Business class customers wishing to travel from the Munster region to Abu Dhabi are set for a treat thanks to Etihad Airways from today (September 27). As part of the Etihad Pearl Business Class customers who check in at either Shannon or Cork airports will be handed the keys to a shiny new Audi A4 before basking in the splendour of Etihad’s state-of-the-art business lounge.
With prices starting from €1,999 return this seems like an unbelievable deal but it does have one small proviso. Upon collecting the keys to the Audi from the Hertz representative at Cork or Shannon customers must then drive to Dublin Airport, where they return the car, before accessing the Etihad business lounge at Terminal 2 and boarding their flight to Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Airways operates 10 direct flights a week between Dublin and its home base Abu Dhabi and as Justin Warby, Country Manager of Etihad Airways said: “Ireland is an extremely important market for Etihad.”
Just obviously not important enough to offer flights from Shannon or Cork... A similar scheme that does away with the pain of having to find a space in the long term car park has been offered to customers from the Leinster region for years. It is called a taxi-cab and these cars can be ordered in advance via the web or over the phone or hailed on busy streets by sticking your thumb out.