Aviation’s arguably most exclusive first class seat is as cheap as it has ever been to book. In an industry where inflation is rife as carriers juggle soaring fuel prices by feeding increases through to fares, the absolute pinnacle of premium airline flying appears to be one of the few areas where that trend has been bucked. Sounds ridiculous, right?

Etihad Airways in recent years has opted to ditch its existing model for sales of The Residence tickets. Having traditionally been sold for a standalone fare, the three-room suite aboard the airline’s Airbus A380s is now primarily offered to existing first-class passengers as a cash upgrade. For reasons that may only ever be fully known to Etihad, this move has left the ultra-luxurious experience, where flyers get something closer to an apartment than a simple seat, far more accessible than it has been historically.

Etihad’s The Residence Now & Then

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One reason for this sticks out on the surface, in that what customers used to get through the fare differs somewhat from the experience nowadays. Passengers will still find the same physical suites aboard their aircraft, which are made up of “a private bedroom, an ensuite shower room and a separate living area”. However, Etihad has scaled back on the soft product.

This means that the likes of menus, service, and amenities now resemble what standard first-class passengers are offered. Namely, curated in-flight menus adapted to dietary requirements and preferences, as well as the personal butler that those traveling in The Residence previously would have enjoyed, have been dropped.

Whether such tweaks were always on the cards or the carrier simply saw an opportunity with its reintroduction in recent years, we will never know. What is clear is that after a multi-year absence, The Residence has returned without some of the former bells and whistles, but at a price point that might make it far more appealing to those seeking that extra bit of luxury. Indeed, the product had all but been dropped by Etihad during the pandemic.

The Residence Disappeared With Etihad’s A380s

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Etihad, like many of its peers, was forced to react when the pandemic struck and grounded fleets worldwide. The A380, with its two decks and massive capacity, posed one of the biggest issues for those with it on their books. All of a sudden, demand was nowhere near the level needed to justify flying such high-capacity aircraft, and there was no reassurance it would ever return. Luckily for Etihad, the airline opted to keep the Superjumbo just in case.

All ten of Etihad’s A380s were sent for deep storage back in 2020. As demand has recovered since, and airlines have been forced to improvise on the back of delays in the delivery of new aircraft, these have gradually been reintroduced. The first was spotted leaving France’s Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LDE) back in May 2023. Cut forward to January this year, and eight had returned. With one dismantled in 2025, that meant Etihad’s A380 restoration project was almost complete.

Etihad fleet, from Planespotters.net:

For those seeking out ultra-premium offerings, the move would have been music to their ears. The Residence has only ever been offered on Etihad’s A380s, so with their grounding, it looked very possible that the product would disappear altogether. As fate would have it, though, The Residence got a revival as Etihad turned to its dormant Superjumbos for a much-needed boost in capacity.

A380s Reactivated Amid Etihad’s Expansion

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Etihad’s A380s have rejoined its fleet as the airline looks to rapidly grow its network. This, the carrier said in full-year results last February, reflects strong demand across the board — something that might have been hard to imagine when it opted to ground the Superjumbos in the midst of the pandemic.

The results speak for themselves, too, with Etihad having reported a 21% increase in total passengers to 22.4 million over the course of 2025. Load factors increased by two percentage points to 88.3% in the meantime, meaning its flights were fuller on average than in the previous year. Each aided a surge in post-tax profit to AED 2.6 billion ($698 million), which was up 47% on 2024. Including the reactivated A380s, Etihad said 29 aircraft joined its fleet to take the number to 127 and the “largest in Etihad’s history”.

All of this goes to say, Etihad is on a path of aggressive expansion and one that is likely to feature the A380 for some time yet. As chief executive Antonoaldo Neves conveyed last year, the A380 should be a feature of Etihad’s fleet “at least until 2032”. Time will tell if this schedule is stretched, but with an average age of 10.8 years, one could assume Etihad’s A380s will be there if needed for some time yet. Either way, flyers have ample time remaining to nab tickets for The Residence, and, most importantly, can access these for cheaper than ever.

Upgrade System Made The Residence Far More Affordable

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Make no mistake, fares for The Residence still require deep pockets. That said, passengers who experienced the product prior to the pandemic should now notice a difference in price worth several thousand dollars. This is because of how Etihad now markets the fares.

Where The Residence was previously granted a fare category in its own right, Etihad began offering it out as an option for first-class passengers to upgrade to upon the A380’s reintroduction in 2023. That meant that the former all-encompassing price tag of between $20,000 and $30,000 for a one-way journey was replaced by a system whereby passengers would buy their first-class ticket and then pay a fee to upgrade. According to travel blog One Mile at a Time, such fees sat at roughly $1,590 for flights to Paris and Singapore, $2,391 for London, and $3,191 to Toronto as of this year. Though prices naturally vary, the figures offer a useful guide in the absence of a price list from Etihad.

Based on Etihad’s website, a one-way flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) in late July was going for as little as AED 16,675 ($4,540). That is for cash, which is the most economical way to upgrade, and not using points, mind. So, really, the difference in what one might pay for The Residence now, via the first class ticket and upgrade fee, versus just a few years ago is stark. A key caveat is finding an appropriate flight on which the offer is available; however, given Etihad has just a handful of A380s.

Where Does Etihad Use A380s?

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According to the airline, customers had just five cities to choose from as of early July if looking for an Etihad A380 flight to or from Abu Dhabi: London, Tokyo, Toronto, Paris, and Singapore. There too, the frequency of these varies, and seasonality also plays a part.

Upon setting its schedule in January for the year, Etihad firmed up that London Heathrow Airport (LHR) would remain the flagship destination for its A380s. Between 12 and 19 services were planned for each week, making it by far the most well-served route by the airline’s Superjumbos. Paris, Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) would then be served daily, it said. Also, seeing daily A380 flights would be Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT), but only between June and November.

So, for the bulk of people hoping to experience Etihad’s top offering, the unfortunate truth is that it is far easier said than done. Unless based in or connecting through London, there is very limited availability. That is not all, though. What makes The Residence so exclusive is the actual number of such suites aboard each of Etihad’s A380s.

How Exclusive Is The Residence?

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Just one features aboard each of the United Arab Emirates co-flag carrier’s Superjumbos. Located in the far left corner of the top deck on each, The Residence sits in front of the conventional first-class seats, which themselves are ahead of the business cabin.

So, out of 486 passengers, just one or two of those will be able to bag the very best suite on each of Etihad’s A380 flights. Of course, only nine other first-class seats are available, so the pool of those competing for the added luxury might be very slim. But the point remains: The Residence is an incredibly exclusive product, and one that Etihad has only sought to ensure is used on every single flight in recent years by dropping the price.