Apartment on a Airplane for $56

Every traveler, at some point, dreams of flying in first class. In the beginning, most amateur travelers worry little about being comfortable and focus simply on getting to where they need to go by the quickest and cheapest means. However, there always comes a time where we ponder the prospect of flying luxuriously. Such as after not showering for multiple days or after just finishing a strenuous multi-day hike through the mountains. I often found myself gawking at those privileged individuals as they meander to their fancy retreats in the sky. I would often think about how undeniably nice it would be to sip champagne, eat great food, and actually be able to lay flat for a long and arduous flight. All while I cram myself and my belongings into my pathetic little, hardly cushioned, economy seat. The only thing that would always keep me joyfully distracted from such discomfort is the thought of the adventure and the destination ahead.

Flying first class was always appealing, but also always seemed too far out of reach for a budget traveler like myself. That was until the concept of utilizing credit card points was revealed to me. I soon realized that anyone, no matter their economic status, has the opportunity to fly like the wealthy. With some due diligence, it is possible to fly almost anywhere in the world in first class for a fraction of the original cost. This strategy is what allowed me to fly first class, for my very first time, for a measly $56 (USD)! The original cash price for the trip would have been at least seven thousand dollars!

THE ETHIAD GOAL

In the world of credit card points and miles, there are prestigious flights and routes that most in the hobby strive to conquer. One of those is the first class apartment on Ethiad Airlines. Specifically, the route from their home base, Abu Dhabi, to Sydney. This is a world class experience for one of the longest routes available. When you find out how extravagant the experience is, you will realize why you would want such a flight to be as long as possible.

THE ETHIAD FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE

The check in area for Ethiad first class passengers is better than most hotel lobbies.

Elite passengers are allowed access to the ultra luxurious airport lounge prior to boarding. I specifically chose to leave from Abu Dhabi because this is the home base for Ethiad Airlines. Due to this, that lounge is over-the-top extravagant. It has a fine dining restaurant, multiple bars, ample seating and lounging options, a cigar lounge, and a spa/ salon. First class passengers enjoy all of this for free and even have the option of choosing between a complimentary grooming service or 15 minute massage. Apparently, they like you to be extra refreshed and relaxed before embarking on an overly relaxing flight!

On Ethiad Airlines A380 planes, there are 9 available apartments. Each suite resembles a living room with a 24 inch flat screen TV, an extra large leather arm chair (with built in massagers), a leather couch (folds down into about a 6 foot long bed), and a vanity area. By being a first class passenger, you are also allowed to order any amount of food and drinks from their extensive fine dining menu options. Their food selections include fish, pastas, and even steak! The specially trained chef will cook you a meal at any time that you desire and will customize a dish in almost any way you would like. In addition to these perks, first class passengers also have access to an in flight shower (you read correctly) and shared lobby for lounging with other guests.

SO, HOW DID I ACHIEVE THIS EXPERIENCE?

THE RESEARCH

First, I researched online and found that the best way to book the route I wanted was by using miles/points from one of Ethiad’s partners. It is not cost effective to use Ethiad’s own points. Currently, the best partner to book through is American Airlines. After doing more research, I found that I would need 100,000 American Airlines miles to book a flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney. Knowing this, I knew that the best and quickest way to rack up a bunch of American Airlines miles would be by signing up for a couple credit cards. After researching the current available options, I signed up for two cards: the Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card. Please note, these are not the only cards out there that accrue American Airline miles. These were just the currently available ones and the ones I decided to utilize.

NOTABLE BENEFITS OF THE BARCLAYCARD AADVANTAGE AVIATOR RED CARD

At the time, this card was offering 40,000 bonus points after making only one purchase with the card. It accrues American Airlines miles at a rate of 2 miles per dollar for every purchase spent on qualifying American Airlines purchases. Otherwise, it accrues 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. The card did have a $95 annual fee that was not waived the first year. This card did not charge foreign transaction fees.

NOTABLE BENEFITS OF THE CITI AADVANTAGE PLATINUM SELECT CARD 

At the time, this card was offering 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months after opening. It accrues American Airlines miles at a rate of 2 miles per dollar for every purchase spent on qualifying American Airlines purchases. Otherwise, it accrues 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. The card did have a $95 annual fee, but it was waived for the first year. This card did not charge foreign transaction fees.

THE STRATEGY

I signed up for both of these cards online within the same week and I was instantly approved for both. After receiving the Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red Card, I made a single purchase and then stopped using it. This unlocked the 40,000 point bonus. After I received the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, I continually used this card for my bills and any everyday purchases. After spending $3,000, I unlocked the 50,000 point bonus. At this time, I had accumulated around 93,000 points (40k bonus plus 50k bonus plus over 3k from the $3k in spending). However, since I knew I was still going to need more points, I continually used this card for the next 6 months or so.

