What It's Like to Fly in Etihad's First Class "Apartment"

Etihad Airways' “First Apartment” doesn’t sound like an airplane seat at all. The one-room suite on select Airbus A380 routes promises privacy and extraordinarily personalized service at cruising altitude. Even though a higher class exists—the $20,000 three-room "Residence"—the First Apartment is the more revolutionary of the two: a flying suite that's attainable. I bought a ticket to see it for myself.

By Cynthia Drescher

April 29, 2015

Let's start with the cold hard facts: It costs from $4,000 each way to secure a “First Apartment” between London and Abu Dhabi, a six-and-a-half hour flight, though it's also possible to book with miles occasionally. I bought my tickets five months ahead of my travel date, redeemed 40,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles, and paid $155 in fees for the seat. Currently the Etihad A380 only connects Abu Dhabi and London, though it will launch a route to Sydney in June, and come December, it will expand to a 14-hour route between New York’s JFK Airport and Abu Dhabi.
Welcomed onto the plane by name, I was escorted to First Apartment 4A by a crewmember I later discovered to be the onboard chef. Since the suites are so large and there’s only one aisle in this exclusive section of the aircraft, there wasn’t much I could see of my nearest seatmate...or anyone else. The privacy is phenomenal.

The “signature welcome” for Etihad’s First Class involves a hot towel, a bowl of dates, a signed welcome letter from the Cabin Manager, and a choice of beverage. I opted for a flute of the airline’s First Class champagne, Bollinger La Grande Année 2005, as boarding completed.
Before takeoff, cabin attendant Jelka visited with a traditional pour of Arabic coffee and a tour of the features of the seat and suite. Jelka, who claims the A380 is her favorite aircraft “because it is the most luxurious” and makes her “look forward to every day in the air,” is dressed in Etihad’s new crew uniform, designed by Italian haute couturier Ettore Bilotta.

Finally up in the air, the A380 leaves London behind and I take some time to admire my First Apartment. It’s a private living space with a leather lounge chair and matching extra-long ottoman, which can seat up to two others (should you want to throw a mid-air cocktail party or have a small meeting). When it’s time for a snooze, that ottoman transforms to a nearly seven-foot-long flat bed.
There are only nine of these suites on the plane, compared to 70 seats in business class and 415 in economy. The seat itself is made by Italian luxury furniture-maker Poltrona Frau and so wide that I’m able to curl up and gaze out the window we pass over Vienna, Bucharest, and Istanbul. I order a drink—the “Caribbean Sunrise” of mango juice, mint, lemon, and grenadine—from the "mocktail" side of the beverage menu.

Instead of a simple amenity kit, the First Apartment features a built-in vanity laid out with socks, a Le Labo set of hand and face creams, cotton buds and pads, toothbrush and toothpaste, and two tiny bottles of essential oils to encourage rest: one a pillow spray, the other a pulse-point aromatherapy oil. Nearby are USB and universal AC power outlets, a chilled minibar, more nooks for personal storage, and a touchscreen control for adjusting everything from the seat to the window blinds.
The luxury of high ceilings in the First Class cabin is thanks to the absence of overhead storage bins. Instead, the area underneath the ottoman comes with two large compartments to accommodate carry-on luggage. I easily slid my hard-shell wheelie, tote, and camera bag under and out of sight.

Sliding doors close to increase privacy; the fretwork design allows cabin crew to check on passengers discreetly without having to interrupt their sleep, work, entertainment, or daydreaming.
The Etihad A380 is equipped with Panasonic in-flight Wi-Fi, and First Class passengers receive a code for complimentary access during the flight. I spent some time replying to emails, Tweeting, and updating Facebook from 38,000 feet.

Although the touchscreen handsets (there are two—one by the chair and one by the bed) allow for browsing the huge on-demand entertainment lineup, I mostly flipped from the moving map to the three channels of live camera views outside the aircraft.
Dining onboard isn’t locked to a set meal time, but available whenever you’re hungry. The (extensive) menu arrives printed on pearlescent golden paper, followed by the chef, who personally explains the selections. Take your pick: lamb loin, biryani with choice of meat, marinated prawns, a goat cheese and ratatouille tart, a “chef’s special,” and five different “signature grills,” all cooked with choice of four sauces and six side dishes, plus anything from an a la carte menu. I requested my meal a couple hours into the flight, and began with the chef’s amuse-bouche, a roll of pretzel bread, and appetizer of Arabic mezze.

After a palate cleanser of grapefruit sorbet, I worked with the chef to design my main dish: a twist on the “chef’s special,” red snapper. The snapper sat atop lightly caramelized vegetables, which added a sweetness and paired well with one of my favorite in-flight wines, a German riesling. The presentation, personalization, and flavor were worthy of some of the best restaurants on land.
Flipping through the dessert menu, I settled on the aumônière—a crepe filled with warm blueberries and marzipan—instead of a cheese plate, chocolate and orange sphere, or tasting flight of three other desserts. I knew I’d made the right decision when Jelka later admitted to having watched, wide-eyed, while the chef prepared it.

Passengers may gather for after-dinner drinks in the Lobby, an onboard lounge for First and Business Class outfitted with leather couches and a stand-up bar for socializing. You can even watch a major sporting event here with a beer in hand.
The First Class restrooms are all about mood lighting and Le Labo toiletries, to try to convince passengers they’re actually in a spa instead of an airplane lavatory. The shower, which provides five minutes of hot water during a session, is stocked with individual Le Labo bottles of shampoo, shower gel, conditioner, and body lotion. The experience was most welcome after a morning of travel; feeling refreshed, I slipped into black Etihad pajamas while Jelka made up the bed in my suite and adjusted the lighting to a more restful glow.

With several hours left in the flight before arriving at Abu Dhabi, it was time for a nap. The ottoman had become a bed, complete with mattress topper, down duvet, and a swiveling TV screen for a little pre-snooze movie. Even after all the great food and a mid-air shower, this, for me, was the height of luxury in the First Apartment: having a private bedroom with enough room to get comfortable. The space was completely my own, and the sleep was uninterrupted.
As the sun set in the final hour of the flight, I requested afternoon tea, which came with warm scones with strawberries, strawberry jam, and Cornish clotted cream. The flight had been catered in London, which likely helped the tea service in its perfection.

Flying eastward, the sun quickly set and the cabin crew switched the First Class cabin to a cool blue lighting scheme that highlighted the traditional Arabic fretwork in the doors, ceiling, and over the staircase leading to the lower level.
The First Class experience continues after arrival, with Fast Track immigration and access to Etihad’s Arrivals Lounge. Snacks, drinks, and even a fresh shave by a barber are available. When it’s time to go, First Class flyers (who’ve made the arrangements at least 24 hours ahead) get into complimentary chauffeured town cars, to be driven from Abu Dhabi Airport to any destination within the United Arab Emirates, whether that’s 20 minutes to the center of the city, or two hours to a resort oasis in the middle of sand dunes. Of course, leaving the A380 is just the end of the flight, but hardly the end of the journey.