Review: Etihad Airways B777 - First Class

Read about my experience traveling in First Class on Etihad Airways, aboard a Boeing 777, between Paris and Abu Dhabi.

Foreword

When I planned this dream trip to the United Arab Emirates, one of my goals was to travel in one of the most beautiful First Class in the world: Etihad Airways First Apartment on an Airbus A380.

etihad airways airbus a380 861 — Credit: Richard Vandervord

The description made by Etihad:

first class etihad a380 details

Traveling in an A380 is an experience in itself, so much so that this aircraft improves the comfort of passengers in all classes of travel.

But traveling in First Class on Etihad Airways, in an A380 is a dream for many people… including points and miles hunters. This first class, called “Apartment” includes:

a very large chair
a dedicated bed
a vanity for ladies
a shower on board!
a lobby to have a drink and relax…

In short, a unique travel experience!

You can see on this cabin plan, the space devoted to First Class apartments on the upper deck of the A380.

first class etihad a380

A few hours before departure, I receive an alert from Expertflyer:

aircraft change etihad

This is a feature you can program in Expertflyer to monitor whether an aircraft change is planned by the airline.

Unfortunately, a few hours before departure, we had no other option than to “suffer” this change of aircraft. #firstworldproblem

To find out how I booked this flight with points… Marriott Bonvoy,
read this portion of the article
.

Boarding

After a few hours of relaxing in the Etihad Airways lounge, Audrey and I headed to our gate. We will be the first to board through an entrance dedicated to First Class which has 8 seats.

Our seats are the 2D-G, in the center of the cabin.

first class etihad b777

These are separated by a partition, which is of course removable for people traveling together.

While the stewardess is adjusting our seats, I take the opportunity to have a look at the cabin, and especially at the solitary seats on the window side.

etihad first 777 13 — Etihad First – 777

If you are traveling alone, these seats are perfect, with 3-4 individual windows.

Let’s take a closer look at our chairs.

Under the ottoman, you will have room for your carry-on luggage: you can note that our Away luggage fits perfectly in this space.

etihad first 777 5 — Etihad First – 777 – Baggage Away

But in order to place my second carry-on bag in this location (including camera, computer, passports…), I prefer to place our Away bags in the overhead bins located in business class, right behind us.

etihad first 777 17 — Etihad First – 777 – Away Cases

I take the opportunity to take some pictures of the first business class cabin, still empty:

etihad first 777 14 — Etihad – Business class 777

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Back in First Class, you can see that there is no luggage compartment, which gives a real sense of space!

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While the boarding continues, under the background of Etihad’s music, the hostess offers us Champagne, cold drinks… and a souvenir photo.

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At our seats, we note the presence of a trunk in which you will find water bottles and other snacks, as well as a closet to hang your clothes, once you put on your pajamas!

The blanket provided is very soft and pleasant.

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The screen is very large… which is nice considering the distance between us!

There is an outlet for your electrical accessories, as well as good quality headphones.

At present, the hostess brings us the travel kit, of mark Aqua di Parma with products of quality (we regret however the absence of earplugs…!):

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And she provides us with pajamas that we can put on before takeoff. Let’s go to the bathroom!

This one is very spacious and “classy” with its black and white tones. Hygiene products are in abundance in the various drawers!

etihad first 777 76 — Etihad First – 777

etihad first 777 77 — Etihad First – 777

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Back at our seat – and still before takeoff – we are offered the menu options for tonight: either a full menu or a snack to optimize sleep time. We will choose… the full menu!

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etihad first 777 34 — Etihad First – 777 – Menu

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Service on board

Shortly after takeoff, cocktails will be served:

Americano Cocktail (Campari, White Martini, Soda)
Brass Monkey (Vodka, Rum, Orange juice)

etihad first 777 54 — Etihad First – 777 – cocktails

Then the service begins:

etihad first 777 43 — Etihad – First – 777 – Service

With caviar (note that between 2 services, it is really possible to isolate yourself by closing the doors of our “suite”:

etihad first 777 44 — Etihad First – 777 – Service

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etihad first 777 65 — Etihad First – 777 – Caviar

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Then we each chose a different entry:

Saumon fumé
Arabic Mezze

etihad first 777 66 — Etihad – First – 777 – Entrée

etihad first 777 67 — Etihad – First – 777 – Entrée

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Then a different course with a beautiful dessert (and many glasses of champagne!):

etihad first 777 70 — Etihad – First – 777 – Plat principal

etihad first 777 71 — Etihad – First – 777 – Plat principal

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The service lasted about 1h30, the time of a movie.

Shortly after the service, the cabin was dimmed… to reveal a starry sky!

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The hostess then set up our chairs in bed mode with the addition of a mattress topper, a comforter and a pillow. A real cocoon for a few hours of sleep.

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etihad first 777 81 — Etihad – First – 777 – Fauteuil-lit

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The flight was shorter than expected: about 5h50 to reach Abu Dhabi from Paris.

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Bottom line

A great flight on Etihad in this Boeing 777. The service was excellent and attentive. As for the product offered: it is very comfortable, but we are far from the great luxury of the A380 that we had the chance to have for our return.