Etihad Bringing Back A380 To Paris This Year!
Intro
What news this is: Etihad has decided to bring back the largest airplane in its fleet to Paris as of November 2024. I'm very excited to see Eithad bringing back its A380 for a number of reasons, which we will discuss below. Let's get right into it!
Eithad To Paris
First, it's important that we iron out the details regarding this route. As 2020 came around, so did the pandemic. Airlines had to change strategies in order to stay alive, and for Etihad, this included the grounding of the A380 fleet. They were originally planning to retire the fleet before the drastic change in travel happened.
It seems like people are taking to the skies now more than ever! Originally, Etihad brought back the A380's only to fly to London, and that is how it started. However, Etihad recently announced the resumption of the A380 route to New York, which makes a lot of sense due to the current demand in New York.
A couple of days ago, Eithad announced flights to Paris on what will be their third A380 route. The schedule is as follows starting November 1st, 2024
EY31: Abu Dhabi to Paris departing 2:40 AM- 7:30 AM
EY32: Paris to Abu Dhabi departing 9:45 AM- 7:25 PM
Why Does Paris & New York Work?
Currently, Etihad doesn't operate First Class to Paris. However, it does already operate a frequency to New York on the 787-9. So why does Paris work?
As we can tell, Etihad currently has 6 A380s in its route network. It would make sense for this A380 to do a daily rotation, and that means Sydney or other longer destinations are ruled out. Sure, they could push Asia, but that market seems relatively cornered at the moment.
This leaves a couple of options in Europe, and with London already being served, the rest of the market is small. The two real options would be either Paris or Frankfurt. Paris seems to do quite well with First Class markets; keep in mind JAL flies a daily frequency to Paris with First Class and doesn't even do that to Los Angeles😅! Market-wise, this seems like the smartest decision, but only time will tell if it works!
Pricing
Prices on this route seem to sit around 5800$ OW in First Class. For some strange reason, Google Flights is displaying this route with an A350. Does Google Flights know something that we don't?
However, I am in the business of making this flight as cheap as possible (you should know this by now), but I cannot find any routing to make this cheaper. There used to be the cheapest fares originating in Jakarta, business to Abu Dhabi followed by First to Washington for sub 2600$. However, it does not seem to work with this route, sadly.
Regarding points, expect this routing to cost the same as the ones to London as the distance is very similar. The best way to book Etihad First Class awards at the moment is through the American Airlines award system. A one-way ticket from Abu Dhabi to London comes in at 62.5K Miles, and the same is expected for Abu Dhabi to Paris.
When booking Etihad First Class through the American Airlines Mileage program, expect award space to open 30 days prior to departure.
Final Thoughts
Etihad is bringing back the A380 on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Paris starting November 2024. With more and more demand filling the market, Etihad now has 6 A380s heading to 3 destinations come the end of 2024. Perhaps it won't be as hard to fly one as before! Cash prices sit at 5800$ one way in First Class and The Residence is looking at a 2500$+ upgrade. Expect award rates to be the same as London at 62.5K miles when booking through American Airlines!
