Travelling in first class aboard an airline is a true oasis of relaxation during long-haul flights. It is a realm of unparalleled luxury, meticulously designed to provide passengers with an extraordinary experience. From sumptuous reclining armchairs to gourmet dishes crafted by internationally renowned chefs, every detail is carefully considered to redefine opulent travel.
Today, almost all major airline companies feature a first-class cabin on select aircraft in their fleet. Passengers who have the privilege of flying in first class are treated to exclusive amenities both in the air and on the ground. These perks extend to luxurious airport lounges, where passengers can unwind before their flight, and even include chauffeur services for a seamless travel experience. It’s no wonder that first class is often referred to as “suites” by many, given its exclusivity, top-notch service, bespoke fine dining, and unparalleled comfort.
Let’s explore some of the world’s best first class airlines, where luxury knows no bounds.
Emirates
Emirates, renowned for its exceptional service, offers two of the world’s largest passenger airliners, the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380, each providing a unique first-class experience that surpasses expectations.
Introduced in 2018, the new first-class facility on the Emirates Boeing 777 sets it apart with its floor-to-ceiling doors in each compartment, guaranteeing complete privacy for passengers. In contrast, the Airbus A380 features private suites with doors that are not fully enclosed. While the distinction lies in the level of privacy, most other amenities offered by Emirates are consistent across both aircraft.
Regardless of the aircraft, the first-class cabin boasts spacious interiors and a range of facilities, including a personal wardrobe. Passengers can enjoy entertainment on a large screen offering access to an impressive selection of 5,000 channels. Additionally, a smaller screen allows for video calls with the crew to address any specific needs. Immersive audio-visual experiences are enhanced with noise-cancelling Bowers & Wilkins E1 headphones, specially crafted for Emirates with luxurious Italian saffiano leather by Scabrenta. A generously sized desk provides a convenient workspace, complemented by a minibar stocked with beverages and snacks to satisfy any momentary cravings.
On the Boeing 777, the seat can be reclined to a zero-gravity setting, which mimics the body’s natural resting position. Adjacent to the seat, a console allows passengers to control the suite’s temperature and choose from a selection of ten lighting colors to suit their mood. The lighting can be dimmed for a more relaxed ambiance. The Airbus A380 offers similar features alongside additional amenities such as an onboard shower spa and a dedicated lounge area staffed by a bartender, serving a variety of beverages and canapés.
Now, let’s talk about the dining experience. Emirates offers a diverse selection of dishes from around the world, catering to different palates and preferences. For example, a Dubai-Sydney flight may feature cheeses from the Yarra Valley and Australian Angus beef. The à la carte dining experience is accompanied by a carefully curated assortment of wines, spirits, beers, and the prestigious Dom Pérignon 2008 champagne. Exclusively available in first class is the Dalmore King Alexander III, the world’s first single malt to be matured in six exquisite casks.
Furthermore, Emirates pampers its first-class passengers with chauffeur-driven transfers to and from the airport in select cities, adding an extra touch of convenience and luxury to their travel experience.
Emirates redefines first-class luxury in the skies, delivering exceptional service, unparalleled comfort, world-class entertainment, and a gastronomic journey that delights the senses.
Air France
Air France’s first class, known as La Première, offers a truly luxurious experience from the moment passengers begin their journey to the airport. In select French cities, Air France provides a personal Hertz DriveU ride to and from the airport, ensuring a seamless and exclusive travel experience.
Upon arrival at the airport, first-class passengers are greeted by a dedicated member of the Air France crew. They are then invited to indulge in the La Première lounge, where they can savor exquisite delicacies carefully selected by renowned chef Alain Ducasse. After a lavish welcome, passengers are escorted to Air France’s Boeing 777-300 aircraft, featuring the exclusive La Première cabin with four private suites. These suites are designed with opulent materials such as suede, soft leather, wood, metallic finishes, and tweed trim textile fabrics, creating an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication.
Each suite offers utmost privacy, thanks to draw curtains and partitions that can be raised with the push of a button. The seats in La Première can be transformed into comfortable beds, complete with a memory foam mattress, a plush duvet, and a pillow, ensuring a restful sleep akin to that of luxury hotels. Adding to the ambiance, each seat is adorned with a beautiful lamp featuring Air France’s iconic hippocampe ailé (winged seahorse) logo, and the lighting can be adjusted to create a cozy environment.
Entertainment is at passengers’ fingertips with a touchscreen display in each suite, providing a selection of 650 hours of on-demand entertainment. The interface can also be controlled using a remote. Positioned below the touchscreen is a smaller seat or ottoman, serving as a footrest or a place where guests can join the passenger for a drink. Convenient compartments next to the main seat and beneath the smaller seat offer storage for personal items such as books and wallets. These compartments also house Denon over-the-ear headphones for an immersive in-flight entertainment experience.
To enhance comfort during the flight, passengers are provided with luxurious pajamas, slippers, and socks. Air France also offers a specialized travel kit featuring skincare products from the esteemed Sisley Beauty Institute Paris, ensuring passengers feel pampered throughout their journey.
