(This is part of a trip report to the South Pacific, flying Singapore Airlines and Etihad first class and Lufthansa business class home! This summer trip has a value of $33,996 and we paid $3,996 for all these flights/hotels plus lots of miles and points!)
Sydney is a very cosmopolitan city, and I previously visited New Year’s Eve, 2014-15, but it’s always fun to revisit. We stayed at the Intercontinental right near the harbor, and my son was able to meet us so that made it extra special! And the views of the harbor and opera house from their top floor are fantastic!
Even though it was wintry and cold, we still took the ferry to Manly Bay so we could enjoy the harbor.
We walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens on our way to the Queen Victoria Building, with its’ amazing clock, architectural structure, and unique shops!
After Sydney, we flew Etihad first class to Abu Dhabi. We were able to book Etihad first class on the A380 using 100,000 American Airlines miles and $85 for Sydney to Abu Dhabi, stopover, then Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt. The value of this flight was $13,692! This was an amazing redemption, not only because of the first class apartment, but we also received chauffeur rides FOUR times (sorry it’s no longer available when you book with miles). Since we got to Abu Dhabi early in the morning, we went to the arrivals lounge, before leaving via chauffeur to our hotel! The first photos are the lounge in Sydney…
Next up, Abu Dhabi and the new Etihad First Class Lounge…
Holy moly! How amazing!! I’ve always wanted to go to Australia That’s the way to fly 😊
Holly, I never knew anything like this existed until I started this “hobby!”
Hi Ellen, who’s that handsome guy you are with? Lovely pics. I liked Sydney. I think its worth going to if one can manage the very long flight!
Good you have first class travel, makes all the difference.
Thanks for sharing.
Dear Auriel, Australia was fantastic!