Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has unveiled a new high end product and service offering on its Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft, including The Residence by Etihad™, the world’s most luxurious living space in the air, available only on the airline’s A380 aircraft,
The Residence will be a completely new forward upper-deck cabin on the A380, a hotel room in the air.. Accommodating single or double occupancy, it features a living room, separate double bedroom and en-suite shower room. Guests in The Residence will also have a personal Butler.
With the launch of these new fleets, the Abu Dhabi-based airline will also redefine and rename its cabin classes.
The A380 will feature the revolutionary First Apartments, which are fully private suites with a separate reclining lounge seat and full-length bed, as well as a chilled mini-bar, personal vanity unit and wardrobe.
Etihad Airways has allocated the upper deck of the A380 to its premium cabins.
On the B787, Etihad Airways has designed an enhanced First Suite, adding many new features including a chilled mini-bar.
Etihad Airways is introducing the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system across both fleets, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming and high definition screens across all cabins.
The system has video touchscreen handsets, offering an additional screen for guests to maximize their entertainment, so they can play games or view the moving map while watching a movie.
Noise cancelling headsets are provided across all cabins, with built-in magnetic audio jacks to ensure the best sound quality.
The A380 aircraft will have full mobile and Wi-Fi service while the B787 will be equipped with Wi-Fi.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said:“These new living spaces will raise inflight product and service standards to their highest level yet in commercial aviation and alter air travellers’ expectations of inflight comfort and luxury forever.
“Etihad Airways’ A380 and B787 will deliver the most advanced airline cabins in the industry, while meeting all weight, range and cost targets at our desired seat count. This will allow us to offer products unparalleled in quality and style, yet at competitive prices across all three cabins.”
Eighty per cent of the new product offering is a direct result of the feedback and information garnered from these workshops.
The Residence by Etihad™
The Residence, which is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for single or double occupancy, offers levels of luxury and total privacy normally found only on private jets.
Each Etihad Airways A380 will offer a boutique version of The Residence with different color palettes, table marquetry and custom carpets.
Guests in The Residence will have the services of a personal Butler throughout their flight. These fully trained service professionals will receive specialist training at the Savoy Butler Academy in London.
Guests in The Residence will also have a dedicated VIP Travel Concierge team who will ensure every detail of their travel experience, including ground transport, cuisine, and amenities, are tailored to their requirements.
First Apartments
Etihad Airways will redefine First Class and set a remarkable new industry standard with the launch of the First Apartment on the A380.
Nine First Apartments will be installed on the upper deck in a 1-1 configuration creating the only single aisle First Class cabin in the industry.
Each First Apartment, which has a 64 inch high sliding door, includes a reclining armchair and a full-length ottoman, both upholstered by Poltrona Frau. The ottoman transforms into a separate 80 inch long fully flatbed.
The First Apartment, which also includes unique features such as a chilled mini-bar, a personal vanity unit and a swiveling TV monitor for viewing from either the seat or the bed, has a 74 per cent larger footprint than the airline’s current award-winning First Class Suites.
A fully equipped shower room is available on the A380 for exclusive use by First Class guests.
