissa chickpeas which was yum and importantly nice and warm. 8/10

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For my main I had the Vegetable randang with fragrant rice, cashews and spicy pickles. I have to say this was a really good vegan option even for those of us who do eat meat, nicely spiced with a good amount of tang from the pickles. 8/10

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And finally I had the Coratina extra virgin olive oil panna cotta, while I love a panna cotta I don't think the olive oil works with this one so i would give this one a 5/10.

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Overall a 7/10 for me.

Seeing as this flight lands in Manila at 1am the crew let us sleep till about 40 minutes out and while they offered me the pre-landing snack as I made my way to the loo to get changed (which i politely declined) they remarked that no one ever actually takes them up on the offer. So that makes me wonder how much food is getting wasted on this flight and could qantas maybe instead invest this in a nicer lettuce mix.

Bed and amenities


I'll confess that at this point of the trip both the margarita and Sam the sandman resulted in me forgetting to take a photo of the seat in bed mode, I mean its googlable but the thing I feel like mentioning is that while the seat is comfortable thanks to nice bedding, a draw back of the design is that the armrest doesn't lower so when you are in bed mode or you are constricted at the shoulders.

Amenities included the classic Qantas PJ's, Amenity kit which included sleep mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and paste as well as a couple lotions and potions to keep you hydrated in the air. image_67205889.JPG



Arrival in Manila

Arrival in Manila was surprisingly smooth, our gate was directly opposite immigration and as there were no other International arrivals we were through passport control in less than 5 minutes with luggage being another 20 minutes later.

What was less efficient is actually leaving the airport. Even at 2am the pick up area was packed. Like most of Asia GRAB is their rideshare app which doesn't require you to link a bank card as all drivers expect cash.

I ordered my grab and it took about 15 minutes for my driver to get through the maze to get to me, the area is well policed but is very chaotic so if you want to avoid this I'd suggest arranging for a private pick up ahead of time.

Over all thoughts

This is a great option for Queenslanders looking to head to the Phillipines for holiday or to pick up a good onward deal. While I think the awkward flight timing is going to turn a few people off especially as Philippine Airlines flies a much more reasonable schedule, for those with Qantas points to spare its a great option but I'd think twice about the return flight which leaves Manila at 2:30am, yikes.

Personally I think this is a good redemption rate but economy is really the sweet spot with a one way costing just a bit over 25k points.

The good was the food and crew, the less great was the high toilet to passenger ratio and the frequent delays the service experiences making it a less reliable option for traveler's.

First leg done, a few more to go.
 
Good start! PAL have better timings but I am not sure if the A321 is a favourite from those that try it. An acquaintance of mine caught the return on the weekend, a mechanical issue meant 5 hours in the gate area in the early AM, that would push my buttons
 
Good start! PAL have better timings but I am not sure if the A321 is a favourite from those that try it. An acquaintance of mine caught the return on the weekend, a mechanical issue meant 5 hours in the gate area in the early AM, that would push my buttons
Agree, plus seeing as PAL isnt a member of any alliance its difficult to book with points.
 
Two days in Manila
I had two nights in Manila prior to my flights to Europe and as I had never been before I wanted to explore the city a little. I stayed near the airport in Newport City opposite of Terminal 3 which both Qantas and Etihad use.

My two days had lots of rain which made exploration limited but that didnt stop me from seeing a few things.

To start off I caught a GRAB from the terminal 3 to my hotel, one of the negatives about the Savoy is that its too far to walk with luggage. Other hotels are more easily accessible via the walkable bridge over the motorway. I already had the GRAB app on my phone but you can also go to the GRAB stand outside near parking bay 5 & 6 for them to book one for you.

GRAB seems to have a standard minimum charge around the airport which is 290 PHP or about $7 AUD, for reference a journey into the main city the following day which was 30 minutes long cost 360 PHP or about $9 AUD. The journey to the hotel is only 5 minutes but as the airport is crazy busy most of that is due to traffic.

