Airline to Offer 3-Room Suites, With Butler

If you typically eye first-class longingly as you make your way to your cramped coach seat with its total absence of unfilled overhead space, you may want to stop reading. A Mideast carrier plans to offer a much, much tonier experience than first-class for those who can afford it: airline suites. Etihad Airways yesterday detailed the three-room suites that will be built into its new Airbus A380s; the 125-square-foot "Residence by Etihad" will be made up of a bedroom big enough for two, private bath complete with shower, and living room outfitted with leather seats, a chilled minibar, and a 32-inch flat-screen TV.

And it'll come with another big perk: a white-gloved personal butler trained in London. The suites will ultimately be available on New York routes, but the first will appear in December on the Abu Dhabi-to-London journey, at a price of $21,000—one way. For those looking to spend a little less, CNN reports that the new A380s will also contain nine "First Apartments," which feature a full-length bed, lounge seat, minibar, wardrobe, and TV. It's not the carrier's first foray into wooing the well-heeled traveler: The AP reports it already offers first-class onboard chefs and in-flight nannies. (More Etihad Airways stories.)