The Etihad Business Studio on the Airbus A380 was on my list to fly for a few years already. I flew Etihad First Class Apartment on The A380 before. However, that was almost 10 years ago and I’ve heard the level of service of Etihad has changed in the past few years. Therefore, I was curious about what to expect.
Flight: Etihad Airways EY32
Route: Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Date: Thursday February 11, 2026
Depart: 9:45AM
Arrive: 7:35PM
Duration: 6h50min
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Class of service: Business Class
I booked Etihad Business Studio using Flying Blue miles. Like I explained in my trip intro Chasing Winter Sun In The Middle East, I redeemed 44,000 miles and paid € 288,02 in taxes and fees. The current promotion allows you to earn 120,000 Flying Blue miles when signing up for the Flying Blue American Express Platinum card. This is more than enough for a round trip in business class with Etihad from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi.
This flight could also be booked using 42,500 AAdvantage miles. However, since AAdvantage miles are harder to get nowadays, I didn’t have any other choice than redeeming Flying Blue miles which is still a great deal.
Business Class Check In And Lounge
After staying at the Hilton Paris Charles de Gaulle, I took the CDGVal to terminal 1. Since a few years, Etihad operates from this terminal after the closure of the Etihad First & Business Class lounge in terminal 2. Check-in went smoothly and after getting my boarding pass, I made my way to passport control.
Etihad business class passengers have access to the Extime lounge. This is a third party lounge Etihad has a contract with. Since Etihad doesn’t have its own lounge in Paris, I decided to skip this part and went directly to the gate.
Etihad A380 Boarding
My flight to Abu Dhabi was departing from Gate 30. Boarding started at 8:50am which was 55 minutes before departure. When waiting at the gate area, I realized how huge the A380 actually is.
Etihad Airways has a total of 7 Airbus A380-800 aircrafts at the moment. Before COVID the airline had a total of 10 A380’s. Due to stronger demand, 2 more A380’s will be brought back this year bringing the total back up to 9.
I boarded the aircraft at the upper level. After showing my boarding pass, I was warmly welcomed on board and made my way to the right. The First Class Apartments were on my left.
Etihad Airbus A380 Business Studio Cabin
The Etihad A380 features a total of 70 business class seats in a 1-2-1 staggered configuration. They’re all on the upper deck just behind the bar and the First Class Apartments.
Window seats are best for solo travelers while the middle seats are best for couples and people who want sit together. As always in a staggered configuration, I would avoid the direct aisle seats as not much privacy is offered there.
The 70 business studios are separated into 3 parts. The first 42 seats are located just behind the bar. After the door and lavatories, you’ll find another 22 seats. The last 6 seats are located after the last door.
Business Studio Seat
I was seated in 14K, a window seat in the middle of the cabin. The colors of the seats are corresponding to the ones of Etihad itself. On my seat, I found two pillows. Below the windows, I found two bins for storage. One of the was locked by the way. The other bin offered more than enough storage. There is also another storage compartment on the other side of the seat.
In front of me, I found the in-flight entertainment screen as well as a blanket on the footrest. Of course, these seats can be turned into a full flat bed. What I especially like in the A380 are the window shades which can be pulled down with pressing the button.
On my left side, I found a reading light. This also serves as a light decoration to make the Business Studio seat even more special. On the other side of the reading light, I found the seat controls as well as the controller for the in-flight entertainment.
In the bin of my left side, I found the headphones. These are noise-cancelling and I found the sound to be of good quality.
While I made some photos, other passengers entered the cabin. It always takes some time before all of these passengers are on board on such a huge plane like the A380.
Pre Departure Service
After a few moments, one of the cabin crew members came by and asked me what I wanted for my pre departure drink. I decided to take a glass of Champagne.
Since this was a day flight, the amenity kit didn’t include that much as I am used to have on a red-eye flight. The kit included basic things like an eye mask, dental kit and hand gel.
After I finished my glass of Champagne, the crew came by again to take all of the glasses and did a check if all safety belts were securely fastened. Then the A380 made its way to the tarmac and took off on time.
Dining Service
Once being in the sky, I was asked what I wanted to have for a drink before lunch was served. I decided to take another glass of Champagne. Unfortunately, the crew member couldn’t tell me what kind of Champagne this was. Then I had a look at the menu to see what options I had for lunch.
Etihad A380 Bar
After having lunch, I made my way to the bar which is located in the middle of the upper deck level. You’ll find the bar between the business class and the first class apartments. The bar serves as a relaxation are where you can sit with 5 other people while enjoying some drinks.
Between the seats, you find some power- and USB-outlets. What I also love about this area is the light decoration. I ordered another champagne and relaxed a bit here before going back to my seat.
Lavatory
The Etihad Airbus A380 has a total of 4 lavatories in business class. 3 of them can be found in the middle of the cabin and the other one is located at the rear. The lavatories are spacious and clean. I clearly noticed this is business class lavatory due to the presence of the extra amenities.
After my visit to the lavatory, I went back to my seat and ordered another glass of champagne. Then I slept for an hour before we made our decent into Abu Dhabi.
Arrival In Abu Dhabi
I was expecting a something as a pre arrival snack but unfortunately nothing was served before landing. On the flight map, I saw we were about to approach Abu Dhabi.
Our aircraft landed safely. After saying good bye to the crew, I left the aircraft and made my way to the transfer desk. I actually had an other flight to catch to Doha just a few hours later.
Bottom Line
I must say that I had a comfortabel flight with Etihad in their Business Studio on the A380. I was a bit surprised the crew member couldn’t tell me what kind of Champagne was served. Unfortunately, the food was served a bit late and the meat was not available.
Apart from this, I certainly would fly Etihad again in their Business Studio. Perhaps next time on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which has a completely different hard product of course. The positive thing of this flight was the hard product Etihad has here. The soft product was of a bit lower quality during this flight.
