[imagesource: Singapore Airlines]
Pandemic travel woes aside, we have entered the “diamond age” of air travel.
If anything, all the travel restrictions and rules have pushed airlines to gather up their plushest, lushest, and most divine amenities to encourage the ultimate spend and make up for any losses suffered over the past two years.
Now, there are first class suites (not just seats, pfft please) like never before, boasting “showers in the clouds, and caviar collections fit for a king,” per Condé Nast Traveller.
Whether the airlines have completely folded their first class into business class or pushed their first class suites to new heights (not without sky-high fares, of course), the options available these days are next level.
Let’s have a gander at Singapore Airlines A380 Suites:
The flight experience from Singapore starts in ‘The Private Room’ – a lounge where “Dom Perignon or Krug (take your pick) flows like water”.
Once you’re in the sky, you have all the space you need, including that double bed seen above and more:
Singapore Airlines has doubled down in recent years to create what’s widely regarded as the single finest commercial flying experience.
That’s not just hyperbole—at 50 square feet, its A380 Suites wins by measurement as well, giving first-class passengers more space than any other airline.
There are also swivel chairs, a desktop for work, a 32-inch television, and a tablet that controls everything from dimming the lights to changing their colours.
There’s even an option to combined certain suites and form a 9,3-square-metre “palace in the sky”.
If your tummy grumbles, it won’t last long, and if you have stiff shoulders, you’ll loosen up soon enough:
The airline’s “book the cook” service allows you to choose from more than a dozen meals before departure including dishes like lobster thermidor and filet mignon.
A new partnership with Golden Door Spa is bringing its wellness-focused menus to flights, too.
I thought we had maxed out the luxury, and then it’s mentioned that the airline sources much of its produce from sustainable vertical aeroponic farms. I know, right?
Moving on to Cathay Pacific First Class on the Boeing 777:
Booking into Cathay Pacific first class means you’re never let down at any point in your journey. Cathay’s The Pier first class lounge in Hong Kong rivals many of the finest five-star hotels in decor—and arguably in spa amenities, too.
There are also private sleeping rooms and an a la carte restaurant to seal the deal.
Once onboard and in the first class suite, you get the best lie-flat seat/bed that you can imagine:
Trust that the glass of Krug Grand Cuvee 2004 will help you doze most peacefully, too:
Last but not least, Air France La Première Class Boeing 777-300ER:
There are first class cabins with larger footprints and plenty more glitz, but Air France’s first class is the epitome of sophistication. There’s high thread count bedding, a crew who could pass most sommelier exams, and teams on the ground tasked with ensuring that every step of the journey is flawless.
One example? Each passenger enjoys a private sedan from the lounge directly to their plane, bypassing the woes of the terminal entirely.
You would be wise to fast before hopping on, as the onboard tasting menu, designed by a rotating group of the world’s finest chefs, deserves your full attention and tummy space.
Wellness is fully on the cards, with the airline’s new Sisley skincare partnership offering complimentary facials in the La Première lounge.
It is almost all too much.
But I suppose when one writes that cheque for a truly indulgent flight experience, too much is precisely what one hopes for.
[source:cntraveler]