Savoy Hotel Manila
Runway Suite
30/11/24-02/12/24

Ok so I'll preface this part of the post by saying that partially due to me landing in Manila at 2am and just general disorganisation I didn't manage to get get any photos of the suite but what is portrayed online is very accurate.

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There is a Queen size bed in the room with a small couch and coffee table along with a TV which didnt get used thanks to the massive windows all along one wall.

There was also a little coffee station with free bottles of water but I didnt have a mini bar in my room. The bathroom includes a large shower which didn't have a shower screen, a sink and toilet along with some amenities in case you forgot a toothbrush or a razor.

You also have a walk in wardrobe with plenty of space for suitcases etc.

It looks like there is a suite like this on each floor on the corner of the building which gives you great views of runway 13/31 the smaller runway at MNL mainly used for short and medium haul aircraft. I was on level 5 and as you can see from my photo below (Excuse the starbucks in bed) you have a fairly nice few if you like planes.

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What I paid
I paid 8400 PHP ($225 AUD) for this room for two night through Agoda which did not include breakfast, I thought this was a really good deal and seeing as their is a Starbucks next door I got my coffee fix fairly conveniently.

What I got up to in Manila

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Venice Grand Canal Mall
As mentioned it was raining during my two days in Manila, so I decided to head to a shopping centre which Manila has plenty off. I needed to purchase a new backpack as the strap on mine broke and chose to head to Venice Grand Canal Mall about 15 minutes away from my hotel. The Grab cost me about 260 Pesos each way. This shopping centre is quite large and spans three levels, it includes lots of retail shops, outdoor dining, a cinema and of course as the name suggest a canal which you can ride gondolas up and down.

I purchased a new backpack and some shoes that were on sale and had a nice katsu chicken for lunch. As it was Christmas time lots of Phillipino families where headed to the mall to take family photos with all the decor, there were also many characters out and about to take photos with such as Santa, Minions and more.

I also went to the cinema and watched Wicket before heading back to the hotel room.

Forte Santiago
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On my second day I headed further out to Forte Santiago, one of Manilas key cultural heritage sites. The site is centred in the middle of Manila about a 30-40 minute Grab ride away from my hotel which cost roughly 400 pesos.

Forte Santiago is a citadel/castle built by the spanish in 1571 within the walled "intramuros" city of Manila. Its a great place to visit to understand the history of the Phillipines especially during Spanish occupation and the revered Phillipino national hero that fought for the countries freedom that was imprisoned here.

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Entry into the site is 75 pesos or $2 AUD and I really would encourage to book a tour with a guide as I found the site lacks much detailed description of the history to really give you context for why the site is important.

After I finished walking around the sight I headed further into the walled city to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built during the same time however I didn't enter due to long queue's.

Further down the road I found a nice little restaurant called Bartala Bar which serves up craft beers and lunch, in my case a Singapore style Chicken rice dish with broth and Pork Lumpias all was suer yum and a welcome change from the many fast food eateries in Manila.

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In the same building you will find a museum dedicated to colonial life in the Phillipines and several arts and craft shops.

As check in opened at 2:30pm I headed back to my hotel to grab my bags and get ready for the next part of the journey.
 
Great trip so far, one comment re Grab, they do indeed take card and it’s much more convenient than cash imo. I’ve never been asked for cash by drivers.

However, and this is Philippines specific, rides are absurdly cheap, to the point where given the cost of petrol there (about the same as AU), I can’t see how they make any money. So despite hating the principle of it with a passion, I do always tip Grab drivers in the Philippines.
 
We’re doing something similar at the moment but via CGK as a QF/QR combo.

QF points SYD-CGK J return.

QR J CGK-MUC return was a little bit more than EY ex MNL for about $3k but we could book into MUC and open jaw home from BCN that also suited a circle from MUC overland to BUD then UK and Spain.

We’re a few days behind you on the train from Munich to Salzburg on WESTbahn!

This will be our third Jakarta hack in 2 years and I’m over it. I might investigate MNL if we don’t start seeing precovid fares again soon!
 
