Etihad
In recent years, business and first-class flights on commercial airlines have received a major facelift. Gone are the days when the experience just entailed a seat with more space. Nowadays, if you say the words “onboard luxury” with regards to commercial airlines, rather than free drinks, passengers can expect haute cuisine, luxe onboard amenities, and, in most cases, capacious suites with features like closing doors for privacy.
With the post-pandemic travel surge, these seats are booking up quicker than ever as passengers prioritize comfort during long-haul flights. It’s worth noting that the onboard experience is just as important as the amount of space, which is why there’s an emphasis on unique menu options, high-technology touches, comfortable bedding options, and the way the airline utilizes the area. Passengers can also expect to find a bevy of luxury amenities, ranging from a personal butler to fine dining with expensive Champagne and caviar.
This group of seven ranges from business-class offerings like Delta’s One Suites and Starlux’s Business Class to private bedrooms from Singapore Airlines and a three-room suite with Etihad’s the Residence. These first and business-class flight experiences are reason enough to book an international trip.
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Etihad Airways | The Residence
Image Credit: Etihad Airways With three separate rooms, the Residence is the most spacious seat in the sky. While onboard, passengers flying the elite experience (only built into its A380s) have access to 125 square feet of space, which includes a bedroom, living room, and bathroom. Amenities such as a private butler service, customized menus, chauffeur-driven limousines, and exclusive airport lounges are also part of the experience. During the pandemic, Etihad grounded all its A380 aircraft. But now the Residence is back, with a price tag of $20,000 up to $38,000.
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Singapore Airlines | First Class Suites
Image Credit: Singapore Airlines Housed exclusively within Singapore Airlines’s A380 aircraft, its 50-square-foot First Class Suites are a fantastic way to travel on the world’s longest flight. Within the suite are a swiveling recline chair and a separate bed with pillows and luxury linens. For meal times, Krug Grande Cuvee and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne are available, alongside pre-ordered meals from the airline’s “Book the Cook” service. If you’re traveling with a companion, make sure to take advantage of the Double Suites feature, which allows you to combine two suites and create a larger space and double bed.
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Emirates | First Class
Image Credit: Emirates It’s no surprise that the enclosed suites in Emirates First Class section are one of commercial aviation’s most luxe experiences, as they’re equipped with luxury touches such as ambient light controls, vanities, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and widescreen televisions with over 5,000 channels. During the flight, passengers can order meals on demand and put in requests for flight attendants via video calls from their suites. While a three-course meal is available on all flights, fliers can opt to order from the “cinema in the sky” snack menu or partake in the Champagne and caviar experience that allows you to order unlimited portions of Persian caviar paired with Dom Pérignon.
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Qatar Airways | Qsuites
Image Credit: Qatar Airways Known as the world’s best business class, Qatar Airways’s Qsuites are a wonderful way to fly long-haul routes. It’s easy to understand why the suites, with fully closing doors, a 21.5-inch TV screen, an à la carte menu, and ample space, are favored by business and leisure travelers alike. Another notable perk is the ability to lower the privacy partitions to create a four-suite space for coworkers to conduct meetings or business without disturbing the rest of the cabin. Couples can also keep the bulkheads down for overnight flights. Plus, any passengers flying through Doha have access to the 100,000-square-foot Al-Mourjan Business Lounge.
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Delta Air Lines | Delta One Suites
Image Credit: Delta Air Lines For a hop across the pond, Delta Air Lines’s Delta One Suites are a comfortable haven. In this section, all business class seats are suites with closing doors. However, what sets the One Suites apart from other U.S. carriers are the onboard dining options, which include regionally inspired dishes that change frequently and onboard experiences catered for specific destinations, ranging from afternoon tea to tapas.
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All Nippon Airways | The Room
Image Credit: All Nippon Airways ANA’s the Room first began popping up on planes in 2019 but has since gained wider notoriety thanks to its enormous size and unparalleled onboard service. While in the air, business-class passengers will enjoy the beautifully plated Japanese kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese meals) served on china, alongside top-shelf alcohol options, including sake and shochu. One other detail that may seem inconsequential but will be significant for transoceanic flights: ANA’s seat has a width of 38 inches, which gives passengers more than double the space of other business-class seats.
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Starlux | Business Class
Image Credit: Starlux As one of the newest business-class products, Starlux had a lot to prove with its debut. However, it’s quickly become a fan favorite, thanks to features such as closing doors, high-tech entertainment, and generous storage space. The most important feature is the seat, which reclines into a “Zero-G” seat position, based on NASA’s body-posture specifications to help alleviate jet lag and fatigue. The airline has a flight route between Taipei and Los Angeles and will be adding a second route to San Francisco in December.