One aspect that sets Air France apart is its exceptional dining options. La Première passengers can indulge in a gourmet menu, carefully curated to match their destination. The 2023 Air France first-class menu departing from Paris showcases signature dishes from renowned chefs Arnaud Lallement, Mauro Colagreco, Régis Marcon, and Emmanuel Renaut. For flights departing from Singapore, guests can savor the culinary creations of chef Julien Royer from the three Michelin-starred restaurant Odette, while flights to Paris from New York or Los Angeles feature the culinary delights of chef Jean-François Rouquette.
To complement the extraordinary dining experience, Air France serves meals on elegant Bernardaud porcelain plates, accompanied by beveled Christofle glasses and flatware. Furthermore, the menu is refreshed every four months, ensuring a culinary journey filled with novelty and delight.
Air France’s La Première truly redefines luxury, providing passengers with an unparalleled travel experience marked by personalized service, sumptuous accommodations, and extraordinary dining options.
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
For food enthusiasts, traveling first class with All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a true delight. ANA takes great pride in its onboard dining experience, offering a menu tailored to the season, destination, age, religion, and dietary preferences of its passengers. Renowned chefs, both from Japan and around the world, including Toru Okuda from Ginza Okuda, Ryuta Iizuka from Restaurant Ryuzu, Masayasu Yonemura from Yonemura, and Yoshihiro Takahashi from the historic Hyotei restaurant, have created exquisite meals exclusively for ANA. In addition, ANA has its own team of talented chefs, ensuring the highest level of culinary excellence.
Depending on the route and season, passengers can savor delectable dishes such as boiled wagyu sirloin beef with udo and Japanese parsley or snow crab salad.
Comfort is of utmost importance when flying with ANA. The type of compartment available depends on the aircraft. On the Boeing 777-300ER, there are two types of first class options: The Suite and ANA First Square. The Suite, with only eight seats available, offers a luxurious experience. Each seat features a cushion created in collaboration with Nishikawa and can be transformed into a fully flat bed. A sliding door provides privacy, and a 43-inch 4K monitor ensures top-notch in-flight entertainment. The Suite also includes convenient closets for jackets and personal items.
In contrast, ANA First Square offers a comfortable and efficient space, resembling an office cubicle with high-panel walls. It maximizes space utilization, providing multiple storage options on the outer part of the walls for jackets, headphones, and personal belongings. Larger items can be stored under the seat. Passengers can enjoy entertainment on a 23-inch touch-panel LCD widescreen monitor with digital noise-canceling headphones. Both The Suite and ANA First Square feature sliding tables for added convenience.
On the ANA Airbus A380, the first-class cabin resembles The Suite, but with a slight difference. Passengers are treated to a 32-inch LCD widescreen monitor for their entertainment needs.
To ensure a restful sleep, flyers can change into ANA’s eco-friendly knitted organic cotton top and bottoms set. ANA provides a range of comfort amenities, including the Tenerita blanket, a pillow filled with high-quality Hungarian white duck down, a Nishikawa comforter, and a Nishikawa AiR bed pad. These items are designed to provide maximum relaxation even at thousands of miles above the ground.
In ANA’s first-class amenity kit, the ANA Original Globe-Trotter Pouch, passengers will find skincare products from Ginza, along with a toothbrush set, eye mask, and earplugs.
With ANA, passengers can experience the perfect blend of culinary excellence, comfort, and thoughtful amenities, ensuring an exceptional first-class journey.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa, a renowned airline, goes above and beyond to provide an extraordinary first-class experience for its passengers in select cities worldwide. From the moment guests arrive at the airport, they are greeted with exceptional services tailored exclusively for first-class travelers. A personal assistant offers personalized information about gates and lounges and assists guests throughout the entire journey, ensuring a seamless and luxurious experience until they board the flight.
For those departing from Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Geneva, or Zurich, Lufthansa takes luxury to new heights by offering chauffeur-driven limousines or exclusive minivans, whisking passengers directly to the aircraft.
Lufthansa’s first-class comfort is available on two aircraft in their fleet: the Boeing 747-8i and the Airbus A340-600. In both, the seats can be transformed into spacious two-meter-long beds. The airline provides a mattress, temperature-regulating duvet, and premium bed linen, ensuring a restful and comfortable journey. The seats can be adjusted and reclined, and soundproof curtains enhance privacy and tranquility throughout the cabin.
When it comes to culinary delights, Lufthansa’s first class excels. The airline offers a carefully curated wine list, featuring four different red and four different white wines each month from the world’s finest wine-growing regions. Additionally, Lufthansa has partnered with selected hotels renowned for their “Michelin-quality” cuisine, ensuring a dining experience that is nothing short of exceptional.
In terms of in-flight entertainment, Lufthansa leaves no stone unturned. Passengers have access to a vast selection of over 100 films, 200 TV programs, live TV channels, as well as a wide range of CDs, audiobooks, and podcasts from around the world. What sets Lufthansa apart is its commitment to providing an immersive and realistic entertainment experience, made possible by the unmatched sound quality of Bose noise-canceling headphones.
Lufthansa’s dedication to excellence and attention to detail have earned it a well-deserved reputation as a leader in first-class luxury travel. For those seeking the utmost in comfort, service, and entertainment, Lufthansa sets the standard for an unforgettable journey.
