My wife and I are currently on a bucket-list trip to the Maldives, Italy (Rome), and Austria (Vienna).

After an unforgettable stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives, it is time to head to our next destination with Etihad Airways. I have always heard great things about Etihad Airways Business Class, so I am eager to give them a try.

For this part of the journey, we are flying from Malé, Maldives (MLE) to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (AUH).

But as it turns out, this trip has a few surprises in store for us…

Award Flight Booking (8/10)

I book this flight as soon as the award window opens, using 42,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and paying $130.90 per person in taxes and fees — pretty reasonable for this itinerary.

Here are the exact flight details:

• EY 279 Malé, Maldives (MLE) to Abu Dhabi, UAE (AUH), departing 7:10 PM, arriving 11:25 PM
• EY 85 Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Rome (FCO), departing 2:25 AM, arriving 5:45 AM (Full Flight Review)

Note: This specific review only covers the first flight. 

I also consider a few other options for booking with points, but each has a major problem:

• Etihad Guest: 133,000 miles (dynamic pricing)
• Air Canada Aeroplan: 60,000 miles (no availability)

Airport Check-In (8/10)

Checking in at Malé is smooth and easy, especially since we are flying Business Class.

The Park Hyatt Maldives team assists us all the way up to immigration, so we hardly have to do anything. Plus, with Business Class, we get priority lanes for check-in, security, and immigration.

From the moment we enter the airport until we are through immigration, it is all over in about 15 minutes. No stress whatsoever.

The only downside? The terminal feels a bit worn out.

Note: There is a new terminal scheduled to open in early 2025.

Airport Lounge (5/10)

We arrive at Malé airport with a few hours to spare, so we head to the Leeli Lounge, where the Business Class passengers on Etihad are invited after security and immigration. T

his lounge is shared by premium passengers from various airlines and is not part of the Priority Pass network.

It is not exactly a place I would rush to, but it is far better than waiting in the duty-free section or at the gate for hours.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Leeli Lounge at Male International Airport.

The lounge has a small buffet and a fridge stocked with Coke products, water, and other drinks (no alcohol, since the Maldives is a dry country outside the resorts). Thankfully, there is plenty of seating, so finding a quiet spot to relax is easy.

The best part of the lounge?

The large windows at the far end, offering a fantastic view of planes arriving from all over the world. Perfect for some plane spotting!

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Leeli Lounge Back Windows.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Air India.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Gulf Air.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Our Etihad Airways Plane.

When it is time to board, we leave the lounge, head downstairs, and scan our tickets in the premium line. We board a special bus for Business Class passengers and make our way to the plane. I love that VIP touch.

After a quick ride, we walk up the stairs to board and settle into our seats.

Aircraft Cabin And Layout (8/10)

The Etihad Airways Airbus A321 is a narrow-body plane used primarily for flights around the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.

On this flight, there are just eight business class seats, laid out in a 2-2 configuration across two rows. I appreciate the privacy, as there is a curtain separating Business Class from Economy Class, but the cabin still feels noticeably dated.

Credit. Aerolopa. Etihad A321 Business Class Seat Map.

If you are flying this route, I recommend choosing a seat in row 2. These seats offer under-seat storage and a bit more room for personal belongings versus the bulkhead seats.

Business Class Seat (6/10)

The Business Class seats are recliner-style, not lie-flat like I originally expected.

When I booked, this flight was supposed to be on a larger plane with lie-flat seats, but that changed a couple of weeks before departure. I have been looking forward to stretching out after hours of travel by boat and an intra-Maldives flight, so this change feels like a letdown.

A little disappointing, especially since this is part of a major points redemption trip, but I remind myself it is still a first-world problem.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Seat.

I sit in 2C (aisle), while my wife takes 2A by the window.

The seats are more spacious than typical first-class seats on U.S. airlines, with a few added features. They are comfortable, though a bit on the firm side.

The adjustable headrest is a lifesaver, and I manage to get a few hours of sleep by adjusting the recliner into a more relaxing position using the controls on the right side of the seat.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Seat Headrest.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Seat Controls.

Each seat also comes with an individual reading light, and there are air nozzles overhead – small but appreciated details.

