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Always a fan of flying, Spencer wanted to find ways to upgrade his travel experience. Over the years, Spencer has been a guest speaker on multiple YouTube shows as well as podcasts on maximizing point.
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When Etihad rolled out The Apartments, it took first class flying to the next level. Considered by many to be the best first class experience in the world, The Apartments defined luxury flying.
However, in 2020, Etihad grounded the aircraft that contains The Apartments. Luckily, the Etihad A380s that exclusively offered The Apartments are being reinstated as of July 2023 on select flights between London (LHR) and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
If you’re planning on flying Etihad first class outside aboard a different aircraft, don’t fret — even on Etihad planes without The Apartments, you’ll still have a great first class suite and access to the carrier’s stellar first class lounge.
Etihad first class is one flight experience you don’t want to miss!
When you fly Etihad first class, you’re going to have an amazing journey starting from the moment you set foot in the airport.
You’ll find first class suites on select Etihad Boeing 787 Dreamliners, while The Apartment is available on Etihad A380s.
The first class product on a 787 is a spacious suite with motorized doors, lie-flat leather seats, an ottoman, an oversized inflight monitor, and a personal minibar.
The Apartment on the A380s provide a massive amount of space and feature a leather armchair and a separate daybed/ottoman that transforms into a bed that’s nearly 7 feet long!
Whenever you fly Etihad first class from the airline’s home airport in Abu Dhabi you’ll have the opportunity to visit the highly-rated Etihad First Class Lounge.
Before boarding your flight, you can savor a luxury lounge experience with white tablecloth dining services, a full cocktail bar, and showers.
Additionally, you’ll have access to its premium lounges when departing from the U.S. and other cities around the world. Last but not least, Abu Dhabi also has a welcome lounge for you to enjoy upon arrival.
We’ve only just begun to look at why the Etihad first class experience is one of the most sought-after flights in the world.
Before we dig in some more, let’s talk about how you can book this awesome flight!
Etihad’s own loyalty program, Etihad Guest, is the most straightforward way to book Etihad award tickets, and it is one of the few ways you can book this flight online.
Etihad Guest prices its award flights according to the distance of the flight. Below is the pricing for first class award tickets:
SCROLL FOR MOREDistance Band
Etihad Guest Pricing for Etihad First Class
For example, a one-way flight from London (LHR) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) covers 3,432 miles, resulting in a first class award that costs 140,000 Etihad Guest miles.
To complete a booking online, follow these simple steps:
You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Points, and Capital One miles to Etihad Guest at a 1:1 ratio. Amex and Citi transfers occur almost instantly, while Capital One transfers take around 36 hours.
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio to Etihad Guest, with a bonus of 5,000 Etihad miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at once. Marriott Bonvoy points take 3 business days to transfer to Etihad.
Hot Tip: Check out our Transfer Partner Calculator to quickly determine the required number of points needed for your award!
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Thanks to the partnership between Etihad and Air Canada, you can now use your Aeroplan points to fly Etihad first class!
Better yet, the rates are quite reasonable and Etihad does not pass on carrier-imposed surcharges on Aeroplan bookings.
Here is Aeroplan’s award chart for one-way flights between North America and Atlantic zones for partner airlines:
SCROLL FOR MOREDistance (Miles)
Economy (Points)
Business (Points)
First (Points)
0 to 4,000
4,001 to 6,000
6,001 to 8,000
8,001+
Another valuable characteristic of Aeroplan is that you can pay an additional 5,000 points to add a stopover on your journey!
Just bear in mind that adding a stopover requires a call to Air Canada to book, as well as the consideration that the new flight distance is the sum of each segment’s flight distance.
Here’s what you need to know to make an Etihad first class booking with Aeroplan points:
Air Canada Aeroplan is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Chase points transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio and occur almost instantly.
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio to Aeroplan, and transfers take around 5 business days. Also, there’s a transfer bonus of 5,000 Aeroplan points when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at a time to Aeroplan.
