I tried economy class on Etihad, the airline famous for its $23,000 apartment-in-the-sky ticket, and I was surprised to find it wasn't anything special

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December 13, 2018 5:16 PM

As Gulf airlines like Etihad and Emirates become more popular, I recently decided to fly Etihad from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to Cairo, Egypt.

I should've left more time. My gate was much farther than I thought. The airport really spreads out its gates to the point where it's a block or more from Gate 51 to Gate 52. At a certain point, I was sprinting along the moving walkway to make it on time.

Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, operating in 75 cities around the world.
Though the airline is only 15 years old, it has built a stellar reputation primarily because of its long-haul flights on new planes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the
It is also known for its extravagant business- and first-class offerings, like The Residence, a $23,000 ticket that comes with a literal apartment in the sky.

Gone are the golden days of Pan Am, American Airlines, and the like. If you want to fly the best in 2018, your best bet is an international flag carrier — an airline owned or previously owned by a government, usually one from the Middle East or Asia.

The consumer-aviation website Skytrax's list of the world's top airlines is dominated by flag carriers like Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, among others.

Coming in at 15th on the list is an airline I've heard tons of about: Etihad Airways, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates.

Etihad has made a lot of noise over the years because of its ultramodern fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A380 superjumbos and its extravagant first- and business-class offerings on long-haul flights, including Business Studio, which comes with a massaging lie-flat bed, an 18.5-inch touchscreen, and a lounge to hang out in, and The Residence, a $23,000 ticket that comes with a literal apartment in the sky.

But let's be real: I'm not flying any of that.

As an average Joe — albeit one who travels quite often — I was curious how Etihad would hold up in economy class. I got my chance recently when booking a flight from Abu Dhabi, Etihad's hub, to Cairo.

While I wouldn't say Etihad was bad, it certainly wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

Here's what I thought of my flight on an Etihad Airways Airbus A320, departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Cairo International Airport.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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