For the next portion of my Iceland to The Residence via Cambodia trip, it was time to fly Etihad Airways’ Airbus A321LR first class on the 6hr40min flight from to Phnom Penh Techo (KTI) to Abu Dhabi (AUH).
The A321LR is a new addition to Etihad’s fleet, and it’s the carrier’s first “premium” narrow body plane, intended to be used in medium haul markets. I was so excited about this flight, as it’s incredibly rare to find a “true” first class on a narrow body plane.
To be honest, I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience. The thing to understand is that while this is more of a “business class plus” hard product, the experience is also priced accordingly. But the soft product is exceptional, with the full first class food and drinks, plus a dedicated flight attendant for just two seats. I think Etihad has a winner with this product, but it’s important to have the right expectations.
How I booked my Etihad first class ticket
I found a reasonably priced Etihad first class ticket from Phnom Penh all the way to Paris, via Abu Dhabi. Specifically, I booked the following in first class for $2,701.12:
11/04 EY437 Phnom Penh to Abu Dhabi departing 7:50PM arriving 12:45AM
11/05 EY31 Abu Dhabi to Paris departing 2:30AM arriving 7:10AM
However, I actually redeemed Chase points toward the cost of this ticket, at the rate of 1.5 cents each, meaning I paid around 180,000 points. The ability to redeem this way is being scaled back, but existing cardmembers still have some time to redeem this way.
Some people may be surprised by my decision to redeem points for “only” 1.5 cents each, when I value them at 1.7 cents each. I explained my logic in this post, but long story short, this was still cheaper than outright booking an award ticket on these flights.
One thing I also want to specifically call out is how Etihad’s first class pricing is actually quite rational. The airline charges different amounts for first class on the Airbus A380, Boeing 787-9, and Airbus A321LR, reflecting the variance in terms of product quality.
So the incremental pricing for first class over business class on the A321LR is often minimal, and that’s why I think value is a consideration with this product. For example, on many of the six to seven hour A321LR flights, I’m finding that pricing is maybe $300-400 more than business class (especially when booking the flight as part of a larger itinerary, where some frequencies are operated by planes without first class).
Etihad first class lounge & boarding
I had an extended layover at Phnom Penh’s new Techo Airport, as I had arrived in Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX business class the same day. So prior to my evening flight, I spent the afternoon in the Plaza Premium Lounge and Plaza Premium First Lounge, both of which were very good.
Techo Airport really is a beautiful facility, probably the nicest airport of this size that I’ve seen. How pretty is this departures area?!
My flight was departing from gate A32, with boarding scheduled for 7:15PM, 35 minutes before departure. The A321LR does a pretty quick turn at Techo Airport, and fortunately the plane arrived on-time, and deplaning was smooth.
As expected, boarding started at 7:15PM. Nowadays Etihad offers escorts on the ground for first class passengers. I was the only first class passengers, so the very kind station manager called to pre-board me, and then walked me onto the plane, which was a nice touch.
Etihad A321LR first class cabin & seats
I boarded through the forward left door, where I was greeted by two super friendly flight attendants, and shown to my seat. Etihad’s A321LR is a fascinating plane — the forward cabin has 16 seats, including two first class seats and 14 business class seats. The seats are spread across eight rows, in a 1-1 configuration.
The idea is that the first row of seats (which have extra space at the bulkhead) are the first class seats, while the next seven rows of seats are business class. There’s no curtain between cabins, and no visual indicator of first class vs. business class, so I imagine that many business class passengers don’t even realize that the first row of seats is sold as first class.
All 16 first and business class seats are based on the STELIA Aerospace OPERA seating platform, the same seats you’ll find on ITA Airways’ A321neos. So seats are in a reverse herringbone configuration, which passengers will no doubt appreciate, compared to the new herringbone narrow body business class seats we’re seeing.
Business class seats convert into 78″ fully flat beds, and feature 17.3″ personal entertainment screens. Interestingly, business class seats don’t feature privacy doors, unlike in first class. As I understand it, that’s because the added weight of the doors would’ve given the airline less flexibility in terms of range for the plane, so they opted to make doors a point of differentiation between first class and business class.
