Etihad Airways 787-9 new business class suite, Japan – Tokyo to Abu Dhabi to Jeddah

Let me set the scene. It’s 5:20pm at Tokyo Narita. The sun is going down. You’re boarding a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in Etihad business class for a 12.5-hour overnight flight to Abu Dhabi, with a connection to Jeddah. Total journey time: 16 hours 55 minutes. Total fare: 636,290 JPY – approximately $4,080 USD. And the vlog captures literally everything – the new business class suites, sunset views of Mount Fuji at takeoff, both meals, the amenity kit, the flat bed, the Abu Dhabi lounge layover, and then the onward A320 hop to Jeddah. This is a full flight review and it’s properly worth watching before you book.

Let’s break down what you’re actually getting on this routing – because there’s a very important distinction between the Etihad 787 products that most reviews gloss over, and it matters a lot at this price.

The new suite vs the old seat – this matters before you book

Here’s the thing nobody tells you clearly: Etihad has two different business class products on the 787-9, and they are not the same thing.

The older product is called the Business Studio – a staggered 1-2-1 layout with forward and rear-facing seats. Solid product, fully flat bed, direct aisle access. Good, not extraordinary.

The new product – which is what the vlog covers – is the new Collins Aerospace Elements suite on Etihad’s latest-delivered 787-9s. This is a completely different beast. Higher privacy doors that actually close, 17.3-inch 4K TV screens, wireless charging, Viasat Wi-Fi, the works. Etihad is the first airline in the world to install these seats on Boeing 787s. The vlog shows the cabin tour from the 3:28 mark and the difference from the older product is immediately visible.

The catch: not all Etihad 787-9s have the new suites yet. Etihad has around 30 more 787s on order that will get this product going forward, but right now you need to check the specific aircraft registration before booking if the suite is the reason you’re paying the premium. The Tokyo Narita route gets the new product as of January 2026 when this vlog was filmed.

Quick stats on the new suite:

• 💺 1-2-1 configuration – every seat has direct aisle access
• 🛏️ Fully flat bed at 78 inches – proper sleep possible on a 12.5-hour overnight
• 📺 17.3-inch 4K touchscreen – genuinely large and sharp
• 🔋 Multiple charging ports including wireless charging pad
• 🚪 Higher privacy doors than the old Business Studio
• 📡 Viasat Wi-Fi – covered in the vlog at 13:08

Tokyo Narita – the boarding experience

The vlog starts at Narita from 00:35. Etihad doesn’t have a dedicated lounge at Narita – business class passengers use a partner lounge before departure. Worth knowing if you’re planning around lounge time before the flight.

Boarding at 01:15 in the vlog. The 787-9 Dreamliner is genuinely one of the best planes to be on for a long-haul overnight – the cabin pressure is lower than older aircraft (equivalent to 6,000 feet vs 8,000 feet on older jets), the windows are larger with electrochromic dimming instead of pull-down shades, and the humidity is slightly higher. This translates to arriving less dehydrated and less jet-lagged than on comparable older aircraft. Not marketing fluff – it’s a real physiological difference.

The suite – what it’s actually like

The full cabin tour is at 3:28 in the vlog and it’s worth watching in full. Here’s the summary:

Storage is genuinely excellent – large compartment that holds the amenity kit and has room for shoes and personal items, console area with plenty of surface space for phone and glasses, and the tray table stows cleanly without requiring an engineering degree. If you’ve wrestled with a tray table on a 12-hour flight you understand why this matters.

The seat controls are intuitive and the firmness of the cushion is adjustable – a small detail that becomes a big deal on a half-day flight. The seat converts to a fully flat 78-inch bed. The vlog covers this at 21:02 and the setup is straightforward.

Privacy is the main upgrade over the old Business Studio. The higher doors create a genuine sense of enclosure. Not quite the closing door pod you get on the Etihad A350 (which has the Collins Super Diamond seat) but meaningfully better than the old staggered layout.

One seat selection note: in the center pair section, even-numbered rows have seats positioned directly against the aisle facing away from each other – not ideal for traveling together. Odd-numbered center rows position the seats closer together and slightly more private. If you’re traveling with a companion, aim for the odd-numbered center rows or book separate window seats.

The food – two meals on a 12.5-hour flight

Etihad does the food well on long-haul. Two proper meal services on the Tokyo to Abu Dhabi sector.

🍽️ First meal – shortly after takeoff (15:08 in the vlog)

Menu is shown at 14:21. The meal ordering happens after takeoff with proper service – appetizer, main, dessert, drinks. The slow-cooked proteins consistently get the best reviews on Etihad – beef and lamb hold up well at altitude in a way that chicken often doesn’t. Multiple courses, proper plating, metal cutlery throughout the cabin.

🍳 Second meal – before landing (22:44 in the vlog)

Lighter pre-landing service. Standard for long-haul overnight flights where most passengers will have slept through the bulk of the flight.

