If you want to do this, you have to hurry. Book Etihad's "The Apartment" with Flying Blue points.

Have you ever heard of The Residence? it is about the proposal that to call First Class is reductive, è a three-room apartment complete with a private spa and master bedroom. This dream is available only to passengers aboard the A380 and not to everyone, only to one (or at most a couple).

The alternative is the "normal" first class which is more humbly called "The Apartment."

You don't have a three-room apartment, but a private room with a real bed that is prepared by flight attendants, with a retractable system similar to that found on board the Singapore Airlines First Class Suite. You then have the option of enjoying the shower, which will be "shared" with other passengers, but still a treat that, Etihad excluded, only Emirates offers its guests.

Flying Blue and First Class

Not only is Air France's loyalty program the one that allows you to redeem an award ticket on board La Premiere, but also opens the door to several other booths of F. And among them is precisely that of Etihad. Not only aboard the A380, but the entire fleet: 777/300 and A321lr, so also for those who want to leave from Milan.

Thanks to the report of Arrigo P., a super-active member of our community, I have been able to see that for the past few days the partnership between Flying Blue and Eithad Guest has opened up even the most exclusive seats to award ticket reservations.

Of course, the constraint of being Platinum remains in order to have access to this inventory of first-class seats, as is the case with La Premiere seats.

How much does Etihad First Class cost

First, let us summarize, Eithad has 3 different first-class products:

• The Apartment on the A380 with the possibility of making upgrade in The Residence
• The First Class aboard the Boeing 777/300 and 787/9
• The two minisuite on A321lr

So we are talking about products that are significantly different in hardware, but which according to the UAE national airline has no difference in terms of service, catering and pampering for the passenger. And this translates into an identical price, regardless of the machine in which the flight is operated.

For example, from Milan to Abu Dhabi, flying the A321, or the 787/9 in business class has no difference in cost: You need a minimum of 40,500 Flying Blue miles, while First on the A321 needs more than twice that: 111k.

Of course they are not two comparable products, but flying from Paris to Dubai in La Premiere instead costs a minimum of 260k FB, always plus taxes of course.

If instead you want to aim for The Apartment, and perhaps make the transition to The Residence, one can point to the flight from Abu Dhabi to Singapore, the only flight to the east where Etihad uses the A380. The other destinations at the moment are Paris, London, and Toronto.

With only 14,500 more miles than the MXP/AUH flight. you can then fly in Etihad's First Class apartment, again you have to add taxes, but we are talking about 200€. And wanting to then upgrade to The Apartment, if available, of course.

In this case you also have the opportunity to enjoy the entire First Class experience, being able to gobble and relax, in the first-class lounges in Abu Dhabi.

In conclusion

Not only are the business rates attractive, but the ability to book one of the world's most exclusive first classes using Flying Blue points is a real treat. Not to mention the ability to book business and then do the classic auction to win, if available, the most coveted seat.

• Flying Blue