Is This the Fanciest Flight in the World?
03 February, 2020
We take a look around Etihad Airways’ ultra-luxurious
flight cabin, The Residence.
Abu
Dhabi is not a destination which scrimps on glitz. From the
air it looks like a shimmering mirage; an oasis of grand mosques
and vertiginous skyscrapers, fringed by bowing palms and set
against a glittering expanse of blue.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the UAE’s national airline,
Etihad Airways, offers what has got to be the most outrageously
kitted out flight cabin in the world.
Step forward, The Residence. Found on the A380 Airbus travelling
exclusively between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi and designed to
feel like a home in the sky, this 125 sq ft, three-room suite
really is something else.
Allow the in-flight butler to give you a welcome tour. First up,
there’s the comfortable lounge, where guests can flick through 180
films and 350 TV shows, as well as live news and sports. When
you’ve had your fill, make your way to the bedroom, where guests
can drift off on a double bed dressed in premium Duxiana sheets,
having slipped into complimentary designer sleepwear.
Don’t forget to check out the en-suite bathroom either, replete
with all manner of Acqua di Parma products. Speedy on-board Wi-Fi
throughout the cabin means passengers can keep tabs on the latest
goings-on back on earth and hit the ground running on
touchdown.
The journey is sandwiched by luxurious pit stops at both ends,
facilitated by a VIP Travel Concierge. Before stepping aboard,
those booked into The Residence will have access to a private
enclave within the Etihad Airways First Lounge & Spa at
Heathrow; on landing in Abu Dhabi, kick back with a glass of
champagne before being driven into the city by a private Etihad
Airways chauffeur.
If you’ve got a cool £12,909 to play with, return flights to Abu
Dhabi in The Residence is one way to spend it.
The Lowdown
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab
Emirates, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of
the world’s leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad
Airways flies to more than 80 destinations in the Middle East,
Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Guests of Etihad
Airways can expect to enjoy unrivalled service and hospitality in
the comfort of the airline’s next-generation fleet.
London Heathrow – Abu Dhabi (one-way) in The Residence is
£9,265pp.
London Heathrow – Abu Dhabi (return) in The Residence is
£12,909pp.
These fares are available on Etihad Airways and through travel
agents.