Etihad's mammoth Airbus A380 is returning to the US next year. Take a look at its exclusive $24,000 'The Residence' suite.
Taylor Rains
- Etihad Airways is sending its beloved Airbus A380 back to New York starting April 2024.
- The decision comes after the airline nearly retired the quad-engine superjumbo during the pandemic.
Etihad Airways is bringing its superjumbo back to the US after nearly retiring it during the pandemic.
On November 29, the UAE-based airline announced its Airbus A380 would resume flights between Abu Dhabi and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport starting on April 22, 2024. This would be the first time the quad jet flew the route since 2020.
According to Etihad, the A380 will boost capacity as it takes over one of the two frequencies currently serving New York-JFK — the second will be operated by a Boeing 787-9.
"Our North American portfolio has continued to exceed expectations with the second daily JFK flight introduced last year performing well," Etihad CRO Arik De told Business Insider on Thursday.
With its return, deep-pocket US travelers once again have access to the A380's crown jewel: The Residence.
Take a look at what up to $50,000 gets you on a roundtrip flight between New York and Abu Dhabi in Etihad's one-of-a-kind first class suite.
Exclusively installed on its mammoth A380, The Residence is the world's only three-room suite on a passenger plane.
The entire suite can accommodate up to two passengers and is located on the second level of the superjumbo.
According to De, the Residence is only available by upgrading a first class ticket.
When booking on Etihad's website for a mid-May flight between New York and Abu Dhabi, first class flights are priced between $9,000 and $10,000 each way with another $3,000 per leg on top for the Residence.
For two people, you're looking at upwards of $50,000 total roundtrip for The Residence, depending on the route and season.
However, travelers can add a second person to The Residence for just $1,000 each way if booked by December 12 as part of a promotionl fare, De told BI.
And, demand for The Residence is booming — helping make Etihad's A380's an "overall commercially profitable venture in New York.”
"We had our first bookings within minutes of the announcement that the A380 was coming to New York," De told BI. "It's a famous experience, and there are plenty of people out there who want to sample it, either as a dream one-off or as part of their overall travel mix."
The first space in The Residence is the livingroom with a giant flatscreen television and a multi-person couch.
The living room has a sliding door to ensure full privacy from the rest of the aircraft.
Here, travelers can eat, work, or watch movies.
A dedicated cabin crew team serves The Residence passengers. They will set up the dining table and serve meals, as well as prep the space for sleeping.
Passengers will be served luxury meals, including things like caviar, steak, champagne, and wine.
However, the butler service formerly offered in The Residence will not return, aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth said on X in mid-November after an interview with Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves.
Etihad confirmed to BI that a butler would not be onboard.
Down the hall from the living room is The Residence's private bathroom, complete with a shower.
"[The Residence] is a great experience for everyone, whether they are flying for business or pleasure or both," De told BI. "Flights between Abu Dhabi and New York are over 13 hours long and people flying for business want to arrive refreshed and relaxed."
Showers are rare onboard airliners because the water adds extra weight, with Emirates as the only other carrier offering one.
Like Etihad, Emirates has a first class suite complete with a shower spa. The rival UAE carrier is so loyal to its A380 that it recently announced a $1.5 billion investment to keep them flying.
The last room of The Residence is the bedroom, which one or two people can use.
The double bed is another rarity onboard commercial jetliners. Carriers like Singpore Airlines and Qatar Airways also famously fly larger beds onboard their planes.
Considered one of the most luxurious airline offerings in the sky, travelers were worried when Etihad's A380 nearly retired.
The A380's poor economics and fuel-hungry quad-engines make it an expensive jet to fly, and many carriers like Air France have ditched it for more efficient twinjets like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350.
Fortunately, the surge in demand for air travel in 2022 prompted Etihad to add it back to the fleet.
"We are entering a new phase of sustainable growth to meet the demands of our customers, and the A380 is the right aircraft to meet capacity demands on very select routes," De told BI. "We brought it back on our London services earlier this year, and saw tremendous commercial success, with guests loving the experience."
Etihad's new A380 route will be the second in its network following the return to London in July 2023.
According to Cirium data, Etihad has been flying three of its A380s between Abu Dhabi and London as of October but will move one of those to the New York-JFK route once it launches on April 22.
De told BI that Etihad has a total of four planes in service and, in the short term, "will deploy them where it makes the most sense."
De told BI that the decision to add the A380 to NYC came after the second frequency proved commercially successful.
"Given the commercial performance, and the popularity of the aircraft with our guests, we feel now is the right time to bring the A380 on to our service to New York," he said.
Although some of its A380s are flying again, six of Etihad's 10 superjumbos are still parked but remain "in reserve."
The six jets are sitting in airports across France and Spain, according to Planespotters.
"We are focused on sustainable expansion going forward, and having the option of drawing on our A380 fleet is an element of that," De told BI, noting Etihad plans to double its fleet size to 150 planes and carry 33 million passengers by 2030. "We will make sure we choose the right aircraft to achieve that, and the A380s will be part of that mix for a while."
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