What I liked
- The apartment was large and spacious
- The seat was comfortable
- Friendly crew
- Lots of storage
- Well prepared food
- On board shower
- Stylish design
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The Etihad First class apartment on the A380 is an incredible experience. The apartment is truly unique - along with Emirates and Singapore, it’s a cut above the rest.
This trip has been on my bucket list for the longest time, and it didn’t disappoint! Etihad First Class on the A380 is truly an apartment, and not a seat. The food, drinks and service were also top drawer. It comes highly recommended!
My review has loads of photos. Each photo can be clicked and pop out to a slideshow. You’ll know exactly what to expect when you fly this amazing product!
I also explain how I booked the one way First Class flight for $1,176. Not a typo. A 77% discount on the retail price. Hint: I used Marriot Bonvoy points.
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I used 40,000 Asiana Air miles to book the flight from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow. With $400 of fees on top. I created those Asiana Air Miles by buying Marriott Bonvoy Points, and then converting to Asiana. In total, I paid $1,176 in total to book the flight. If I had paid cash for the flight, it would have cost $5,177.
Asiana is a large Korean airline. If you didn’t know!
To summarise how I booked this deal:
The great news is that there’s loads of ways to obtain 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points. The easiest way is to buy the points from Marriott.
If you’re not a Marriott Bonvoy member, then you can sign up here. If you use my link, then you get 2,000 bonus points for each of your 1st five stays. If you signup on the Marriott website, then you won’t get these bonus points.
You can get 20,000 Bonvoy Points by taking part in a virtual presentation with Marriott Timeshare. The presentation is 1 hour long and you’ll learn about their timeshare program. There’s no obligation to buy anything. But you do need to sit through a zoom call!
If you want to book up, then email me. Give me your name, email address, city you live in and telephone number.
Full disclosure: I’m a happy member of Marriott Timeshare and have reviewed their resorts on this blog. This review is for Marriott Crystal Shores in Marco Island, Florida. This review is for Waikoloa Ocean Club in Big Island, Hawaii.
Finally, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy Points via American Express. AMEX have dedicated Marriott Bonvoy Cards. You can also convert AMEX reward points into Bonvoy Points.
The apartment on the A380 is the best of the Etihad first class seats. The 1st thing you notice as you walk in, is that it’s genuinely an apartment and not a seat. You have your own space and you can walk around.
This is different to other first classes. Even if the seat is large, it’s still a seat. Etihad was the 1st airline to have single aisle seating on a widebody aircraft. The apartment has the following features:
The seat is large, spacious and hard. It reminds me of a seat at a posh movie theatre! I liked it a lot.
I liked the bed. I would’ve preferred it if the bed was wider, but that’s the trade off for having a separate bed and seat. I was able to get 4 hours of sleep, which is pretty good for a flight. I didn’t have any issues with the temperature of the cabin either.
Singapore Air First Class on the A380 is also pretty special. Review here. Their apartment is even bigger than Etihad’s! They have a chair and a separate bed too. One of the best flights I’ve ever taken.
The Etihad first class cabin on the A380 has a really stylish design. The fact that there’s only 1 aisle just makes it feel ultra-exclusive. Not only does the A380 have the best of the Etihad first class seats, it also has the most beautiful cabin in the sky.
The TV is large and high quality – it’s located directly across from the seat. Etihad also has an excellent choice of content. I enjoyed the tail camera and the route map. Check out the slideshow for photos.
The amenity kit was supplied by Acqua Di Parma, and it was fantastic! It contains:
The cologne was simply awesome. The bag was also very stylish – my wife loved it!
In Etihad’s First Class, the menu is more of a suggested ingredients list - you can mix and match to create your meal. I’ve uploaded the menu in the above slideshow. At the beginning of the flight, the chef came to me, and we had a discussion about what to eat. He was able to create a bespoke meal, which was really cool as I was vegetarian on that day.
I went for the Arabic mezze for starter and halloumi cakes for the main. They were both very good. I am a huge fan of Arabic mezze, so I may be a little biased here!
The Halloumi cakes with green veggies and fries were good as well. It reminds me of the vegetarian option at a steak house!
The drinks offering is of the premium variety - I had a rose champagne to start with. I’m not a champagne expert, but it reminded me of the champagne you get in business class. In fact the champagne at the Air France Business Lounge in Paris was far better. I didn't much enjoy the champagne, however I wanted to review it, so I made sure that I finished it!
Overall the alcohol selection was decent. Grey Goose is a premium vodka. But it does lag behind what many other airlines offer in First class. It would be a high quality business class selection.
This is probably the main disappointment with the flight. It doesn't bother me, as I don't drink much alcohol - but it’s important to many people. The full drinks menu is in the above slideshow
The service was good. Three people introduced themselves to me before the flight. Roshan was the in-flight chef. Two members of the First Class cabin crew also came to me. I found them all to be friendly, helpful and attentive. They all addressed me by name.
An on-board shower is a novelty that never gets old! While not as bling as the Emirates shower, it’s a shower on a plane. Amazing really!
In an era where airlines are getting rid of First class, the Etihad A380 Apartment is a truly luxury First Class experience in the sky. I really enjoyed writing this review and I had a fantastic time!
The apartment is spacious, the food was fantastic and the service was excellent. I had a terrific trip. After taking the Etihad First Class Apartment, travel will never be the same! I actually wrote an article on what it’s like to fly coach after travelling in Business.
Don’t forget, The latest Etihad sale has landed! There’s excellent offers in economy and business class. As always, I suggest that you book quickly. The best deals will go fast.
On a personal note, I don’t always fly 1st class. I flew business class with Etihad, and it was awesome. The cabin is well designed and classy. The food was also excellent – I probably took in 10,000 calories!
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