The House in Melbourne has now replaced the Etihad Lounge.
Though the styling remains the same there is a fresh vibe. It is exciting to see the return of al a carte dining (though a limited selection) complimented by a fresh buffet menu (the old menu had been around for far too long).
Noticibly many of the booze bottles that lined the window have been removed but that has made for a more open feel with better views.
The water is no longer San Pelligrino - instead Capi is being served.
As someone who flies Etihad in or out of Australia every week - it is nice to have a positive change and for there to be a fresher vibe. Hopefully the menu will rotate regularly and more improvements will continue to be revealed.
Please let the worst of the Etihad cut period be over!!!
Stopped in on the way to HK a week ago. Staff had a chat about the changes. It's leaps and bounds ahead of the old offerings, particularly if you're travelling on an Econ fare across the Tasman- a la carte service and a cocktail bar!
@mjkcan -Yeh - I fly via abu dhabi at least once a week from Australia or returning to Australia. Etihad serves the places I travel to for work really well.
@djtech - the menu includes soup, gnocchi, cheese platter, brisket burger and a few other options. The buffet had 3 salads including a celariac coleslaw and roast vege salad. Warm.options included rice, beef cheeks and a vegetarian curry. Dessert included mini eclairs and cakes. The tea selection has changed from Dilmah to T2.
I wonder what the a la carte menu offers? There’s a lack of details on this. Could u give me an example of the food offerings available?
The breakfast menu has your usual cafe fare: Poached eggs with avo, dukkah, cheeses etc; bircher; big breakfast. Later menus are a bit more upmarket. Still plenty at the buffet if you want to help yourself to nibbles.
@mjkcan -Yeh - I fly via abu dhabi at least once a week from Australia or returning to Australia. Etihad serves the places I travel to for work really well.
@djtech - the menu includes soup, gnocchi, cheese platter, brisket burger and a few other options. The buffet had 3 salads including a celariac coleslaw and roast vege salad. Warm.options included rice, beef cheeks and a vegetarian curry. Dessert included mini eclairs and cakes. The tea selection has changed from Dilmah to T2.
That's a full on job! Once a month sure, but weekly - ouch!
I wonder if having VA jump in has meant a sharing of the costs and thus an increase in service? Hopefully a financially sensible arrangement for both airlines plus a win for customers.
Visited the House in Sydney on Thursday evening, reasonably small compared to the Air NZ lounge, but much more quite and so much more enjoyable ... plus a la cart dining. Hopefully is like that all the time, and it doesn't get overloaded!
Longwayround.... interested to hear your personal account of Etihad in the wake of all the cost cutting. I flew J class with them in 2016 and was very impressed especially with the First lounge access at Abu Dhabi (VA Platinum). How has the cost cutting affected the travel experience? I’m planning a trip to Europe in the northern summer and am considering Etihad but have been reluctant due to the negative reports. I will be flying in J class again as a VA platinum.
Longwayround.... interested to hear your personal account of Etihad in the wake of all the cost cutting. I flew J class with them in 2016 and was very impressed especially with the First lounge access at Abu Dhabi (VA Platinum). How has the cost cutting affected the travel experience? I’m planning a trip to Europe in the northern summer and am considering Etihad but have been reluctant due to the negative reports. I will be flying in J class again as a VA platinum.
To be honest... I became really frustrated with Etihad in 2017 / 2018. It was almost embarrassing being so loyal as the cuts were happening.
However - what I have reconciled is although it is not what it once was, it is still substantially better than most.
The first class lounge in AUH used to have 3 menus... now just 1. The world doesnt end as a result and the lounge is still superb.
I fly across Y J and F. The worst of the cuts has been the new strict payments for economy seats and no carve out for gold and platinums like US carriers. The upside of this has been staff work hard to accommodate people holding status and the customer service has engratiated me to etihad once again.
Dine on demand is still great in J, I am always greeted personally on each flight by cabin crew and Etihad generally opens check in around the world 4 hours before departure, OTP is pretty terrific too.
The cabin crew and ground staff are working hard to serve premium customers and frequent flyers. Many are building personal relationships with me and I really appreciate that.
The Etihad Guest program still has some great partnerships and advantages. My favourite being that there are no status credits. Tier miles are based on actual miles travelled - it is a generous policy.
Forgetting the unsustainable opulence of 2016, if you go into an etihad experience expecting convenience, comfort, a great price point and a generally premium experience - you will be well served.
