Etihad Airways and Air India are two prominent airlines that focus primarily on air travel within the Asian nations. They both do provide travel facilities outside Asia too.
While one is a budget travel air carrier, the other can be described as a luxury air travel method as everything from the seats to the service are exceptionally special.
Key Takeaways
- Etihad Airways is a premium airline based in Abu Dhabi, while Air India is the national airline of India.
- Etihad Airways’s newer fleet offers more luxurious amenities than Air India.
- Air India offers more affordable fares than Etihad Airways.
Etihad Airways vs Air India
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of U.A.E. that offers traveler’s a high-quality experience, and a luxury experience in business and first class. Air India is the flag carrier of India and is primarily focused there. It is a budget-friendly but smaller airline with many limitations.
Etihad Airways are ranked in the top 30 in the airlines ranking in almost all the years since the ranking has begun.
It is always preferred by those people who intend to travel hassle-free and want to have a great experience while traveling even if it is via economy class.
Etihad airways strive forth to provide the fliers with one of the best experiences that they could get while on air.
Air India is an Indian air travel brand with a limited number of Boeing flights having a few operations spanning most of the Asian countries.
They can’t be categorized into luxury travel as most of the experiences provided by them to the fliers aren’t all perfect. They have limited facilities and also space options on their flights which are small to medium-sized aircraft.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Etihad Airways | Air India |
|---|---|---|
| Can The Business-Class Seats Be Turned to Beds | Yes | Not on all flights |
| Privacy in Business and First Class | Yes | Limited |
| World Ranking | 29 | Within 100 |
| Rating | 4-star | 3-star |
| Flag Carrier for | UAE | India |
What is Etihad Airways?
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier for the United Arab Emirates. It is considered as luxury travel means by air providing one of the best experiences available.
The economy class seats in Etihad airways showcases seats that could be reclined to a certain angle and also provides screens.
These screens are for entertainment purposes and are the standard size as in any aircraft. An adjustable headset comes accompanying the seat.
There are power outlets in many of the Boeing flights owned by Etihad giving people access to charge or use their electronic devices.
The economy seats that are in the smaller aircraft have the minimal luxury as it is a short-term flight.
It comes with USB ports as well as small and standard-sized holding compartments for phones and other devices near the USB ports.
Etihad allows travelers to choose the kind of travel sequences that the fliers want in their economy class seating.
An economy neighbor-free booking allows the passenger to book an entire row of seats giving them a certain amount of privacy.
On the other hand, an economy space would give the fliers more room when compared to other passengers. This is a seat near the emergency exits.
Meals and beverages are included for almost all long-distance flights.
Beverages are unlimited while the number of meals depends on the distance traveled.
The screens are equipped with many channels that feature shows and entertainment programs from different parts of the world. Live TV is also broadcasted.
Business-class travelers are subjected to a lot more privacy when compared to economy-class fliers.
The business class passengers have seats that could be reclined to a full-size bed and allow the fliers to have a good night’s sleep warding off jet lag.
The meals for the business class passengers are grand and a perfect three-course dining experience is provided to the passengers.
The seats are leather and are bigger and more comfortable than the economy class with a 22-inch wide seating space.
The screen size is also increased for business class fliers and the size is 18 inches in width.
Business-class, as well as first-class passengers, can avail the chauffeur services at the arrival as well as at the take-off airports.
The first-class experiences in Etihad airways are always the best and are in sync with business class.
They have a massive menu and unlimited wine options.
A bigger seat with 28 inches in width built-in with leather and soft seating experience.
The screens are also bigger by 24 inches in its width. The seats can be turned into a bed.
More privacy as each seating area could be cordoned off to provide a private space to the passengers in first class.
What is Air India?
Air India flights are the best budget-friendly airlines that are the flag carrier for the Indian subcontinent.
It is a major air journey means for many Indians who are looking for ease in pocket travel.
The interior of the flights is all basic with the services being not too exceptional or something to cherish later on.
The economy class has standard seats with minimum reclining capacity and also meal options for all the international flights and some selected domestic flights too.
It also provides a free alcoholic bar facility to economy class passengers. But this option is limited to international flights alone.
There are TV screens on the back of each seat on most international flights. But this was a recent addition as before, even the international flights didn’t have screens.
In the flights that don’t have an inbuilt screen for each seat, there is a main and large in the front portion of the cabin that is used for entertainment as well as for safety instructions.
The business or the executive class seats are more elaborate and spacious when compared to the economy class.
The seats recline farther down to almost 180 degrees easing the back of the passengers in business class.
But they don’t turn into a self-made bed giving the fliers a fine experience on air. This is a drawback as the passengers pay almost double for business class tickets.
A single flight of Air India, Boeing 787-8 has all the classic features as that of other luxurious aircrafts such as Emirates.
But no matter what, there is always a lack of privacy in all the seats of Air India.
First-class seats are very similar to that of the business class and have bare minimum differences.
Even the screens of the first-class seats are placed on the seats in front, being not much different from economy seats.
Main Differences Between Etihad Airways and Air India
- While Etihad airlines is known to be one of the most luxurious airlines in the world, Air India has limited reach and has not been able to reach the luxurious status yet.
- The business class seats in Etihad airways recline to form a bed whereas Air India on the other hand had business class seats that don’t recline completely to form a bed.
- The food menu in Etihad has more different cuisines added to it while Air India mainly revolves around Indian cuisine for all the different seat classes.
- There is a visible distinction in the entertainment screens that are provided for each class of passenger in Etihad airways while in Air India, in almost all the aircraft, the screens for each class are the same.
- There aren’t many differences in the flights meant for international and domestic travel for Etihad airways but in Air India flights, international travel flights are way more advanced than domestic aircraft.
- https://journals.iium.edu.my/ijcsm/index.php/jcsm/article/view/33
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10714410902827168
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
