Part 4C – Review Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi Airport

Posted By Jon Nickel-D'Andrea on Apr 15, 2019 | 1 comment

Mention the Maldives and images of pristine turquoise blue waters come to mind. Overwater bungalows with direct jump-in access to the water and romantic sunsets are commonplace in this island paradise.

While it’s on almost everyone’s wish list, getting there can be a challenge. Flights are often ridiculously expensive and once you DO get to the islands, a barrage of expensive hotels with overpriced meals await. Never mind the flight distance involved, those expensive factors are enough to turn some people off and have them looking for cheaper destinations.

Lonely Palm Tree

Getting to paradise and back doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We booked a ridiculous, normally unattainable luxury vacation valued at almost $46,000 for a grand total of $1,818… for two people!

Considering that’s usually the price of a regular coach class ticket to the Maldives, that’s one heck of a steal.

In the series of posts to follow, we’re going to walk you through all the experiences that we enjoyed on this trip. While most people would consider this once-in-a-lifetime, with just a little legwork and dedication you can have a luxury getaway to make Instagram followers drool with envy.

• Part 1 – Introduction and Planning
• Part 2 – Flights to London and Hamilton
• Part 3 – Refined Luxury London’s St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
• Part 4a – The House Lounge, London Heathrow
• Part 4b – Etihad First Class Apartment LHR-AUH
• Part 4c – Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi
• Part 5 – A day in the life of Male, Capital City
• Part 6 – St Regis Airport Lounge
• Part 6b – Trans Maldivian Seaplane Ride
• Part 7 – The St Regis Hotel Arrival Experience
• Part 8 – Overwater Villa, $3000/night for FREE
• Part 9 – Things to do at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 10 – Free Breakfast at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 11 – How to not go broke eating in the Maldives
• Part 12 – Snorkeling at the St Regis Maldives
• Part 13 – Male Airport VIP experience
• Part 14 – Emirates First Class Male to Dubai
• Part 15 – Dubai Transit Hotel – Amazing Value
• Part 16 – Emirates First Class Dubai to Los Angeles
• Part 17 – Conclusion and Giveaway

Besides the ridiculously comfortable seats onboard the aircraft, traveling in first class has its fringe benefits. The Etihad First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi is one of those fringe benefits, and what a spectacular benefit it is. From first class dining to workout facilities, spa treatments and more, there’s not a better place to relax in the airport!

Upon arrival you’re offered a lounge tour if you want one, but since we’d been in the lounge before, we opted to go straight for the restaurant. On the way there, you can see the ample seating (and comfortable seating at that).

Etihad Lounge Ab Dhabi Seating

There are also plenty of self serve areas for drinks…

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Self Serve Drinks

And of course there’s a full bar in case you’d like something a little stronger.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Full Bar

The breakfast buffet spreads were out, and not only looked fancy they tasted amazing as well.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Breakfast

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Breakfast

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Breakfast

I can’t even describe what some of these small portions were, but we tried a bunch and just couldn’t get enough.

It was a bit too early for drinks, but a nice Cafe Latte sounded like a good fit. We bellied up to the bar and ordered some coffee.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Coffee

The Spa

I almost forgot the best part! As soon as we arrived we headed to the Six Senses Spa and asked for a complementary treatment. There are a variety of 15 minute treatments available for first class passengers, free of charge. Since we wanted to make sure we got on the list we went here before heading anywhere else in the lounge.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Spa Treatment

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Spa

Here’s the menu of services available. Any of the 15 minute service options are free as a First Class passenger. Ben went with the Head Massage and I went with the Face Radiance treatment.

The Restaurant

We headed back to the restaurant afterwards and decided to order off the menu. Because we were flying in First Class, there was no charge for anything on the menu. I love being able to order fresh food, I tend to like that a bit more than the buffet options that have been sitting there forever.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Breakfast Menu

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Breakfast Menu

Ben, per usual, went with the eggs benedict, and I opted for an a la carte hash brown and scrambled egg.

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Egg Hash Brown

It wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t have some freshly squeezed orange/carrot juice as well!

Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge Food

Before you knew it, the lounge experience was over. We had to head to the gate to head on to our A340-400 flight to the Maldives!