Manchester to Delhi in Etihad business class: is the stop in Abu Dhabi worth it?
A return trip with one stop each way, four flights and two very different days in the air. Here's what it cost, how the connection went and whether I'd book it again over flying direct.
By The FatMan · Flown June 2026
x/10
- Route
- Manchester (MAN) to Delhi (DEL), return
- Airline
- Etihad Airways, via Abu Dhabi (AUH)
- Flights
- 4
- Flown
- June 2026
- Paid
- [£x return]
- Verdict
- [One line: who should book this and why]
What I paid
- Paid
- [£x return]
Paid for by The FatMan. No airline sees a review before it is published.
The flights
- 1MAN–AUH[Boeing 787-9]x/10On this page
- 2AUH–DEL[x]x/10On this page
- 3DEL–AUH[x]x/10On this page
- 4AUH–MANBoeing 787-96/10Full review
The airports
[What security and the walk to the gate were like]
Lounge: [Lounge used] [One line]
Manchester airport guide[What the transfer was like: security, walking distance, signage]
Lounge: [Lounge used] [What was good, what wasn't]
Seating for a larger frame: [Did you find a seat that works?]
Abu Dhabi airport guideWhat it cost
I paid [£x] for the return, booked [x weeks] ahead. That’s one fare for all four flights, so I can’t price each leg on its own. For context, [comparison fare checked on the same dates, labelled as research]. The question isn’t whether it’s cheap; it’s whether what you get across four flights is worth it.
The connection
[x h x min] outbound, [x h] on the way back. [What the transfer was like: security, walking distance, signage.]
What it means for you: [If you have under x minutes, …]
Direct or one-stop?
This is the real decision for most of us on this route. Flying direct saves [x h]. The stop costs you a connection, but [what it gives you back: price, a better seat, breaking up the journey].
The return leg
[Was the way home better or worse than the way out? One or two sentences.]
Who should book this journey
- Book it if [x].
- Skip it if [x].
Journey verdict
[Two or three sentences. A clear answer, the downside included.]
What we would sort before this trip
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