Over the decades, premium travel has become a lot more exciting thanks to various new
products offered by airlines around the world.
Larger aircraft and advances in materials technology has allowed airlines to get more
creative with what they offer their highest-paying passengers.
These creative cabins helps airlines to stand out from the competition - which is always
fierce.
Today, we examine some of the most creative and interesting premium cabin seating options
available for travelers to experience.
Our extremely short list is by no means exhaustive.
There are a lot of airlines out there, and many of them offer some great business and
first class experiences.
However, today's list will cover just a handful of premium seats and suites that really stand
out from most other carriers.
On that same note, we will mainly be looking at seats and suites where passengers will
spend most of their time.
Thus, we won't be examining common areas and social spaces as much, which have become more
prevalent on board long-haul aircraft these days.
By the way, our apologies in advance for saying the word “suites” so much!
So let’s get started with products offered by Dubai-based behemoth Emirates.
The first class suites found onboard the Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s operated by Emirates
are some of the most luxurious and comfortable spaces you'll find anywhere in the world.
First class suites on both aircraft types have doors for complete privacy, with the
obligatory lie-flat seat.
While the A380's first class doors and walls don't quite reach the ceiling, they come close.
However, in 2018, Emirates unveiled its "Game Changer" first class suites on its 777s.
These suites do have floor-to-ceiling doors for complete privacy.
What’s more, these suites are fitted with "NASA-inspired" zero-gravity seats.
Emirates says the zero-gravity setting of these seats allow passengers to find the body’s
natural resting position and removes pressure from the elbows, back, and neck, to achieve
maximum comfort.
While both the first class suites in the A380 and 777 come with luxury amenity kits, gourmet
dining, premium noise-canceling headphones, and a high-quality, large screen inflight
entertainment system, the two products diverge on two different points.
On one hand, you have the Airbus A380's "shower spa."
This section of the superjumbo has a full-size shower facility that allows first class passengers
to shower once during their flight.
Each passenger is allocated five minutes of running water, but is also able to spend a
total of 30 minutes in the facility, which comes complete with heated floors.
While the shower facility is shared among other first class passengers, it's private
in the sense that your allocated time is all yours!
Moving away from the A380, the passengers allocated middle suites on Emirates' newer
Boeing 777 "Game Changer" first class will get to experience the airline's "virtual windows."
These are screens that have HD projections of the outside world - a way to compensate
for a lack of a real window.
While most would choose the A380 and have access to a shower, rather than a seat with
a virtual window, it's certainly something that's unique among airlines.
Would you prefer to have a floor to ceiling enclosed suite on the 777 with a virtual window?
Or an A380 suite without this feature but access to the shower spa?
Moving on, we have the new A380 first class suite offered by Singapore Airlines.
Unveiled in 2017, Singapore Airlines' new A380 first class suites have quite an interesting
setup.
On their own, each suite is furnished with a full-flat bed and separate leather chair.
This separate chair is reclinable to 45° and freely swivels.
An Airbus press statement noted that this enabled customers to quote "lounge comfortably
in the chair or rest in bed without the need to convert the bed from a sitting position."
On top of the spacious seating for each individual suite, the A380's first two suites of each
aisle can be converted into a double cabin.
This is a fantastic option if you're traveling with a significant other and want to spend
your entire flight together.
To achieve this, the wall between two first class suites is removed.
With each bed positioned up against the removable wall, the absence of a barrier essentially
turns two small and separate beds into one larger bed.
In terms of privacy, the sliding doors of the suite aren't completely floor-to-ceiling,
but go up quite high nonetheless.
Luxury amenities, noise-canceling headphones, and gourmet meals are, of course, also part
of Singapore Airlines' first class experience.
No showers, though, unfortunately.
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Next up is the QSuite offered by Qatar Airways.
But more specifically, the QSuite’s quad configuration.
While a first class does exist with Qatar Airways, many reviewers out on the internet
have noted that they prefer the airline's newer business class offering more.
Indeed, the carrier's older first class product only exists on its Airbus A380s - an aircraft
type that was absent for much of the pandemic.
At the moment, eight of the airline's A380s are flying, reactivated in late 2021 and 2022
due to the need for more capacity.
But going back to the QSuite, these are Qatar Airways' newer business-class-level offering,
which was unveiled in 2017 and was intended to quote "reshape expectations for global
business travelers."
This product lives up to its name and offers suites complete with a sliding door.
Privacy exists to a certain extent, but these doors only go up to about shoulder-height
for an average person standing upright.
