Great Finale: Etihad A380 – “Apartment”: The Best First Class in the World

[Carfield]

Great Finale: Etihad A380 – “Apartment”: The Best First Class in the World

After flying the “Apartment” in Etihad’s A380s, I think I am forever spoiled and if this is not the best first class product, I don’t know what is. The hard product is just unbeatable and the design of the “Apartment” is innovative and really sets a high milestone for the next generation of first class suites. Surely there are shortcomings of Etihad first class, like the failure of attention to details by the ground staffs and the really disorganized connection experience in Abu Dhabi, as well as the continued delayed opening of an exclusive First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi. Nonethless, Eithad’s A380 is just a beautiful bird and the “apartment” is just so comfortable. In addition, Etihad really sends its best of the best cabin crews working on the A380s, and yes there is a markable difference between the cabin crews working the A380s and non-A380s. I really think this is the best use of my American Airlines’ miles ever and pretty sure that it will be hard to get another award flight on Etihad’s A380 first apartment anytime soon. I also want to apologize for the poor quality of the pictures because it is a late night flight, and my iPhone really can’t capture the grandness of the A380’s first apartment. I am sure that there are plenty of photos out there, but hope you will at least enjoy this trip report. I also did not visit the onboard lounge, so sorry no pictures of the A380 first class lounge.

Full album: http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...0Apartment2015
I will apologize that some of the pictures were out of order, due to the time change, and the computer could not quite handle the order. I know not too many people will access the full album, but in case you are one of the few ones…

October 12, 2015
EY 455 SYD-AUH Lv2125 Arr0515+1 Airbus A380-800 A6-APD

Check-in:
Etihad Airways has a pretty huge check-in area in Sydney, and both the first and business class lanes are located on the other side. The staffs are extremely friendly, but not too detail oriented. I was a little bugged that a business class priority tag was used on my check-in baggage, instead of first class. It was a small thing, but given how great this apartment product is, this kind of mistakes sort of tarnished the almost perfect ground experience here at Sydney Airport.




Lounge:
Fast track access was available to all first and business class passengers, but things were not overly hectic at these early evening hours. It took about 20 minutes to go through immigration and custom, and walked all the way to Etihad First and business class lounge.




Etihad operates a combined first & business class lounge, and the service is actually more first class than business class, which is the opposite approach from Emirates. The staffs were very personable in the reception and all first class passengers were escorted to the main lounge located downstairs. The agent first reminded me that our flight would be slightly delayed due to its late arrival, but I still needed to allow some time to walk back to gate 24, which was not the usual gate. I inquired about visiting the bookstore prior to flight and the agent advised me to leave the lounge a bit earlier, as the airport stores might close early.

The lounge was still not too busy so I took the opportunities to take a few pictures.





Buffet:


I initially took a seat in the lounging area, and the friendly attendant, Christine, immediately welcomed me into the lounge, and offered to bring me a glass of water, along with hot towel and the menu in the restaurant. She was very friendly and made some small talks. In the end, I decided to have a few light bites in the restaurant, as I preferred to have my meals onboard. Christine is more than happy to recommend a few dishes, which are not disappointing.
The restaurant here definitely features top-notch food, and I am very impressed with all the food offerings in Australian lounges, and none of the US airlines offer anything remotely close to this kind of quality in their first class lounges. You really can’t blame premium fliers choosing to fly the ME3, as most American and European carriers can’t offer this kind of restaurant quality of the food in the lounge. Compared to the awful pre-flight dining in the Galleries lounge in JFK last month, the food is just amazing and what you expect in Michelin stars restaurants, instead of airline lounges.

[Carfield]

The lounge eventually got very busy and I still think EY can use a larger lounge or even a separate first class lounge. But given the space constraint in Sydney, I don’t expect that at all, and honestly they make the best out of the situation.

Boarding:
A6-APD at gate 24 – just a beautiful plane





Boarding began at 9:20pm but it really did not matter, as we ended up all standing inside the secured area for at least another ten minutes before finally allowing walking into the plane. They should not start the boarding so early. This has been a trend lately and the gate agents often started boarding too early or when the plane was not ready. We ended up standing inside the jetbridge or a secure area for a prolong period of time.

Tom, the purser, was welcoming premium passengers in the main entrance in the upper deck, and he was a friendly Hungarian guy. He immediately brought me to my seat, and started some small talk. I was very impressed with the spaciousness of the first apartment.