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Although using Asiana miles is not quite as straightforward as Etihad Guest, putting in the extra effort to call Asiana Club can definitely be worth it because it is the cheapest way to fly Etihad first class.
So, if you want to save your precious points and have a bunch of Asiana miles or Marriott Bonvoy points, this is a great way to fly Etihad first class.
Here is Asiana’s pricing for one-way awards between North America and the Middle East:
SCROLL FOR MORERoute
Economy (Miles)
Business (Miles)
First (Miles)
North America to the Middle East
It will cost you 80,000 Asiana miles one-way (or 160,000 miles round-trip), plus taxes and fees, to travel between the U.S. and the Middle East in first class.
If you have plenty of Marriott Bonvoy points or Asiana miles, follow these steps to book your Etihad first class flights:
Asiana miles, unfortunately, are difficult to earn. That’s because it has just 1 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.
Transfers happen at a 3:1 ratio, and you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 Asiana miles if you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at 1 time to Asiana Club. Transfers take around 4 business days to process.
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The American Airlines AAdvantage program is a favorite for many who are looking to enjoy superb redemption value on Etihad first class award tickets.
Here is the award chart for one-way awards between the continental U.S. and the Middle East:
SCROLL FOR MORERoute
Economy (Miles)
Business (Miles)
First (Miles)
Contiguous 48 U.S. states to the Middle East
Unlike the Etihad Guest and Air Canada Aeroplan programs, American requires you to book Etihad flights over the phone.
Here’s what you need to know to book Etihad awards via American Airlines:
You have many different options for redeeming AAdvantage miles, so don’t think booking Etihad is the only good choice!
American Airlines AAdvantage has 1 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to American at a 3:1 ratio. These transfers take around 2 business days to complete.
Also, you can earn AAdvantage miles directly from the American Airlines co-branded credit cards offered by Citi and Barclays.
Generally, the American AAdvantage program has better award redemption rates than Etihad Guest. However, there are more ways to earn Etihad Guest miles, so that could be a good option for those who don’t have AA miles. Other booking options include Air Canada Aeroplan and Asiana Club, both of which have their pros and cons.
Another important factor to consider when booking an award ticket is the fuel surcharges airline loyalty programs can levy, which can significantly increase the cash fees of an award ticket.
Etihad and Asiana will require you to pay fuel surcharges while American and Air Canada will not, so your out-of-pocket costs will be lower with the latter 2 programs.
Here are the total costs for a one-way Etihad first class booking on a handful of its routes with each frequent flyer program:
SCROLL FOR MORERoute (One-Way)
Etihad Miles Cost
Air Canada Aeroplan Points Cost
Asiana Club Miles Cost
American AAdvantage Miles Cost
Casablanca (CMN) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
140,000 miles + ~$185 to $223
65,000 points + ~$50
40,000 miles + ~$185 to $223
80,000 miles + ~$62
Geneva (GVA) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
140,000 miles + ~$185
65,000 points + ~$50
40,000 miles + ~$185
62,500 miles + ~$62
London (LHR) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
140,000 miles + ~$234 to $517
65,000 points + ~$64 to $346
40,000 miles + ~$185 to $452
62,500 miles + ~$62 to $346
Paris (CDG) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
140,000 miles + ~$185
65,000 points + ~$50
40,000 miles + ~$185
62,500 miles + ~$62
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
220,000 miles + ~$331 to $371
120,000 points + ~$50
80,000 miles + ~$331 to $371
115,000 miles + ~$62
Here are some incredible Etihad first class redemptions you can make:
If you find an Etihad flight operated by an aircraft that is equipped with first class seats and your travel dates are reasonably flexible, you should have a good shot at booking Etihad first class.
Before doing so, however, you need to amass enough points to book these flights!
Asiana Club offers the lowest award cost, but you’ll have a hard time earning enough miles unless you have a bunch of Marriott Bonvoy points. Also, Asiana Club passes on higher fuel surcharges than others.
