Etihad A321LR: flatbed ‘business plus’ or first class?

Etihad Airways’ new Airbus A321LR jets looks set to go beyond business class, with the front row of the single-aisle aircraft being marketed as ‘first class’.

With as many as 40 of the long-range A321neo models on order, the Gulf carrier has now tentatively scheduled Friday August 1 2025 to see the A321LR launch between Abu Dhabi and Phuket, where it will slot in as one of three daily flights on the seven-hour jaunt.

As expected, Etihad’s A321LR will sport lie-flat business class beds, with 14 suites confirmed across seven rows in a 1-1 layout.

And while CEO Antonoaldo Neves has previously confirmed the A321LR will be crowned by “two seats in the front of the cabin which offer even more comfort” than business class, those Row 1 berths are now listed on Etihad’s website as first class.

Etihad's A321LR will fly between Abu Dhabi and Phuket.

That said, the asking price of AED22,540 (US$6,140) one way in first class compared to a standard AED8,590 (US$2,340) in business class indicates the price is a bit of a glitch as Etihad fine-tunes its system around the A321LR.

After all, the listing for this A321LR flight (EY414) is missing other aircraft-specific details such as WiFi, inflight entertainment, device power and business class being a flatbed.

What Etihad says about the new A321LR

“As Etihad Airways advances its ambitious fleet expansion, the airline looks forward to welcoming new aircraft to its fleet next year,” a spokesperson for Etihad Airways tells Executive Traveller.

“As we prepare for their arrival, guests and travel agents may notice these aircraft appearing on select routes in our GDS system.”

“While the specifics of the aircraft, onboard offerings, and their destinations remain under wraps for now, we’re excited to reveal more in the coming months when we officially unveil our enhanced network and product offerings.”

Business Plus, or First Class?

It remains to be seen if this pair of Row 1 seats will actually be sold as first class – and if so, what features will be used to pump up the appeal of these primo pews.

The more conventional approach of what’s often called ‘business plus’ is to embrace not only additional space but add enhancements ranging from a much larger video screen to a personal wardrobe, an ottoman which doubles as a seat for companion dining and even your own mini-bar.

The poster child of this on an A321 is undoubtedly JetBlue’s Mint Studio, which occupies row 1 of the US airline’s Mint Suites cabin.

JetBlue's spacious A321LR Mint Studio.

However, the same approach has also been adopted on several larger twin-aisle jets by the likes of Air New Zealand, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic.

Etihad expects to see ten A321LRs parked in its hangars by the end of 2025, and they’ll bulk up the schedule to key destinations.

“The strategic intent for them is frequency and thinner markets,” Neves told Aerotelegraph earlier this year.

“If I went to Copenhagen twice a day with a wide-body aircraft, I would lose a lot of money. But it will eventually work if I can deploy an A321LR to Copenhagen.”

“Or I can fly seven days a week to Nice with that plane. But I cannot send a Boeing 777 seven days a week to Nice.”

“I’m a big believer in frequency,” Neves adds. “I hate to fly three times a week to a certain destination. I like consistency. So I like to fly everywhere throughout the year at least daily. The A321LR helps with this.”

Neves also confirmed his A380 superjumbos would remain flying at least “until at least 2032” and suggested new first class suites could also be on the way for Etihad’s next wave of long-range Airbus A350 or Boeing 777X flagships.