The 10 best first class travel experiences in the sky, ranked
From Porsches on the tarmac to your own personal assistants and luxe lounges, these airlines offer the most opulent first class travel experiences in 2023.
Two years into the post-Covid return of air travel, the competition for the most opulent seat in the sky is back on. Most business class products in 2023 are on par with what first class once represented – a lie-flat seat in the sky, plenty of room to stretch out, and á la carte meals and beverages – which means to provide a competitive first class, airlines have had to step up their game. Over the years, we’ve seen game-changing first class offerings come into the picture; Emirates was one of the first to offer a private room with sliding doors for first class passengers, while Singapore Airlines’ hotel-reminiscent first class suite, which includes a bed separate from the chair, became an industry standard.
In finding ways to innovate beyond the best business class products in the sky, which have moved upward in quality to differentiate from the best premium economy offerings, first class has ascended, quite literally, to another level of opulence. What some airlines lack in gargantuan private room-style spaces, they make up for with impeccable service, dining, top-shelf liquor, and comfortable chairs – not to mention luxe bedding, pyjamas and toiletries.
Skytrax, the UK-based consultancy firm for airlines, releases an official ranking each year of the best airlines in the world (this year topped by an Antipodean carrier), as well as the best first classes one can experience in the sky. Rankings consider the experience of flying in that airline’s first class, as well as the food and drink. The top 10 first classes of 2023 feature airlines established around the world for their luxury offerings – á la Singapore Airlines and Emirates – as well as airlines that have revamped their products. Australia’s own Qantas scored at number 11, just outside the top 10, but still relatively well on the list of 20.
Below, see the top 10 first classes in the sky, according to Skytrax’s 2023 ratings.
The world’s best first class airlines
10. Korean Air
South Korea’s flag carrier is known for the distinct blue colour of its planes, but also for its strong business and first classes, available on the Airbus A380. The ‘Kosomo’ suite features a 67-cm wide lie-flat bed, in a 1-2-1 configuration to guarantee privacy. Seats are decorated in the airline’s signature blue.
9. British Airways
British Airways has recently revamped their ‘Club World’ business class to include sliding doors for suite-like privacy, but their first class offering, available on the 777, 787 and A380, remains a cut above. In a small and intimate compartment at the front of the plane, seats are enclosed in suites and convert to 198cm lie-flat beds, with enough room for even the tallest passengers.
8. Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines, also known as JAL, has a first class suite which harnesses the ease and efficiency of Japanese architecture. Aside from all the bells and whistles of first class – lie-flat bed, 84 cm-wide bed, 23-inch screen – the pod features wood accents and an innovative shutter style window that makes it feel less like an aeroplane, and more like a relaxing villa.
7. Lufthansa
The first class seats in Germany’s flagship airline have less privacy than some of its competitors’ options but make up for it in impeccable service and comfort. Lufthansa’s First Class will mean getting a lift to the tarmac in a Porsche, and your own personal assistant to make sure the experience is smooth.
6. Cathay Pacific
A popular airline for Australians travelling to and from Europe and Asia, Cathay Pacific is known for its wide seats and soft lie-flat beds on their Boeing 777, which are considered some of the best beds in the sky.
5. Emirates
One of the main airlines to pioneer the modern first class, Emirates’ first suite on their A380 and 777 is one of the most opulent in the sky, and the caviar and free-flowing Dom Pérignon champagne are some of many drawcards. They were also the first to create a bathroom with showers to be enjoyed mid-flight, while the seat’s wood and gold accents – an Emirates signature – are a visual feast. Emirates’ first class is a popular option for Australians travelling to Europe, and flying first guarantees access to the opulent lounge in Dubai.
4. Swiss Air
In a 1-2-1 configuration, Swiss Air’s first class suites are some of the most wide and private in the sky, right down to the small touches. Take the toiletries bags made by luxury Swiss leather brand Bally, and built-in lamps beside the seats that evoke a five-star hotel.
3. ANA
Japan’s All Nippon Airways, abbreviated to ANA, has two kinds of first class – their classic First Square, available on the 777, and the newer First Class Suites, available on the A380 and newer 777 planes. Both are known for their 83-cm width, which makes the seats more of a square shape than a rectangle, hence the name. It’s a more luxe version of their already-spacious business class option, named ‘the room’, which is one of the most spacious in the sky.
2. Air France
La Première, the first class option on Air France, is genuinely more like an on-land suite than a plane seat. With accessories and detailing that evoke five-star hotels in the heart of Paris, the lie-flat beds also convert to opposing chairs, so you and a companion can dine together. At selected airports, boarding is made easier by Porsches which drive to and from the plane. Paired with the small size of the first class cabin (only four seats), it’s almost as close as you can get to flying private.
1. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines ranks across the board for all its travel classes, but their first class is a natural fit in the number one spot. The A380 suites feature not only a plush, oversized chair, but a stand-alone bed, as well as room to walk around. For couples travelling together, the walls between suites can be removed to create a double bed, which feels like being on a large-size private plane. The carpeted bathroom features a vanity for makeup, as well as a shower. No shortage of industry-leading decadence here.
