Etihad Airways Will Upgrade to a Double-Decker A380 for Service to Seoul

Effective July 1, Etihad Airways (EY) will soon begin using a larger aircraft for its very popular route between Abu Dhabi and Seoul. The Airbus A380 will be used for daily service between the two hot spots. Passengers who fly frequently can rejoice over the fact that Etihad is now using a luxurious double-decker plane to get between Abu Dhabi and Seoul. Etihad already uses the A380 to transport passengers to other major global hubs like New York, Sydney, London and Paris. Of course, the carrier may have to plan to shift gears at some point now that it has been announced that Airbus is giving up on its famed A380.

Etihad has a reputation for doing luxury like no other airline can. In fact, travelers who make the journey between Abu Dhabi and Seoul with the airline can look forward to an experience that is a step above first class. The airline’s A380 features an area with private sections called The Residences and nine private spaces called First Apartments. Each Residence is a three-room cabin that provides private accommodations for two guests at a time. In addition, guests are treated to a bedroom, a shower and a butler. The price tag for a ticket definitely reflects all of those perks.

Travelers don’t necessarily have to spend top dollar to get to Seoul with Etihad. The carrier’s A380 also offers some more affordable options. The full aircraft consists of 486 seats in total. There are 405 Economy Smart Seats available. That includes a total of 80 Economy Space seats. In addition, there are 70 Business Studios seats on each route. The good news for anyone who isn’t looking to splurge on crazy seats is that Wi-Fi is available throughout every cabin in the A380.

Etihad has every reason to invest money in its route between Abu Dhabi and Seoul. In fact, Seoul has become one of the most lucrative destinations for Etihad ever since the airline first launched flights to the South Korean capital in 2010. More than 1.2 million travelers have used Etihad to get to South Korea in the nine years since service began. The UAE is also gaining popularity among travelers from South Korea. The UAE and South Korea are actually massive trade partners. The UAE currently stands as the largest importer of goods from South Korea throughout all of the Middle East and Africa. It all adds up to about $15 billion in trade each year. Travelers go back and forth between the two destinations for both business and pleasure. Close to 200,000 tourists from South Korea now visit the UAE each year.

[Source: Etihad Airways]