- My kids and I flew from the US to India in economy on Etihad Airways.
- The seats were comfortable, our meals were good, and there were plenty of entertainment options.
- It was a great experience, but I'd do things a little differently next time.
When my two kids and I went to India, I knew we'd be flying economy. However, I wanted to try to make the long-haul experience a little more enjoyable, so I splurged on flights with Etihad Airways.
The airline is known to offer luxurious, comfortable flights and famously has planes with first-class "apartments." I knew flying economy wouldn't match that experience, but I still expected an above-par journey.
Since I booked close to our travel date in December, which is already a popular travel time, our tickets were fairly pricey — almost $10,000. Luckily, I was able to use credit-card points to cover three round-trip economy flights from Washington, DC, to New Delhi.
Our trip was divided into four legs: 12 hours and 40 minutes from DC to Abu Dhabi, three hours and 25 minutes from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, four hours from New Delhi to Abu Dhabi, and 15 hours from Abu Dhabi to DC.
Here's how our 35 hours in Etihad economy went.
There were nice amenities on every flight.
We got comfortable blankets and pillows on our seats.
Jamie Davis Smith
On all four of our flights, Etihad had soft blankets tied with a ribbon, fluffy pillows, and good-quality headphones waiting on our seats when we boarded.
All the flights also had meals and full-size screens for entertainment.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the shorter flights had almost the same amenities as the longer legs — I'm used to bare-bones.
On the longer flights, we even got special take-home kits.
My kids got DC superhero-themed kits.
Jamie Davis Smith
On the longer flights, Etihad also provided amenity kits with things like eye masks, earplugs, and toiletries.
I especially appreciated the included dental-hygiene kit. Brushing my teeth on long flights helps me feel less grimy.
There was even a special kit for kids themed after the DC Comics superheroes. It came with a water bottle, a coloring book, and a small pouch.
The food was good and plentiful.
We got several meals throughout the four flights on Etihad.
Jamie Davis Smith
Everything I ate on Ethiad was good — and not just good for airplane food.
Each meal was big, including a hot dish, sides, bread, and dessert. I had everything from pasta with pesto to the traditional Indian dessert of gulab jamun.
My picky kids and I appreciated the variety of options.
On our longer flights, we also got hot snacks, including pizza, which was a huge hit with my kids.
Entertainment options felt extensive.
My son was enthralled by the game option on the seat-back screens.
Jamie Davis Smith
The big touch screens on the seatbacks offered an extensive selection of movies, TV shows, games, and music. They also had some other bells and whistles, like a "do not disturb" function to cue the flight staff and a flight tracker.
I watched several movies and spent some time playing Uno with my son.
The integrated Bluetooth system meant I could use my own headphones without any special equipment. I also had the option to use my phone as a remote.
We were comfortable throughout our journey.
The leg space wasn't massive, but we were comfortable in economy.
Jamie Davis Smith
I'm not that tall, and neither are my children, but we had enough room to stretch our legs fully and move our feet around when we got antsy.
The seats were also well-padded and reclined enough that I could doze off easily.
Another nice touch was that the windows had options beyond open or closed. We could darken them, keep them clear, or select a calming blue tint that allowed some light in without being overly bright.
This helped keep me awake without having to deal with blinding light.
Overall, I'd happily fly with Etihad again.
We enjoyed our long economy journey on Etihad.
Jamie Davis Smith
I made a few mistakes along the way, but I still think flying Etihad was a great choice.
Because I booked my flights late using miles through my credit card's travel portal, I missed out on some benefits that make Ethiad so well-loved.
For example, the airline offers a free hotel stay to some economy passengers with longer layovers. However, I wasn't eligible because I didn't book directly.
Regardless, the provided amenities made all four of our flights more comfortable, and my kids and I had plenty of entertainment options. We also had access to good food throughout the journey.
The airline's economy class may not be anywhere near as luxurious as its in-air "apartments," but we still had a great time.