American Airlines AAdvantage has a bunch of co-branded cards that earn miles directly, but besides that, you need to rely on transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy to AAdvantage.
Aeroplan and Etihad Guest are probably the most realistic frequent flyer programs to use when booking Etihad first class, thanks to transfer partnerships from major programs including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
To summarize, these are the transferable currencies that can be used for Etihad first class bookings:
Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to book Etihad first class using Brex Rewards points.
One last method to consider can actually reduce the number of Etihad Guest miles required for award redemptions.
When you’ve found award space on Etihad Guest and are ready to book your flight, you can actually utilize the Miles Plus Cash option that allows you to use a sliding scale to customize the amount of points and cash used to pay for your reservation.
This effectively allows you to purchase points to use fewer Etihad Guest miles/top off your mileage balance for only 0.9 cents per point!
You can do this for up to 25% of the ticket price, which can make for a great deal.
This feature provides phenomenal value, and it should be seriously considered when making award redemptions using Etihad Guest miles.
Etihad does not consistently release first class award space at a specific time.
The sooner you have your travel dates narrowed down, the more luck you’ll have making a successful booking.
While you might not find award space immediately, check back regularly.
Let’s talk a bit more about what you get during the Etihad first class experience.
In Abu Dhabi, you will have access to the exclusive Etihad First Class Lounge which includes a fully-staffed bar with a wide selection of wine and spirits. You can also order food from the bar menu or head to the dining room for a sit-down meal.
If that weren’t enough, you can also utilize the Six Senses Spa and Style & Shave. As a first class passenger, you will have your choice of a complimentary massage, facial, wet shave, nail, or blow-dry service.
You can also enjoy a nice cigar at the cigar lounge. If you’re a cigar lover, grab a beer or your favorite whiskey, sit back, relax, and enjoy a smoke. The lounge even has a gym!
Etihad provides a first and business class lounge at 9 other airports: Dublin (DUB), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), Manchester (MAN), Melbourne (MEL), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Sydney (SYD), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). It also partners with other lounges at airports across the globe.
From fine dining in the Etihad First Class Lounge to your inflight meals, you won’t be disappointed with any of the food during your first class experience.
First class flights include on-demand dining so you can choose what to eat and when you want to have it. Though the first class inflight chefs were eliminated as a result of COVID-19, the dining experience in first class is definitely built around your enjoyment!
Hot Tip: Unfortunately, Etihad cut its chauffeur service for all award flights, including those booked with its own miles.
Etihad offers one of the best first class products in the sky — it’s truly a luxurious experience all the way through.
Take advantage of fine dining, amazing service, and your own cozy space. You’ll have more fun flying than ever before!
Now, go find Etihad award space and book your next adventure!
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The easiest way to book Etihad award flights is through either the Etihad Guest program or Air Canada Aeroplan. These are the only programs that allow you to book Etihad first class online.
However, you may be able to use fewer miles through American Airlines AAdvantage or Asiana Club.
If you earn Amex Membership Rewards points, Capital One miles, or Citi ThankYou Points, you can transfer them to Air Canada Aeroplan or Etihad Guest.
If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer them to Air Canada Aeroplan.
If you have Marriott Bonvoy points, you can transfer them to American AAdvantage or Asiana Club.
If you have Bilt Rewards points, you can transfer them to Air Canada Aeroplan.
Lastly, American Airlines has a collection of co-branded credit cards issued by both Citi and Barclays that earn American miles.
When you fly Etihad first class, you’ll enjoy one of the most lavish first class suites in the sky with plenty of privacy and luxury amenities.
Before your flight, you can relax with a drink or a cigar at the first class lounge. Don’t forget to get a shave, haircut, or massage!
The Etihad A380 aircraft that offer The Residence and First Class Apartments are currently grounded. Luckily, the Etihad A380s that exclusively offered the First Class Apartments are being reinstated as of July 2023 on select flights between London (LHR) and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
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Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.
Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!
Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.
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