Most Luxurious Plane Interior

In the most luxurious first class airline cabins in the world

Whilst the crowds on most long distance intercontinental routes suffer steerage-like weather constellations, a few deeply bagged travellers - at least those who can't afford to buy a personal plane - now have the opportunity to earn over a thousand bucks for the luxury of staying in the most luxurious accommodation ever made it to heaven...? The first airline to introduce the giant, double-decker Airbus A380, Singapore Airlines used a lot of room to offer its first-class customers not only a comfortable seating position, but a complete "suite" that can be locked from the aircraft by a couple of slide gates....

Singaporapore Airlines may have been the first airline to take to the air with the giant A380, but the Dubai-based Emirates could well say they made better use of the area. Offering similar accommodation in suitestyle, the ultra-luxurious wearer will add a scarce in-flight bath. Roomy, with windows, the toilet is the first of its kind on a business jet.

Admittedly, the swimming period is restricted to five minute, but at least the air carrier can be the one that at last "refreshes" the demands of its incoming guests. Status-oriented first-class passengers - and there are many at these fares - would do well to reserve a place on Etihad Airways Diamond Classic. The premium three-piece settee in the A380 styling features a small sitting area overlooking the head bed so pairs can enjoy a snack over the fold-out root wooden dining area.

In addition, the main seating area, which can be folded into a flatbed, has messaging features and a general-purpose loading dock. There is no showers here, but lots of luxuries, as they should be, in view of the five-figure one-way rate. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific has not yet decided to go for an upgraded to the ultra-wide Airbus 380 and will therefore have to make do with the converted 747s.

Luxurious, in other words, but more or less off the shelf. This means until Hong Kong awaits boarding, where the recently refurbished Hong Kong Louvre provides laughably luxurious facilities such as en-suite glazed showers and lounges for every traveller. Shortly the ultimative printout of the luxurious journey, the spaceship Virgin Galactic, will make its maiden voyage and send six happy travellers simultaneously into weightlessness on the fringes of orbit.

Mock-ups and conceptual sketches show deck chairs in the middle of a relatively roomy cabine with several entrances for maximal utilization of the available room.