On our recent trip to Barcelona we had the pleasure of experiencing Etihad Airways Business Class on their 787-10 Dreamliner. Having previously flown on the 787-9 variant on the flight just prior to this one, we were keen to see how the newer aircraft compared. Overall, it was a nice experience with some notable differences.

Etihad 787-10 Dreamliner Business Class Cabin Layout

Similar to its predecessor, the Etihad 787-10 Dreamliner boasts a 1-2-1 layout in Business Class, ensuring direct aisle access for every passenger. We were seated in 7H, a right window seat that faced backwards for this journey.

While the rearward orientation felt a bit unusual during takeoff and landing, it hardly affected our overall flight experience. It’s worth noting that rear-facing seats do however offer a slightly shorter Flat Bed compared to the front-facing ones, so if space is a priority, consider opting for the latter.

The cabin of the 787-10 Dreamliner Business Class features 32 seats, along with ample storage options and modern amenities. We noticed that this cabin wasn’t entirely full, with a few spare seats scattered, making it less busy which was nice.

The spaciousness and privacy of the seat, coupled with useful storage compartments contributed to an overall comfortable and personalised in-flight experience.

In-Flight Amenities And Storage

Upon boarding, we were greeted by staff and directed to our seats. Placed on our Business Class cabin seats were the usual amenities, including a mattress topper, pillow and blanket.

Each seat is equipped with an 18-inch HD touch screen display, offering a range of entertainment options, and interestingly it seemed as though this aircraft had more alternatives than the 787-9, even though this was a 7 hour flight and the one prior was 14 hours.

In-flight entertainment was also easily accessible with the added seat remote control which had its own separate screen as well so you could track your flight and watch a movie at the same time.

Another cool feature was the cameras it had on the plane so you could watch the plane from a different perspective for takeoff and landing or throughout the flight if you wished.

The amenity kit, in collaboration with Acqua Di Parma, provided the basic essential items for a long-haul flight including an eye mask, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, hand cream and lip balm as well as some wipes.

Much like our flight on Etihad Dreamliner 787-9 Business Class, it would have been nice to receive a pair of slippers to enhance comfort during the journey.

The sound-cancelling headphones provided on this flight were in much better condition than what they were on the previous flight which was nice.

In-Flight Dining

Boarding the Etihad 787-10 Dreamliner in Business Class, we were guided by the cabin crew as to where we were sitting and shortly greeted by another crew member for a beverage.

Given the time we boarded to be around 3-4am, we opted for some mango juice instead of champagne. There were complimentary warmed nuts also provided, however it took a lot longer to be served this flight in comparison to our 787-9 flight.

Our flight, lasting only 7 hours, offered a breakfast option alongside a selection from the 'all-day' menu. However, we found it slightly disheartening to discover that despite the menu indicating 'choose from an array of dishes at any time', we were restricted to selecting only one 'all-day' meal option.

Given our disrupted body clocks and unexpected hunger at that hour, we were intrigued by two meal options available, the pulled chicken nachos and the steak sandwich, which left us feeling somewhat disappointed by the limitation of not being able to order both.

We ended up opting for the pulled chicken nachos which were delicious. We could recommend a bit of extra guacamole and sour cream as it ran out quite quickly and we were left with practically a bowl of corn chips.

After a very decent 5-6 hour sleep, we were quickly rushed by the cabin crew and asked if we wished to have breakfast, but essentially ‘had 15 minutes until breakfast service finished’ so opted for an acai bowl for something fresh and light.

Although it wasn’t actual acai, the smoothie bowl was nice and not too filling. It also came with some pastries and fruit which was a nice added touch.

In-Flight Service

After having just flown from Melbourne-Barcelona in Etihad 787-9 Dreamliner, the service we had onboard for that 14 hour flight was great. This flight felt like somewhat of a downgrade.

Although the cabin crew were overall friendly, it didn’t seem as personalised or as catered for in comparison to the cabin crew on the 787-9 flight.

Preparing food and serving the welcome beverages etc., took longer and the accommodating ambience we felt flying on the previous Etihad Business Class flight, just wasn’t as prevalent in this flight.

It was also disappointing that we weren't able to get the food we wanted - whether that was because the cabin crew didn’t wish to serve two meals or whether they weren’t allowed to, it wasn’t very well explained as to why.

Etihad 787-10 Dreamliner Business Class Summary

Despite some small differences in the flying experience compared to the 787-9 variant, our overall impression of the Etihad 787-20 Dreamliner Business Class remains positive. The modern cabin and comfortable seating, as well as nice food options on board contributed to an overall pleasant journey.

However we would say it is essential to manage expectations regarding service consistency, as this can vary between flights and our 787-9 and 787-10 review can show that.

If you’re considering flying Business Class with Etihad, their 787-10 Dreamliner offers a contemporary and comfortable option for long-haul.

Book your next Business Class trip with an airfare specialist today.