The TV monitor pops out from the center console, and while the picture quality is not amazing, it is decent for a short flight.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Individual Reading Lights.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Overhead Lights & Air Nozzles.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class TV Monitor.

Business Class Bed (3/10)

Since these are recliner-style seats, there is no full bed. I manage to sleep a little, but I can not help thinking how much nicer a lie-flat bed would be, even in a 2-2 configuration like the one Aer Lingus or TAP Portugal offer on their Airbus A321s.

Each seat comes with a blanket and a small throw pillow. The blanket, soft and cozy, is one of the nicest I have ever received on a plane. The pillow is a small throw pillow but works well enough for a short flight.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Blanket.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Throw pillow.

On-Board Entertainment (6/10)

The TV monitor pops out of the armrest, and there are plenty of entertainment options available. I mostly stick to the flight map, but if I were not so tired, I would probably explore more.

I forget to check if Wi-Fi is available on this flight, but I assume there is a paid option like on my next leg.

Plugs for AC power, USB power, and headphones are in between the seats. The headphones are Etihad-branded and provide decent sound, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Headphone & Power Plugs.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Headphones.

I also appreciate the little throwback of an in-flight magazine (with a duty-free section) and streaming guide. It feels nostalgic to flip through a network map and imagine future trips.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Streaming Guide.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class In-flight Magazine.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad Duty-Free Shopping.

Lavatory (7/10)

There is a single lavatory at the front of the plane, but Economy Class passengers are not allowed to use it. It is a traditional A321 lavatory, so it is pretty no-frills.

I am tall, so I normally do not fit well in most narrow-body airplane lavatories.

However, I am able to stand up in this one. It is not as spacious as a wide-body plane lavatory, but it works.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad A321 Business Class Lavatory.

Amenity Kit (0/10)

There is no amenity kit on this flight. I think for an international flight of this length, a basic amenity kit for Business Class passengers would be a nice touch.

Even a small pouch with a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, sleeping mask, and some socks would be enough.

Food And Beverage (7/10)

As soon as we settle in, the flight attendants hand out bottles of water. Since we are still in the Maldives, no alcohol is allowed to be served while on the ground.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Pre-departure Beverage.

The menu for the entire flight can be found below.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Business Class Menu Cover.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Business Class Food Menu.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Business Class Non-Alcoholic & Wine List.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Business Class Dessert Wine & Spirits List.

Dinner is served about 30 minutes after takeoff. For my appetizer, I try the Arabic mezze for the first time, and it is surprisingly delicious. It comes with bread, butter, olive oil, and a small cucumber salad.

Of course, I pair it with a glass of champagne – because, why not?

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad Business Class Appetizer (Arabic Mezze).

I am not super hungry, so I skip the main course and go straight to dessert: a chocolate mocha mousse cake with berries and vanilla sauce. It is good, but I am so tired that I do not remember much beyond the fact that it is dessert, and that is always a win in my book.

I also have a glass of dessert wine, which pairs nicely with the cake.

Credit. Hunter Threadgill. Etihad Business Class Dessert.

Staff And Service (8/10)

For this flight, I sleep for almost the entire time. However, when I am awake, the flight attendants are very kind and responsive. I never need to use my call button because, with only eight passengers, I can easily wave down a flight attendant.

A quick side story on the service: during the boarding process, a family gets on the plane, and one of the children gives a flight attendant a hug. This seems a little out of place to me. However, I overhear the mother thanking the flight attendant for going out of her way on their flight from Abu Dhabi to Malé.

I don’t catch exactly what the flight attendant did, but it was special enough to create a lasting memory for that family.

Kudos to that flight attendant!

Final Thoughts

Overall, while this Etihad A321 Business Class flight did not fully live up to my expectations, it still offered a few highlights, like the efficient check-in process, great service from the flight attendants, and a decent meal.

However, the switch from lie-flat seats to recliners, the dated cabin, and lack of an amenity kit were definite downsides, especially for an international flight. That said, travel is all about the journey, and I am still grateful for the experience.

Now, I am looking forward to the next leg of the trip – and hopefully some lie-flat seats!

Hunter Threadgill