One honest note from reviewers: the crew can be strict about menu substitutions – one passenger was told they couldn’t swap a main course for a second appetizer on a similar sector. The food itself is good; the flexibility around it is less so compared to Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines on equivalent routes.

The highlights you’d only know from watching the vlog

🗻 Mount Fuji at sunset – 10:32

The departure from Narita at 5:20pm means the climb-out takes you past Mount Fuji in evening light. The vlog captures this at 10:32 and it’s genuinely spectacular. If you’re booking a window seat on a westbound departure from Narita in the afternoon, the left side of the aircraft (A seats) gets the Fuji view. This alone is worth the window seat premium.

🛁 The lavatory – 19:19

The business class lavatories on the 787 are covered at 19:19. Proper amenities, significantly better than economy lavatories, skincare products available. On a 12.5-hour flight this matters more than people admit when booking.

🎒 Amenity kit – 18:11

Giorgio Armani-designed pouch with ESPA skincare products – Nourishing Lip Treatment, Hydrating Spa Face Mist, Rejuvenating Hand and Body Lotion, plus plush Etihad slippers. Honest note from the broader review community: the amenity kit has gotten smaller and less impressive compared to older Etihad kits from a few years ago. The skincare products are quality; the pouch itself is more functional than luxurious.

✈️ Inflight entertainment – 24:15

The 17.3-inch 4K screen is the best screen Etihad has ever put on a 787. The content library is adequate – decent selection of movies and TV shows – but reviewers consistently note it lacks the curation and sheer volume of Emirates or Qatar Airways. For a long overnight flight where sleep is the primary objective this is fine. If you’re planning to watch your way through 12 hours, download content before boarding.

The Abu Dhabi transfer – Zayed International Airport

Landing at 12:50am, departing again at 2:05am – a 2-hour layover in Abu Dhabi. The vlog covers the transfer from 30:02.

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport is consistently praised as one of the better airports for transiting – modern, calm, less chaotic than Dubai, relatively quick to navigate. The vlog specifically mentions this at 30:02. For a middle-of-the-night connection, not needing to stress about the airport itself is genuinely valuable.

🛋️ The Etihad Business Class Lounge – 31:30

The lounge gets proper coverage from 31:30 to 38:10 – nearly seven minutes of lounge footage which tells you it’s worth the time. The Abu Dhabi Business Class Lounge was revamped in November 2023 and it shows. High ceilings, apron views, multiple buffet areas (Liwan Global Dining on the ground floor), bar, showers, spa, business center. Described as massive and genuinely spacious even during busy periods.

For context on the two-hour layover: enough time to shower, eat something proper, and sit in relative quiet before the onward flight. Not enough time to make it miserable but enough to reset from a 12.5-hour red-eye. The Etihad stopover program (free Abu Dhabi hotel for layovers over 24 hours) doesn’t apply here – that needs 24+ hours and must be booked at least three days before travel.

Abu Dhabi to Jeddah on the A320 – managing expectations

The onward flight from 38:10 in the vlog. Departure 2:05am, arrival 4:15am, 3 hours 10 minutes on an Airbus A320.

Here’s where expectations need calibrating. Etihad’s A320 business class is not the Business Studio or the new Collins suite. It’s a standard narrow-body setup – the first few rows of what is essentially an economy aircraft with a blocked middle seat and slightly wider seat. There are no flat beds, no privacy screens, no 17-inch entertainment screens. This is regional business class in the truest sense.

For a 3-hour overnight hop, this is fine. You’re arriving at 4:15am, you’re not sleeping anyway, and the priority boarding and slightly more space are what you’re paying for. But if you book this expecting the 787 experience to continue to Jeddah, you will be disappointed. The vlog is honest about this.

The fare for the entire routing – Tokyo to Abu Dhabi to Jeddah in business class – was 636,290 JPY (approximately $4,080 USD). For context, Etihad business class from Tokyo to the Gulf is bookable on points through multiple airline loyalty programs. Etihad Guest, American Airlines AAdvantage, and Air France/KLM Flying Blue all have access to Etihad award space.

How to book Etihad business class smarter

$4,080 cash for this routing is the full retail price. The smart way to do this:

• Etihad Guest miles – the home program, always worth checking first
• American Airlines AAdvantage – consistently good Etihad award availability, often better value than paying cash
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue – frequently runs promotions on Etihad partners
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club – partner access available
• Check the aircraft type before booking – you want the new Collins Elements suite not the older Business Studio for a 12.5-hour overnight. The new aircraft registrations are being deployed on Tokyo, Washington DC, Chicago, Sydney and Melbourne routes initially

Etihad also runs regular sales on business class with significant discounts from retail prices – worth signing up for fare alerts if you’re flexible on dates.

Frequently asked questions

📹 Video by ST Travel