The perfect luxurious suites within the sky and how one can fly them

This story has been updated with new information.

These days, the newest business-class cabins feature lie-flat seats in private pods with sliding doors.

While these products have now become mainstream — in the U.S., American, Delta and JetBlue all offer or have announced fully enclosed business-class suites — it wasn’t long ago that sliding doors and fully enclosed suites were reserved for the world’s top first-class products.

Despite the proliferation of fancy fully enclosed suites, there’s still some pretty significant differentiation across these business and first-class products.

Below, we’ll round up some of the best luxury suites in the sky, which are all sure to offer a truly once-in-a-lifetime flight experience. Better yet, I’ve included where you can fly these products (based on published Cirium timetables for November 2024), as well as the typical cash and award rates.

Etihad The Residence

The creme de la creme of onboard experiences in commercial aviation is Etihad’s The Residence product, which is exclusively outfitted on the carrier’s Airbus A380 aircraft.

These jets were grounded during the pandemic, and while the initial assumption was that they’d be retired for good, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier brought them back to the skies for one last hurrah.

That’s great news for deep-pocketed travelers because The Residence offers a three-room suite comprised of a living room (main seating area), bedroom (with a real bed) and a private shower-equipped lavatory.

Etihad used to offer a separate butler service with an elevated ground experience for Residence passengers, but much of the soft product (the experience not attached to the aircraft) has been scaled back since the A380 returned to service.

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That’s not the end of the world, though, because even with a pared-back service experience, The Residence remains the best and most exclusive cabin in commercial aviation.

Where it flies

Etihad is currently flying its Residence-equipped Airbus A380 to four destinations: London, Mumbai, New York and Paris, from its hub in Abu Dhabi.

Booking with cash

As part of the reintroduction of The Residence, Etihad revamped its commercial strategy for selling the product. It used to charge upwards of $11,000 for a one-way ticket. Nowadays, travelers need to purchase a first-class ticket and then pay a separate seat assignment fee for The Residence.

The seat assignment fee varies by destination. Based on searches, the upgrade fee appears to start at around $2,000 for flights to Europe and India and jumps to nearly $4,000 one-way to and from New York.

Note that these fees are on top of the standard first-class fares.

If it’s any consolation, because The Residence fits two passengers, the upgrade fees cover two passengers (but both passengers must have been booked in first class).

Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

Redeeming miles

The good news is that it’s indeed possible to book The Residence using miles. Unfortunately, however, it’s not a great deal. Etihad charges its proprietary Etihad Guest members at least roughly 300,000 miles, worth $3,600 according to TPG valuations, for a seat assignment fee for The Residence.

If you’re looking to upgrade, I’d recommend saving your points for a better redemption. That said, Etihad Guest is a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards (instant transfer), Capital One miles (24 hours) and Citi ThankYou Points (instant transfer) — just know that there are far better uses for your hard-earned points.

Emirates 777 Game Changer first-class suite

Dubai-based Emirates exclusively operates a wide-body fleet, and while many of the carrier’s aircraft offer some variation of its flagship first-class suite, there’s one jet in particular that features a truly extraordinary product — the Game Changer on the Boeing 777-300ER.

Emirates operates just nine of these Boeing 777 variants, making it quite elusive if you’re trying to seek out the product. (The good news is that some new aircraft, including the perpetually delayed Boeing 777X, are expected to feature the new suite when the jets are finally inaugurated.)

As for what you can expect onboard, the Game Changer first-class offers a fully enclosed suite with doors that go from floor to ceiling. Think of it more like a roomette on a train than a first-class suite on an airplane. Coupled with Emirates’ legendary service, amenities and culinary offerings, this is one of the best ways to fly.

The only downside is that these 777s don’t feature showers in first class, an amenity that’s reserved for the Airbus A380.

