Etihad A380 Residence class: Airline commences A380 service on Melbourne to Abu Dhabi route

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Etihad A380 Residence class: Airline commences A380 service on Melbourne to Abu Dhabi route

By Annie Dang
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The world's most luxurious airline class has finally arrived in Melbourne - Etihad's A380 which features a three-room private suite touched down in Melbourne on Thursday night.

The Etihad super-jumbo which features "The Residence" first arrived in Australia last year in Sydney – a one-way flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi costing about $27,000.

It is said a round trip fare on The Residence between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi costs $A70,900 plus taxes, and between Melbourne and London it is $A111,200 plus taxes.

Melbourne is the fourth global destination from Etihad's Abu Dhabi hub to receive the product, following London, Sydney and New York.

The A380 aircrafts will replace the airline's three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which is currently deployed on the route.

The addition of Melbourne on Etihad's A380 network sees Australia as the only country in the airline's global network with daily A380 services to two cities – Melbourne and Sydney, said Etihad Airways Senior Vice President of Marketing, Shane O'Hare in statement.

The airline's A380 carries 496 passengers and features a four-class configuration that includes The Residence, First Apartments, Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats.

The Residence is a private three-room suite which is unique to Etihad Airways and to the A380s. It measures 125 square feet with a living room, separate ensuite shower room and a double bedroom. Passengers flying The Residence have access to a personal butler, trained at the world-renowned Savoy Butler Academy in London, and will be served meals made-to-order by an onboard chef.

Etihad first began flying between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi in 2009 but increased to a second daily flight in August.

The airline opened a 800-square-metre Premium Lounge at Melbourne Airport in May this year which offers seating capacity for up to 133 guests, making it the airline's largest Premium Lounge outside Abu Dhabi.

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