My apartment 4K

[Carfield]

Seat control panel

Entertainment console (at least 2 of them in the apartment)
Including small storage in this bin


More storage


Bags could be stored under the stool/bed area




Control Panel – multiple interfaces

[Carfield]

Personal hanger/closet



Vanity mirror area – amenity kit - all the contents are actually scattered in the vanity area, and you just take whatever you want into the empty bag.




Chilled mini beverage station


Another mandarin speaking flight attendant immediately stepped in, as Tom had to handle some boarding problems. She was very friendly and immediately offered me a pre-takeoff beverage with dates and welcoming card.


Tom eventually came back and gave me a brief tour of the apartment, which was amazing. There were so many storage spaces, and the designer had actually thought about how passengers used the suites. There were a number of consoles and the TV could be pulled out to accommodate viewing in the bed positions.

Pajama and slippers

[Carfield]

Times truly flew by, when there was so much thing to learn about the suites. Arabic coffee was served after everyone was boarded.



In-flight chef, Abhey, was exemplary on today’s service, and also introduced himself prior to takeoff, and of course bringing each passenger a copy of the menu and wine list.


Door was closed at 9:54pm, and we pushed back ten minutes later. Sydney airport was a little bit busy, as everyone tried to land and takeoff prior to the curfew. We took off from R/W16R at 10:22pm for our fourteen hours and fifteen minutes flight. We initially climbed to 34,000feet, as we crossed Merriwagga and Whyalla, before we climbed up to 36,000feet, as we passed the middle of Australia, and then climbed to 37,000 feet, before reaching East Lyons River, and Learmonth, in which we climbed to 38,000feet before entering the Indian Ocean. We further climbed into 40,000feet before reaching the Sri Lankan city of Galle, and then cruising along the southeastern coast of India. We passed through the Arabian Sea before reaching Waniba Sands and then into Abu Dhabi.

The first order of business was taking a shower, especially after traveling for most of the day. I also like to avoid the rush period in the morning hours. The F/A seems to appreciate this arrangement, and they have more time to prepare my meal. They have one less passenger rushing to take the shower in the morning. To be honest, the shower turned out to be much smaller than I have expected. As most of you know that the shower suite in Emirates’ first class is simply huge, but I guess they need to make space for Residence.

Here are some of my poor attempts to take some photos of the shower – sorry just can’t take one that showcase the whole shower.






The flight attendants reminded me to make sure this shower was locked or else water would spill out!


Water switch and handrail to hang on to during turbulence


You got six minutes of water – one more than EK


Shower nozzle – that’s where the water comes from


Your own personal shower amenity kit

[Carfield]

My best attempt in showing you the shower:



After a refreshing shower, I returned to my apartment getting ready for dinner.
More champagne – the beverage came with olives, mixed nuts, and vegetable crisps



Here is the wine list and menu:

Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee 2005, France
Champagne Duval Leroy Rose, France, NV

White Wines
Chardonnay, Louis Latour, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Burgundy, France 2012
Nautilus Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013
Pinot Blanc, Classic, Dohlmuhle, Rheinhessen, Germany 2013

Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, La Croix de Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 2011
Shiraz, Xandu, Margaret River, Australia 2011
Line 39, Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California 2013
Valpolicella, Fattori, Col De La Bastia, Veneto, Italy 2013
Chianti Riserva, Pietro Beconcini DOCG, Tuscany Italy 2009

Dessert Wine
Semillon Blend, Chateau Haut Theulet, Monbazillac France 2010

First Class Menu
EY 455 Sydney to Abu Dhabi

A La Carte
Morrocan Carrot and Chickpea Soup
Barley, chickpea and spinach timbale with harissa paste

Cauliflower Soup
Roasted cauliflower florets and basil pesto

Sautéed Bay Lobster
With marinated heirloom tomato, saffron aioli and rocket leaves

Mezze
Hot and cold Arabic appetizers

Biryani
Your choice of lamb, chicken, or fish garnished with fried onions, cashews and raisins

Herbed Crusted Ranger Valley Fillet
Served with sweet potato mash, braised red cabbage and beef jus

Baked Lentil Moussaka
Red pepper sauce, sugar snap peas, grated Parmesan scented bread crumbs

Chef’s Special
Ask our chef about the “special of the day” or to create something especially for you

