First Class

Perrelet First Class, Entry Level Automatic Watches

For 2010, Perrelet will release an attractive new collection of watches aimed to lure first time luxury watch buyers. The collection is called "First Class" and has nicely rendered three-hand automatic watches in a few styles. Each comes in a 42.5mm wide steel case that is quite thin (just 10.6mm thick), but also has a Perrelet style case that is reminiscent of its highly popular Turbine collection models. The casebacks are engraved richly, and help remind you of Perrelet's history of inventing the automatic watch movement.

The First Class models come in six versions. There are three dial colors choices, each available with either baton hour markers or Arabic numerals. The dial colors available are silver-white, black, or anthracite. Both types of dial look quite nice with the easy to read leaf-style hands. The centrally aligned date window is good touch. Inside the watches is the Perrelet P-261 automatic movement with 40 hours of power reserve. The watch has a sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 50 meters. Each of the Perrelet First Class watches come with black or brown crocodile straps with steel deployment clasps. The watches are comfy to wear and easy to own. Priced at just $2,100 retail, they should provide a good value for price conscious consumers looking for a solid good watch. Available soon where Perrelet watches are sold.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Perrelet First Class Watches

Tags: a1049, First Class, Perrelet, watch

British Airways Creates New Luxurious First Class Cabin

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

British Airways is showing off their new first class cabin. Simply named First, the new cabin includes a personal wardrobe, a bed which is almost half again as wide as the previous one, leather-bound writing table and personal electronic blinds and is being installed on a B777 which flies from London Heathrow to Chicago O' Hare. Seats are 60 percent wider at the shoulder and the lighting system is designed to recreate the subtlety of natural light throughout the day to help you feel more relaxed.

When you are ready to sleep you can don cotton pajamas and request turndown service in which the seat is made into a fully flat bed with a single–piece quilted mattress, white 400–thread Egyptian cotton duvet and pillow. The First cabin also comes with products including eye gel, lip balm and moisturizer from D.R. Harris, one of London's longest established traditional pharmacies that uses only natural ingredients. Products are all tucked into an Anya Hindmarch bag which was exclusively designed for First.

[via Breaking Travel News]

Tags: british airways, BritishAirways, first class, first class cabin, FirstClass, FirstClassCabin, flying first class, FlyingFirstClass

Swiss Air Redesigns First Class

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Swiss Air has completely redesigned their First Class cabins, adding all kinds of fun gadgets and convenient features and gearing everything towards improving comfort and communications. Space is one of the biggest luxuries available when it comes to travel, so Swiss Air made sure there was plenty of that to start with. Add in a 23" flat screen TV, a full bed, a solid fold-out table and movable privacy partition, and an electronic controller to help you personalize it all, and you have a truly luxe first-class travel experience.

Via psfk

Gallery: Swiss Air's New First Class Cabins

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Tags: first class, FirstClass, swiss air, SwissAir

US Airways Charges For Sleep Kits

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

First it was the meals, then it was your luggage, now, if you fly coach they are coming after your pillows and blankets. US Airways has announced they are joining Jet Blue in charging for sleeptime amenities. US Airways will start charging $7 for the "Power-Nap Sack" on Feb. 16. The kit includes a 34-by-60-inch fleece blanket, a neck pillow, eye shades, foam ear plugs and a $10-off coupon for items in the SkyMall catalog all in a drawstring bag embroidered with the airline's logo. Customers in first class and in Envoy and Economy class on trans-Atlantic flights will continue getting complimentary pillows and blankets. I say bring your own, there are a variety of sleep kit options out there ranging from the inexpensive to the luxe that offer superior comfort.

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Tags: coach, first class, FirstClass, us airways, UsAirways

Lux Tip: Make Coach Feel Like First Class

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Lux Tips

These days the cost of flying first class has gone so high it's gotten too expensive for all the but the richest of travelers. Coach fares, which by definition offer less comfort and amenities, are at the point where even the most basic of comforts like a warm blanket or little bag of peanuts cost extra money or aren't offered at all. It's getting downright ridiculous how uncomfortable flying can be!

