Caviar, fizz on tap and in-flight
showers: The best First Class airline seats in the world revealed (and how much
they REALLY sell for)
·
After Etihad announces launch of
three-room fully staffed suite, experts at Flightfox compile a list of premier
cabins
·
Marking criteria included seat
size and comfort, the 'rockstar' factor, food and wine and the cheapest route
each flies
·
First place went to Singapore
Suites, followed by Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Etihad
·
British Airways first class came
22nd overall, scoring highly in the food and drink categories
It's a tough job but someone had to do it.
Inspired by Eithad's launch of a
new First Class luxury suite named 'The Residence', crowd sourcing travel
website Flightfox has devised a comprehensive list of the 24 best First Class
in-flight cabins from around the world.
To produce the list, they took
into account everything from seat configuration, aisle access and suite privacy
to the type of champagne served, whether pyjamas were provided and how caviar
was plated.
Scroll down for video
+18
The height of luxury! First place
went to Singapore Airlines for its luxurious first class cabins although a one
way ticket can cost £2,053
Top 24 First Class cabins
- and the best-priced flight tickets
1
Singapore Suites $3,324
2
Cathay Pacific First Class Suites $713
3
Emirates First Class Suites $824
4
Etihad Diamond First $911
5
Lufthansa First Class $5,520
6
Oman Air First Class $3,917
7 Qatar
First Class $684
8 Asiana
First Class Suite $4,073
9 ANA
First Square $9,640
10 Singapore
First Class $1,593
11 JAL
Suite $3,712
12 Air
France La Premiere $7,496
13 Thai
Royal First $2,533
14 Emirates
First Class $1,318
15 Qantas
First Suites $5,037
16 Swiss
First $355
17 Garuda
New First Class $3,049
18 Korean
Air Kosmo Suite $5,922
19 Air
China Forbidden Pavilion $849
20 Transaero
Imperial Class $2,200
21 Malaysia
First Class $6,237
22 British
Airways First Class $8,052
23 American
Airlines Flagship $3,667
24 United
Airlines Global First $4,590
For a full
breakdown of scores and routes, see the full survey here
And it also shows the best rate
flyers can expect to pay when booking a seat in luxury.
Singapore Airlines was crowned
king of the skies while second place went to Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific
and Emirates bagged bronze.
When Eithad's The Residence
launches in December it will raise the bar even higher, offering guests a three
room fully staffed suite, a chauffeur to a private check-in and lounge, an
onboard butler, fine Italian Poltrona Frau leather sofa, two dining tables and
- better yet - an in flight personal chef to whip up whatever takes your fancy.
But, for now, you could do a lot
worse than booking a first class trip with any airline featured in Flightfox's
survey, you'll just need deep pockets.
The cheapest price for a one-way ticket with survey toppers
Singapore Airlines in their Singapore suite will set you back £2,053 ($3,324)
for a flight from Singapore to Mumbai.
For that, you'll be served 2004
Dom Pérignon, provided with pyjamas to sleep in and sit on an spacious
armchair hand-stitched by Italian craftsmen - their most leg room friendly
design to date.
When it came to overall
'rockstar' status - one of the categories judged - Singapore suites came out as
the overall winner too and offer a double bed option.
Comparatively, Hong Kong airline
Cathay Pacific's cheapest one way first class ticket - who came second - costs
just £440 ($713), but you'll need to fly from Hong Kong to Taiwan to bag it.
Choose them and, according to
Flightfox, you'll enjoy five star food and drink service.
Cathay Pacific serve Krug
Grand Cuvée champagne, an la carte menu and freshly steamed rice, toast and
eggs cooked to your personal specifications.
The most expensive best-priced
first class flight, according to the survey, is flying between Tokyo and LA
with Japanese airline ANA, and will set you back at least £5,835.
Emirates, known for deluxe
treatment, came third and slings it all on. You'll get pyjamas, use of a
limousine, an in-flight shower to freshen up, an onboard bar, caviar and
Dom Pérignon champagne for flying first.
When it comes to
value-for-first-class-ticket-price Emirates scored forth overall, with their
cheapest flight taking you from Auckland to Brisbane for £509 ($824).
Fourth and fifth place went to
Etihad and Lufthansa respectively. Etihad's cheapest ticket costs £563 ($911,
United Arab Emirates to Mumbai) whereas Lufthansa's best deal is £3,409
($5,520) for a first class ticket from South Africa to Germany.
Though pricey, Lufthansa climbed
higher in the ratings thanks to five star scores for seat configuration, size
(a two-metre-long flat-bed) and food and wine. They serve Krug Gande Cuvée
champagne, canapes, caviar and food designed by Michelin-starred chefs.
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