Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Etihad's Residence suite on the Airbus A380 offers an exclusive three-room experience with a bedroom, living room and private bathroom, including a shower.
Passengers receive personalized service, including a private butler, bespoke menus and access to Residence-only lounges at select airports.
The Residence is available on limited routes, including flights between Abu Dhabi and New York, London, Paris, Sydney and Seoul, with award seats generally available most days.
Booking with miles requires a significant balance, often in the millions, but taxes and fees are relatively low compared to the high cash cost of tickets.

What to consider

The Residence can only be booked with Etihad Guest miles and is not available through partner airline programs.
Award rates are extremely high, but round-trip bookings can reduce the per-direction mileage requirement.
Travelers must ensure they select flights operated by the A380, as not all frequencies on these routes offer the Residence.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed breakdown of routes, sample award pricing and tips for maximizing availability when booking Etihad's Residence.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

Etihad stunned #avgeeks and casual travelers alike when it unveiled its unprecedented three-room Residence aboard the Airbus A380 back in 2014, blowing previous best-in-class suites like the old Singapore Suites and Emirates first-class suites out of the skies.

Flying Etihad's Residence was one of TPG's most memorable flights.

Along with a bedroom, living room and lavatory (with shower!) all to themselves, Residence passengers are treated to amenities like private butler service, customized menus by onboard chefs and exclusive airport lounges they don’t have to share with anyone else. No wonder TPG had such a phenomenal time flying it on its inaugural flight from New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) late in 2015.

Where else will you find a private bedroom with a double bed in the sky?

While the Residence is only available on a limited number of Etihad aircraft and routes, it flies to popular destinations like New York and London. The bad news is, there’s no such thing as saver-level awards for the Residence, so you can expect to redeem millions of miles, literally, for an award. On the plus side, though, awards are available almost every day on all four routes currently offering the Residence. And if you have the points to spare, it beats shelling out tens of thousands of dollars each way.

Aircraft and Routes

Like Etihad’s First Class Apartments, the Residence is only found aboard the airline’s Airbus A380s. Etihad currently has 10 of these aircraft in its fleet and has winnowed down the list of destinations it flies them to in recent years, discontinuing service to cities like Melbourne (MEL) and Mumbai (BOM). Currently, Etihad flies A380s with the Residence on the following routes with the corresponding flight numbers.

Some of these routes — notably Paris and Sydney — are or will be flown by other aircraft as well, so it is important to keep specific flight numbers in mind.

Here are the current flight schedules for Etihad’s A380s.

Abu Dhabi (AUH) to/from New York (JFK)

Eithad flies the Residence to New York. Image via Getty Images.

The airline has cut back on its service to New York-JFK, as it currently offers just a single, daily flight on the A380. Times shift a bit over the open schedule, but the current flight operates as follows:

EY101: Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 10:30 a.m. departure → New York (JFK) 4:25 p.m.
EY100: New York (JFK) → 10:55 p.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 8:00 p.m. (+1 day)

Abu Dhabi (AUH) to/from London Heathrow (LHR)

Etihad flies the Residence on up to three flights to London daily. Image via Getty Images.

The first route operated by Etihad’s A380s with the Residence and the Apartment, it is flown by up to three A380s a day in each direction.

EY11 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 2:50 a.m. departure → London (LHR) 7:30 a.m.
EY19 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 8:10 a.m. departure → London (LHR) 12:50 p.m.
EY25 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 1:15 p.m. departure → London (LHR) 5:55 p.m.
EY12 London (LHR) → 9:35 a.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 7:55 p.m.
EY20 London (LHR) → 3:00 p.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 1:10 a.m. (+1 day)
EY26 London (LHR) → 9:20 p.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 7:30 a.m. (+1 day)

Note that the carrier's fourth frequency on this route — EY9/EY10 — is operated by a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9.

Abu Dhabi (AUH) to/from Paris (CDG)

While this route had two daily A380 frequencies in the past, it's currently offered on just one flight operated on the following schedule:

EY31 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 2:20 a.m. departure → Paris (CDG) 7:00 a.m.
EY32 Paris (CDG) → 10:10 a.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 7:55 p.m.

However, EY37/38 will shift from a 777-300ER back to an A380 as of March 13, 2020 — so from that date on, both daily flights on this route will enjoy an A380.

Abu Dhabi (AUH) to/from Sydney (SYD)

Sydney welcomes two daily Etihad A380 flights.

Another flagship route for Etihad and the A380, this one is flown once daily with an A380 in each direction.

EY454 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 9:50 p.m. departure → Sydney (SYD) 6:50 p.m. (+1 day)
EY455 Sydney (SYD) → 9:55 p.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 5:35 a.m. (+1 day)

While the list of destinations to which Etihad flies the A380 is limited, at least they are popular cities. Unfortunately for US-based flyers, opportunities to book awards on the New York route are being halved in October, but as you’ll see below, there are at least still some awards to be booked.

Abu Dhabi to/from Seoul (ICN)

The newest route to offer the carrier's A380, this flight operates once daily using the following schedule:

EY876 Abu Dhabi (AUH) → 10:00 p.m. departure → Seoul (ICN) 11:35 a.m. (+1 day)
EY873 Seoul (ICN) → 12:55 a.m. departure → Abu Dhabi (AUH) 5:40 a.m.

The Residence Experience

Passengers who book the Residence enjoy pre-flight concierge service to customize their experience, and have access to Residence-only sections of Etihad’s lounges in Abu Dhabi, London Heathrow and New York-JFK.

