What Etihad’s new seats, new lounge concepts and an evolving design language tell us about first and business class

Is “sand” too generic? Does “superstructure” say “Abu Dhabi”? Is deep jade too Cathay? Is Vantage First enough of a first class? Is Opera’s row 1 seat? Is Beyond Borders even new? Etihad’s latest design drop of seats, suites and lounges raises a myriad questions

By John Walton 21 min read
Rendering, Etihad first class, Vantage First, 1D (left aisle side), from above, in full recline mode, no soft product. Seat in beiges, greys and deep jade greens.
The Up Front AnalysisEtihadBusiness ClassFirst ClassStudio ClassA330neoA321LRA321neoThompson Aero SeatingThompson Vantage XLSteliaStelia OperaLoungesLondon Heathrow
John Walton

Editor in chief of The Up Front, with two decades of experience reporting across the global aviation industry, specialising in business and first class, seats, cabins and the passenger experience.