Etihad Airways revolutionary First Class Residence
By Sharon Petersen Sun May 4, 2014
Etihad Airways raised the premium travel bar in spectacular fashion when it unveiled its new “The Residence”, First Class apartment, First Class suite and Business Class studio yesterday. These revolutionary new products will debut on the airlines A380 and 787 aircraft with the exception of “The Residence” that will only be available on the A380.
The Residence is a first for air travel and features a living room, separate double bedroom and ensuite shower room. Guests in The Residence will also have a personal Butler and 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.
The A380 will also 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. A fully equipped shower room is available on the A380 for exclusive use by First Class guests.
See inside the First Class Apartments
On the B787, Etihad Airways has designed an enhanced First Suite adding new features including a chilled mini-bar and 24 inch TV monitor. On the centre seats, the armrests retract and the suites can be joined to create a ‘double’ bed. Each completely private First Suite has a large seat and ottoman which converts into an 80.5 inch long full-flat bed
On both the A380 and the B787, Etihad Airways will launch its new Business Studios which provide 20 per cent more personal space than the airline’s current business class seat.
Configured in a 1-2-1 arrangement, the Business Studios all have aisle access and the seat converts into a fully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches long.
The A380 aircraft will have full mobile and Wi-Fi service while the B787 will be equipped with Wi-Fi only. Noise cancelling headphones are also provided in all cabins.
The Lobby
Etihad also unveiled its “Lobby” for First and Business Class guests traveling on the A380. Essentially ‘The Lobby’ is a serviced lounge and bar area located between the First and Business cabins where guests can relax and socialize. The TV in the Lobby has a USB connection so it can be used for sharing content or it can also be set to the airline’s Live TV channels for sporting and other events.
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