Etihad Airways' new A350-1000 aircraft.
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has direct flights from New York to Abu Dhabi. Their latest programming focuses on family travel, business class comfort and sustainability in the sky.
Keeping Kids Happy in the Air
Etihad is striving to make it easier for parents traveling with young kids.
Anyone traveling with young kids knows that the experience can really run the gamut, especially when flying. Well, Etihad Airways aims for a smooth flight experience by partnering up with the
award-winning theme park, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, to launch a one-of-a-kind family-friendly experience onboard its fleet. Etihad's new 'Little VIP' campaign aims to make traveling with children as easy and enjoyable as possible.
The airline's new children's gifts are designed for three age ranges. For infants up to two years old, parents will be given a soft fleece blanket decorated with the faces of Tweety, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Sylvester for them to take home. Flyers aged three to eight years old will be given a drawstring bag featuring an activity book, crayons, a memory card game, and a passport holder. Tweens and teens (aged nine to thirteen) will get a Scooby Doo themed backpack featuring the Museum of Mysteries board game. The gifts are designed to promote Yas Island's indoor theme park, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
In addition to the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi's themed gifts, Etihad is bringing a comprehensive family travel experience through cabin crew and ground crew training to identify and support family travel needs. At Abu Dhabi International Airport, a dedicated family check-in space is available to reduce the time waiting in line.
In flight, young travelers will be given their meals first for convenience, and diners will experience Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi themed dining equipment in bright colors. The menu has been enhanced based on consultation and feedback from family travelers and as a result, requested traditional children's favorites such as pasta with meatballs, waffles and pancakes have been added to the menu.
In line with Etihad's sustainability ambitions, the new children's packs and dining experience have been designed with product purpose and reusability in mind. The gifts are designed to be taken away and treasured, encouraging children to feel excited about traveling with Etihad. The amenities have also been designed without the need for individual packaging, avoiding the use of single-use plastics.
Young flyers will also be kept amused onboard by a bespoke children's section on Etihad's inflight entertainment, designed in a fun, kid-friendly format. Etihad offers a wide selection of family-friendly Warner Bros. movies and TV shows including Space Jam, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny and the Flintstones. A selection of TV shows for older kids from the DC Universe includes Batman, Justice League and Teen Titans.
Even More Comfort in Business Class
Business class allows families and business travelers to stretch out during the long-haul flight.
Flying business class on Etihad makes both family travel and business travel easier. Travelers can check-in online up to 48 hours before their flight guaranteeing the seat they want. Eligible business guests can utilize the complimentary chauffeur service in the UAE and arrive in the comfort of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The premium lounge at Abu Dhabi airport has a large selection of buffet dining. The US Immigration facility at Abu Dhabi airport allows travelers to clear US Immigration before boarding their flight to the United States.
Travelers can stretch out with the extra space in the business class cabins and can arrive feeling refreshed after a good nights' sleep on a fully-flat bed. Travelers can relax with their built-in seat massage and luxury amenity kit. There's also plenty of room to stretch out and ample storage areas for your luggage.
The anytime meal plan means travelers can eat when they are hungry, not according to a pre-set ... [+]
The Dine Anytime menu means travelers can eat at their convenience and can choose from an extensive ala cart menu as well as plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Passengers can also stay connected with mobile services and Wi-Fi onboard. For those looking to relax, there are hundreds of hours of inflight entertainment, including seven sports and news live TV channels; plus, TV box sets. Or tune everything out with the noise-canceling headsets available to business class passengers. Checking in is easy with the dedicated business class check-in at Abu Dhabi airport.
Sustainability in the Sky
The skyline of Abu Dhabi Al Reem Island with a mangrove forest in foreground.
Travelers are interested in more than just direct flights and comfort. They are concerned about environmental factors like reducing their carbon footprint and focusing on aviation sustainability.
Etihad Airways in collaboration with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi has launched the Etihad Mangrove Forest program which focuses on local and national environmental goals, including decarbonization, waste management, and single-use plastics reduction. Biodiversity is the next step for Etihad to explore the promotion of conservation efforts for the native mangroves of the UAE.
Through the platform's app the mangroves can be tracked via satellite maps and access data, including CO2 consumption metrics which can then be tracked to offset emissions.
The goal is to create mangrove forests on all the continents Etihad flies to. The goal is to remove carbon from the atmosphere and establish Abu Dhabi as a global hub for research, innovation and conservation. The program aims to streamline all mangrove efforts launched from Abu Dhabi under one umbrella, to assist in achieving the government goals to reach net-zero by 2050. Globally, mangroves store approximately 6.4 billion tons of carbon, almost four times more than other terrestrial forests, which helps fight the effects of climate change such as coral bleaching and coastline degradation, and support biodiversity and wildlife.
The Etihad Mangroves Forest site has been chosen specifically due to its protected status under the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, which guarantees its ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere for at least 100 years.
