FirstClass

British Airways Creates New Luxurious First Class Cabin

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

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”