Anyone who has flown Etihad Business Class before would be familiar with the nice little touch of an Aqua di Parma amenities kit. For many years now, the Gulf carrier has relied on the Italian luxury brand to add an extra layer of lavishness to the passenger experience for Business Class guests. Now it seems Abu Dhabi’s flag carrier is swinging to another Italian luxury brand, this time hooking up with Giorgio Armani’s home furnishings spin-off, Armani/Casa, to introduce some elegant touches to Etihad Business Class’ soft product (“soft product” refers to things like pillows, duvets and cutlery – anything that isn’t physically anchored down to the aircraft).
The Etihad x Armani collaboration has led to the “Constellation Collection” to completely overhaul the aesthetic of each Business Class suite on board Etihad aircrafts. Instead of those usual and rather plain brown duvets and standard cutlery, passengers will now find geometric patterns designed by Armani with multiple textures that represent the cultural diversity of the UAE and the starry night sky of the desert landscape.
Everything from the dishware to the bedding will completely change the way Business Class looks for anyone flying Etihad. It’ll all start rolling out in December 2022, bringing with it a new dining service that’ll be elevated with Armani-designed ceramics, glassware, cutlery and serving ware. Functionally, not much will change from Etihad’s reliable Business Class product.
Anyone flying longer-haul flights onboard Etihad Business Class will also get a new innovative memory foam mattress in addition to their fully-flat bed, which should go well with the Armani/Casa pillowcase and duvet set.
The Constellation Collection has been designed to align with Etihad’s well-recognised efforts in sustainability, with durable, high-quality material that still manages to offer something lighter and more breathable. In fact, the designs represent a reduction in overall equipment weight by up to 10%, which has numerous other benefits to the airline including less fuel burn and fewer emissions.
This then brings into question the long-standing partnership between Etihad and Aqua di Parma. Is the aircraft big enough for two Italian luxury brands? According to reports, Etihad will keep handing out those luscious Aqua di Parma amenity kits for now. Although this may change in the future if the Etihad x Armani partnership goes any deeper.
