Only One in Etihad A380 First Class Apartment!
Abu Dhabi (AUH) - London (LHR)
This was the flight I based my entire "around the world" trip on with numerous stops in Asia and Europe on either end. I have alwayss wanted to fly this product and Etihad finally brought it back in July of 2023. There was only 2 problems…
1) Couldn't find any First Class reward availability from AUH-LHR. However when I searched BKK-LHR it magically appeared! I paid 100k Air Canada miles plus $97 in taxes and fees for the flight the way from Bangkok to London. This included 787-9 business class from BKK-AUH and A380 first class apartment from AUH-LHR.
2) The re-entry into service of the second A380 kept getting delayed! In fact, I ended up being on only the 5th or 6th flight of EY19 from AUH-LHR once it was ready. I was so nervous leading up to the flight we were going to get swapped to the 787/777 or have one of the planes go out of service.
But I got to fly on her and was even luckier to be the ONLY passenger in First Class on this flight, out of 9 first class apartments and the Residence. I didn't pay more for the upgrade, but the crew did give me a tour of the residence on board (no photos allowed). But they were fantastic, setting up 4K in bed mode for me to sleep while I sat and ate in 4A. Rows 3-4 are definitely the way to go with true window seats and they can be combined for a couple to sleep next to each other. The seat was huge and super comfy and I had no issues with the bed. Its thin but long and I caught some nice sleep after service.
The dining experience was also great - I had 3 FAs to myself constantly brining me tons of goodies and delicious food and drink. The caviar service was the best I've had and the steak was cooked perfectly to my liking. However the star of the show was the magical melting golden ball of chocolate thing 😂. I did pass on the shower since I just had one in AUH and would try Emirates on a future flight.
The business class experience on the 787 was also above my expectations - the older studio business class seat was honestly like a QSuite without the door! Lots of leg space and very comfortable combined with another excellent crew. I had so many bellinis. Thank you Etihad!
P.S. Added a few photos from London. Stayed at the Zedwell (interesting hotel with no windows) right in the heart of Piccadilly and walked over to Covent Garden. Just one night here before I spend 7 weeks exploring Spain, France, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, and Iceland.
