Etihad First Class for 2 (Jan-Feb 2023)
The early bird gets the award.
First class space on Etihad isn't always the easiest to find, especially when booking for two people. However, if you're willing to book early 2023 already, you have a decent shot of finding space to Abu Dhabi.
I'll note that space is sparse on the return fro Abu Dhabi so I've shared business class award as well. You can pair a first class award on the outbound with a business class award on the return if you so choose.
Now, let's get into it the award space!
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Straight To The Points:
Routes: IAD-AUH
Operating airline: Etihad
Class of service: First class & business class
Dates: January - February 2022
Seats available: 2
Cabin layout: 1-2-1
Book first class with (per person, one-way):
- *Air Canada Aeroplan: 120,000 miles
- *American AAdvantage: 115,000 miles
- Asiana Club: 80,000 miles
- Etihad Guest: 136,410 miles
Book business class with (per person, one-way):
- *Air Canada Aeroplan: 85,000 miles
- *American AAdvantage: 70,000 miles
- Asiana Club: 60,000 miles
- Etihad Guest: 120,000 miles
*No surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person):
- One-way: ~$38
- Round-trip: ~$88
- With Surcharges:
- One-way: ~$480
- Round-trip: ~$960
Bank transfer partners:
- Air Canada: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
- American: Bilt, Marriott
- Asiana: Marriott
- Etihad: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Don't forget to let me know if you book and how you did it!
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DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that COVID travel restrictions could prevent you from traveling. Additionally, please make sure you understand the cancellation, redeposit, and change fees required before booking.
Travel Restrictions and Requirements
With travel restrictions changing by the day, please take a look at the US embassy site for your destination. Here's a link to the UAE to get you started.
Flight Experience
Etihad's first class and Business Studio on the Dreamliner are arranged in a 1-2-1 cabin layout. Naturally, the first class seats will have significantly more space.
In first class, you can expect caviar, champagne, and a very nice meal. With only 8 seats in the cabin, the service is also quite impressive.
The business class cabin is arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 layout. Odd numbered seats are rear-facing while even-numbered seats are front-facing.
If you're traveling solo, you'll have the most privacy in the even-numbered window seats. Couples often prefer the even-numbered middle seats which are close together and thus make it easier to interact.
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Available Dates
You can find award space for two people on the following dates:
IAD-AUH (first class)
January: 1, 3-5, 9, 16, 17, 22-26, 29, 30
February: 1, 2, 4-11, 13
AUH-IAD (first class)
January: 19, 25
February: 1, 2, 8
IAD-AUH (business class)
January: 1, 3-6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 23-31
February: 2-11, 13-20, 22-25
AUH-IAD (business class)
January: 9, 10, 20, 22, 24-27, 31
February: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10-12, 15, 17, 19-25
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Best Ways To Book
Etihad First Class
While American requires 115,000 miles and Aeroplan requires 120,000 points for first class, I find that most people are able to earn Aeroplan points much faster thanks to multiple transfer partners. As such, I think Aeroplan is the best option.
Asiana Club is a great option if you happen to have some miles sitting in your account and they actually see the space when you call to book.
Etihad Business Class
This one isn't quite as easy. American requires 15,000 fewer miles than Aeroplan (70,000 vs 85,000) for a nonstop. Using American miles is a great way to book if you have them, you quickly earn AA miles from work travel, or you earn Bilt points quickly.
With Aeroplan, you can include a stopover for 5,000 points on a one-way award ticket. You can use GCmap to calculate your total flight distance and double-check Aeroplan's zone-based chart.
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How To Book
I'd search with Air Canada. Here's a quick rundown on the search process:
- Go to Air Canada's site
- Select to use Points
- Enter origin and destination
- Select one-way or round-trip
- Select number of people
- Enter departure (and return) date
- Select your flights
- Pay taxes/fees
I recommend confirming the space is available then transferring points. You'll need to log out after you transfer points then run the search once more so you can book.
If you're booking with American miles, get ready to put in some additional work.
Once you confirm the award space is available with Aeroplan, you'll need to call American to put a ticket on hold. Recently, I've seen success with the Malaysia call center (03-2053-5120) rather than the more commonly used Australia call center (02-9101-1948).
You will need to provide the exact flight details (date, flight number, etc.) rather than simply asking them to search for award space on your dates.
With the ticket on hold, call the U.S. call center (1-800-433-7300) to pay the taxes and fees. Make sure they don't charge a phone booking fee since this isn't available on American's site.
If you're booking with Asiana, you'll need to call. I had better luck with the Seoul call center (+82-2-2669-8000) than the US office (800-227-4262).
With Etihad Guest, you can search and book online.
Final Thoughts
Etihad isn't consistent with releasing award space so it's nice to see the opportunity to book 2+ first class seats. If you've already been to the UAE, it's still a great option to connect on your way to somewhere else in the Middle East, the Maldives, or even Southeast Asia.
Happy booking!
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