Etihad First Class Passengers Can Now Upgrade To The Residence

When Etihad announced the return of the A380 last year, one question remained unanswered: what will happen to The Residence?

For those unfamiliar, the Etihad Residence is a step above first class (check out our Etihad A380 first class review here), offering a bedroom with a private ensuite bathroom and shower, as well as a spacious living room. The whole setup is designed for two people and has always been outrageously expensive.

• Etihad Residence, a luxury offering above first class, is now available as an upgrade from first class bookings
• A380 returning to Etihad fleet, initially operating only on the London route
• Upgrades to The Residence available through “manage my booking” on Etihad.com
• Upgrade cost for two guests: AU$3,703.10
• Speculations suggest that the food and beverage experience in The Residence may now be identical to first class

Over the last few days, we’ve seen reports pop up online about first class travellers being able to book The Residence as an upgrade from first class.

When Etihad announced the return of their A380, I managed to book a relatively cheap one-way fare out of Bangkok in a mix of business and first class for AU$2900 one way.

Since the A380 will only operate on the London route to start, this is the only segment you can upgrade.

How to upgrade first class bookings to The Residence

To upgrade, you will need to be booked in first class to start. I’m pretty confident that redemption bookings will also be eligible, but I can’t confirm this yet.

Once you’ve got the PNR, head over to “manage my booking” on Etihad.com and proceed to the seat selection. Here’s where you will see the option to upgrade to The Residence if it’s available.

For my flight, the cost was AU$3,703.10, which allows two guests to make use of The Residence.

What about the soft product?

At this stage, we know very little about any potential perks for flying The Residence. It used to be an over-the-top luxury experience with a private butler, but speculations online would have us believe the food and beverage experience will be identical to first class.

In any case, Etihad might just surprise us all as the product isn’t being marketed at all for now. As we learn more, I will make sure to update you!

Check out our video review of the Etihad First Class Appartments here.