The good news, though, is that with just a little bit of forethought it's pretty easy to make your coach ticket feel like a first class one -- without the first class hit to your bank account. Take a look at the tips in the gallery below and then share any tips and tricks you have for making flying coach easier in the comments

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Gallery: Tips to Make Flying Coach Feel Like First Class

Shut out the world, relieve in-flight headaches, and reduce fatigue

Give yourself an in-flight spa treatment

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Tags: air travel, AirTravel, coach, first class, FirstClass, lux tip, lux tips, LuxTip, LuxTips, tip, tips, travel, traveling

The Ultimate Airline Perk: In-Flight Email Access

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services, Wings

No matter how rich you are and no matter what kind of perks the airlines may offer you in first class to make your flight more comfortable, there's one thing that they've never offered no matter who you are: mid-flight wi-fi internet access.

JetBlue is changing that. They aren't offering enough bandwidth to surf the net necessarily, but just enough to make checking and sending emails through Blackberries and other devices, even laptops, possible. The new perk is now being offered on select flights only, on a trial basis. But JetBlue expects within about six months to be rolling out internet access company-wide.

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Tags: airline, airlines, email, emails, first class, FirstClass, flight, flying, internet, jet blue, JetBlue, wi fi, WiFi

The Best First Class Meals for When You Fly

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wings

There are many people in the world who fly frequently and as such are often subject to airline food, despite it's nasty reputation of being nothing but reheated cardboard. Some airlines, however, are seeking to change that in a major way for their first class passengers -- even to the extent for some of having a chef on board (Gulf Airlines) and serving exotic gourmet dishes.

Among others Singapore Airlines offers a choice of Dom Perignon or Krug champagne, several airlines serve caviar as appetizer, and Malaysia Airlines serves their meals on fine china. Would you (or do you) choose your airline based on the first class meal options?

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Tags: airline, airlines, cathay pacific, CathayPacific, caviar, chef, chefs, dining, dom perignon, DomPerignon, first class, FirstClass, food, gourmet, gulf air, GulfAir, jet airways, JetAirways, Korean Air, KoreanAir, krug, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, MalaysiaAirlines, Qantas Airlines, QantasAirlines, Qatar Airways, QatarAirways, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines, Swiss

The Top 10 Best First Class Airlines

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Flying first class used to just mean more leg room and a better meal, but anymore some airlines are really going over the top. And the word is some airlines because not all of them even offer first class anymore, having done away with it to focus instead on business class. About 35 airlines offer first class right now, and the competition is getting steeper and steeper as they all compete to get that "wow factor" from customers. They're providing everything from fully flat beds, 3:1 passenger to crew ratios, exotic high end linens, pillows, toiletries, and even 7 course gourmet meals with caviar and Dom Perignon champagne. All that's missing is a jacuzzi!

Recently Skytrax came up with their annual list of the top 10 first class airline experiences, and here's who made their cut as the best of the best:

Agree? Disagree? I wouldn't be opposed to trying them all and giving my opinion, if someone else would sponsor me that is...

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Tags: 1st class, 1stClass, airline, airlines, first class, FirstClass, flight, fly, flying

Qantas Opens First Class Lounge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

First class fliers on Qantas have a new place to relax in Sydney. The airline recently opened a new flagship lounge designed by famed industrial designer Marc Newson. Features of the lounge include chair-side waiter service, concierge service and complimentary spa treatments. The Sydney lounge will include huge American oak sculptures that separate the lounge space into defined areas, a Payot Paris day spa, a 48-seat open kitchen restaurant with menus by Neil Perry, a library stocked with newspapers and magazines, books and board games, a dedicated entertainment zone with banks of plasma screens, marble-lined shower suites and business facilities with 11 PC workstations. The lounge is part of Qantas's luxury push in anticipation of getting their first Airbus A380 in 2008.

