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After several hours of relaxation in the Etihad Airways First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi, it is time to board our flight to Paris, in a First Class Apartment, on an Etihad Airways A380.
I planned this trip several months in advance, specifically choosing a round trip flight, in First Class, from Paris to travel both ways on the flagship aircraft of Etihad Airways: the A380.
And I had chosen to do the night trip (6h30 flight) and the day trip (longer flight: 7h30) to share the two options with you! Unfortunately, as is often the case in travel, not everything goes as planned.
On our outbound flight, Etihad Airways chose—at the last minute—to replace the A380 with a B777. In the jargon, this is called an “aircraft change,” the dread of every #Avgeek like me who has meticulously planned these flights to travel on a specific aircraft.
Disappointed, we told ourselves that it would at least have the merit of letting us experience two types of First Class, which are radically different. And despite everything, that outbound flight in First Class on a Boeing 777 went really well.
But imagine my anger when, the day before our return, I received another notification of an aircraft change, again from an A380 to a B777! Our flight scheduled for 9:30 AM the next day was also going to be on a B777, while the flight scheduled for 2:30 AM would be on an A380!
So I moved heaven and earth to get us moved on this flight:
However, I could see on Expertflyer that there were 2 seats still available on that flight! Audrey then said to me: “let’s go to the airport and try something!”
So we left the Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai around 2 PM to arrive at Abu Dhabi airport around 3:30 PM, at the Etihad Airways Guest Services First counter.
Understanding our “distress,” the customer service agent also moved heaven and earth for nearly half an hour… returning with our 2 tickets for the A380 flight!
Relieved, we went back to see the sunset over the Mosque, near the airport, before returning our rental vehicle and heading to the lounge.
We then leave the lounge to head towards our boarding gate located at the end of the terminal.
Unlike Lufthansa, which will assign a person to accompany you to the aircraft door when you travel in First Class, the ground service is not the same for Etihad Airways. The corridors are crowded, and a long walk awaits us!
Once at the gate, the pre-boarding process has begun: passengers are checked in to pass through a “buffer” room before boarding.
First and Business Class passengers have a dedicated line, which allows us to avoid the queue. In the “buffer” room, a space is dedicated to “Premium Boarding”.
AS
Shortly thereafter, First Class passengers are invited to board. The Etihad Airways A380 is distributed as follows:
After the hustle and bustle of the terminal, we find the serenity of the First Class cabin, accompanied by the very specific Etihad boarding music! For those who want to listen to it while reading the rest of the report, here it is:
Here are some views to share with you different details of this sumptuous cabin:
Having taken the last two available seats, we had no choice…. and were separated by the corridor.
But those who know me… know that in such a situation, I try to negotiate something! In the meantime, I take the opportunity to photograph our “temporary” seats.
These “apartments” are usually not taken because:
But hey… you can’t deny the quality of the facilities!
During a good ten minutes, I take advantage of it to make a maximum of pictures… while enjoying the champagne served and resservi… The man is satisfied!
We can see another apartment layout, the most desired since it offers:
It just goes to show… even in First Class there can be “good” and bad “less good” seats!
The cabin manager comes back to see us, offering 2 new adjoining apartments: 2 businessmen, traveling alone, agreed to let this young honeymoon couple enjoy apartments next to each other! 😳
My apartment will be 1H (facing The Residence) and Audrey will have 2H.
Here are a few photos, with the gentleman still over the moon:
The interior storage is really clever. It is possible to put under the bed our cabin suitcase and there is a personal mini bar.
The remote control is particularly practical, with a whole series of available ports (USB / HDMI). The seat controls are also numerous:
During the boarding phase, we are offered to prepare our beds in order to maximize our sleeping time.
We take advantage of it for a small photo “Thank you! milesopedia”
We are also given pajamas and a welcome kit:
In which we regret the absence of earplugs:
Noise-cancelling headphones are included:
The television has a huge catalog of movies and series, and is of very good quality. It is even possible to view live content or read e-magazines.
While the boarding continues, the flight attendants will not fail to provide us with champagne and appetizers.
The “Chef de Cuisine” then comes to take our orders for dinner and breakfast. Knowing that it is 2:30 AM and that we had just had dinner in the lounge, we prefer to only choose the breakfast options.
Shortly before takeoff, I take the opportunity to walk around and discover the bar area.
This space is located between First Class and Business Class. Here is a picture of the Business Class, which also looked very nice on this A380.
The First Class has 2 bathrooms, one of which has… a shower!
… yes, a shower!
The cabin manager will come to take reservations for the shower: 30 minutes of bathroom occupancy are granted, including 5 minutes of “water” time for the shower. The allotted time counts down via an electronic hourglass (from green to red).
And I have to tell you: it’s quite incredible to shower on a plane! Audrey and I chose a slot just 1 hour before landing, which allowed us to go explore Paris, “clean and fresh,” during our long layover before heading to Nice!
I couldn’t help but savor this moment than being in a bed, on a plane! (We recognize who #Avgeek is in the couple…)
We slept most of the flight – but Audrey will admit to me that she slept better in the B777 than in the bed of this A380 considered “too hard”. #firstclassproblem
One hour before landing – and after our shower – breakfast will be served:
I take the opportunity to chat more with our “Butler” who is usually assigned to the famous Residence… except when it is unoccupied.
And even when unoccupied, the flight attendants are ordered to close the doors to avoid “prying eyes”.
He will give us a tour of it, with a ban on taking photos. And it really is a level above First Class: with its double bed in a soundproof room and its private bathroom… just WoW.
I take the opportunity to immortalize the moment:
A little make-up for the lady and a coffee for the gentleman before landing:
Landing that I would watch live on TV screens (a camera is fixed on the tail of the aircraft).
Etihad Airways First Class on the A380 lived up to my expectations. Even though it’s a short flight (7h30), it gives us a very nice glimpse of the experience! If you have the opportunity to try it, I highly recommend it!
There is a lot of availability on the Paris/London-Abu Dhabi segments (but there is still a high risk of aircraft changes…). The most coveted flight is New York – Abu Dhabi, but it is rarely available.
How did I book this flight? It’s in this article!
Wondering how to accumulate enough miles for an exchange like this? Check out our complete guide to the Etihad Guest program to learn everything about earning, redeeming, and elite status.
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