From the Grill
Signature Grills
Grass-fed Beef Tenderloin
U.S. Rib-eye steak
Lamb Shank
Chicken Supreme
Catch of the Day

Sides
Sautéed Kale and Leek
Medley of Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Fondant Potatoes
Steamed Rice

Sauce
Béarnaise Sauce
Veal Jus
Tomato Concassé
Café De Paris Butter
Bush Tomato and Pepperberry Sauce

All Day Dine
Pear, Banana and Chia Seeds Smoothie

Breakfast Bakery Basket
A selection of breads and pastries

A Range of Breakfast Cereals
With full-cream or low-fat milk

Fresh Eggs Cooked to Order
Grilled Veal sausage, baked beans, roasted herb tomato, sautéed mushrooms and asparagus spears

Chicken and Mushroom Pie
With mash potato, roasted onion wedges and veal jus

Afternoon Tea
An assortment of scones, sweets and finger sandwiches

Sandwiches
Made to order

The Etihad Steak Sandwich
Rocket leaves, veal rashers, red onion compote, melted cheese, mayonnaise and grain mustard

Cheese
A Selection of International Cheeses

Fresh Fruit Platter

A selection of ice creams

Potato Crisps in a Variety of Flavors
Freshly Baked Cookies and Madeleine
Swedish Crisp Breads
Baklava

Dessert
A selection of ice creams

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Served warm with butterscotch sauce

Chocolate Orange and Caramel Tart
Raspberry coulis

Dessert Taster
Three mini desserts to tempt you: coconut panna cotta, strawberry hazelnut cake, warm bread and butter pudding

443_AUS-AUH-F4-ZU-MU-0915

As expected, everything was served course by course, and no tray was used at anytime. Chef Abhey also helped out in delivering the meal, during the service. Each dish was presented beautifully.

Beautiful setup



Amuse bouche was first offered – Sesame crusted tuna with crab salad – yes Tom described the dish before serving, just like a top notch restaurant



I switched to French Burgundy


My first course was an excellent lobster dish and the lobster was almost served sashimi style.



My next course is the Cauliflower Soup

[Carfield]

Before switching to main course, intermezzo a wild berry sorbet was offered to cleanse your pallet


Switching to French Bordeaux for my steak entrée


My rib eye steak was served with café de Paris butter along with roasted vegetables



My dessert ensemble – Chocolate orange tart with mint tea




Dinner was served in a nice pace and the food was once again restaurant quality. I was extremely impressed with the starters, and the grill menu was just unbelievable.

After dinner, I visited the other bathroom, while waiting the flight attendant to make my bed.
The second bathroom is actually much larger with a nice changing table, as well as more space for changing.




Baby changing table

[Carfield]

The bed – very comfortable





Bedside stable under the vanity station – bottled water


Light switches and divider control


Double mattress


I requested breakfast to be served around 10am Sydney local time.
Hot towel




Smoothie – really amazing

[Carfield]

Breakfast Pastries



Cornflakes


I love the milk container


For entrée, I chose freshly fried egg – sunny side up – I honestly could not ask for more perfect eggs than this entrée. I can’t even do this all the time at home, not to mention at 40,000feet.


After dinner, Tom prepared some unique mint tea - using only fresh mint leaves! What more can you ask for?


After breakfast I reclined my seat to the relax position


Not sure if you could tell the difference!

In terms of entertainment, Etihad offers WIFI, which I had invested for a 24 hours pass (I had no problem using it for the next flight), and the speed was okay – I was able to follow my plane on flightradar24, as well as posting pictures at twitter and Instragram. EBox, its entertainment system, features a huge library of movies, television programs, and audio programs, but the library is not as extensive as Emirates or Singapore Airlines, but on par with Cathay Pacific. Live TV is also available, which is my favorite option, as I love watching news. It is pretty amazing to watch CNN Anderson Cooper somewhere over the Arabian Peninsula at 40,000feet.


Etihad features a few more LIVE TV channels than Turkish Airlines.

Descent soon began at 5:05am AUH local time, and it was still dark outside.



Tail camera


We landed on R/W31R at 5:37am and eventually parked at gate 32/Stand “309” at 5:49am.

Deplaning at AUH Gate 32

[Carfield]

Abu Dhabi Lounge
Till last week, the rumored Etihad’s First Class lounge has yet to open at Terminal Three. The first class area is just a blocked off area from the business class area, as well as free access to haircuts and some spa treatment in the salon. The first class area eventually got really busy, but since I was still full from the flight, I did not take part in the food buffet.