As you can see, the first class seat is identical to the business class seat, with the only difference being that there’s a massive ottoman, a privacy door, and a slightly bigger entertainment monitor.
The two first class seats are 1A and 1F, and I assigned myself seat 1A. However, I was the only first class passenger, so I could use 1A as my seat, and 1F as my bed.
To look at the seat details a bit more closely, this is a comfortable layout, though perhaps seat padding isn’t that great. As you can see, the seat as such is pretty thin, and then the armrest isn’t terribly wide either.
Next to the seat is an elevated panel with the seat controls, the entertainment controller, and the reading light. Kudos to Etihad for not placing the seat controls on the armrest, as so many airlines do, as it’s easy to push those by mistake.
The seat doesn’t have a fully enclosed storage compartment. However, there is a narrow, tall, exposed storage space, big enough for a water bottle.
The tray table folds out from underneath the side console, and is a single, large surface.
The seat’s charging setup is great, with 60W USB-A and USB-C outlets right next to the seat, plus a wireless charging pad on the side console. Then there’s also an AC power outlet underneath the side console.
As mentioned above, in terms of hard product, the main point of differentiation with first class is the huge ottoman space. There’s so much excess space to the point that it’s hard to use all of it. Though I guess it is nice that you can have a friend join you at your seat for a conversation, or whatever (I think it’s probably too tight for two people to have a proper meal at one seat, given the size of the tray table).
It would be nice if they had built some enclosed storage units underneath the ottoman, as lack of storage options at the seat aren’t ideal.
First class entertainment monitors are 20″, slightly bigger than you’ll find in business class.
First class seats also have privacy doors, which are easy to slide open and closed. Think of this more as a privacy shield than anything else, as the doors don’t go very high. So this isn’t going to get you “true” privacy.
The only other things worth mentioning is that the cabin has individual air nozzles above each seat (separate from the reading light console, interestingly), as well as the larger Airbus Airspace overhead bins.
All-in-all, Etihad’s A321LR first and business class cabins are swanky and high tech, and it’s nice to see a reverse herringbone product on a narrow body, rather than a herringbone product. That being said, this hard product is without a doubt “business class plus” quality. It’s similar to the JetBlue Mint Studio in comparison to the JetBlue Mint Suite.
But I’m totally fine with that given what Etihad is going for — a mediocre hard product with an excellent soft product at a reasonable premium.
Etihad A321LR first class entertainment & Wi-Fi
Etihad’s A321LR first class features 20″ high definition monitors, with the carrier’s well regarded E-BOX entertainment system. I found the system to be easy to use, and the selection of movies, TV shows, live TV, games, and music, was massive.
Of course my favorite part of any inflight entertainment system is the map feature, and I enjoyed tracking that for much of the flight to Abu Dhabi. I appreciated the extent to which it could be customized.
Etihad also has bluetooth audio in its A321LR first class, and pair devices to the system is straightforward.
When it comes to inflight connectivity, Etihad’s A321LRs have Viasat Wi-Fi, which boasts excellent speeds.
Ordinarily, Wi-Fi costs $9.99 for a surfing pass, and $2.99 for a chatting pass, both valid throughout the flight.
However, first class passengers get a voucher for free Wi-Fi, which can be accessed through the portal. You just have to enter your voucher code, and if you also log-in with your email, you can then easily switch between devices.
I found speeds to be very good, so I was very happy with the entertainment and Wi-Fi situation onboard.
Etihad first class amenities
Despite the unusual look of Etihad’s A321LR first class cabin, there was no shortage of amenities. Already waiting at my seat upon boarding were the typical Etihad first class pillow and blanket. There’s additional bedding when it’s time to sleep, but that’s just intended for getting comfortable while lounging around.
While I quite like this bedding, I do find it strange how Etihad has a partnership with Armani / Casa for business class amenities, but that doesn’t extend to first class.
Also waiting at the seat upon boarding were the menu and drink list, a voucher for free Wi-Fi, and a bottle of Evian water.
