My Lucky Day: A FREE Upgrade to Etihad $10,000 First Class

Traveling is full of ups and downs. Sometimes things go worse than planned, and sometimes they go far better than planned. Despite facing cancelations and downgrades this summer, I got super lucky. On my recent flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH), I got a free upgrade to Etihad $10,000 First Class. 

Here’s what happened:

The Free Upgrade Story

After driving home from visiting family on Mothers’ Day, I had to rush and quickly pack my bags for the airport. I had tried to check in online for my flight but was unsuccessful, which worried me, given how close I was cutting it. 

I arrived at the airport slightly over an hour and a half before this international flight and went to the Etihad counter to check in. With no business class line, the agent could check me in within two minutes. However, when she printed my boarding pass, the first segment from D.C. to Abu Dhabi read, “First.”

I assumed it was a glitch, but the agent sensed the puzzled look on my face. She quickly explained that she had given me a complimentary upgrade to Etihad $10,000 First Class. To say I was ecstatic was a severe understatement. 

The Ticket I Booked

I am thrilled to travel and fly no matter what cabin I am in. However, I try to book a business class if possible for comfort and privacy, especially on longer itineraries, specifically ones that I am flying alone, such as 21 hours to Singapore (in this case, routing through Abu Dhabi).

In this case, I had redeemed 87,500 Aeroplan miles for a one-way business class ticket on Etihad from D.C. to Singapore. The taxes and fees on the ticket were about $45, which is not bad. 

Compared to a cash price of $3,000-$5,000, I was delighted with this redemption, and it was much better than spending about $1,100 at the time for a one-way economy ticket. At the time of booking, there was no award availability in first class, nor would I have paid for it, given the nearly 50% increase in Aeroplan points. I would have loved to book first, but I did not think paying extra over business class made sense. 

However, somehow that partner award ticket was upgraded to first class. This completely blows me away. I have no Air Canada or Etihad status, and it was not like I was on a paid ticket. But hey, I will gladly take the first-class upgrade.

My Lucky Flight in Etihad First Class

The flight ended up being absolutely phenomenal. I enjoyed everything about Etihad’s most premium cabin, including the excellent food, closing suite, and incredibly attentive service. Check out my full review if you want to read more about my flight.

It was, without a doubt, my favorite flight of all time, first because of the quality of both the soft and hard products, but second, because I got the upgrade for free. After all, it was not a complimentary upgrade to a recliner seat on a 2-hour domestic flight, it was a significant upgrade to a $10,000 seat on a 13-hour flight! 

The Last Point

To be honest, I cannot fully explain my luck. I believe that business class happened to be oversold, and they needed to make more seats available last minute. Rather than bump people down to economy (which occurred on my Lufthansa flight), some got lucky and moved up to first class. In this case, I was incredibly lucky and got a free upgrade to Etihad $10,000 first class.

I did not contact the airline before the flight to inform them of my intent to review their onboard offerings, and I also booked an award ticket. I guess sometimes things just work out very well, and for that, I will always be grateful. 

Trip Report

This article is part of my Asia Trip Report:

• Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge IAD
• Review: Etihad B787-9 First Class IAD-AUH
• My Lucky Day: A FREE Upgrade to Etihad $10,000 First Class
• Review: Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi AUH
• Review: Etihad B787-10 Business Class AUH-SIN
• Is First Class on Etihad Worth It?
• Booking 21 Hours in Business Class for $45: My Best Redemption Yet!
• Wandering Singapore: My Thoughts
• Exploring the Jewel at Changi: My Thoughts
• Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore (SIN)
• Review: Air Asia SIN-DPS A320
• Review: Hyatt Regency Bali Deluxe Room
• Review: Alila Ubud Deluxe Room
• Review: Alila Seminyak Studio
• How I Saved 20,000 Hyatt Points Per Night
• Bali in 2023: Does it Live Up to the Hype?
• Review: Singapore Airlines Economy Class
• Review: Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit
• Luxury For Cheap: Category 1 Hyatt Hotels
• Exploring Bangkok: My Thoughts
• Review: Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Bangkok (BKK)
• Review: Japan Airlines B777-300er Business Class BKK-HND
• Review: Japan Airlines Domestic Sakura Lounge HND
• Review: Japan Airlines Domestic Business Class Experience
• Review: Moxy Osaka Shin Umeda
• Visiting Hiroshima: My Thoughts
• Trains in Japan: My Thoughts
• Traditional Townhouse Kyoto: My Thoughts
• Hiking to the Top of Fushimi Inari in Kyoto
• Review: Capsule Hotel Experience in Tokyo
• Watching Baseball in Japan: My Thoughts
• Review: ANA First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita (NRT)
• The Best Flight of My Life: ANA First Class NRT-ORD Review
• Craziest Travel Turn Around: From Capsule Hotel to ANA First Class
• No Lounge on a $13,000 First Class Ticket?!?
• Booking a $13,000 First Class Ticket for 47,000 Points