etihad

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Etihad Finally Makes Money – By Not Flying Much

by Gary Leff on July 28, 2022

Jul 28 2022

Etihad Airways has finally become profitable, disclosing $690 million in adjusted earnings and $296 million in operating profit during the first half of 2022 on operating revenue of $2.29 billion. The state-owned carrier did not disclose net profit.

Despite only limited information, it’s still clearly a huge swing for an airline that lost $2 billion in 2016, and $1.5 billion in 2017 pursuing a strategy of buying stakes in nearly every dumpster fire airline they could get their hands on (but still refusing to take a stake in South African Airways, which even for Etihad at the time was a step too far).

George Clooney Was Offered $35 Million For One Day’s Work With An Airline. He Said No.

by Gary Leff on December 4, 2021

Dec 04 2021

George Clooney defined having more than enough money as being able to say ‘no’ when offered $35 million for a day’s work filming a commercial for an airline.

He doesn’t say the airline or when this happened – but it was clearly about six years ago, and either Emirates or Etihad.

New Etihad Airbus A350 Business Class Seats Revealed

by Gary Leff on November 15, 2021

Nov 15 2021

Gone or on the way out are Boeing 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs, and Airbus A330s. Gone as well the Airbus A380s featuring one of the world’s best first class products. Their long haul fleet instead will consist of Boeing 787s, 777-9s (when those are eventually ready), and Airbus A350s. Only a subset of Boeing 787s will even offer a first class cabin.

Etihad has finally revealed their Airbus A350 with new business class – or at least photos have been shared, rather than the airline officially releasing them.

Man Was Only Passenger On 7 Hour Flight. All The Announcements Addressed Him By Name.

by Gary Leff on October 6, 2021

Oct 06 2021

Alexander Svanevik, the founder of blockchain analytics company Nansen, flew from Abu Dhabi to Singapore on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9. And in a world mostly closed to long haul travel, especially to Asia, he found himself the only customer on board the widebody aircraft configured for 336 passengers.

Etihad To Limit First Class In Favor Of “Business Plus”

by Gary Leff on September 7, 2021

Sep 07 2021

Etihad doesn’t have a first class cabin on its Boeing 787-10 aircraft, though it still has these suites on some 787-9s. According to Etihad’s CEO this isn’t the end of first class on the airline but it’s being limited and de-emphasized. They’ll still operate planes with a first class cabin on routes where there’s historic paid demand for the cabin, though we’re already seeing last minute aircraft swaps where it’s scheduled for planes that do not offer the product.

Star Of The Bachelor Refused Upgrade, Lashes Out Over $1000 Checked Bag Fee

by Gary Leff on June 20, 2021

Brittany Hockley, who made it to the finale of The Bachelor Australia in 2018 and returned for 2020’s Bachelor in Paradise, lashed out at Etihad Airways when they refused to sell her an upgrade to business or first class – but wanted $1000 to check her luggage.

First she complained she couldn’t book her extra checked bag online. Then she discovered at the airport that Etihad wanted $1000 to carry it.

You Have A Brief Window To Take Working Vacations Before You Have To Return To Office

by Gary Leff on May 16, 2021

May 16 2021

With the pandemic increasingly under control in the United States, more people vaccinated, and some offices gradually re-opening there’s a brief window where you can really travel and work at the same time. While work from home is likely to be more common than in the Before Times, we may not have the same flexibility in the future that we do right now. Become location independent, if only briefly. Go take a trip and work from somewhere else. Combining work and vacation is actually the best way to vacation anyway.

Ex-Airline CEO Faces Huge Fine For Skipping Mandatory Hotel Quarantine

by Gary Leff on May 2, 2021

May 02 2021

James Hogan, founding CEO of Etihad, was bounced from that carrier in 2017 after buying stakes in troubled airlines around the world and mounting losses that reached as high as $2 billion a year. These investments included stakes in air berlin, Alitalia, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia.

The dual Australian and U.K. citizen is accused of using his two passports, and flying to the U.K. via a third country, in a scheme to avoid mandatory quarantine – and now it’s believed he may have done it before, too.

We’ll Probably Never See The Etihad Residence Or First Apartment Again

by Gary Leff on March 11, 2021

Mar 11 2021

I’ve flown Etihad’s First Apartment almost as much as Cathay Pacific first class over the years. It’s been my favorite use of American AAdvantage miles, and of course Etihad is both an American Express and Citibank transfer partner.

It’s been my go-to for trips to the Maldives (5 of my last 6 were on Etihad). I’ve visited the Mideast many times, alternating between Etihad and Emirates. And I’ve even chosen Middle East stops enroute to Australia because First Apartment redemptions for both long haul segments made the journey so easy. So the end of this spectacular product really hits home.

Etihad Becomes First Airline In The World To Vaccinate All Crewmembers, Others Close Behind

by Gary Leff on February 10, 2021

Feb 10 2021

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways announced today that they’ve become the first airline in the world to have vaccinated their entire front-line workforce including all pilots and cabin crew. Etihad did this without making vaccination mandatory.