Airlines publish schedule changes all the time. While it’s useful to plan as far in advance as possible, it’s always frustrating when you’ve crafted that perfect trip, only to have a major schedule change ruin it close to departure. The best we can hope for is that airlines give plenty of advance notice.
Anyway, Etihad Airways is actually substantially altering their North America schedule as of March 29, 2015. Previously a majority of their flights to North America left mid-morning, while with the new schedule more flights are leaving in the wee hours of the morning.
Etihad 777-300ER Abu Dhabi Airport
Etihad’s Chicago, New York, and Toronto schedule changes
Via airlineroute.net, here are Etihad’s US schedule changes:
Chicago:
Through March 28, 2015:
EY151 Abu Dhabi to Chicago departing 9:30AM arriving 3:50PM
EY150 Chicago to Abu Dhabi departing 9:10PM arriving 7:30PM (+1 day)
As of March 29, 2015:
EY151 Abu Dhabi to Chicago departing 3:40AM arriving 9:30AM
EY150 Chicago to Abu Dhabi departing 1:30PM arriving 12:20PM (+1 day)
New York:
Through March 28, 2015:
EY103 Abu Dhabi to New York departing 2:55AM arriving 9:00AM
EY102 New York to Abu Dhabi departing 12:40PM arriving 9:10AM (+1 day)
As of March 29, 2015:
EY103 Abu Dhabi to New York departing 2:55AM arriving 9:00AM
EY102 New York to Abu Dhabi departing 3:30PM arriving 12:30PM (+1 day)
Toronto:
Through March 28, 2015:
EY141 Abu Dhabi to Toronto departing 10:25AM arriving 4:50PM
EY140 Toronto to Abu Dhabi departing 10:50PM arriving 7:35PM (+1 day)
As of March 29, 2015:
EY141 Abu Dhabi to Toronto departing 2:50AM arriving 8:55AM
EY140 Toronto to Abu Dhabi departing 3:00PM arriving 12:05PM (+1 day)
Is this schedule change good or bad?
The Middle East is one of the few places where 3AM is rush hour at the airport. It’s interesting that up until now a majority of Etihad’s North America-bound flights have been daytime flights, departing Abu Dhabi mid-morning. With the new schedule, they’re going to a 50/50 split for their North America service.
Etihad will have have mid-morning departures to Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, and will have redeye departures to Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Toronto.
So which schedule is better, especially for travel from the Middle East to the US?
These are in some cases really late redeyes — it’s one thing to depart at 1AM, but 3:40AM? Ouch!
In theory redeyes are better for maximizing sleep and maximizing time on the ground, so for business travelers this is probably good news
For leisure travelers these flights are rough, since you either have to book an extra hotel night or sit at the airport for a long time
While I generally prefer redeyes, on Etihad I don’t mind daytime flights since they have wifi on a vast majority of their longhaul planes — so I might as well set up my office on Etihad 
Not a bad office, eh?
I do prefer the new flight timing between the US and Middle East, though. It’s nice to arrive in the UAE in daylight, rather than at night. It’s not necessarily a good change for business travelers in a rush, though, who could previously spend the day at the office, land in the UAE and sleep, and head to meetings the next day.
Plane change on Abu Dhabi to New York
Here’s something else interesting. Etihad leases some planes from Jet Airways, which they operate on one of their daily New York flights and on their daily San Francisco flight.
The Jet Airways 777 has a nice hard product in theory. They have fully enclosed first class suites. The only problem is that the interiors of the plane are basically falling apart.
On Etihad’s New York route, one of the daily flight is operated by an Etihad 777-300ER, while the other is operated by a Jet Airways 777-300ER.
Presently EY101/100 are operated by the Etihad plane, and EY103/102 are operated by the Jet Airways plane. However, they’re swapping that around as of August 1, 2015.
As of August 1, 2015, the following flight is operated by the Jet Airways 777-300ER:
EY101 Abu Dhabi to New York departing 10:20AM arriving 4:35AM
EY100 New York to Abu Dhabi departing 10:30PM arriving 7:30PM
Jet Airways 777-300ER
While the following flight is operated by the Etihad 777-300ER:
EY103 Abu Dhabi to New York departing 2:55AM arriving 9:00AM
EY102 New York to Abu Dhabi departing 3:30PM arriving 12:30PM
Etihad 777-300ER
So if you’re trying to avoid the Jet Airways aircraft for travel after August 1, you may have to swap your flights around.
What about the Etihad A380?
Etihad only plans on flying the A380 from Abu Dhabi to three destinations — London, Sydney, and New York. London service has commenced, Sydney service has been announced, though we don’t have any further info on New York yet. New York A380 service is supposed to commence in 2015. Officially I haven’t heard them deviate from that goal, though unofficially I’ve been hearing the New York service might be a bit delayed, and that New York might not see the A380 in 2015.
So is Eithad maybe switching around the Jet Airways New York frequency because they plan on having the A380 replace it? That’s possible. But I’ve also stopped trying to speculate.
I always figured Etihad would put the A380 on the EY101/100 frequency. It’s their “flagship” North America flight. When they had once daily service to New York it’s the flight they operated, and the flight number alone says a lot.
That being said, now that Etihad is switching mostly to redeye departures to North America, it could also be that EY103/102 get the A380.
The good news is that you don’t have to speculatively try to book. Etihad is releasing saver level First Class Apartment award space on the A380, and I expect that will continue when they announce it on the New York route.
Etihad A380 First Apartment
Bottom line
This is quite a shift we’re seeing with Etihad’s North America schedule. Whether it’s good or bad news all depends on what type of traveler you are.
How do you feel about Etihad’s North America schedule adjustment?
The post Etihad Is Changing Their Schedule For US Flights As Of March 29, 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.