Within moments of settling in, I was warmly welcomed by cabin senior Alex and the first class flight attendant Yasmina. It’s amazing how there’s a flight attendant dedicated just to first class. Yasmina immediately offered me a pre-departure drink, and I asked for some champagne. That was served on the typical tray with dates and a warm towel, and Arabic coffee was also soon brought by.
I was then presented with a rather unconventional amenity kit. Etihad markets this as one of the largest amenity kits in the sky, as it’s a folio bag by Giorgio Armani, which is big enough to carry documents, or even a 13″ laptop.
The amenity kit had a dental kit, eyeshades, earplugs, and a handful of products from ESPA.
There were also Giorgio Armani pajamas and slippers, which are quite cozy.
Lastly I was also offered noise canceling headphones, which are fine, but nothing special.
Talk about a nice selection of amenities, especially for a flight that isn’t even that long!
Etihad A321LR departure from Phnom Penh
When you’re traveling in a premium cabin, one downside of narrow body planes is that everyone typically walks past your seat, as there’s no mid-cabin door for boarding. So boarding definitely feels a bit more chaotic, and kudos to the crew for how good of a job they did providing service in first and business class without slowing down boarding.
Fortunately the flight wasn’t very full — one of the two first class seats was taken, six of the 14 business class seats were taken, and economy wasn’t totally occupied either. During boarding, I enjoyed listening to Etihad’s boarding music, as always.
By 7:45PM boarding was complete, at which point the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 6hr40min, which he expected would put us into Abu Dhabi well ahead of schedule.
By 7:55PM the main cabin door closed, at which point the cabin senior made his welcome aboard announcement, and then the safety video was screened.
At 8:05PM we started our very short taxi, and by 8:10PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 23. We hit a few bumps on the climb out, and the seatbelt sign remained on for around 20 minutes. Once off, the crew sprung into action.
Etihad first class main meal service
Etihad offers a dine on demand service in first class, and I imagine that’s especially the case when you’re the only passenger. The intent on this flight is that there’s one full meal service, and then a snack service before landing if you want it. Of course you can do it differently, but that’s the recommendation, at least. You can find the Etihad first class menu below.
Then you can find the Etihad drink list below.
Service began with a round of drinks. I ordered another glass of champagne — after all, since the bottle was opened on the ground just for me, I would’ve felt guilty if I had let the rest just go to waste. 😉 For what it’s worth, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame was being poured, which was lovely. It was served with some mixed nuts, tomatoes and feta, and olives and sundried tomatoes.
For the first course, I ordered the oscietra caviar, served with traditional accompaniments. To drink, I switched to the riesling from Austria, which I enjoyed.
For the appetizer, I skipped the Arabic mezze for once, and instead ordered the smoked salmon with wakame salad, yuzu pearl, and wasabi mayonnaise. It was delicious, and very nicely presneted.
After that, I was offered a sorbet as a palate cleanser, ahead of the main course.
For the main course, I opted for the Chilean sea bass with green pea and edamame puree, roasted turnip, chive potatoes, pickled shallot, and cream sauce.
Lastly, I finished off the meal with the saffron milk cake, one of my favorite Etihad desserts.
What an absolute treat this meal was! Yasmina couldn’t have been lovelier, and service really is next-level when you have a flight attendant taking care of just you. It really is amazing how well the crew managed the forward galley, as you have three flight attendants working in a tiny space (the cabin senior, the first class flight attendant, and the business class flight attendant).
It’s pretty incredible that for a two seat cabin, they still have five main course options, though perhaps some are the same as in business class. The only modification with the service here is that there’s no “lounge and grill” concept, where the airline lets you essentially create your own dish, by customizing the protein, side, and sauce.
Etihad A321LR first class lavatory
After the meal, I checked out the lavatory at the front of the Etihad A321LR cabin. Unfortunately this lavatory is pretty typical of a narrow body, so it’s quite tight.
There’s no dedicated first class lavatory, but instead, the lavatory is also shared with all the business class passengers. So it’s not exactly the best ratio, though since my flight was pretty empty, this wasn’t an issue.
The lavatory had toiletries for ESPA.
On the plus side, the cabin was spotlessly clean throughout the flight, and it also felt like the combination of a first and business class bathroom meant that the crew refreshed the lavatory a bit more than they otherwise might.
