Meet the world's first flying apartment

A bedroom in The Residence.

There is business class. There is first class. And now, thanks to Etihad Airways, there is bonkers class.

The UAE's national airline, which took flight in 2003, has announced a new feature in its Airbus A380 range: apartments. The route, which launches in December 2014 and flies to London Heathrow, will accommodate 498 seats, including 70 people in Business Class Studios and nine in First Class Apartments. While some are simply branded monikers for train carriage-like compartments, Etihad tops the whole thing off with a penthouse called "The Residence".

The apartment comprises of a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom (with shower) and even a butler trained by Savoy Hotels. It spans a total of 125 square feet - bigger than some micro-homes currently being considered by officials in New York.

Three rooms and a butler? A quick glance at the booking form for the airline gives you an idea of who they expect to be able to rent out the on-board accommodation:

"Let me be clear upfront," writes Ben Schlappig, a travel blogger on BoardingArea.com. "This is totally f***ing ridiculous."

Schlappig though, is taking the heights of ridiculous up another mile. Having reviewed all the other luxury A380 products, he has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund a trip in the Etihad Airway's Residence so that he can pen a verdict.

"It’s totally ridiculous and there are so many better ways you can spend your money," he adds. "At the same time, people spend money on entertainment all the time, and if this is something that you think would amuse you…"

How much does it cost to stay in the world's first flying apartment? AED77,200 for up to two people, or approximately $21,018. You can get houses in Detroit or Bulgaria for half that price.

Would you pay for someone else to spend a night in the world's first flying apartment?

402 people apparently would: at the time of writing, Schlappig's Kickstarter campaign has already raised $11,440 of his $25,000 goal.