From July 1st, Etihad Airways will be sending their flagship aircraft (the A380) to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to meet the high passenger demand over the summer season. This means the A380 will be taken off the Mumbai route.
This is the 5th destination for the aircraft after London, Sydney, Melbourne and New York. The airline currently has 8 aircraft with 2 more on the way. The ninth will take over the 777 on the JFK and I could say the 10th could become permanent if the loads are good to CDG.
The aircraft will fly alongside the 777 as the Paris route runs twice daily. Here is the schedule for the A380 service:
EY31 leaves Abu Dhabi at 02:15 AM and arrives into Paris at 07:50 AM
EY leaves Paris at 10:40 AM and arrives into Abu Dhabi at 7:30 PM.
The A380 features Etihad’s Incredible Residence product.
Etihad Residence
The aircraft features 9 luxurious First Class Apartments.
Etihad A380 Apartments
It also features 70 New Studio Business Class seats.
Etihad A380 Business Class
And lastly, there are 415 Economy seats onboard.
Etihad A380 Economy
How to redeem for the flight?
Redeeming for Etihad flights is very simple and can be done with a number of programs. Here are some of the more used programs to book seats:
All are priced one-way.
Etihad Guest – Economy – 29652, Business – 62935, First – 83812.
American Airlines AAdvantage – Economy – 20,000, Business – 42,500, First – 62,500
Virgin Australia – Economy – 23,900, Business – 35,900, First – 71,500
Asiana Club – Economy – 20,000, Business – 30,000, First – 40,000
How to find availability?
The easiest way to find Etihad awards are through Etihad Guest. Etihad seems to have some great availability on the A380 already so I would recommend booking as soon as possible.
Gulfbusiness.com are also reporting that the Residence will be available for $10, 750 each way, if that’s true that one of the best prices I’ve ever seen of a direct service.
Hat Tip – Gulfbusiness.com
