Soothe your senses at Etihad’s premium lounges

MANILA, Philippines - What do you do if you have several hours of layover on your connecting flight to Europe or if you simply want to arrive at your destination refreshed? If you’re a business or first-class passenger on Etihad Airways, then there is only one answer: Get a massage at its premium lounges.

Etihad has been reaping awards left and right for their onboard services and menus including their wine selections. This five-star service extends to even after you step off the plane and into the terminal.

The Etihad lounges in Terminals 1 and 3 in Abu Dhabi International Airport, hub for the United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier,  are designed with soothing, modern interiors. The leather sofas are very comfortable to take a nap in; the buffet offerings range from salads to light fare to hot soup and meals. And the bar has premium wine and spirits selections — so no matter if you arrive at dawn, it’s always 5 p.m. somewhere else!

At the Six Senses Spas, located at the premium lounges, they offer free 15-minute massages for weary passengers.  For those coming from Manila on the way to Europe — like we did on a recent Insight familiarization tour of Greece — flying Etihad breaks what is a long trip to give you just enough time to recover to get to Athens.

“Six Senses Spas is committed to delivering integrated wellness experiences, and providing guidance and inspiration to allow our guests to gain a new perspective and make positive lifestyle changes,” according to the Six Senses Group. “These experiences are delivered in some of the most beautiful locations, inspired by our Asian heritage but influenced by the local environment and culture. Our local sensibility is evident in the products we choose, the treatments we design and the sustainable practices we implement. This approach enables us to maintain a closer connection with nature and the surrounding world. We respect the individuality of our guests and craft experiences to stimulate, energize and restore. Our global relationships with practitioners, healers, wellness leaders and experts allow us to go beyond the traditional spa offering and combine high tech and high touch approaches which blend the old and the new. We give our guests the tools to pursue a better quality of life.”

Indeed, with a long layover on the way back to Manila, I booked a massage as soon as I got to the lounge. Normally the lounge fills up mid-morning but since it was very early, I was able to get a back and shoulder, which is done on a chair, and felt immediately better. The spa is staffed by many Filipinos, so I wasn’t shy at asking the receptionist if I could try another massage since the lounge was almost empty at that time. They accommodated me with a smile.

The Kenyan woman who did both massages had really good hands, strong and firm, that I just wanted for the massage to go on forever.

Etihad is also expanding its fleet — it has one of the youngest in the industry, which means all its aircraft feel and look new — from its current 89 Boeing and Airbus carriers to 123 between this year and 2020.

It flies to 102 destinations in 62 countries and covers most major cities in Europe, Asutralia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America.

In the last quarter of 2013, Etihad signed a codeshare agreement with Aegean Airlines, Greece’s largest commercial airline. According to Etihad, beginning March 30, Aegean Airlines will start a four times weekly service between Athens and Etihad, and via Athens Etihad will offer 16 new codeshare destinations. Still subject to regulatory approvals are new destinations that include the Greek islands of Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and others, making it easy for Filipinos to explore Greece.

Etihad is in a great position to grow exponentially as the numbers of global travelers increase every year. In 2013 alone, it hired nearly 4,000 new employees — it has 142 nationalities in its employ — and plans to increase its staff to 5,000 crew and 2,000 pilots by the end of this year.

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Etihad has an ongoing promo until Feb. 28 for travel until July 15 for ts Pearl Business Class and Coral Economy Class. Select destinations include cities in Europe, the Middle East and the US. For inquiries, reservations and booking, call 838-4423. Log on to etihad.com.