The world of luxury travel is an ever-escalating arms race.
Some people don’t like to fly because, well, flying can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience, especially as airplane seats seem to get smaller all the time. (And that’s because they very much are.)
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At the moment, it’s still not possible to travel without leaving your house. But what if you could be on a plane that basically is a house?
That’s the thinking behind Etihad Airways’s latest upgrade.
The Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based airline has released the details for the new cabins that'll be installed on its upcoming batch of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The two-cabin configuration will include 32 business-class pods and 271 economy seats.
The 787 will include a customized version of the Elements seat manufactured by Collins, as well as a suite door for privacy.
The business class cabins will include Super Diamond product that Eithad currently uses for its Airbus A350-1000 jets, but will add features such as a taller privacy door, more storage areas, a 17.3-inch 4K entertainment screen that, of course, includes Bluetooth connectivity so you can use your phone as a remote, multiple charging ports, Rave Ultra 4K monitors and a fully lie-flat-bed 78-inch bed.
Over in economy, things are still pretty lux. In addition to industry-standard 3-3-3 configuration, there are 13.3-inch 4K entertainment screens with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB charging port.
The planes will come equipped with Viasat's Ka-band Wi-Fi, so you can stream whatever you want, or answer work emails. (But why would you want to do that on vacation?) There will also be live TV, including news and sports.
Etihad's new cabins will only be found on future Dreamliners, three of which are in the third quarter of 2023. The airline has orders for 32 more Dreamliners, but has not set a retrofit program for its existing fleet of 39 Dreamliners.
