Etihad revamps cabins to bridge air travel with hotel accommodations

06/05/2014
United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways is looking to transform air travel into a true luxury hospitality experience with the introduction of The Residence by Etihad.
Cabin spaces on the Airbus A380 aircrafts will be refitted to accommodate affluent, discerning travelers who wish to have a flight experience that reflects the comforts of a luxury hotel stay. By becoming a transitional aspect of a consumer’s luxury travel experience, more travelers may be inclined to book flights through Etihad.
“It stands to reason that these new offerings will attract a segment of affluent consumers to Etihad,” said Taylor Rains, account executive at Rawle Murdy Associates, Charleston, SC. “My guess would be that the majority of new acquisitions will come from the private jet and fractional ownership industries.

“Hotels are built on crafting luxury experiences for their guests,” he said. “As a result, they are able to cultivate a strong audience of brand loyalists.
“Airlines have traditionally had difficulty generating the same level of affinity. By replicating a hotel experience in the sky, airlines may benefit from similar relationship development with consumers.”
Mile high club
The Residence, available only on the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft, recreates the luxury of a private jet on Etihad. The space will be found on the aircraft’s upper-deck cabin and will include accommodations for single or double occupancy.
Etihad’s The Residence features a living room, separate double bedroom and en suite shower room. Each of Etihad’s A380 aircrafts will offer a different version of The Residence by using different color palettes, table marquetry and custom carpets to separate one experience from the next.
The leather found throughout The Residence is sourced from Poltrona Frau, the same tannery that Ferrari uses, while the sheets are made of Egyptian cotton.
Travelers will also have personal in-flight butler service. All of Etihad’s butlers on hand during flights will be fully-trained at London’s Savory Butler Academy to ensure that travelers are treated to the best service.
In addition to the butler service, travelers will also have a VIP Travel Concierge team that will organize the travel experience. The concierge team will be responsible for planning ground transportation, private check in, in-flight cuisine and amenities that address the needs of that specific traveler.
Etihad’s The Residence will be available out of London’s Heathrow beginning in January 2015.
First Class seating, also on the upper deck of Etihad’s A380, has also been revamped and will feature the only single aisle First Class cabin on any airline. The First Apartments of First Class will include a 64-inch high sliding door, a reclining armchair and full-length ottoman that can become an 80-inch long flatbed.
Also, the First Apartment includes a chilled mini-bar, a personal vanity wardrobe and a television set.
For First Class guests, as well as those flying Business Class, a service lounge and bar area will be located between the two sections of cabins. The Lobby includes a leather sofa, a marquetry table and a large television, making the space idea for meetings or socializing with fellow passengers.
Etihad also looked to transform boarding the aircraft into a more luxurious experience akin to entering the lobby of a boutique hotel. All galley equipment is hidden behind Arabic fretwork screens, and blinds and wooden doors cover trolleys to create an inviting atmosphere.
Also, the airway is set to collaborate with cultural institutions in the U.A.E. to provide artwork that will be exhibited throughout the cabins. Duty free catalogs will also be available for guests.
For Muslim guests, Etihad has included prayer areas that include a real-time Qibla-finder to show the exact direction of Mecca while traveling.
To develop the designs for The Residence and First Class cabins, the airline worked with its Etihad Design Consortium, made up of three design companies: Acumen, Factorydesign and Honour Branding.
Etihad Design Consortium partnered with Promise Communispace, a co-creation agency, to conduct consumer research and workshops in Abu Dhabi, Sydney, London and New York. The group hoped to better understand what makes the perfect flight by using consumer feedback.
The Residence and First Apartments is the direct result of 80 percent of the feedback generated from the workshops. The airline also strived to bring the “individuality and exclusivity of a luxury boutique hotel experience to the sky in a way that embraced Arabian Modernism, an aesthetic that combines the traditions of the region with contemporary design,” according to a branded statement.
Flying in style
Airlines are working to enhance experience by being a part of the luxury of travel rather than an interruption and hindrance.
For instance, Dubai, U.A.E.-based airline Emirates unveiled a private jet service full of bespoke options that aims to provide a tailored luxury experience for business and leisure travelers.
The A319 Emirates Executive aircraft’s bespoke capacities allow travelers to shape several aspects of the flight including the content of dining areas and private suites. With an increase in luxury travel demands, filling this niche market before it is inundated may win the brand frequent travelers (see story).
Hoteliers have also seen this as an important step in total luxury travel.
Four Seasons is shoring up autonomy during its global travel programs by introducing a branded 52-passenger jet.
The retrofitted Boeing 757 will begin flying passengers of bespoke journeys in February 2015. Many of the hotel chain’s journeys bring guests to a new country every other day, so being able to further curate a significant portion of the experience will reduce the chance for mishaps and increase the chance for branded connections (see story).
Consumer preferences should be taken into consideration when redeveloping a brand’s offerings.
“Craftsmanship and customization are two fundamental elements of the luxury industry,” Mr. Rains said. “These two pillars can be a challenge for commercial airlines, but Etihad found a way to incorporate both into its newest offerings.
“By basing some 80 percent of the concept for The Residence directly on consumer feedback, the brand is effectively telling consumers that this luxury experience has been crafted based on their requests,” he said.
“In a field where customization is hard to come by that lends a huge amount of credibility to Etihad and The Residence.”

By: luxurydaily.com

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