On some searches I had been making for some upcoming flights, as a matter of course, I checked the cash price for Etihad’s First Apartment class from Abu Dhabi to Sydney. That ticket only costs 60,000 AA miles (one way) and, in cash, it only costs $5,500!
Would you rather ride in this or in a Delta business class seat?
Yes, that is a lot of money. However, when compared to the cost of other airlines for similar flights, it is really not that bad for what it provides. The Etihad A380’s First Apartment is an incredible product that easily beats other first class cabins easily and certainly beats any business class cabin anywhere in the world. A flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney lasts 14 hours long which you can get for $5,500 in cash.
Delta’s nonstop from Los Angeles to Sydney in business class (they do not have an international first class) is about the same timed flight and costs $4,700 – $800 less than Etihad. An award from Delta on that route costs 70,000 miles. The difference is incredible with the actual product. For $800 extra, you get an actual first class cabin and the service to go with it on a 14 hour flight. Sure, it originates from a different place on the planet and the costs in various cities vary but it is still an example of what you can get for the money.
The cost of the First Apartment on Etihad’s A380
I wonder if issues like this might be one of the reasons that US airlines are fighting so hard to keep the Middle East airlines out of their markets. 🙂 Can you imagine if Etihad launched a Sydney – Los Angeles flight? If they kept these kinds of prices on that leg of the trip, it would certainly put airlines like Delta in their place. Of course, their Residence ticket is probably the most expensive ticket in the world!
The bad part about these prices? It really messes up my valuation of what my miles would be worth – a mere $.09 per AA mile. 🙂
Screenshot of the prices, please. 😉
There is competition for the kangaroo route by all the gulf carriers, BA, CX, SQ, MH, etc. which makes the price for syd-aun more competitive.
Syd-lax, on the other hand, is another story.
I just hope EY won’t run out of food in F! I flew on the EY A380 back in December and they ran out of my first choices. :/
Screenshot of the Etihad price uploaded!
The good part is that even Qantas on the SYD-LAX route is not that much more than the Delta business class ticket. The United First class is even less than Qantas.
I cannot believe they ran out of food on the inaugural! That is really poor planning!
How good is the availability with aa miles?
Availability is pretty good on the London and Sydney routes. The New York route has not had partner availability released yet. To find which dates have availability, go to http://www.etihad.com/en/plan-and-book/book-redemption-flights/ and look for Guest First availability on your chosen dates. If it is there, you can call AA and book. It is 40,000 miles to/from London and 60,000 miles to/from Sydney.