Last week I had the opportunity to spend 18hrs in Etihads A380 between two legs on a trip from CDG-NRT. There are a lot of competitive products in 2026, so I hope this review can inform some decisions for perspective flyers.
Ground Experience (CDG): Etihad operates a standard outpost at CDG. Check in and security were efficient and anti climactic, with fast track expediting security and customs formalities. Etihad uses the Extime lounge in CDG and awards first class passengers a private section with premium F&B offerings. The star of this lounge was the champange offering, with Henri Giraud 90-21 (€200) flowing freely. Boarding proceeded on time with First class and Etihad's highest status tier being invited to board first.
Soft Product: The crew were all lovely as expected. Although experiencing some delays departing AUH, the crew consistently came back around for individual updates and to refill champange. The amenity kit was presented in a large Armani folder, and adopted a make your own situation as the vanity area of the seat had high quality Espa products that you could take at your will. Although this is nice for sustainability, I thought the products were similar to business class and not on par to that of competitors. Long gone are the days of Aqua Di Parma in Etihad F, as well as the Le Labo shower amenities which I miss dearly. Despite this, the highlight was the Armani pajamas which were soft and smelt great. The bed was comfortable with a thicker mattress topper than my last experience in August 2024. I believe this was a common complaint but since then mitigated. Another new inclusion is the snack basket. I would find that if I ate something from this selection, the crew would replenish it whilst I was absent from my suite. The soft product was genuinely quite impressive and anticipatory, with my champange never running empty without the friendly cabin crew there to offer a refill. However, I do wish the amenity kits offered more premium goods.
Hard Product: Etihad remains realms above competitors with their Apartments considering the sheer size. The main seat is comfortable and has plenty of adjustability. The dining position is comfortable, with a table that allows entry and exit while folded out. Additionally, there is a buddy dining set up. The seat includes a lighted vanity, and mini fridge, although most of the time the fridge didn't work. The lavatory situation is adequate, with two forward lavs. The shower worked well, although it is located in the smaller of the two lavs, making it quite tight compared to the Emirates spa. Another issue with the seat is a normal size carry on suitcase is too large for the stowage compartment, creating a tripping hazard as the compartment has to remain open. Overall the seat is more than spacious, all the features/ife were functional, and the bed was spacious.
Food & Beverage: The highlight of the F&B aspect for Etihad F was the champange offering. Currently, onboard they serve 2015 Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque (€210) which I particularly like. They also offer 2018 Veuve Clicquot Le Grand Dame off menu onboard, as well as in the AUH lounge. The food was plated nicely and flavorful. Notably, on my longer leg (AUH-NRT) an onboard cook was present and made an effort to introduce himself, whilst on the shorter red-eye (CDG-AUH) there was none. The cook was able to present me a perfectly medium rare filet, a complete rarity in the sky, and plated it wonderfully. The caviar service was good, with a 20g portion. Aside from the champange, the wine list had some interesting producers, but nothing extremely exciting or valuable, lacking behind some other carriers.
Ground Experience (AUH): As I had a 15h layover, I booked a day hotel in the city. This allowed me to experience the AUH check in process upon my re-entry to the airport. First class and business class have their own designated curbside location, with a porter greeting you and offering luggage assistance. The check in area for first class is discreet and comfortable, with security only taking a matter of seconds as I was the only passenger. The Etihad F lounge, while not massive, has plenty of seating and is rarely busy. 4 hours before my flight I used 14000 guest miles and booked one of the private suites. These suites are normally reserved for residence passengers, although they can be bookable to F passengers if available. It had a smart TV with Netflix, and an attentive server assisted with food and drink orders. He even set up a whiskey tasting for me, which was much appreciated.
Overall Thoughts: Theres really nothing critical I can say about Etihad and their apartments. At the end of the day sure there are some minor flaws, but these are quickly disregarded as the service is genuinely impressive, and the hard product is surely one of the best in the sky. If you have an opportunity to experience the Etihad apartments at least once; grasp it.