First Class area



Main business class area








Salon


Buffet

[Carfield]

EY 51 AUH-GVA Lv0905 Arr1405 Airbus A330-300E A6-AFE

Passport check for bus gate pier


Bus gate: 44
Boarding was really disorganized here, as it had started very early. The gate agent was really not well trained and she was not sure what she was doing. For some strange reasons, she did not direct premium passengers to the premium bus, and in the end, her supervisor had to run into the bus and asking for premium passengers. Thankfully the flight was not overly busy this afternoon.

After a relatively long bus ride to the cargo area, I spotted our A330, A6-AFE, at stand 201.
A beautiful bird:




Mini business class cabin behind first class


First Class cabin:

[Carfield]

First class seat:


Personal closet


Literature


Side storage bin – power outlet, USB drive, and entertainment console


Beverage station- not chilled


Stool for baggage storage


Welcome tray
Mint lemonade



The purser welcomed me onboard and pre-takeoff beverage was offered again with dates. The chef came by with the menu and wine list, and first beverage order was taken too. First class ended up half full, and the service was fairly attentive, but was not as good as my previous segment on the A380. The chef was not as proactive as Chef Abhey on the earlier flight. Door was closed early at 8:57am and we pushed back at 9:06am.

The tarmac was very busy at Abu Dhabi.




Line of narrowbodies:

[Carfield]

We took off from R/W13R at 9:25am for the six hours and forty-seven minutes flight to Geneva.


Our routing was fairly interesting, as we first climbed to 38,000feet, as we passed Omidyeh, Ramhormoz, and Mahabad, before climbing to 40,000feet. We then traveled towards Vans, Yukselen, Camas, Carsaniba, Samsun, Asagicayli, Belen, Balchik, Isperikh, Craoiva, Bijeljina, Banja Luba, Krsan, Pican, Venice-Chiampo, Seveso, and Somma Lombardon, before arriving at Geneva.

Bathroom – similar to A340-500s:





Beverage was served at 9:38am and it comes with trio snacks: mixed nuts, olives, and vegetable crisps.





There is something that I still don’t understand the service logics on these Abu Dhabi to Europe (and return) flights, and if you take a look at the menu, this menu is pretty extensive, but somehow the chefs don’t expect you to order two meals. It is a six hours daytime flight that crossed both breakfasts and lunch times. For the first hour, the chef did not even walk through the cabin once, and I finally had to use the call button, as I was getting pretty hungry. The chef seemed a bit displeased, but with only four first class passengers, I really wonder what you were doing in the galley. They almost want to wait long enough for you not to order the second pre-arrival meal. Honestly I should be the one making the decisions, not you. The chef should have taken the meal order either prior to departure or right after takeoff.

Here is the menu and wine list:
Wine List – First Cellar
Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee 2005, France
Champagne Duval Leroy Rose, France, NV

White Wines
Chardonnay, Louis Latour, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Burgundy, France 2012
Nautilus Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013
Pinot Blanc, Classic, Dohlmuhle, Rheinhessen, Germany 2013

Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, La Croix de Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 2011
Shiraz, Xandu, Margaret River, Australia 2011
Line 39, Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California 2013
Valpolicella, Fattori, Col De La Bastia, Veneto, Italy 2013
Chianti Riserva, Pietro Beconcini DOCG, Tuscany Italy 2009

Dessert Wine
Semillon Blend, Chateau Haut Theulet, Monbazillac France 2010

FC-BEV-1015

A La Carte
Spinach and Lentil Soup
Labneh, carrot and spinach
Roast Tomato and Basil Soup

Beef Bresaola
Rocket and antipasti

Mezze
Hot and cold Arabic appetizers

Biryani
Your choice of lamb, chicken, or fish garnished with fried onions, cashews and raisins

Trio of Fish with Lobster Sauce
Paupiette of plaice, barramundi, grilled prawns with lobster bisque

Pumpkin and feta Tagliatelle
Rocket pesto, sun-dried tomato and black garlic

Chef’s Special
Ask our chef about the “special of the day” or to create something especially for you

From the Grill
Signature Grills
Grass-fed Beef Tenderloin
U.S. Rib-eye steak
Lamb Shank
Chicken Supreme
Catch of the Day

Sides
Steamed Garden Vegetables
Vegetable Saloona
Creamy Mashed Potato
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Steamed White Rice
Oven-Baked French Fries

