That’s serious legroom: Mideast airline Etihad offers bed and bath suites

Etihad Airways, a fast-growing Mideast carrier, has laid out plans to offer passengers who find first-class seats a bit too tight a miniature suite featuring a closed-off bedroom, private bathroom and a dedicated butler. It’s just the latest push by airlines worldwide to attract high-spending customers.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier announced the front-of-plane amenities as part of a broader rollout of plush new cabin offerings for dozens of long-range jetliners it plans to receive over the coming years. It is the latest in a series of premium offerings for the flying elite by Etihad, which already woos fliers with perks including private first-class chefs and in-flight nannies.

Etihad Chief Executive James Hogan conceded that offering what the airline says is the first-of-its kind multi-room suite helps generate buzz, but that ultimately it is a serious effort to bring in more cash.

“Obviously there’s going to be a halo effect in the positioning of Etihad Air as a premium carrier,” he said. “But we wouldn’t do it unless we felt we could make money with it. ... This is a top-end market. There is demand here.”

Etihad is the smallest of three rapidly expanding, government-backed Gulf carriers redrawing global aviation maps by funneling travellers through their desert hubs.

Its base in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, this year became the first in the Mideast to open a US preclearance facility staffed by American customs and border officials. US pilots and members of Congress have criticised the facility, which is largely funded by the UAE, alleging it puts American carriers at a disadvantage.

Since starting operations in 2003, Etihad has built a fleet of 96 planes and carried 11.5 million passengers last year. It has ordered more than 220 additional planes, including 10 Airbus A380s and 71 Boeing 787s being outfitted with new interiors introduced on Sunday.