Etihad A330neo first class is a four-seat Vantage XL bulkhead row

Etihad will fly A330-900neos from 2027 with 290 seats and a first class cabin that uses the same Thompson Aero Vantage XL seat as business. The jets were ordered in late 2025 for medium-haul growth. First class is a single forward row of four seats, split from 24 business seats by a partial partition and using extra bulkhead space because other Vantage XL seats need the footwell beside the seat ahead. Both premium cabins use the staggered platform with privacy doors. Economy has 252 seats.

Etihad is selling that row as first rather than a distinct suite, the same front-row approach already used on the A321LR. Fares for first class vary by aircraft, with A321LR first typically below A380 first. The carrier had nearly dropped first class and is now adding it back across much of the fleet. Only Air Côte d'Ivoire also offers first class on the A330neo. Cabin width and seat-certification limits on the type constrain how far the premium cabin can stand apart from business.

Nothing is bookable until the 2027 deliveries, and this first class should be valued as a bulkhead business seat rather than a suite.