Etihad brings flagship Airbus A380, with private onboard Residence, back to the US

The world’s most exclusive commercial aircraft cabin is officially returning to the U.S.

Etihad Airways announced Wednesday that it would once again fly its flagship Airbus A380 to New York starting April 22, 2024. The carrier will deploy the A380 on one of its two daily frequencies to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for the duration of the summer season, with the following schedule:

• Flight 102 from New York to Abu Dhabi: Departs at 3:30 p.m. and arrives at 12:30 p.m. the next day
• Flight 103 from Abu Dhabi to New York: Departs at 3:10 a.m. and arrives at 9:30 a.m.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter.

Etihad will also upgrade its second-daily frequency between New York and Abu Dhabi, operating this flight with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that features a first-class cabin. (As part of the move, the airline will downguage service between Washington, D.C., and Abu Dhabi to a “regular” 787 Dreamliner that doesn’t feature first class.)

The double-decker A380 doesn’t just represent a massive capacity increase on one of Etihad’s key routes, but it also brings a major upgrade to the passenger experience for flyers in all cabins, especially those with the deepest pockets.

That’s because Etihad A380s feature the so-called Residence product, which is essentially a three-room private cabin at the front of the first-class section.

The Residence is the most exclusive cabin in commercial aviation, and it offers up to two passengers an extra-spacious suite, a private bedroom and a private lavatory with a shower. No other product — not even Emirates’ game-changer first class — comes close to offering as much privacy and space as Etihad’s Residence.

Back in the day, Etihad used to curate an elevated experience for those who dropped tens of thousands of dollars to fly in the Residence. This included a private lounge, a special onboard menu adapted to your dietary preferences and restrictions, and a personal butler dedicated to serving you.

But nowadays, the airline has largely scaled back much of the Residence’s “soft product.” While the physical suite remains, the ground and onboard service largely resemble what passengers should expect in first class.

To celebrate the return of the Residence to the U.S., Etihad is offering some discounted — albeit still pricey — upgrade offers for those who already booked first-class tickets. Residence upgrades are available from “just” $2,990 through Dec. 12 for travel from April 22, 2024, through the end of the schedule (excluding June 14-24).

Standard one-way Residence upgrade prices on the New York route will be $4,520 per person. It wasn’t immediately clear if passengers could upgrade to the Residence from first-class award tickets.

The good news is that even for those who don’t want to splurge for the Residence, the return of the A380 should bring a noteworthy upgrade to the passenger experience. The A380 features nine “Apartments,” Etihad’s best first-class product.

In business class, travelers can enjoy one of the 70 lie-flat “Studio” pods. There’s even an onboard bar, dubbed “The Lobby,” where first- and business-class passengers can relax during the 14-hour flight.

The A380 also features 415 economy-class seats; note that Etihad doesn’t offer a premium economy cabin.

Etihad’s A380s were parked in long-term storage at the outset of the pandemic. Some aviation observers thought these planes would be permanently retired, but the airline brought them back this summer for service to London.

Now, the airline is breathing another life into its superjumbos, with service to New York becoming the airline’s second A380 destination since the pandemic.

Related reading: