How I Flew Etihad First Class for 62,500 Miles: Two Apartments on American Airlines Miles
I found two Etihad First Class Apartments a few days before departure and booked them with American Airlines miles. Here is exactly how I did it, plus a second way to get there through Etihad Guest and Rove.
How I Flew Etihad First Class for 62,500 Miles: Two Apartments on American Airlines Miles
by Julia Portela
October 16, 2026 Reading Time: 4 min read
A few days before departure, we found two Etihad First Class Apartments open on the Paris to Abu Dhabi route, booked them straight through American Airlines, and paid 62,500 AAdvantage miles each. My friend and I flew the Airbus A380 in our own private apartments, and no, I did not pay the full cash price to do it. Here is the whole booking, step by step, and a second route to the same cabin for anyone who wants to earn Etihad miles without opening a new credit card.
The flight
Picture your own private apartment at 35,000 feet. That is what the two of us had aboard Etihad Airways' Airbus A380. The Apartment is not a regular First Class seat. It has a separate armchair and a separate bed, so you get real space and privacy, and yes, there is a shower onboard.
How I found two First Class seats
Here is the part that still surprises people: we found our seats just a few days before we flew. Etihad partners with American Airlines, so you can book eligible Etihad flights using AAdvantage miles. I did not do anything clever. I just knew where to look and I checked at the right time.
How I booked it
Once I saw the space, I booked it right in the American Airlines app. One thing I like about AAdvantage is that eligible award reservations may qualify for a complimentary hold of up to 24 hours, which can give you a little time to lock down the rest of your plans before you commit. Holds are not offered on every itinerary, so treat it as a nice-to-have rather than a guarantee.
For the two of us, the whole thing came to 125,000 American Airlines miles and roughly $320 in taxes and fees. That is how we put two people in Etihad First Class Apartments without paying the cash fare.
If you reverse the route (AUH-CDG), you only have to pay ~$36 in taxes & fees.
Another way to book: Etihad Guest and Rove
The American Airlines route is the one I used, but it is not the only way into The Apartment, so here is the alternative if AAdvantage space is not showing up for your dates.
You can also book The Apartment with Etihad Guest miles directly through Etihad Airways. Booking direct sometimes opens award seats that American Airlines does not show, though Etihad's prices are dynamic and can run higher. Direct bookings have their own perks too. Eligible Etihad First Class tickets booked through Etihad may include complimentary chauffeur service to or from the airport, subject to the airline's terms, and when it is offered and available you may even have the chance to upgrade to The Residence, Etihad's three-room suite on the A380.
Earn Etihad miles without a new credit card
American Express Membership Rewards no longer transfers to Etihad Guest, so that door is closed. The option I like now is Rove. Rove is a travel rewards platform that lets you earn transferable miles without opening another credit card, and those miles transfer to Etihad Guest at a 1:1 ratio.
Rove lets you earn transferable miles without opening a credit card. You earn by booking hotels, shopping online, booking flights, and dining at partner restaurants.
Earn 1,500 bonus miles when you sign up through my link.
Claim your 1,500 free Rove milesEarn thousands of miles from hotel bookings
This is where Rove gets interesting. You earn miles when you book hotels through it, and some properties earn at rates that are hard to believe until you see them. Here are two real examples I pulled from a search.
Two properties I found on a Rove hotel search.
These are examples from actual searches. Hotel prices and earning rates vary by property, travel dates, and booking conditions.
Eligible nonrefundable bookings can earn miles right away, so you can put them toward your next redemption without waiting until checkout. Just remember nonrefundable means it generally cannot be canceled for a refund.
Before you transfer your miles
One rule I never break: search for award availability first. Finding an Etihad First Class seat through American Airlines does not mean the same seat, or the same price, is sitting there in Etihad Guest. Transfers are generally one-way and cannot be reversed, so confirm the award price, the seat, and the taxes before you move a single mile.
Bottom line
I flew Etihad First Class in The Apartment for 62,500 American Airlines miles, and I found the space just days before departure. If AAdvantage is not cooperating for your route, Etihad Guest is a solid backup, and Rove is my favorite way to feed it without a new card. Search first, confirm the price, then transfer. Smart travelers do it with points.
Some of the links in this article are referral links. If you use them I may earn a commission or miles at no extra cost to you, and this article is not sponsored.