Etihad A321LR first class bed
Since I was the only first class passenger, I had asked the crew if they could make my bed in the other first class seat, so that I could go back and forth between seats, in case I couldn’t actually fall asleep.
This turndown service was every bit as impressive as in wide body first class, as three pillows were placed on my seat, along with an excellent mattress pad and duvet.
I love the bookmark that Etihad places on first class seats with turndown service, with a Dr. Seuss quote. “Sweet dreams. You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
I ended up falling asleep around two hours after takeoff, with 4hr40min remaining to Abu Dhabi, while over the Bay of Bengal…
…and I woke up with around 1hr40min remaining to Abu Dhabi, while over the Arabian Sea. A three hour nap really hit the spot, given that it would still be a very long night, followed by another full day of flying.
Etihad first class pre-landing snack & gift
Etihad has a dine on demand concept in first class, so in theory I could’ve had a whole additional meal. For that matter, there was more of a snack menu as well, with crab cakes and burrata available.
Ultimately I just had a massive meal a few hours earlier, and there are limits to how much I can eat. I was also expecting to have another meal in the lounge upon landing, plus a meal on my connecting flight. So I decided to save my appetite, and instead just had an iced latte, served with a side of baklava. Etihad has some of the best iced coffee drinks, so I always appreciate that this is available.
Another nice aspect of the pre-landing service is that I was given a tray with a warm towel, a box of chocolates from Emirati chocolatier Mirzam, and the choice of a finjan (the small cups in which Arabic coffee are typically served).
Etihad has been adding a lot of new destinations lately, so the airline offers passengers a cup with the name of a city that Etihad recently added, as a memory of the flight. That’s a cute way to create a collectible item!
Etihad first class service
I can’t say enough good things about service on this flight. Alex, the Portuguese cabin senior, was super professional, and invested in making sure each passenger had a great experience.
For example, before landing, he came around to get feedback on the new first class product on the A321LR, and to ask if there were any ways they could improve. It’s always nice to see someone so interested in feedback (and I got the sense he genuinely wanted to know, rather than just asking to tick a box).
Meanwhile Yasmina, the Spanish-Moroccan flight attendant taking care of me, was also top notch. She was personable, and did a great job being attentive without being overbearing. You really can’t beat the first class crew ratio on this plane, eh?
Another thing worth specifically emphasizing is that for both flight attendants, it was one of their first flights on the A321LR. So I was impressed by how they seemed to be really familiar with the cabin, as there’s often a learning curve to service on a new aircraft. For that matter, they really have very tight working spaces on this plane.
Etihad A321LR arrival in Abu Dhabi
Before I knew it, we were over Oman, and close to starting our approach to the UAE.
At 11:15PM, the first officer was on the PA to announce that we’d soon be starting our descent, and would land in around 35 minutes. Sure enough, 10 minutes after that we started our descent, and 10 minutes after that the seatbelt sign was turned on.
At 11:50PM we touched down on runway 31R, and five minutes after that we pulled into our arrival gate in Abu Dhabi, a full 50 minutes ahead of our scheduled 12:45AM arrival time.
As I was connecting to Etihad’s A380 The Residence, boy was I about to be in for a treat, as I walked off the aircraft!
Bottom line
Etihad’s A321LR first class is a rather delightful experience, unconventional as it is. In terms of hard product, this is “business class plus,” and not first class, plain and simple. That being said, the soft product is phenomenal, as good as you’ll find on wide body planes (and in some ways, maybe even better, given that the two first class seats have a dedicated flight attendant).
Obviously this doesn’t compete with the world’s best first class products (including Etihad’s A380 first class), but what I appreciate is that this product is priced accordingly. Etihad actually prices its first class experiences based on quality, so the A321LR first class product is typically much cheaper than on other airlines.
The airline industry has endless customer segmentation, and I like where Etihad ended up with this product. Among the airlines with “business class plus,” the norm is to not do much to elevate the soft product, but Etihad is going as upmarket as you can with a concept like this. I’m a fan.
What’s your take on Etihad’s A321LR first class?
