Melburnians will have access to butlers and private suites while families from Western Australian live the ‘Dream’ with inflight nannies.
And it’s all thanks to Etihad’s upgraded services to Melbourne and Perth.
Touching down this evening, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s A380 will operate one of the double daily flights to Melbourne; and on the other side of the country, the Boeing 787-9 will replace A330s on flights to Perth.
The big day of change is part of the carrier’s commitment to the Australian market and compliments operations to other Australian cities.
As part of the aircraft upgrade, holidaymakers from the City by the Bay will have access to Etihad’s incomparable Residence – a three-room private suite made famous by Nicole Kidman that feature a living room, private room, ensuite AND it comes with a private butler.
Of course, it costs around $27,000 to rent it out but it’s not the only spot on board full of luxury.
The aircraft has nine First Apartments in First Class – private living spaces featuring reclining lounge chairs and an ottoman, which opens up to become a separate 204cm long fully flat bed.
There are 70 Business Studios, all offering direct aisle access, a fully flat bed of up to 204cm long as well as an in-seat massage and a pneumatic cushion control system.
In the Lobby, First and Business guests can enjoy snacks and refreshments in leather sofas, while in Economy the 415 travellers will have access to ‘fixed wing’ headrest on each seat, adjustable lumbar support, a seat width of approximately 48cm, and an 28cm personal TV monitor.
Etihad Senior Vice President of Marketing, Shane O’Hare, said utilising the A380 will help ease capacity restraints to the city by adding 26 percent more seats per week.
Over on the other side of Australia, holidaymakers from Perth now have access to Etihad’s 787-9 Dreamliner, which features 14 percent more capacity than the A330.
On board, the aircraft has 28 Business Studios that all offer direct aisle access, a fully flat bed of up to 204cm inches long, and an increase of 20 per cent in personal space.
They’re equipped with an in-seat massage and pneumatic cushion control system which enables guests to adjust the firmness and comfort of their seat. Each Business Studio also has an 46cm personal touch-screen TV with noise-cancelling headsets.
The 271 Economy Smart Seats provide enhanced comfort with a unique ‘fixed wing’ headrest on each seat, adjustable lumbar support, a seat width of approximately 48cm, and a 28cm personal TV monitor.
The aircraft has full mobile and Wi-Fi service (Facebook from the sky), with USB and power points at every seat.
Another bonus about the Dreamliner is that it has the Flying Nannies – an Etihad childcare service – as well as on board Food and Beverage Managers.