Yes, the economy flight is a deal for getting out of Australia. The fees were the same $210 you paid for Business but only 25200 points and that trip is from my home town Bundaberg - BDB to BNE then BNE to MNL. The same BDB to MNL Business is $271 and 68,400.
 
I'll start of with a bit of background for this trip and segments I'm hopefully going to cover, before launching into trip reports from each segment. This is really more for me to document my trip but if anyone gets anything from it event better.

I'm originally swiss and have been meaning to return home for a holiday to see extended family since the borders opened post covid. However being 6'2 and not liking the idea of forking out 3k to fly in Economy (yes thats how much Qatar and Emirates both wanted when I was searching, for reference we paid less for two people in July 2019), I decided to try out a hack which I kept reading about to get cheaper business class fares to europe by flying out of an asian gateway.

What most people who rave about this hack seem to do is book a cash business fare from cities including: Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and sometimes even Singapore and then either use their reward points or a cheap cash fare to get to that city from Australia

In my case I live in Brisbane and as we don't have direct flights to KL, Jakarta or Bangkok (until next year) my only real straight forward options were Manila and Singapore. Using google flights I found a really cheap deal out of Manila with Etihad allowing me to fly into Munich and out of Geneva all in business class for $2600 AUD in December. As I was finding this deal, Qantas also announced they were restarting direct flights between Brisbane and Manila so you can say this felt like fate and I booked the flights and a trip started to take shape.

Trip breakdown:

30/11 BNE-MNL, QF97, A330-200 Business Class

30/11-02/12 Savoy Hotel Manila, Runaway Suite

02/12, MNL-AUH, EY440, B777 Business Class

03/12, AUH-MUC EY125, B787 Business Class

03/12-05/12 Boutique Hotel Germania, Munich, Standard Single room

05/12 Munich to Salzburg, RJX65, 2nd class

05/12-06/12 arte Hotel Salzburg, Double room medium level

06/12 Salzburg to Zurich, RJX 368, 1st class

06/12-13/12 Staying with family in Winterthur, Switzerland

13/12-15/12 the Freddie Mercury Hotel, Montreux Switzerland

15/12-16/12 Nash Pratik Hotel Geneva, Standard Double room

16/12 GVA-AUH, EY146, B787 Business Class

17/12 AUH-MNL, EY440, B777 Business Class

17/12 MNL-SYD, QF20, A330-200 Business Class

18/12-22/12 Staying with family in Sydney

22/12, SYD-BNE VA989 737 Economy

Thats what I have planned and booked, lets see how this goes. Stay tuned for rolling coverage.
Count me in for the ride @JoshuaL1997
 
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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:

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.
 
Yes, the economy flight is a deal for getting out of Australia. The fees were the same $210 you paid for Business but only 25200 points and that trip is from my home town Bundaberg - BDB to BNE then BNE to MNL. The same BDB to MNL Business is $271 and 68,400.
Really good redemption when you consider how expensive regional domestic flights so often are in Oz. Does Qantas fly business to BDB?
 
Great trip so far, one comment re Grab, they do indeed take card and it’s much more convenient than cash imo. I’ve never been asked for cash by drivers.

However, and this is Philippines specific, rides are absurdly cheap, to the point where given the cost of petrol there (about the same as AU), I can’t see how they make any money. So despite hating the principle of it with a passion, I do always tip Grab drivers in the Philippines.
That is true of course! Maybe I'm old but I just prefer giving drivers cash so a my credit card details don't float about and I can tip them and know its going into their pocket. GRABs are absurdly cheap in Manila so I think tipping is a must and not a great expense for us.
 
Really good redemption when you consider how expensive regional domestic flights so often are in Oz. Does Qantas fly business to BDB?
Yes, and it's important to remember to include your regional flight when looking for points deals! I flew once or twice on long haul only realising in retrospect that I could have added my home flight for no extra points! No business class to Bundaberg as they are QantasLink Dash 8, twin props, fun to fly on. I agree with you about using google flights. I've been using it as my main flight search for years and it seems to be a good tool. The lounge in MNL - been there and your pic of the runway view is about the only good thing it has! Safe trip.
 

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