“At its very best, first class may be a cabin of four to six seats, offering a generous bed and separate seating area, with personal service from home to and through the airport, on board the aircraft, and on arrival. There will be separate security and an escort to the aircraft (sometimes a tarmac transfer by car),” Leff tells Traveler.
The best first-class seats offer amenities on the plane and at the airport, including completely private plane suites and exclusive access to dedicated first-class lounges that might feature everything from à la carte dining to spa treatments. Some airlines also give first class passengers an expedited path through immigration upon arrival, and others, like Emirates and Etihad, even have planes that offer showers in the sky, notes Leff.
Some of the most luxurious first-class seats you can fly right now include Singapore Airlines’ First Class Suites on the Airbus A380, Cathay Pacific’s on the Boeing 777, Air France La Première Class on the Boeing 777-300ER, Emirates First Class on the Boeing 777-300ER, All Nippon Airways First Class on the Boeing 777-300ER, Lufthansa’s First Class on the Boeing 747-8, and the Qantas First Class on the Airbus A380.
Business class
Business class is a more practical way to have a premium flight experience on long-haul journeys—especially if you can swing it using points and miles. A level above premium economy but below international first class, business-class amenities range from lie-flat seats and priority boarding to complimentary alcoholic beverages and multi-course meals. The level of privacy afforded in business class, whether achieved through fully closing doors or spacious seat arrangements, varies from airline to airline.
“Generally speaking, business class is more comfortable transportation but still a mass market product, while first class is meant to be an effortless experience,” says Leff. But business class is nothing to scoff at—many international business-class tickets start at $5,000 for a roundtrip flight from the US, and can get up to $10,000.
The very best business-class seats available right now, featuring amenities like designer bedding and amenity kits with top-of-the-line beauty products, can be found on Qatar Airways, Etihad, Delta, Singapore Airlines, American Airlines, United, Qantas, Japan Airways, and Cathay Pacific.
At the end of the day, travelers seeking an elevated flight experience can’t go wrong with either choice. According to airline industry expert Brett Snyder, “the real difference between business and first class these days is prestige and exclusivity.”
“Both cabins will almost certainly have flat beds, and even business class cabins are now starting to receive suites with doors on some airlines. First class will often come with things like special lounge access on the ground, transfers direct to the airplane, and upgraded meals and drinks,” he tells Traveler. “The vast majority of people will be exceedingly happy with business class, but some just want that higher level of exclusivity because they can.”
