Insider Today: Etihad Airways' 'apartment' seats

In Saturday's edition of Insider Today, we're taking you on a tour of Etihad Airways' "apartment" seats — or private suites.

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Welcome back to our Saturday edition! It's a great time to be a homeowner in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mission, Texas; New Haven, Connecticut; and 19 more cities where home prices are skyrocketing.

On the agenda:

• A family booked first-class "apartment" seats for an eight-hour flight.
• Guy Fieri is rucking — and says it helped him lose 30 pounds.
• You don't need to spend thousands to vacation in an overwater bungalow.
• A couple's vacation home in Bali is the crux of their early retirement plan.

But first: Teeny, tiny homes.

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This week's dispatch

Skinny houses, big drama

Could you live in a 10-foot-wide house? Hear me out! 

What if it had a garage, a really deep backyard for optimal outdoor living in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and came with interesting features — like a custom dining table?

That's the case for this skinny home, which was built out of spite because the neighbors didn't want the house built on a leftover residual lot. It's available for around $600,000.

If you'd rather buy in the city, you're in luck. Another 10-foot-wide home built on a driveway in Washington, DC is also on the market for $580,000. 

The listing agent told BI real estate reporter Jordan Pandy that zoning laws changed after the developer bought the 0.02-acre property, forcing them to get a bit creative. The result is a modern one-bedroom home that has enough space for a patio.

While both homes are still on the market, these skinny houses are getting tons of interest, especially from buyers who'd rather use it as an investment property or as a vacation home. (And also from annoyed neighbors.)

Whoever ends up living here, they're in for an intimate experience.

Etihad Airways' private 'apartments'

Forget business class — Etihad Airways offers private "apartments," or rooms with a closing door, a couch that converts to a bed, and a reclining chair. Guests can also reserve a shower during the flight.

One family used their airline points to book the apartments. What would have cost $6,000 per person ended up costing $33 each.

Take a look inside the luxurious suites.

Big rucking deal

Rucking, the new fitness craze that involves walking, hiking, or jogging while carrying weight, has caught the attention of celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

As part of his wellness routine, Fieri said he rucks a few times a week in the hills surrounding his home — and that it's helped him lose 30 pounds over the past few years.

Check out Fieri's rucking routine.

Also read:

• Rucking can help you burn fat, build muscle, and stay strong as you age — and you don't need a gym
• Move over, Peloton. Rucking is the newest fitness craze in Silicon Valley and beyond.

Overwater bungalows (on a budget)

After staying in two different overwater resorts in the Maldives, the writer found there's no need to spend thousands of dollars for the experience.

Her first stay was at the Conrad Maldives, where rooms go for more than $700 a night. She also stayed at the South Palm Resort, where an overwater villa can cost about $300. The first stay was more luxurious, but the budget option was just as beautiful.

See the Maldives on a budget.

Building a home in Bali

Despite never visiting the Indonesian island, an Australian couple built an investment property in Bali.

The pair spent about $143,000 building their two-story villa from scratch. While they're currently renting it on Airbnb, they hope to retire to the villa in the next five or six years.

How they made it happen.

What we're watching this weekend

• "Bridgerton": The smash hit Netflix historical drama is finally back for its third season, this time focusing on Colin and Penelope's love story.

  "Young Sheldon": The spinoff prequel to "The Big Bang Theory" airs its series finale this week after seven seasons on CBS.

  "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal": A new docuseries looks at the infamous hack of the dating site that exposed millions of users looking to have adulterous affairs.

  See the full list

More of this week's top reads:

• More young people are being diagnosed with cancer. Three lifestyle changes could reduce your risk.
• Padel isn't just rich-people pickleball. Here's the difference.
• Equinox got rid of Kiehl's in its locker rooms and everyone is in mourning.
• Differences in parenting between Switzerland and the United States.
• See inside the Hermosa Inn, the top-rated hotel in the "Beverly Hills of Arizona."
• A 30-year-old took a gap year. She's as broke — and happy — as she's ever been.
• Furniture flippers are getting roasted for painting vintage pieces "millennial gray."
• The fittest woman on Earth wants to prove having a kid won't stop her from winning.
• See inside a New York mansion that once belonged to the world's richest man.
• A 24-year-old spent $140,000 buying and converting a Mercedes van.
• A new era of heartthrob is here, and Nicholas Galitzine is its poster boy.

• "MoviePass, MovieCrash" showcases the movie-ticket-subscription app's downfall.

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  The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor-in-chief, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.