Etihad's The Residence is world's most expensive flight on New York to Mumbai route

• Etihad's The Residence is the first three-room suite on a commercial plane
• A return flight between New York and Mumbai would cost around $76,000
• Luxury suite has a living room, bedroom, shower room and its own butler 

By Chris Kitching for MailOnline

Published: 08:14 EST, 3 May 2016 | Updated: 08:15 EST, 3 May 2016

Etihad Airways’ route between the financial hubs of New York and Mumbai has become the most expensive flight in the world, with a seat in a private luxury suite costing a small fortune.

A one-way ticket for The Residence, a three-room ‘penthouse in the sky’ that has its own butler and chef, sells for approximately $38,000 (£26,000) – the equivalent of a year’s salary for many workers.

That means a return flight in the exclusive cabin (with stopovers in Abu Dhabi) would cost a staggering $76,000 (£52,000) at single or double occupancy.

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The Residence's living room has a 32in flat-screen TV, leather double sofa and two fold-away dining tables

Down the hall, passengers can retreat to a bedroom with a double bed - another first for a commercial jet

Etihad, the United Arab Emirates’ national carrier, already laid claim to the world’s most expensive one-way flight on its New York-Abu Dhabi route. It costs $32,000 (£22,000) to fly in The Residence on that route.

The swanky cabin, which has a living room, bedroom and en-suite shower room, is available only on Etihad’s fleet of Airbus A380-800 aircraft.

The massive planes, which have seats for nearly 500 passengers, including 415 in economy, have been in use on the New York-Abu Dhabi route since December and were added to the daily Abu Dhabi-Mumbai service on Sunday.

With a connection in Abu Dhabi, the journey between New York’s JFK International Airport and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport takes anywhere from 19 to 21 hours.

Before landing the luxury suite’s passengers can freshen up in a bathroom that has a full-height shower

The suite is staffed by a Savoy-trained butler, whose tasks can include preparing a passenger's bed

WORLD'S PRICIEST RETURN FLIGHTS

In addition to Etihad Airways' New York-Mumbai route, these are some of the world's most expensive return flights: 

Etihad, New York-Abu Dhabi – £42,000 ($64,000)

Etihad, London-Mumbai – £35,000 ($52,000) 

Emirates, Los Angeles-Dubai – £23,500 ($36,000)

Cathay Pacific, New York-Hong Kong - £18,000 ($28,000)

Etihad, Los Angeles-Abu Dhabi – £18,000 ($28,000) 

Japan Airlines, Tokyo-London – £13,250 ($20,000)

The Residence is the first three-room suite on a commercial jet and has helped Etihad win a number of awards for first class travel.

Its living room has a 32in flat-screen LCD TV, leather double sofa and two fold-away dining tables, where a Savoy-trained butler serves bespoke meals prepared by an on-board chef.

A hallway leads to a bedroom that boasts a double bed – another first for a commercial airline – with designer Italian bed linen. A 27in flat-screen TV is mounted on the wall.

Before landing the suite’s passengers can freshen up in a bathroom that has a shower, make-up mirror and hairdryer.

Each of Etihad’s A380 flights has a flying nanny trained by Norland College in Bath.

The cost of the ticket includes luxury chauffeured transport to and from the airport, private check-in, access to a private lounge and a personal travel concierge who can do everything from reserve a table at a restaurant to source tickets to a concert or sporting event.

In addition to New York and Mumbai, passengers can travel in The Residence between Abu Dhabi and London and Sydney. Flights to and from Melbourne begin on 1 June.

A one-way ticket on the London-Mumbai route costs $26,000 (£17,500).

The Residence is the first three-room suite on a commercial jet and has helped Etihad win several awards

The suite is available only on Etihad's fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft, with destinations including London

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