I made sure to put all major purchases on the card and I made sure to use the American Airlines shopping portal whenever possible (link here). Shopping portals allow you to double dip on points. You can get points from the shopping portal, as well as the credit card used for the purchase. When I needed to purchase something online, I would look up the store on the American Airlines shopping portal website. For example, if I needed to make a purchase from Walmart, I would enter that in the search. The website will tell me how many points I can earn from the online store. For example, let’s say it is currently 2 points per dollar spent. Then, it will transfer me to the Walmart.com’s main website to shop. American Airlines will now track any purchases made on Walmart.com and I can get double the point bonus. In this example, I will get 2 points per dollar from going through the shopping portal and 1 point per dollar for using my Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card to make the actual purchase itself. This is a advantageous way to accrue American Airlines miles quickly.

After reaching the 100,000 points needed, I stopped using both cards. It was at this time that I switched back to my main duo of cards. At around eleven months after opening, I closed both cards. I didn’t feel it was worth paying the $95 annual fees for each since they did not come with any other really valuable perks other than the bonuses. I opened these cards specifically to gain enough points for this award in particular.

SEARCHING FOR AN AWARD FLIGHT WITH ETHIAD

Now, it was time to start searching for award availability. This was actually fairly easy to do. On Ethiad’s website, there is an option to search for flights using miles. I knew that I wanted to try and take this flight some time in December (good weather for UAE and Australia), which was about five months away. Luckily, I found availability for early in the month that would work. Make sure to enter the origin and destination, the date desired, and the class type (in this case first class) in the search options. When the options come up, you want to look for availability in the section labeled “Guest First”. Don’t worry about the stated cost. This is the cost Ethiad would charge by booking directly through them. Remember, the flight will actually be booked through Ethiad’s partner American Airlines. These are the only flights that can be booked through discounted partner airlines such as American Airlines. Also, most importantly, you want to make sure that the aircraft type says “A380”. This is the only type of aircraft that has Ethiad’s famous apartments on board. Take a look at this example of the steps I took:

BOOKING THE AWARD WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES

I made sure sure to write down the date and flight number of the first class flight showing availability from Ethiad’s website. Now it was time to call American Airlines to book. I called American Airlines, told them I wanted to book a flight using points, and gave the dates and flight info. The representative verified the availability and gave me the final price. She told me the total would be 100,000 miles and $56.10 for taxes and fees. What a deal! I finished the process and received an email confirmation shortly after.

WHAT WOULD THIS FLIGHT COST IF PAID WITH CASH?

After booking, I decided to check to see how much this flight would have cost me if I would have paid cash for it. The website showed 25,737 AED for this particular flight and route. I googled the conversion of that into USD and found that this equals just over $7,000!

BUILDING A TRIP AROUND THE FIRST CLASS FLIGHT

Finally, the last thing I needed to do was build a trip around the first class flight of my dreams. My full time hospital job is very flexible as long as I give them enough notice, which I did in this case. So now was the fun of creating an adventure around this particular flight. I ended up booking a flight to Sweden, a stopover in Amsterdam, a flight to Dubai, a quick flight from Sydney to Melbourne, and finally a flight home to California. I knew if I flew into Dubai, I could easily get to Abu Dhabi by taxi in order to take off on my first class flight. For some of the flights I paid cash and for others I used some United miles that I had.

I partied with some friends in Sweden, saw old windmills near Amsterdam, explored the deserts outside of Dubai, spent some time in Sydney, got tattooed in Melbourne, and then drove up and down The Great Ocean Road of Southwestern Australia. As you may have figured out by now, I like to book adventures rather than vacations. It was a tiresome journey, but the first class flight in the middle truly made me refreshed and reinvigorated. It was perfect.

MY FIRST TIME WITH THE FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE

This experience far exceeded my expectations. As you can see from the above video, every second of that flight was extravagant. From the moment I checked in to the moment I touched down in Australia, I was always treated like I was royalty. It is a very interesting feeling. It was obvious that the Ethiad staff were expertly trained. They were always gracious and eager to help me enjoy my experience. I ate so many great meals, drank so many great wines and cocktails, and was massaged prior to boarding. I lounged in, what felt like, my own studio apartment in the sky. I slept in a flat bed at 30,000 feet up. Lastly, I actually showered in the sky, which left me extra refreshed upon arriving at my destination. I can’t recommend enough for people to make it a goal to fly like this at least once. Especially if you are a frequent traveler who regularly submits to the budget friendly economy seat. My only warning, however, is that it will be very hard to transition back to flying in regular economy in the future!

PRO TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Try to choose a very long route, such as this one, Abu Dhabi to Sydney, so that you can truly bask in the full first class experience.
• Arrive at the airport very early so you can enjoy the first class lounge! I arrived around 3 hours before the flight. This will give you time to get some food, smoke a cigar (if you are in to that), get a massage or grooming service, and lounge around.
• Do your research ahead of time! Try to have a good sense of what the first class lounge and flight will entail. The experience can be very overwhelming knowing that you can order whatever you want whenever you want. Be sure to watch my video above to get an idea of how menus are laid out and typical offerings. Have a game plan in order to truly maximize these offerings.
• Schedule meals and set a shower time. After boarding and reviewing menus, you can order what meals you want and the times you want them. Also, you can schedule a time to use the shower. I recommend scheduling the shower about 2 hours before landing. You can ask the staff to give you a wake up call if you fall asleep. This will give you enough time to get refreshed and still have time for one last meal before landing.