Etihad, Maidstone and a Pint of Cider

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I have landed in London after an energy-sapping flight with Etihad Airways. I'm not sure I would fly with this airline again having endured 25 hours of poor quality food, a malfunctioning entertainment system and a general lack of service. There is a massive difference in quality between Etihad and Emirates (the airline I flew with last year). I get the impression that Etihad do things on the cheap (one flight attendant wheeling the trolley and serving) as opposed to two on Emirates (and most other airlines).

The entertainment system became a focal point of my frustration. Constant 'reboots' during movies meant that I have to regularly re-load the selected film. After two films I just gave up. The satellite maps (that constant travelling companion showing us where we are) never worked (404 object not found error).

The quality of food gradually improved as the flight progressed but even the final meal was way below what I would expect from an international airline. The presentation of the food was atrocious (admittedly we are talking about tiny plates here so there isn’t much real estate to work with) and when I asked for sparkling water I was told that it was only available in Business and First Class!

Anyhow after all the traumas of this flight from hell (including a three hour stop in Abu Dhabi - I was caught in the sea of humanity that is the Abu Dhabi transit lounge) I was off to Maidstone in Kent to stay with my friends Mick and Sal.

Saturday was a glorious day, so typical of English summers - 21c sunny with a zephyr of a breeze. We wandered around the Maidstone town centre and popped into a pub called the Society Rooms where we enjoyed a pint each of cider - very refreshing.

We went out for dinner at the local Thai restaurant in the evening (where the red curry duck was overcooked and tough) and then after only having 2 hours sleep in the previous 36 I was off to bed where I slept peacefully for about 10 hours.

Today (Sunday) we are heading off to have some dim sum (yum cha as we know it) at the Floating Lotus in the Isle of Dogs, then it’s off to Deal, a historic town on the Kent coast where Julius Caesar landed in 55BC. If we have time we will then head down to Sandwich. Photos to come!

No sign of jet-lag so I think I should be OK.

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Comments

[Matt George]

Isle of Dogs!
Hey Chris, great to hear your having fun already...apart from the dodgy airline... too funny.. I spent my years in london living on the isle of dogs...i remember that floating chinese restaurant, i used to live around the corner!! cheers Matt