I’ve been lucky enough to fly in some amazing first class cabins. Now, before you get all “hey how about some money?” I’ll point out that I used miles and points to book every one of these flights (I detail the cost of one of the trips here).
So, with that said, let’s get on to the seats!
Cathay Pacific First Class
I’ve been lucky enough to fly Cathay Pacific in First 3-4 times. The experience was amazing each and every time with wonderful service, pretty good food, and a very comfortable seat. With only 6 seats in the First Class cabin it’s also a very private experience as well.
The entire seat area
Lufthansa 747-400 First Class
Lufthansa has quite a few versions of First Class on their 747s, I was lucky enough to fly the absolute best. This was the first time I had ever flown in the upper deck of a 747 and the seat also had a bed next to it! Absolutely wonderful seat and very precise German service to boot.
Lufthansa First Class
Etihad A380 First Class Apartments
Etihad finally matched their counterparts at Emirates when they debuted the Apartment concept. Each apartment features closing doors, a separate bench which folds into a bed, and an onboard shower. Absolutely lovely experience in this seat!
Apartment 3C seat
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class
The one that started them all…Singapore Suites Class. From the choice of Dom or Krug champagne to the closing doors to the incredible service, there’s simply nothing like it!
Singapore Suites Class
Qatar Airways A380 First Class
This is probably the most understated seat compared to the rest, but I just love the cabin. It’s richly decorated, elegant, and pulls it off without being showy or too blingy if that makes sense. When you combine it with the onboard bar just behind the First Class cabin I’m not sure this isn’t my favorite First Class experience of all time!
First Class Cabin
I haven’t done the Lufthansa 747, But I’ve done the rest, and I rank them precisely the same.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to do the Singapore 777–300, and in many ways, I found it a superior experience to the suite. In either case, it depends on the day as to whether I find the Qatar A380 or the Singapore flight as my favorite first class trip ever.
In lieu of the Lufthansa flight, I’d put my Japan Airlines Haneda to San Francisco first class flight at number five.
What about my fave: Qantas A380?
Qatar looks elegant but has low amount of privacy sans some partitions.
What about OZ (32″ TV), NH (best service), JL (high quality leather), and LX (modernism and minimalism at its finest) ?
I want to try them all!
@JasonD : I’d rank the JL seat higher, but in terms of service *warmth*, LH was a notch higher (I’ve sampled both)
Thanks for the feedback, Henry! It’s on my list, for sure. Especially out of FRA.