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Tags: concierge, first class, lounge, marc newson, MarcNewson, qantas

Jet Airways Offers Private Mini Cabins

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Flying from London to India just got a lot more comfortable. Jet Airways has created a service that is basically like having a small cabin to yourself for the flight The 26 square foot room has two seats that convert into an 83-inch bed, dining for two and a 23-inch flat screen TV. The cabin has a pair of sliding doors for privacy. Meals are served on porcelain dinnerware. To fly from London to Mumbai in your own cabin costs £4,421.10 and the first luxury flight on one on Jet Airways' Boeing 777-300ER aircraft takes off from Heathrow on May 5. You can see more pictures in the article on This Is London.

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Tags: airplane, england, first class, flight, flying, india, jet, jet airways, JetAirways

Planes Give Back Perks

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

When you fly in a private plane, you can provide as many or as few perks to your co-passengers as you like, from drinks to entertainment to a catered dinner. Passengers on commercial flights, even those in first class, have rapidly seen perks stripped away over the past couple of years, which makes flying a bit disappointing - especially during the holidays when everyone is traveling to visit family and friends. The WSJ reports (subscription) that some airlines are starting to give some back to passengers, though. American Airlines "added back silverware and hot cloth towels" to first class, as well as "baked on board" cookies. Northwest Airlines has fresh fruits and muffins to offer to their first class passengers, and United is planning "iPod connectivity" for international passengers. The changes are coming slowly, but steadily and are even reaching back to coach, as Delta has "reintroduced mid-flight snacks" for all their passengers.

Tags: airlines, airplanes, first class, fly, perks, planes, travel

Singapore Airline's New First Class

by Matthew Collins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Right as we went to press with an article about our favorite first class sections, Singapore Airlines announced an overhaul of its own program. Singapore's first class has been a darling of the Asian routes with superlative service and cuisine. What may have been lacking in amenities has surely been addressed by their recent announcement. Starting in December, Singapore will roll out an enhanced first cabin with the largest seats in the sky, a whopping 35 inches across. The seat lays fully flat to create a massive bed with a down-filled mattress, duvet, and fluffy pillows. For entertainment, a mere 23 inch LCD screen will keep you happy with on-demand movies and games. As expected, plenty of Dom Perignon and Krug are on hand to smooth out any turbulence.

Pictures of the new first after the jump.

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Tags: first class, FirstClass

Continue reading “Singapore Airline's New First Class”

Flying High: The Best First Class

by Matthew Collins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Those of us unfortunate enough to travel on commercial airlines know the unrestrained joy that occurs when we get an upgrade. For the most part, this means leaving the cattle barn for leather clad chairs and free booze. But there are several airlines that take the experience to the next level. From gadget filled seats that coddle you in comfort to bars and massages, the world of premium class has gotten very competitive and one-upmanship is the name of the game.

Our list is after the jump.

Tags: british airways, BritishAirways, emirates, first class, FirstClass, virgin atlantic, VirginAtlantic

Continue reading “Flying High: The Best First Class”

Standing Room Only?

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Better start saving up your frequent flier miles because in the not-too-distant future, you may really need them. It is possible that air travel will no longer be an issue of first class versus coach and how much leg room you'll have, but whether you'll have leg room at all.

Some airlines are toying with the idea of eliminating seats from their economy classes and having the section be standing only. Instead of seats, there will be padded boards for patrons to lean against during takeoff and landing, as FAA regulations only require passengers to be "secure," not seated. Airbus, which is the airplane manufacturer heading this movement, has been pitching the idea to several carriers, mostly those in Asia that they perceive as more likely to accept the sardine-like travel arrangements than Americans. The capacity for a flight on an A380 is 500 passengers, but the standing configuration would boost that number to 853. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines reported hearing of the plans from Airbus, but said they had "no interest in increasing seat capacity to [that] level."

There is little doubt that first class seats would be unaffected by a move towards this configurations, perhaps even increasing in size, as airlines add chairs than recline into beds and a wider than ever before.

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Tags: air, airbus, airline, airlines, airplanes, coach, economy class, first class, flying, seats, travel