Etihad First Class for 2 (Summer/Fall 2023)
Etihad just announced the return of their A380 to London which means The Apartments are returning to the sky. While we wait (and hope) for their A380 to return to the US, we have some first class award space on their Boeing 787-9.
First class space on Etihad isn't always the easiest to find, especially when booking for two people. However, there are a bunch of dates available next fall plus a few next summer. Even if the UAE isn't on your list, this could be a great way to get the Maldives, India, Egypt, and more!
I'll be in NYC on Monday, December 12 (just a few days from now) and am putting together a small points & miles meetup that evening. If you'd like to join, email me and I'll send the location.
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
Dates: June - October 2023
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
*No surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person):
- One-way: ~$56
- Round-trip: ~$154
- With Surcharges:
- One-way: ~$511
- Round-trip: ~$1,069
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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Flight Experience
Etihad's first class on the Dreamliner is arranged in a 1-2-1 cabin layout. You can expect caviar, champagne, and a very nice meal. With only 8 seats in the cabin, the service is also quite impressive.
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Available Dates
IAD-AUH
June: 2, 5, 6, 16
July: 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 16-18, 20, 24, 26, 27, 31
August: 1, 7, 11, 13-15, 17, 19-22, 24, 26, 28, 31
September: 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16-18, 20, 22-28
October: 4, 6, 8-10, 16, 17, 23, 24
AUH-IAD
June: 8, 9, 13
July: N/A
August: 1, 8, 14, 22, 24, 26, 28, 31
September: 1, 2, 6-9, 13-16, 18-21, 25, 26, 28
October: 2-6, 10-13, 18, 24
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Best Ways To Book
Aeroplan: Easy To Earn, Solid Award Rate, No Surcharges
Since you can transfer points from Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Chase, Aeroplan will be the best option for most people. Plus, Aeroplan doesn't tack on surcharges so the taxes/fees are low. This all combines to make 130,000 Aeroplan points a great option for booking Etihad first class.
Please remember that Aeroplan has both region-based and distance-based components to its award chart. As such, connections could cause the award rate to increase.
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.
American AAdvantage: Best Rate, Tougher To Earn
If you credit lots of cash tickets to American, use one of their co-branded cards, or if you bought miles during the SimplyMiles/Conservational International promo last December, this is a great option at 115,000 miles one-way.
As with Aeroplan, you won't be on the hook for surcharges. However, the big AAdvantage (get it, get it), is that you can included connections within the US, within the Middle East, and to the Indian Subcontinent for no additional miles.
Please note that American has had a tough time seeing Etihad award space.
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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. However, the US call center won't be able to help you. I would try one of the following call centers:
- Australia: +61 2-9101-1948
- New Zealand: +64 09-308-4014
- Singapore: +65 6349-8444
- Malaysia: +60 3-2053-5120
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 US 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.
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Final Thoughts
Etihad isn't always consistent with releasing award space so it's nice to see the opportunity to book two 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 SE Asia.
Happy booking!
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