Flying's Never Been so Fun: Check Out these First-Class 'Hotel Suites' in the Sky

Airlines are making it harder and harder to deny yourself the pleasure of first-class travel, especially on long-distance, overnight flights to Europe where you want to arrive feeling well-rested and refreshed.

No longer is the first-class cabin just about seats that are bigger, farther apart and lying flatter with food service on china rather than plastic - incrementally better than sitting farther back on the plane.

Two European airlines are launching fully-enclosed, private suites above the clouds catering to each passenger’s individual needs and tastes in the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a flying hotel suite.

Germany’s flagship carrier is overhauling its entire service in the next couple of years – with a first class cabin that’s set to revolutionize luxury travel.

In 2024, “First Class Suite Plus” debuts, offering private rooms in the sky to passengers.

Guests will find their suite has ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table, a suite wardrobe so you can have all your belongings on hand, neatly hanging and stowed, so you can change during your flight for comfort or dress to impress before you arrive at your destination.

Seats are a whole meter wide – that’s nearly 40 inches! Each guest can warm or cool their seat to their personal preferences, and of course, connect your own device to the suite’s entertainment system. The seats completely convert and are made up with linens into a comfortable bed for you rest whenever you wish. 

There are even accommodations for those flying in pairs. Couples will be able to book a separate double cabin with and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed.

In perhaps the ultimate luxury, you can spend your time in the air exactly as you wish. You choose when to enjoy entertainment, work, rest, change… and even dine. The crew serves your gourmet menu when you request it. And you can enjoy your meal at the large First Class table, similar to a restaurant.

Business Class guests also get their own suites with chest-high walls and sliding doors, a seat that converts into a six-and-a-half foot long bed, your own wardrobe and minibar, 4K screen, dining table, wireless charging, noise canceling headphones, and Bluetooth connectivity, private heating and cooling – all directly accessible from the aisle, of course.

 

Options in the Business Class cabins include the ability to connect two suites for couples flying together, or a double seat that can be converted into a two-person bed, an extra-long bed, extra space and work area, a seat with a baby bassinet, or simply an exclusive seat directly by the window.

 

SWISS is also part of the Lufthansa Group of airlines, and it has also unveiled all-new cabins that will transform long-haul luxury air travel when they launch in 2025.

SWISS is debuting its first-ever suites in the sky in its First and part of its Business Class cabins.

Calling the new suites a “sensual experience,” they’ve been dubbed SWISS Senses.

The suites’ warm colors and muted tones such as claret, anthracite and beige, wood features and other top-quality materials and craftsmanship are comparable to a luxury European car, and convey comfort, calm, and luxe.

 

Guests enjoy complete privacy with closable sliding doors, a spacious personal wardrobe, a large seat table, individual seat heating and cooling, a wireless charging station and a screen display that is as wide as the suite itself. The cabin’s center suite can also be configured to suit two persons travelling together.

 

Even the washroom in the new SWISS First cabin is deluxe, inspired by the famous spring in Vals, Switzerland: a slate-black exterior, and a green interior that alludes to the spring’s fresh and cooling water.

 

In every class of cabin in SWISS’ new design, all passengers will benefit from new, ‘Human-Centric Lighting’ which helps alleviate jet lag and new state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems that connect with your own device.