Is it worth it? The airplane is the same, we’re flying the same route, we will all get there at the same time. And yet some passengers paid considerably more for their seats than others. On an international flight, a business-class ticket can cost four times more than economy, and first class may be 10 times more. If you’re budget-conscious, it’s a no-brainer: Why break the bank for a journey that will only last a few hours? But for regular flyers, business travelers, celebrities and many others, the advantages of a premium ticket outweigh the cost.

PHOTO: © ETIHAD

The benefits begin before you leave. The relatively new (2023) Etihad Airways terminal at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi allows premium-class passengers to sit in comfort in an area resembling a 5-star hotel lobby while attentive staff complete the check-in and immigration formalities for them. Breeze through security and to the airside first-class lounge, offering all the facilities you’d expect, including a formal dining room.

Around the world, entirely separate terminals or exclusive zones within terminals are becoming more common for premium- class passengers. At Incheon Airport a discrete door takes you through to Korean Air’s Premium Check-in, though you must then pass through passport control and security with everyone else before separating out again to the airside premium lounges. (Passengers on SkyTeam airlines also have access.)

All of this precedes the main event, the flight. As with the on-ground experience, airlines compete in a constant race with eye-catching new products in the pipeline.

PHOTO: © LUFTHANSA

Lufthansa has embarked on a complete €2.5 billion overhaul of all of its travel classes under a program known as Allegris. Rolling out initially on the Airbus A350 leet before extending to the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the program will provide unprecedented levels of personal choice. Allegris First Class Plus suites, tailored for couples, offer seats that convert into a double bed. Each suite includes wardrobe space, wireless recharging facilities and a 43-inch 4-K entertainment screen. The new Allegris Business Class provides five seating options, some with additional privacy, others with additional workspace. Allegris products will extend to the Boeing 777-9 (formerly 777X) when Lufthansa receives the planes in 2026.

PHOTO: © QATAR AIRWAYS

Qatar Airways also gears up for its new Boeing 777-9s as evidenced by the recent announcement of the QSuite Next Gen for business class. Middle suites will be flexible enough to divide into individual compartments or can open up into the Quad, a private suite for up to four passengers traveling together. Moveable panels can convert window-side suites into “companion suites” for two people. All suites will provide secure storage and versatile mood lighting. Qatar Airways has 60 Boeing 777-9s on order, expected to enter service in 2025 or 2026.

Other early customers for the Boeing 777-9 include Singapore Airlines, which in due course is expected to announce innovative premium-class products for the new aircraft, and Cathay Pacific, which submitted trademark applications for business-class Aria Suites and first-class Halo Suites. At this time the airline has revealed little about the design and layout of these new products.

The long delays for the Boeing 777-9 (originally due to enter service in 2021) forced airlines to retrofit existing aircraft. British Airways is currently working on an upgrade for its Airbus A380s, mothballed during the pandemic but now returned to service as a stopgap ahead of the new Boeings, with the upgrade expected to include a new first- class product.

Qantas unveiled an all-new cabin for its Airbus A350- 1000 aircraft ahead of the introduction of Project Sunrise, its ultra-long-haul flights direct to Australia from New York and Europe. With the service expected to start in 2026, all classes have been carefully designed to maximize passenger comfort on non-stop flights lasting up to 20 hours. Subdued colors and wood trims will help provide a restful environment.

Air India’s reinvention continues with new first- and business-class cabins introduced on delivery to its fleet of Airbus A350s and retrofitting expected for the existing Boeing 777 fleet. The upgraded aircraft will come into service throughout 2025. After decades of under-performance, the airline is in the midst of a total reinvention that will, it hopes, propel it to the front rank of global airlines.

PHOTO: © AIR FRANCE

Air France has been offering teasers about its upgraded first- class product, La Première, for several months. Although not yet officially unveiled, the suites are expected to be the longest in the air, encompassing five windows and with floor-to-ceiling curtains for total privacy. The on-ground experience also sees improvements, with a new premium check-in lobby at Paris- Charles de Gaulle Airport as well as a dedicated security area. The airside First Class Lounge is supplemented by adjacent private suites, which passengers can prebook for around $870.

Finnair doesn’t offer any first-class cabins. Instead, it provides an elevated business class. The airline completed a two-year, €200 million refurbishment program in 2024, with the front cabin laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration. The middle seats provide dividers which can be lowered for passengers traveling together. The seats don’t recline; rather, the leg rest raises to create a fully flat bed. It’s often the smallest details that set airlines apart, and in Finnair’s case one such detail comes in a glass: fresh blueberry juice, the airline’s signature drink since 2014.

Another detail is the complimentary amenity kit given to premium passengers. The travel experience itself is relatively short, but the amenity kit makes an enduring souvenir … therefore, another area in which airlines try to outdo each other.

Oman Air provides airline-branded cotton pajamas and slippers as well as a toiletries bag featuring products from Amouage, an upscale perfumery house based in Muscat. The scents draw on traditional Arabian ingredients.

Lufthansa also supplies first-class passengers with stylish pajamas, in this case made by Van Laack. The airline’s amenity kits often come in collectible special editions from the likes of Porsche Design, Samsonite, Jil Sander and Picard.

© AMERICAN AIRLINES

First class on American Airlines differs depending on the route and aircraft type. AA offers its flagship product — literally known as Flagship First — on long-haul international routes aboard the Boeing 777- 300ER. Casper Sleep Inc. supplies the pajamas, while the amenities kit includes products from Detroit-based Shinola and Brooklyn-based D.S. & Durga.

For the majority of premium passengers, pampering ends on arrival, and they are plunged into the indignities of passport control and baggage claim (though their baggage usually appears first on the carousel). There is, however, a growing trend for arrivals lounges.

PHOTO: © QATAR AIRWAYS,

Perhaps the best is the Qatar Airways First and Business Class Arrivals Lounge at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, on the left of the Immigration Hall in the Main Terminal. The lounge operates its own immigration and eGate facilities and offers food and beverages, showers, a relaxation room, and a business center. Access is available to premium passengers arriving either with Qatar Airways or oneworld partner airlines.

The ultimate goal of all this pampering is to take the stress out of long-haul travel, enabling passengers to arrive refreshed and ready for their destination. Is it worth it? Some would say it’s priceless.