Update for those hoping to bag a 1st seat….Phone agent told me that the seats are only accessible to the check in agents, so I arrived an hour before check in was due to open. Queues out the door already, all seats gone. Still, I reckon worth the early arrival to avoid the anchor by 777 J ...

Anyone know how you get to pick a first class seat? Expertflyer showing 6 of 8 available on my flight from SYD to AUH in a few weeks, but no option on Etihad to select seat and Etihad contact centre weren't able to select the First seats in rows 1 and 2. Is it a matter of arriving at check-in fir...