The VIP room at JFK was so secret, even TPG had trouble locating it.

They can also order bespoke menus ahead of time if they want something truly unique, or craft their menu once aboard with the in-flight chef.

TPG enjoying personalized butler service in the Residence.

The Residence aboard Etihad’s A380 is located at the very front of the plane’s top deck on the left side of the aircraft. Though you will find nine First Class Apartments up here, too, the Residence is like its own little world.

The Residence features tons of privacy thanks to closing doors.

Entering via a door you can slide open and shut, you first come into the Living Room portion of the suite. It contains a Poltrona Frau leather sofa and bench along with a 32-inch HDTV screen.

The living room has one of two 32-inch HDTVs.

The sofa has two dining tables that fold away when not in use and the bench has a storage cubby within it.

Like in the Apartments, the Residence has its own minibar.

The Bedroom has a double bed made up with Italian linens and its own in-flight entertainment system.

As mentioned earlier, Residence passengers get their own dedicated lavatory, complete with heated floors, a shower and Acqua di Parma amenities.

Booking awards

Now for the fun/gobsmacking part. You can actually book awards in the Residence using Etihad Guest Miles and awards are plentiful. But it’ll cost you around 1.5 – 2 million miles each way, no matter which route you’re on. The good news is, taxes and fees are actually quite low.

Just a note here based on some reader comments. Back in 2015/2016, you could occasionally book the Etihad Residence comparatively cheaply — less than $5,000 each way — by booking it on the short route from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Mumbai (BOM). The A380 has long since been taken off that route, though, and those types of fares have not been available for a while. You could also score some relatively inexpensive deals by originating in Colombo (CMB) or Cairo (CAI) and flying to Sydney (SYD) for around $13,000 round-trip. Those types of airfares seem to be gone, in part because the routes on which the A380 operates are so few.

At this point, even originating in Cairo or Colombo, the two proven gateways for discounted airfares, they still price out at around $15,000-$21,000 one-way, and $19,000-$32,000 round-trip. Overall, the best deals I could find at the moment were one-ways from Colombo (CMB) to Paris (CDG) for 2,650,386 Sri Lankan Rupees ($15,694).

Or from Cairo (CAI) to Paris (CDG) for 272,396 Egyptian Pounds ($15,189) each way.

That's a lot of cash, so if you want to use miles instead, you have options. Granted, it's going to be a lot of miles, too.

To book a Residence award, you’re going to need Etihad Guest miles since these awards are not open to partners programs like American Airlines AAdvantage or Korean Air SkyPass. The good news is, you can transfer points from either American Express Membership Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Rewards, so there are easy ways to top up your mileage balance quickly without actually flying the airline. However, you’ve got to have millions of miles to spare. That said, this might actually be worth it considering even one-way flights on these routes can cost $20,000-$30,000.

To search for saver-level awards on Etihad that are bookable with partner miles, use Etihad’s own award search. You can search one-way or round-trip, and you don’t need to log in with an Etihad Guest account to see awards.

The redemption values might seem strange given that other programs charge in increments of 500s and 1,000s while Etihad Guest’s award redemption values can go down to the mile. They also change over time, so the ones I’ve listed were in effect at time of writing.

Here are one-way redemption values for each of the routes, along with the taxes and fees you can expect to pay.

Route	Miles and Fees
Abu Dhabi – New York	2,735,250 + $74
New York – Abu Dhabi	3,022,222 + $30
Abu Dhabi – London	2,198,487 + $33
London – Abu Dhabi	1,231,293 + $266
Abu Dhabi – Paris	1,834,493 + $33
Paris – Abu Dhabi	1,260,976 + $119
Abu Dhabi – Sydney	2,157,640 + $57
Sydney – Abu Dhabi	2,167,041 + $70
Abu Dhabi – Seoul	1,446,293 + $33
Seoul – Abu Dhabi	1,253,939 + $25

However, note that booking a round-trip flight will drop these notably. For example, a round-trip from Abu Dhabi to London would drop the price as low as 861,905 miles in each direction.

Still not a steal by any stretch, but it sure beats redeeming over 2 million miles for a single direction.

Here’s a sample day where awards in both the Residence and First Apartments are available from Abu Dhabi to New York.

And a return itinerary with the A380 flight showing Residence award availability (first-class awards departing JFK are relatively hard to find).

Here’s a day where all three A380 flights to London Heathrow are available.

And a day when all three return flights are as well.

Award availability in the Residence is quite good on the other routes as well, though you'll want to make sure you're booking the frequency operated by the A380 as opposed to another aircraft.

Bottom line

Etihad’s Residence is probably the nicest way to fly unless you have your own private jet. Not only do you have your own private suite, but it also includes a living room, a separate bedroom and its own bathroom, complete with shower, not to mention a dedicated butler. You also enjoy ground services like a private lounge at some destinations.

While the cost of booking an award ticket in the Residence is high at 1.5 – 2 million miles each way, it might be worth it when you consider that paid tickets are $20,000-$30,000 in each direction. And if you have the points to spare from Amex or Citi, this could well be a worthwhile redemption considering it’s an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

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Rewards rate

Rewards rate
Rate	Category
4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
5X	Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
3X	Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
2X	Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
1X	Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual fee

$325

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Recommended credit

Excellent to Good

Pros + cons

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

More details

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Aircraft and Routes

Some of these routes — notably Paris and Sydney — are or will be flown by other aircraft as well, so it is important to keep specific flight numbers in mind.

Here are the current flight schedules for Etihad’s A380s.