Haute Travel: World’s Most Luxurious International Airlines

Airline companies have introduced spectacular ways to upgrade their facilities for those who enjoy luxury in the sky. Haute Living takes a look at some of the world’s most luxurious international airlines.

Airlines are constantly trying to compete with one another to keep their elite customers coming back for more. By upgrading their First and Business class sections, airlines celebrate the fact that some travelers love to indulge in the finer things in life even when they are 30,000 feet above the ground. Here is a rundown of a few luxurious first class and business class facilities.

First Class Options

Singapore Airline: Airbus A380 VIP Cabins

[Pic: World Travelist]

If you have the money to spare, flying first is always a great way to start out any trip the right way. The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft with plenty of space to put to good use. On Singapore Airlines, VIP cabins in the Airbus A380 feature amenities like personal suites for individuals or couples, leather seating, full sized beds, 23-inch flat screen TVs, a choice of 100 movies and 180 TV programs, personalized butler service and gourmet cuisine.

Etihad Airways: Diamond First Class Suite

[Pic: MyNetBizzTravel]

The Diamond First Class Suite is an exclusive range of seats for passengers, which can be later converted into a private suite if one wishes to get some sleep or do some work. Amenities in this suite include a 23-inch TV set, mini bar, changing room, seat convertible into flat-bed, connectivity ports for laptops and phones, and professionally trained Food and Beverage managers from famous restaurants that cater to all your food-related needs.

Jet Airways: Private Cabin

[Pic: Tim De Groot]

Indian airline Jet Airways offers private cabins that feature 26 square feet of space, gourmet cuisine, rare champagnes, 23-inch TV sets, 200 hours of movies and programs to choose from, and seats that double up as a 7-foot long bed.

Lufthansa: First Class Cabins

[Pic: Luxury Insider]

Lufthansa uses two of the world’s most eminent jumbo jets – the Boeing 747 and Lufthansa Airbus A380 to accommodate their elite clientele. In the first class cabins, travelers will find seats that double up as full-sized beds, bathrooms with plenty of space for dressing and/or bathing and back in the seating area there is on-demand audio-video capabilities with high-resolution screens.

Japan Airlines: Jal Private Suites

[Pic: Japan Airlines]

Japan Airlines provides minimalistic designs with hi-tech additions in their Jal Private Suites. The compact and multi-functional cabins provide travelers with enough space for each individual to sit across the amply spaced chair, which can also be converted into a full length bed. The suites also feature 19-inch screens, which show movies or live TV, options for plugging in your personal computing devices, and even double accommodations for couples traveling together.

Emirates Airlines: Private Spa Suite

[Pic: Born Rich]

Emirates Airlines offers private spa suites which is certainly something special for its 14 lucky passengers. The space is a private spa with a whole range of treatments on the menu. Intended to refresh the passenger, each suite provide complete privacy in the 1 person shower room, which gives guests a 5 minute shower, all controlled via a software system with indicators for time. If you take the Dubai-London route on Emirates, you can have a private chauffeur to your hotel or destination upon arrival.

Business Class Options

Cathay Pacific: Business Class

[Pic: Jaunted]

Passengers can dine, sleep, work, read or just relax all within the same seating space, which has been upgraded to have extra wide designs with a unique shape to cocoon the guests in comfort. Seating spaces have entertainment systems including a 15-inch LCD TV with hundreds of movies and shows on demand in addition to music and video games. There are multi-port USB connectivity for electronics and with a few simple adjustments, seats can be converted into a 2 meter bed for relaxing.

Air France: Business Class

[Pic: Seven Stars and Stripes]

After extensive enhancements from previous designs, this class of seats on Air France provides greater comfort in each seat due to the broader seats and fixed foot rests. There are also 15-inch screens for entertainment and multimedia usage.

Swiss Air: Business Class

[Pic: FlyerWiki]

Referred to as “beds above the clouds”, these flexible seats allow passengers to adjust his/her seat according to person preference – from soft water-bed like texture to a firm one. Foot rests have multi-speed foot massagers so passengers can relax while reading or entertaining themselves on the multimedia system. There is USB connectivity, iPod sockets and noise cancellation headphones.

Source: Born Rich