Couldn’t be more impressed with Etihad. Service has been excellent, I’ve been well and truly looked after.
At check in, I asked for an exit row to which I’m often upgraded to without issue.. I guess it’s a 6ft plus able bodied male by himself thing…. Or maybe I’m flattering myself and they just give it to anyone that asks… Anywho… So check in dude, let’s call him Barney advises me exit row on Etihad is charged. Hmm, I pause, it’s a longish flight, I reach for my credit card and Barney leans forward and quietly asks if I’d like a row to myself, ‘dude, that would be amazing’ I reply and whammo, Barney comes through with the goods and I’m laying here across seats 38A, B and C by a window which I love 🙂 cheers Barney you bloody legend!
*Barney is a made up name but dude on counter 13 at Perth T1, you sir deserve a pay rise stat!
So the 787 Dreamliner, it’s a 3-3-3 seating configuration down here in cattle class, that suits me just fine as it gives me three pillows to stack up, two blankets to add some extra buffer and a third blankie snuggle up like a caterpillar getting settled in its cocoon for this initial 10 hour leg to Abu Dhabi.
The entertainment system in the seats is rad as! Heaps of new movies and some classics, live sport and news channels plus paid internet along with the selection of usual arcade games and such. Tonnes of music can be found, I got some Purple Rain cranking for the first half hour of the flight followed by one of those solo hipster folk singing types the girls go gaga over for a bit but he was boring and made me want to tie my hair into a top knot so I moved on.
Just finished watching Alice Through The Looking Glass… I don’t know what drugs the makers are on but I think they’re at the same mad tea party with the Mad Hatter and Lewis Carroll eating lots of those ‘special scones’ and making up some wet plates while they get messed up on the fumes like a bunch of teenagers on the Armadale line lol.
The cabin onboard is super spacious, if I bother to sit up (which I’m not doing any time soon), I’ve plenty of space to put my knees out in front of me… Not common these days! Oh and there’s USB and power in the seat, that’s a bit cool!
Oh… Food, mustn’t forget to mention the food. It was epic! Granted I was starving and could’ve eaten the back end out of a low flying bird but damn, it was really good. Cops cous salad for starter, followed by a delicious ‘Gulf Style’ chicken biryani that left me wanting more. Desert was a white chocolate mouse white some crushed up flake style choccy on top… I damn near licked the bowl. Oh, the token cheese and Arnotts crackers too to make the bread roll seem a bit more boring. Scotch and coke to wash it down 😉
The windows are cool on these new planes, they have a darker or lighter button letting you slowly simulate it getting light or dark… I guess it’s one of those jet lag reducing things this plane is designed with in mind. Anyway, it acts like an ND filter over the sun and let’s you get some cool pics out the window. Departing Perth at 5pm, we spent the first three hours chasing the setting sun which made playing with the window dimmer quite entertaining while listening to Purple Rain.
Holy shit, they just brought me a bag of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs! My own bag!! Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I had a bag of these things to myself! As kids, me and Jo used to fight over bags of them, these days I barely get a look in before they are devoured by two little piranhas with yellow hair. What a way to cross into the northern hemisphere… My own bag of caramelised popcorn.
Nom nom nom… Need another scotch and coke now… Looks around for a hostie

I read today online that Hill Farmstead are releasing a couple of special brews on Wednesday, my first full day in Vermont. Will definitely have to get one of those in the case to share with Matty G who played uber driver and took me to the airport earlier. Big ups G, yew!! So, yeah a little excited to check those out.

Passing over Colombo, Sri Lanka shortly, somewhere that has long interested me… I’ve heard how elephants roam the forest living out their retirement in freedom after many years working in the logging industry.

Wow, I slept, just woken up by sunrise light in the cabin, not actual sunrise but simulated with lighting… Nice slow wake up. No sooner had I opened my eyes, I was greeted by yet another meal, starter of pasta salad with a really nice Mediterranean dressing followed by chicken pie with mashed potato and baby carrots… Not complaining as I can always eat but kinda strange meal to be eating at 2am… Oh well, still yummy. I wonder if I’ll get another two meals between Abu Dhabi and New York.

Landing in Abu Dhabi shortly, passing over Oman now. Apparently we’re 45 minutes early, I guess that means an extended time at the airport to explore and post this blog if I can find wifi. I won’t edit it further, will save the next leg of the journey for the next post.

Traveller out 🙂