A lunch menu offering four choices across starters, mains, and desserts is not what most passengers expect when they discover their flight has been switched from an Airbus A350 to a Boeing 777-300ER. Yet that catering generosity is precisely what Paul Lucas of Wingin It found on Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to London Heathrow (LHR), a route on which the aircraft downgrade set the tone before boarding had even begun.
The Downgrade and What It Means in Practice
When Lucas booked the flight, Etihad had originally scheduled the Abu Dhabi–London service on the Airbus A350, a newer-generation aircraft with a more contemporary cabin. The substitution of a Boeing 777-300ER in its place is the central grievance of Lucas's review, and the title of his piece, "The TRUTH about Etihad's WORST long haul plane", leaves little ambiguity about how he feels about the swap. The 777-300ER is a capable workhorse, but it is an older platform, and passengers who book on the basis of a specific aircraft type have a legitimate complaint when a less modern substitute appears at the gate. It's important to note that the airlines make it clear that equipment changes should be expected, and the flight ticket never guarantees any specific aircraft type. However, such a change is definitely disappointing.
Back in 2022, during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, Lucas had reviewed Etihad's 787-10 Business Class Studio product to Abu Dhabi, where he praised the onboard service but took issue with the lounge experience and catering. On this occasion, the lounge fared considerably better.
Lounge and Pre-Departure Experience
Before the flight, Lucas visited the Etihad First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi, which he described as occupying three floors and as "quite spectacular" (3:33). The breakfast buffet offered both hot and cold options, which he rated as excellent (3:49). For a pre-departure experience, this is a meaningful start: a well-provisioned lounge can absorb some of the frustration of an aircraft downgrade, and Lucas appeared to find it did.
Catering: Where the 777 Redeems Itself
Whatever the 777-300ER's shortcomings as an older aircraft, the catering on this Abu Dhabi–London leg gave Lucas little to fault. He noted (14:03) that the lunch menu ran to four options across starters, main courses, and desserts, calling the range "very generous" by business class standards.
The main course he selected was chicken Madhbi, a dish with roots across the Arabian Peninsula and common in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Lucas's verdict was unambiguous: he called it "truly delicious"(15:18), and added that over the past year of travel to the region he had developed a genuine appreciation for Arabian cuisine. That personal context matters: this is not a reviewer defaulting to polite approval, but one with a frame of reference for the dish.
“The main course is chicken Madhbi, which is a dish local to the Arabian Peninsula, popular in the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. This was truly delicious.”
The breadth of the menu is worth noting in context. Business class catering has contracted on many carriers since the 2020 COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, with several airlines reducing course counts or narrowing choice in the name of operational efficiency. Four options per course on a long-haul service represents a commitment that not every competitor maintains. Lucas's earlier assessment of British Airways World Traveller on a long-haul A380 service found the catering wanting in economy class. The contrast with what Etihad served on this leg is notable.
Overall Verdict: Qualified Approval
At the conclusion of his review, Lucas reflected on the tension between the aircraft substitution and the quality of what was delivered once airborne. His summary was measured rather than effusive.
“Etihad delivered a great experience in spite of the aircraft downgrade.”
That phrasing is precise. It does not rehabilitate the downgrade; it simply records that the airline's service and catering were sufficient to prevent the substitution from defining the journey. For passengers who book Etihad Airways business class on the AUH–LHR route and find a 777-300ER at the gate rather than an A350, Lucas's review suggests the experience will be acceptable rather than disappointing, provided the other aspects of the experience such as the catering holds to the standard he encountered. Whether Etihad can consistently deliver that standard across a fleet of older aircraft is a question his single data point cannot settle.