I am optimistic there will be a refresh when the new AUH airport eventually opens. But until then, I am content with the existing offering.
Longwayround.... interested to hear your personal account of Etihad in the wake of all the cost cutting. I flew J class with them in 2016 and was very impressed especially with the First lounge access at Abu Dhabi (VA Platinum). How has the cost cutting affected the travel experience? I’m planning a trip to Europe in the northern summer and am considering Etihad but have been reluctant due to the negative reports. I will be flying in J class again as a VA platinum.
To be honest... I became really frustrated with Etihad in 2017 / 2018. It was almost embarrassing being so loyal as the cuts were happening.
However - what I have reconciled is although it is not what it once was, it is still substantially better than most.
The first class lounge in AUH used to have 3 menus... now just 1. The world doesnt end as a result and the lounge is still superb.
I fly across Y J and F. The worst of the cuts has been the new strict payments for economy seats and no carve out for gold and platinums like US carriers. The upside of this has been staff work hard to accommodate people holding status and the customer service has engratiated me to etihad once again.
Dine on demand is still great in J, I am always greeted personally on each flight by cabin crew and Etihad generally opens check in around the world 4 hours before departure, OTP is pretty terrific too.
The cabin crew and ground staff are working hard to serve premium customers and frequent flyers. Many are building personal relationships with me and I really appreciate that.
The Etihad Guest program still has some great partnerships and advantages. My favourite being that there are no status credits. Tier miles are based on actual miles travelled - it is a generous policy.
Forgetting the unsustainable opulence of 2016, if you go into an etihad experience expecting convenience, comfort, a great price point and a generally premium experience - you will be well served.
I am optimistic there will be a refresh when the new AUH airport eventually opens. But until then, I am content with the existing offering.
I hope that perspective helps.
Thanks very much for the reply. I’m glad to hear that you still consider it a quality offering and are content with it.
I look forward to trying it again and trying the new lounge in Melbourne as well.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on
The House (Melbourne) - an improvement
longwayround
longwayround
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
Member since 11 Jun 2018
Total posts 14
The House in Melbourne has now replaced the Etihad Lounge.
FrequentFlyer
FrequentFlyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 20 Mar 2012
Total posts 198
Stopped in on the way to HK a week ago. Staff had a chat about the changes. It's leaps and bounds ahead of the old offerings, particularly if you're travelling on an Econ fare across the Tasman- a la carte service and a cocktail bar!
Mjkcan
Mjkcan
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
Member since 14 Jun 2017
Total posts 61
you fly to abu dhabi every week?
djtech
djtech
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Sep 2018
Total posts 375
longwayround
longwayround
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
Member since 11 Jun 2018
Total posts 14
@mjkcan -Yeh - I fly via abu dhabi at least once a week from Australia or returning to Australia. Etihad serves the places I travel to for work really well.
FrequentFlyer
FrequentFlyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 20 Mar 2012
Total posts 198
The breakfast menu has your usual cafe fare: Poached eggs with avo, dukkah, cheeses etc; bircher; big breakfast. Later menus are a bit more upmarket. Still plenty at the buffet if you want to help yourself to nibbles.
stompsy
stompsy
Member since 06 Jun 2017
Total posts 26
That's a full on job! Once a month sure, but weekly - ouch!
andyf
andyf
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 07 Dec 2014
Total posts 55
I wonder if having VA jump in has meant a sharing of the costs and thus an increase in service? Hopefully a financially sensible arrangement for both airlines plus a win for customers.
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
Thanks for the update, Longwayaround - good to hear!
New Mint
New Mint
Member since 24 Feb 2012
Total posts 66
Longwayround.... interested to hear your personal account of Etihad in the wake of all the cost cutting. I flew J class with them in 2016 and was very impressed especially with the First lounge access at Abu Dhabi (VA Platinum). How has the cost cutting affected the travel experience? I’m planning a trip to Europe in the northern summer and am considering Etihad but have been reluctant due to the negative reports. I will be flying in J class again as a VA platinum.
longwayround
longwayround
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
Member since 11 Jun 2018
Total posts 14
To be honest... I became really frustrated with Etihad in 2017 / 2018. It was almost embarrassing being so loyal as the cuts were happening.
New Mint
New Mint
Member since 24 Feb 2012
Total posts 66
To be honest... I became really frustrated with Etihad in 2017 / 2018. It was almost embarrassing being so loyal as the cuts were happening.
Thanks very much for the reply. I’m glad to hear that you still consider it a quality offering and are content with it.