Planning & Booking
Planning & Booking II
Washington Dulles (IAD) Lounge Hopping
United Airlines 777-200 Global First Washington to London
United Arrivals Lounge London
Andaz London Liverpool Street
Etihad Airways First & Business Class Lounge London
Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment London to Abu Dhabi
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways Premium Lounge Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment Abu Dhabi to New York
American Express Centurion Lounge LGA
After a quick visit to the pre-clearance lounge, it was soon time for boarding. At this point, it was 3AM local time and 11PM London time and we were both ready to relax onboard, have a great meal, and then get some much needed sleep.
Etihad A380 First Class Apartment 3K |
View from 3K |
Love these pillows - anyone know where to buy them? |
Champagne was poured at our seats as we relaxed and snapped some pictures. The cabin looked a bit different at night - definitely warmer lighting and a sexier mood than the day flight a few days prior.
Pajamas (although I ended up leaving mine on the plane - rookie mistake) and slippers were delivered along with a welcome note from the cabin manager. Amenity kits were available within the vanity - same as the flight from London to Abu Dhabi. Dates and Arabic Coffee were also delivered as we moved to Champagne glass number two.
The crew asked if we'd like to dine together and we said yes. We've dined together (facing each other) on Cathay and Singapore but this was the first time the crew proactively offered and did so with a smile. The logistics of serving two people on a smallish tray table are definitely a bit more complicated - especially in a moving aircraft.
We were underway on-time despite 3:30AM being rush hour at Middle East airports. Once in the air, we placed our dinner orders. The lighting was dim and I honestly can't remember what I ordered so we'll leave that out of the report this time around. If you're interested in reading about Etihad's food, checkout the day flight review from London to Abu Dhabi.
Our table was set and Emily walked through the aisle over to my apartment for dinner. While not a great picture post dinner, this provides a bit of perspective on how big the "living space" is when two apartments are combined.
View of our Apartment - 3K and 4K combined |
We both slept great. I did find the bed a bit narrow but combined with the amount of space, multiple pillows, and super comfortable bedding, I really can't complain.
We asked for shower slots 2 and 2.5 hours prior to landing and the crew accommodated. Emily was still sleeping at 2.5 hours out so I took her slot and showered on a plane for the second time in my life. It's still a novelty and probably always will be. Etihad's shower isn't as luxurious of an experience as Emirates' but it still gets the job done. My complaint was the drainage - I think the shower drain actually got clogged while I was showering which meant water was filling up fast on the shower floor. I didn't want to cause a flood on a commercial airplane so kept turning the water off to allow for some drainage before turning it back on again.
Etihad coffee setup |
NYC |
Tail came on approach into JFK |
Final Thoughts:
This is the best (attainable) first class product in the sky. Period. While Emirates is more "fun," and the service may be better on Singapore, the physical space you get with Etihad's First Class Apartment is unmatched.
Enough room for in-flight yoga |
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