By Stephanie Waldek

January, 2018 — In the early decades of commercial aviation, flying was a luxurious experience—think lobster dinners in economy, with unlimited alcohol served in real glassware for free. They don’t call the era the Golden Age of Flight for nothing. But aviation quickly changed, with legroom becoming tighter, service becoming less refined, and passengers, more or less, being herded like cattle. While economy might be an affordable way to fly, there’s been an incredible period of innovation for first- and business-class seats, which are becoming more popular with travelers today.
The question is: What’s next for first class?

Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, acknowledges the recent transformations in first-class cabin design. “The top global carriers like Emirates and Singapore have been racing to outdo one another when it comes to wooing their highest-spending passengers with incredible first-class products,” he says. “This year has been amazing for first-class innovation! Emirates came out strong with its enclosed suite on the 777 at the Dubai Airshow in November—and just weeks later Singapore unveiled an extraordinary suite of its own [on the A380].”
On the Emirates Boeing 777, passengers in first class sit in fully private suites with partitions that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. The seats, which transition to flat beds, use NASA-inspired technology to create a “zero gravity” sensation. And, impressively, the Emirates 777 is the first aircraft to use virtual windows on the interior first-class suites, which offer live streams from cameras mounted on the exterior of the aircraft.

On the Singapore A380, the suites are not fully enclosed (think more of a luxurious cubicle with taller-than-average walls), but they do offer both a reclining seat as well as a proper bed—all outfitted with Lalique accoutrements, we might add. Should you be flying with a partner, you can book adjacent suites that will form a double bed when combined.

And it won’t stop there. “The new concept that we have developed for Singapore Airlines is really our vision for the future,” says designer Jacques Pierrejean, whose firm, Pierrejean Design Studio, developed both the Emirates 777 and the Singapore A380 first-class cabins. “We can imagine a full enclosed suite with an individual washroom in the next few years.” In fact, this already exists in Etihad’s The Residence, which comprises a living room, bedroom, and private bathroom aboard its A380 aircraft.

“In this way, as per a hotel room, you can live onboard free to rest, to sleep, or to work at any time without be disturbed by the general cabin lighting of the aircraft or your neighbors,” says Pierrejean. “Of course, if you want to mingle with some other passengers, you are free to move to some specially designed social area, like a bar [which is offered on the A380].”

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