Etihad brings back First Class Chauffeur Drive Service

After a 8+ year pause, Etihad is finally restoring its amazing Chauffeur Drive Service for its First Class passengers. Starting August 1st, the airline will be trying to outshine Emirates by giving an even more baller door-to-door service. We were lucky enough to do this once and this is a high level view of what the experience will be like (camels not included 🐪)

Home Check-in

Check in from the comfort of your home. In this example, our “home” was the Al Habtoor Palace (formerly known as the St. Regis Dubai hotel)

There is no miles limitation for chauffeur transfers if you’re within the UAE. Thus, even though our transfer was over 120+ kms, the transfer was completely free without extra charge!

Etihad Global Chauffeur

Each First Class passenger will be given a luxury sedan for the ride. At the hotel, not one but two Audis rolled up to the valet to pick me and Miki up. We decided to have the first vehicle to take all the carry-ons and checked-in luggages.

That way, we can go together in the second vehicle. Baller levels out of control… Miki felt like a Thai Kpop star like Lisa at the Met Gala.

Meet & Assist

At the airport, a personal concierge will come to meet & assist your departure.

Right when you get out of the car, you don’t even need to lift a finger. It’s a full on white glove service where a valet will formally escort you into expedited customs.

Onboard Experience

Enjoy your private apartment in the sky.

Arrival

Each First Class passenger will have a dedicated assistance. If waiting at the priority baggage claim is too much of a “hassle”, you can even choose to have your bags delivered to your hotel.

Overall, it’s exciting to see Etihad finally bringing back all its First Class perks to its former glory. These little details makes a big difference in setting the airline apart from its competitors. Time to revisit Abu Dhabi? Hop on to Miki’s camel, giddy up let’s go.