Etihad Airways has just unveiled a new lounge design concept, which will be debuting at an outstation lounge in 2027. Perhaps the more interesting part of this announcement is the news that Etihad plans to expand its lounge network... Etihad debuting new lounge design at London Heathrow Recently, Etihad closed its lounge at London Heathrow…
It's interesting how the JFK T4 lounge is both Chase Sapphire and Etihad branded. Comparing it to other Chase lounges, like LGA, SAN, etc., those are not partnered with any particular airline. Wonder why it was done that way, and why other lounges/issuers haven't taken similar opportunities to co-brand. Like, Citi should probably be doing a lot more with Admirals Clubs; of course, Delta already does plenty with Amex; you'd also think Chase would want its logos on United Clubs; and, if Southwest ever actually opens a lounge (*cough*), wonder if Chase will attempt to Sapphire-ze it, or if WN too low-brow for them. Just sayin'...
Etihad was still in rebuilding mode when they partnered with Chase. Chase received two new exclusive lounges to its network, was pretty much a win-win.
Citi has had their logo added to Admirals Club entrances, and the Citi Strata Elite gets 4 passes per year to ACs
Chase has two different avenues with airlines - United is fully separate from a lounge access perspective (there isn't a single Chase CC that can get you into Sapphire and UCs, even on a limited basis). Southwest sounds like they are partnering closely with Chase on the new lounges. My guess is at a minimum it just means Chase is fronting a lot of the CapEx to build them out to get the new premium card signups, but it wouldn't shock me if there is some crossover between access (e.g. CSR gets Southwest lounge access when flying Southwest, Southwest cardholders get Sapphire access when flying Southwest).
Good read on the overall situation, BeeDazzle. I still think there's a gap between a superficial logo/limited pass arrangement verses full integration (like Delta/Amex). Like with Citi and AA, 4 passes a year on a high-end card is pretty weak. The Etihad/Chase hybrid (JFK/IAD) is unique specifically because of what you emphasized, that Chase is usually protective of its Sapphire branding. Apparently, United has also wanted to keep that firewall, for whatever reason (capacity constraints?) As for WN, if they are successful in shifting that financial burden to the bank, wonder if it'll be as nice as Sapphire, or closer to a standard Big 3 lounge (AC, SC, UC); Gary's (VFTW) been speculating on the Austin build-out, but other than his FOIA requests, no real details yet. Feels a bit hype-y to me.
Yes, Emirates has a larger presence but Etihad is quite active in some cities. For example, in a few months, Etihad will be flying 6 flights a day to Phuket, 4 to Bangkok, 3 to Kuala Lumpur, etc.
Not what I would expect from Etihad. The new lounge concept is pretty plain. That was only a rendering of course. The physical product will have to be seen personally whether in pics, video or in person. Thanks for the article and first look at Etihad’s new lounge concept.
Looks nice-ish, yeah, but so…beige.
Looks more like a Starlux lounge than the actual Starlux lounge you just posted about
Its like beige combined with EVA colors. I just don't see the color co-ordination.
Another over promise from the cheapest ME3 bling.
Riyadh and Saudia is going to replace Etihad soon.
Perhaps a lounge at YYZ, given that they fly the A380 there? Would also appreciate some differentiation for F passengers at JFK and IAD (though Etihad gets cold feet about where it offers F and keeps switching it around).
yeah would love to have someone smarter than me explain why they switched A380 with F from JFK to YYZ last year? makes zero sense on the surface
Nice and creamy. A likeable colourscheme.
Bangkok could be a good candidate for an EY lounge, along with CDG, where they had double-daily A380 flights scheduled before the Iran conflict
I predict an Etihad lounge in Calgary (YYC). Just kidding, but EY is a very quirky airline in terms of the airports it serves, at least in North America. For those of us on the West Coast, it's not a carrier we think about at all. So, YYC is actually a step in the right direction as it's fairly far west in North America and the farthest west EY will be flying on this continent.
EY may be quirky but they also seem to be strategic. Alberta is very much part of the world petroleum industry so maybe there is business travel to Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the ME that can connect via Abu Dhabi? At CLT, they are the only ME carrier. At SEA, SFO, or LAX, they would compete directly against Emirates, Qatar, and Turkish. So, I don't expect to see them on the West Coast--or to fly them--anytime soon. It's nice to learn about their lounge plans, though, and I look forward to a full review at some point in the future.
Etihad is a Luxury airline. Opening more Lounges with the Chase Sapphire partnership gives it an edge over its competitors. Only getting better.
Etihad is a Luxury airline. Opening more Lounges with the Chase Sapphire partnership gives it an edge over its competitors. Only getting better.
The continued resurgence of EY has been great to see.