Gabrca

Taking a quick look at Etihad's webpage it seems the Residence is still for sale on most of its upcoming flight. Doesn't seem to good for a brand new product. Even most TR's on the Apartment seem to indicate the residence being empty.

Maybe it will pick up when the A380 starts flying to SYD and JFK, 20k for the 6 hour LHR flight is an awful lot.

I think that Etihad made the Apartment on the A380 SO brilliant that it made the Residence quite unnecessary.

Thoughts?

NoY

Its a flag-ship product & is there to market EY, which it has certainly done IMHO. It will sell, as there will always be people who wish to travel in the utmost luxury (especially in these parts!) but I wouldn’t expect it to sell consistently.

amnicoll

they are aiming to compete with private jet - and personally if I could afford the private jet then that is what I would use

I am sure there will be a market albeit small and agree it may better suited to the ultra long haul - still I am sure the Etihad Snr Execs will enjoy it

m0hamed

The Residence is selling ex AUH to LHR return, primarily from pax who book at the least minute so you can make conclusions based on what's for sale on the website.

There are not upgrades into it, and senior EY staff are actually booked Y with space available upgrades into J. Only top tier execs fly confirmed J or very top tier in F.

Gabrca

I get your point, but even at "last minute", im not seeing it go (happy to be proven wrong). Up through the end of this month I only see it sold once on "AUH-LHR" ... That coupled with the fact most of the trip reports seem to imply it's been empty as well.

So while those data points aren't the most accurate points of information, it seems like it would be a lot of weight to haul around unused, in addition to the training of 20 butlers. Granted I give EY credit for creatively utilizing a part of the plane which would fly without seats anyways, so they aren't losing big $$ in lost flying revenue.

It was mentioned in an interview they need 50% occupancy to be profitable on it.

But once again, maybe it'll turn around once JFK and SYD come up, it definitely is still early days. I think EY has done a stellar job with the apartments.

Best,

Acrbag

m0hamed

My info comes direct from EY sources. Again, judging by a handful of TR is hardly a scientific method.

Your assumption of SYD could not be more incorrect.

Gabrca

Think you may have misread my point about SYD, I meant turn around as in "demand will increase" with the addition of a longer flight

I don't have EY sources, so maybe my data is way off (which I freely admit), though the two new reports I read this morning also both had it go out empty on different days.

PS design air just did a brilliant report on the apartment for those interested! I was drooling. Though don't know if I have the nerve to wear a bathrobe in my suite.

http://thedesignair.net/2015/03/02/etihad-a380-first-class-february-2015/

m0hamed

Your assumption on this point is incorrect. That's all I will say.

Dogmatick

All one could assume from that is that your source at EY suggests that it will be SOOO expensive that no one will take it.

You do realise that you are saying that once it starts going to SYD it will be used less

m0hamed

No and yes. I am privy to information others are not.

Often1

Bear in mind that it is a brilliant branding device whether it sells or not. The space was otherwise not useable, so it is not as though it displaces other potential pax and, when unused, does not require service or staffing.

But, from a branding perspective, people think that every seat on every aircraft is pure luxury.

Dogmatick

You're spot on, I was speaking to an EY senior Exec old friend of mine at the time and he was calling it 'Genius' as the other airlines use it for storage largely. At most they've lost a toilet and one F seat and a bit of storage

NYTA

Makes you wonder if there are other spaces like that on other aircraft that can be used for similar purposes - i.e. the nose area of a 747 or some galley area on the upper deck of the 747s. As someone who used to be in the interiors business, I can't imagine it's that hard to implement for an airline that wants to do it somehow.

Gabrca

Just as an update to this ... Someone posted on a blog that he was told by the Butler on the A380 (who was working F as it was unoccupied), that the Residence had only been sold six times since launch.

That being said, I hear regular F occupancy rates are very high.

m0hamed

Given that it was booked at launch, and another TR reporting it was also booked I find this hard to believe.

I have been told, by a source, that it is popular for Emirati shopping trips to London for the weekend. I wouldn't doubt this source given their proximity to sales information.