The most amazing First Class experience might not be around at the cheap rates. Now is the time to book one of the 100+ available dates at a significant discount with your AAdvantage miles.
There’s a rumor going around that Etihad is leaving the oneworld alliance to possibly join Star Alliance. This would be a bummer for all AAdvantage miles collectors as you wouldn’t be able to lock in their First Apartment flight at a great price anymore. However, there is still time. For you First Class enthusiasts out there, Etihad’s First Apartment is a flight experience of a lifetime. Now might be your last chance to book one of these flights while you can still get it for a great rate with your AAdvantage miles.
Here’s What’s Included in this Report:
- A quick summary of why you want to Fly Etihad’s First Apartment
- Routes that offer the First Apartment—and have a volume of dates to use your miles on cheap American Airlines mileage awards
- How you can get the $16,000+ flight one-way for just $2,416
- The trick to booking the ticket with AAdvantage miles
Here’s why we LOVE Etihad’s First Apartment
Famous for its onboard shower, Etihad’s First Apartment is about as luxurious as First Class gets. Each suite contains a comfortable seat, 6’10” long couch that converts into a bed, and a vanity unit to freshen up or hang your suit for the flight. At 39 square feet, Etihad’s First Apartment is much bigger than any other First Class experience that I’ve seen (for reference, that’s 74% bigger than the airline’s ‘Diamond’ First Class Suite).
The First Apartment also boasts a dining table; perfect for a couple—or if you want to have a meeting with another apartment dweller. You can close the apartment’s 5-foot sliding doors for privacy.
What does an Etihad First Apartment Seat Normally Cost?
Take a look at the fare chart below. These seats are NOT cheap…
First Apartment Cost Round-Trip
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How Many American Miles Does it Take to Fly First Apartment?
Through American Airlines and Etihad’s relationship with Oneworld, you can use your AAdvantage miles on Etihad flights at the following rates (each way):
- U.S. to Middle East: 115,000 miles
- Europe to Middle East: 62,500 miles
- Australia to Middle East: 100,000 miles
Routes with Availability
As you can see in the FCF alert links below, date availability can be very hit-or-miss. If you’re thinking about planning a trip now, try to incorporate these routes and dates to snag a $16,000+ one-way ticket for just 115,000 American miles from the U.S.
100+ Dates to Fly Etihad’s ‘First Apartment’ With Miles Between Sydney and Abu Dhabi
Some First Apartment Availability for Two Travelers Found Between Middle East and New York One Way
First Apartment Wide Open Between Paris and Abu Dhabi
No American Miles? No Problem
If you don’t have any American miles but still want to save up to $14,384 (86%) on a First Apartment flight one-way, you can buy miles anytime here for 3.2 cents each. Even better, keep your eyes peeled (we’ll help you there) and pick them up when they’re on sale for between 1.8 and 2 cents each. The current sale, which ends April 30, offers them as low as 1.9 cents. The following table will show you just how much you can save…
First Apartment Cost One-way
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The Trick to How to Book
For some reason, Etihad’s best availability is not readily available on American’s website—nor its U.S.-based call center agents. So, it’s best to check by calling AAdvantage Australia customer service, at +61 291011948. Seems weird, but it really works.
First, here’s how to check availability for specific dates:
- First get a sense of available dates from FCF alerts (links above)
- Then search for specific dates on Etihad’s website here (no login required)
- Find specific dates with “Guest First” award space (see image below) and write down the date and flight number
4. The last step is simply to call American Airlines’ Australian call center (+61-2-91011948 / easy with Skype) to put on hold for 5 days, or book. If you have dates and a decent agent, this can take 7 minutes. If your phone agent doesn’t sound very experienced, you might want to just hang up (politely) and hit redial.