This weekend I had the great pleasure of participating in an Etihad Airways‘ event that promised to reveal a major announcement so top secret that the only clue I had was Michael Venus, vice president of corporate affairs, Etihad Airways, promising the surprise “will undoubtedly be the biggest advance in sophisticated flying for years to come.” I went to bed Saturday night wracking my brain for what could possibly be shared that would equal the anticipation Etihad was creating through this bold statement.

All was revealed on Sunday afternoon when Mr. James Hogan, president and CEO, Etihad Airways, gathered media from around the world at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi. With expectations set dramatically high, I must say Etihad delivered in a very big way. The road map to this day started five years ago. In anticipation of delivery of a major aircraft order, Etihad set out to “make every journey remarkable” by bringing style and romance back to flight. It held a series of focus groups in various markets with a wide variety of travelers. From these insights, Etihad designed its new aircraft to exceed expectations of the modern traveler. What we learned on Sunday is that starting this year, Etihad will begin operations of its first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. With these launches, they will offer a totally new kind of flying experience. The A380 will include the first-ever three-room cabin in the sky, called The Residence by Etihad. Up to two guests have the opportunity to share a fully private cabin with a living room, bedroom, private shower and personal butler. This is a level of service only found today in private jets, at a much loftier price. But they did not stop there; in fact, in every cabin on both the A380 and the Dreamliner, Etihad will improve on its already leading products. The first-class cabin on the A380 will feature First Apartments, an expanded version of their current fully private suites that includes the ability to connect suites when traveling with a companion. The Dreamliner’s first class will offer an enhanced First Suites. Both aircraft will offer a Business Studio in business class, with privacy and features that rival other carriers’ first-class cabins, and the new Smart Economy Seat with high-definition entertainment systems, and a unique “wing tip” headrest promises better sleep in flight. Though the design and detail of each cabin is no less than stunning, it is the engineering behind the entire concept that I found most impressive.   Everything we learned about was an addition to the products we currently see on the market. However, Etihad had to hold to very strict weight requirements and maintain the same seat numbers in order to maintain profitability goals. The result is a highly engineered design which maximizes space and delivers on value. Such dramatic innovations from the Etihad team will no doubt have Global Traveler readers eager to experience the new premium products. So the big question is: When will these new experiences be available? A380 service will begin in December with the London (LHR) route and fly to Sydney (SYD) and New York (JFK) by the end of 2015. The Dreamliner will start operations in December as well and throughout 2015 include routes to Washington, D.C. (IAD); Dusseldorf (DUS); and Mumbai (BOM). — Danielle Hudena Pitonyak, executive vice president