Sauce
Veal Jus
Béarnaise Sauce
Tomato Concassé
Café De Paris Butter

All Day Dine
Breakfast Bakery Basket
Croissants and a selection of breads

A Range of Breakfast Cereals
With full-cream or low-fat milk

Sandwiches
Made to Order

The Etihad Steak Sandwich
Rocket leaves, turkey rashers, red onion compote, melted cheese, mayonnaise and grain mustard

Fresh Organic Eggs Cooked to Order
Breakfast sausage, hash brown, tomato and sautéed mushrooms

Afternoon Tea
An assortment of scones, sweets and finger sandwiches

Cheese
A Selection of International Cheeses

Fresh Fruit Platter

A selection of ice creams

Potato Crisps in a Variety of Flavors
Freshly Baked Cookies and Madeleine
Swedish Crisp Breads
Baklava

Dessert
A selection of ice creams

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ancho chili sauce and kumquat compote

Raspberry Mousse
Fudge Brownie with raspberry caviar

Dessert Taster
Three mini desserts to tempt you: hazelnut cake, ginger yogurt mousse and apricot bar

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Table was finally set at 10:49am and today’s amuse bouche was a vegetable terrine with some kind of sauce. None of the F/As or chef cared to explain the content this morning.

[Carfield]

The next course is the Beef Bresola appetizer, which is good.



Followed by a soup course and I always love the Lentil Soup prepared by the Abu Dhabi kitchen.



Intermezzo – Red Orange sorbet


For entrée, I decided to try the trio of seafood, which looked good on paper, but ended up falling a bit short, as it was under-seasoned and lacked sauce. They could be more generous with the lobster sauce.




For desert, I chose the taster…


Hazelnut cake


Ginger Yogurt Mousse


Apricot bar – too dense and not good at all – I could not even finish it.


For the rest of the flight, I watched a few classic sitcoms, surfed the net on my phone, and just relaxed a bit on the nice suite. No crew offered to make up bed for passengers, but if you rang the call button, they would come to attend your needs.

Around two hours prior to arrival, I decided to order the afternoon tea set, as it might be a while before I got dinner.
Of course the clumsy chef missed out on the sandwiches component but at least I got the scone. Of course they also forgot to give me the jam.

[Carfield]

Really nice sweets though




Tea of course


Descent began at 1:33pm Geneva local time, which was two hours behind from Abu Dhabi.




We landed on R/W23 at 2:12pm and parked at gate 15 four minutes later.

Emirates’ Boeing 777 A6-EGY next door


Despite having a jetway, we had to walk down the stairs to a bus, and this time, nobody said anything when I took pictures of the plane.





First and business class had a separate bus, and immigration was empty, as we entered. The most amazing part was that priority bags were already on the belt within 15 minutes of our arrival. Technically you did not need to wait at all.

In conclusion, Etihad really has the best first class cabin in the world, and the A380 “Apartment” is innovative and well thought out. I don’t know how Emirates can even top this product. I just don’t see other Asian, American and European airlines willing to invest in such a product and/or find enough people to pay for it. If I really have that kind of cash to spend, Etihad A380 First class will be my preferred cabin. However, Etihad still has some work to do to achieve that consistency in terms of its cabin service. Currently some of the non-A380 flight attendants are not quite up to that standard that EY tried to promote, and unless EY has a huge A380 fleet like EK, most F passengers will fly on both A380 and non-A380 flight, and this inconsistency will not work on EY’s favor. SQ is successful because it is able to maintain standard among its F/As. Furthermore, the ground service at AUH really needs some major improvement and not having a dedicated first class lounge in its home base is just unacceptable. In terms of food, they are very good, but as I say, the chef needs to be more proactive in offering food, not the opposite. For those AUH to Europe flight, please always expect passengers to order at least a meal and a snack. The chef should always take the meal orders as early as possible, so passengers can choose their meal hours. The chef should remind passengers when is the good time to order the pre-arrival snack or meal. If you are going to do an a la carte service, you need to commit to it. Of course, these are just small details in a very big picture. Overall, Etihad undeniably offers an innovative first class product on the A380s, and I just can’t say enough good things about it. I really was thankful to Tom and Chef Abhey, along with the Chinese speaking F/A for a wonderful flight in the “Apartments.” I hope you will enjoy this series of trip report!

Thank you Etihad!


Carfield