But the special thing about QSuites is its 'quad configuration' - which is a private
space that is fully adaptable to passengers and their companions.
Indeed, while Singapore Airlines' A380 suites might be ideal for couples, the Qatar Airways
QSuite and its quad configuration seems like a great way for family, friends, or business
colleagues to travel together.
The QSuite's movable panels allow passengers to transform their space into a private social
area, allowing a small group to work, dine or socialize at 40,000 feet.
Passengers going for this setup will have to contact the airline to confirm all four
suites at once, and it's important to know that all four passengers will be giving up
access to a window seat, as the quad layout only works with the center suites.
While we highlight the uniqueness of the QSuite quad configuration, it's also worth noting
that couples traveling together can remove the barrier between two suites as well.
It's a similar concept to the Singapore Airlines first class suites - but on a much smaller
scale.
Well, now that we've looked at some of the most luxurious offerings available, Virgin
Atlantic's new Airbus A330-900 "Retreat Suite" seems a little less unique.
Nonetheless, it's hailed by the airline as a quote-unquote "brand-new innovation" in
its Upper Class offering.
Consisting of two exclusive suites at the front of the cabin, the Retreat Suite is Virgin
Atlantic's most spacious suite yet, "comprising a 6ft7” (200cm) direct seat to fully flat
bed and a 27” (69cm) touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging."
What makes the Retreat Suite a little more special is that each main seat comes with
an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat.
Removing the center divider, this allows as many as four people to dine, chat or play
games in their own private social space.
It's a little less comfortable than putting four Qatar Airways' QSuites together, but
its essentially the same concept.
Let’s begin to finish off this video with a few products that aren’t yet available.
The two we have in mind come from Lufthansa & Qantas: More specifically, Lufthansa's Allegris
first class suite, and Qantas' Airbus A350-1000 first class suite.
Lufthansa's upcoming Allegris First Class will see spacious suites with nearly ceiling-high
walls and closing doors.
Complete with a large personal wardrobe, each suite has a nearly one-meter-wide seat that
can be converted into a large, comfortable bed.
In these private suites, dining together is a possibility with the setup of a large dining
table.
Passengers can then invite a fellow traveler to join them.
Meanwhile, for travelers headed to or from 'down under,'' Qantas’ future Airbus A350-1000s
are set to each have six first class suites.
Like the Singapore Airlines product we covered, the Qantas first class suites will all have
a seat and a separate bed.
The suites offer a good amount of privacy with fairly high doors and walls - although
they won't be floor-to-ceiling like Emirates' 777.
And finally, let’s end the video with a last minute-update: "The Residence" by Etihad.
While Etihad’s Airbus A380s have been inactive for nearly 3 years, the Middle Eastern carrier
is set to bring back some of its superjumbos for the summer 2023 travel season.
The airline’s A380s offered - and will again offer - something unique and special known
as "The Residence."
This product went above and beyond a first class product and was essentially a small
apartment in the sky.
An Etihad A380 residence had three separate rooms:
A main 'living room' for upright sitting and watching inflight entertainment
A bedroom with double bed
And a private lavatory, complete with dedicated shower
All of this came with a private, dedicated butler - which the airline highlighted would
have been trained by the Savoy Hotel in London.
As part of an article by Future Travel Experience, the Savoy’s Sean Davoren stated:
“The Etihad Airways trainees have been an absolute joy to work with and they all now
possess the skills required to provide the highest standard of hospitality for the airline’s
premium guests, by blending the discretion of a traditional English butler with the efficiency
of a 21st century personal assistant.”
We were originally going to mention that Etihad is no longer operating the A380.
Earlier in 2022, the airline had told Simple Flying that it was continuing to review the
type's viability on a regular basis.
Finally, in December 2023, the airline announced that it would bring back some of these jets
to serve its busy Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow route.
Looking at some of the most exclusive and high-end products available in the skies,
it would appear that airlines are trending towards private social spaces that allow groups
of passengers to gather together in relatively closed-off spaces.
At the same time, with the A380's eventual decline, we would have to imagine that onboard
showers will disappear with the superjumbo and are unlikely to appear on any other aircraft
type.
But, for most of us, who tend to travel closer to the back of the plane, this is probably
not a huge loss!
But if you had the means to choose one of these offerings - which of the products mentioned
today would you prefer to experience?
Which of these airlines would you say offers the best service?
Let us know your opinions and experiences by leaving
a comment!