Flying has become something for everyone recently. Tickets are affordable due to cheaper carriers such as EasyJet, Ryan Air, Norwegian and others. These are not only limited short haul flights but more recently long-haul international trans-Atlantic flights, too.
For the most part, booking and experiencing these flights will not be pleasant as you will be paying extra for practically everything including your seat selection, early boarding, checking luggage, and so on. The luxurious flights, where most of these costs and facilities are included, across Business or First class, may seem way too far away for us.
This may soon change though. Etihad, the worlds eight best airline according to the latest Skytrax awards, has implemented a payment scheme in order to make their fares more attainable for more people. The scheme is currently aimed at residents of the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In addition, it will make it easier for people to fly in The Residence, a three-room suite on the A380 aircraft.
See the video below for information on The Residence.
Whilst it is not yet aimed at residents of the United Kingdom or elsewhere, it may be coming sooner than you think and does provide a great alternative for travellers to visit the Middle East and beyond.
Justin Warby, from Etihad added, “when we were designing this product we were really looking at how we can assist those low to medium income travellers and families, but of course, spreading the payment over a period of months is also a great way to indulge in Etihad Airways’ famous premium cabins,”.
Etihad is the second largest airline in the UAE after Emirates and operates direct flights to Abu Dhabi from London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. You can then connect onwards to Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. So if the payment scheme reaches the UK it will provide a great way to travel around the world on an affordable payment scheme. The interest rates are yet to be announced, but imagine them to be very reasonable.
