Well-heeled travellers wishing to fly in luxury from Abu Dhabi to the Big Apple will now be able to book their very own suite on Etihad Airways’s A380 superjumbo, which launches flights to the US city in December.

But for those looking to luxuriate in the three-room Residence on Etihtad’s inaugural A380 flight to New York will be disappointed as it’s already been booked.

The Residence by Etihad is the airline’s ultra-luxurious and private three-room suite in the sky, said to be a first in commercial aviation and featured only on its A380 aircraft.

The new Airbus A380 service takes flight beginning December 1 between New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and the airline’s Abu Dhabi home in the UAE. 

The price for the suite on the New York flight costs around $64,000.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The US is a strategically important part of Etihad Airways’ growing global network and as a result of increased demand from our guests traveling between New York and Abu Dhabi -- and onto the world, we are pleased to upgrade one of our two daily flights to an A380.

“At Etihad Airways, we are committed to offering unmatched luxury, comfort and convenience for our guests traveling with us across every class of service. New York marks the first US destination where we will introduce our industry-leading A380 aircraft products and experience.” 

Etihad Airways will continue to offer double daily service between New York’s JFK Airport and Abu Dhabi. The addition of the A380 will allow the airline to match capacity with increased demand. 

Launched last December on flights to London, The Residence measures125 sq ft and features a private living room, separate en-suite shower room, bedroom with a double bed, and a dedicated trained Butler to look after the needs of its guests. 

The cabin features a large 32-inch LCD monitor in the living room and a 24-inch version in the bedroom. Located on the forward upper deck of the A380, The Residence by Etihad is available for single or double occupancy. 

The A380 is also the only aircraft in the Etihad Airways fleet to feature nine First Apartments in the industry’s first-ever single aisle cabin on a wide body aircraft. 

Each apartment offers a private living space with a large Poltrona Frau leather lounge chair and an ottoman -- the latter which opens up to become a separate 80.5-inch long fully flat bed. Each First Apartment also offers a 74 per cent increase in space over the airline’s current award-winning First Class suites, a 24” swivelling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit.  A fully equipped shower room is available for exclusive use by First Class guests.

There’s another good reason to fly Etihad: Guests flying on all Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to the airline’s six US ports of entry are processed through the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility available at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which means they pass through all US immigration and customs checks in Abu Dhabi and arrive at their US destination as domestic passengers.