ETIHAD: All-Suite Business Class heading for Melbourne and Sydney

Etihad Airways is upgrading its Business Class cabin for Australian travellers, swapping out its aging 777s for newer, shinier, and far fancier newer and more energy efficient, but smaller aircraft on its Sydney and Melbourne routes. That means doors, bigger screens, and fewer chances of being stuck in a dated seat on a 14-hour flight.

Here’s what’s coming your way – and when — according to and ‘exclusive’ on ET.

Out with the old, in with the Suites

Etihad’s Boeing 777s – complete with their somewhat tired Pearl Business Class cabin are not at the cutting edge anymore. In their place? Newer Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A350-1000s upgrading its Business Class cabin fitted with second-generation Business Class suites.

We’re talking privacy doors, wireless charging, USB-C ports, 17.3-inch 4K screens, and Bluetooth headphone pairing. This is a significant upgrade for passengers who prefer a fully flat bed.

Although framed as being ‘delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia,’by Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, in reality, this is Etihad keeping up with its Middle East competitors.

Etihad ditches Virgin, cosies up to Qantas

Etihad’s former partner Virgin Australia has been dumped – thanks to Qatar Airways buying a 25% stake in Virgin – and a new ‘interline’ deal with Qantas kicks off from 1 June.

No, it’s not a codeshare. And no, you can’t waltz into the Qantas Lounge flashing your Etihad Guest card. But it does mean, one booking for QF+EY flights, bags checked through and free rebooking if you miss a connection due to delays or disruptions.

You can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on the QF leg, and Etihad Guest miles on the EY leg, but don’t expect lounge reciprocity or tier perks. That level of appreciation is exclusively reserved for Qantas and Emirates’ partnership deal.

Sydney moves from a Dreamliner to all-A350 by February

If you’re flying Sydney to Abu Dhabi, buckle in since there will be changes in aircraft. Don’t fret, they are basically all good aircraft swaps. All up, by February 2026, all flights from Sydney will be on A350s with all suites in Business Class.

Here’s the rollout schedule for the new flying toys:

• 1 July 2025: Etihad bumps up Sydney–Abu Dhabi to 10 flights per week.
  EY451 (afternoon) is on a 787-9
  EY455 (evening) stays on the 777… for now
• 3 August 2025: EY451 gets a swish new 787-9 with suite-style seating
• 1 October 2025: The 777s get the boot. Enter the A350-1000, four times a week
• 1 February 2026: All Etihad flights from Sydney go all-A350, all-suites, all the time

With the increase in flights, despite the downgrade in capacity from 777s to A350s, Etihad still gets a 20% increase in premium cabin capacity. That’s great news that Etihad is upgrading its Business Class cabin if you’ve heading to Europe, or just want to stretch out in style before arriving in Abu Dhabi.

Melbourne’s upgrade is messier and more delayed

Melbourne doesn’t miss out, but it’ll have to wait its for its upgrade to Business Suites.

• Until 30 Sept 2025: EY462 and EY463 operate on a quirky 8-days-a-week-ish schedule
• From 1 Oct 2025: New timetable!
  EY461 departs MEL at 17.10
  EY460 departs AUH at 20.30
• From 1 Feb 2026: Melbourne finally gets the 787s with 32 new private suites, thanks to Sydney’s shift to A350s freeing up the newer jets

Fast Wi-Fi and free messaging

The headline is always ‘Free Wifi‘, but it rarely is. The new Dreamliners and A350s come loaded with high-speed Wi-Fi. Etihad Guest members get free access to chat apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, while full Internet comes at a reasonable US$10 or US$20 depending on flight length.

To update this blog on an Etihad trip, I would gladly pay that US$20

2PAXfly Takeout

This makes Etihad’s focus on Australia is clear. There will be more flights, better aircraft, and a serious investment in the front of the plane. Whether you’re a business road warrior or a honeymooner with champagne tastes, this is a win.

Now all you have to do is decide: suite to Sydney in a fancy A350, or take your chances in Melbourne until February.