Where it flies

With just nine jets equipped with this cabin, you’ll want to double (and triple) check your route to make sure it features this product. To do that, take a look at the first-class seat map and make sure you see just six suites spread out across two rows in a 1-1-1 arrangement.

Right now, Emirates schedules the Game Changer Boeing 777-300ER on the following routes from Dubai:

• Brussels
• Chicago (select frequencies only)
• Dammam, Saudi Arabia
• Geneva
• Kuwait
• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Tokyo Haneda
• Zurich

Just note that aircraft substitutions are always possible, so getting the new plane on these routes is never guaranteed.

Booking with cash

Booking a ticket in Emirates Game Changer first class requires some pretty deep pockets.

If you’re looking for the cheapest option, you can fly to Kuwait for about $1,800 each way. (Just remember that these flights are only about two hours long.)

Below is a breakdown of round-trip pricing for longer flights. Prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

Though finding a “deal” for Emirates first class is virtually nonexistent, you can find lower fares by starting your trip in cheaper markets, such as Colombo, Sri Lanka, or Cairo, Egypt. Take a look at this guide for details.

Redeeming miles

Booking the Game Changer with miles will take lots of patience and some luck. The airline rarely releases more than one award seat in advance, and even then, you’ll be best off booking directly through the Skywards program. Sometimes, last-minute awards can become available a few days before departure.

The good news is that Emirates Skywards program is a transfer partner with all major credit card points currencies, so topping off your account shouldn’t be too hard.

Singapore Airbus A380 Suite

Singapore Airlines is one of the world’s best carriers, and as you might expect, the airline’s flagship product is quite impressive.

Dubbed Suites, Singapore offers small rooms in the sky to its first-class passengers on the Airbus A380. The Suites offer separate beds and reclining chairs, as well as oversized TVs, sliding doors and plenty of storage compartments.

Where it flies

You can find Singapore’s Suites product on any Airbus A380. Right now, the airline is flying the A380 from its Singapore hub to:

• Frankfurt
• London
• Mumbai
• New Delhi
• Sydney

Booking with cash

Singapore’s Airbus A380 doesn’t currently fly to the U.S., so you’ll need to position to Europe or Asia to find the Suites product.

You’ll find a breakdown of round-trip pricing below. Note that prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

Redeeming miles

Award tickets for Singapore Suites are exclusively available through the airline’s KrisFlyer loyalty program — with just six suites on each aircraft, Saver awards can be especially hard to find, though they are available from time to time.

You’ll typically find far better availability for Singapore’s higher-priced “Advantage” awards.

Fortunately, it’s easy to quickly build up a balance of eligible miles — KrisFlyer partners with all major transferrable-points programs, with a 1:1 transfer rate, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

Etihad The Apartment

While Etihad’s top premium product (The Residence) receives much attention, the airline also offers another fantastic fully enclosed first-class suite that’s sure to impress.

The airline’s Airbus A380 features nine first-class apartments. Each is equipped with a large chair, a door and a sofa that folds into a bed. Not to mention the fact that you can sleep next to a companion, hang out in a lounge and experience a shower in the sky.

Where it flies

Etihad operates The Apartment on the same routes as The Residence, since both products are only found on the superjumbo Airbus A380. (As mentioned above, travelers looking to fly in The Residence need to first purchase a ticket in The Apartment.)

The airline is currently flying its Airbus A380 to four destinations: London, Mumbai, New York and Paris, from its hub in Abu Dhabi.

Booking with cash

You’ll find a breakdown of round-trip pricing below. Note that prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

Redeeming miles

The Apartment is one of the most accessible products on this list since you can routinely book awards through various loyalty programs.

As with The Residence, you can book The Apartment via the airline’s own Etihad Guest program, but you’ll find better redemption values elsewhere. Asiana Club offers some of the lowest rates, but one of the most common options for booking Etihad’s Apartment is via American’s AAdvantage program.

Another great option for redeeming miles for The Apartments is via Air Canada’s Aeroplan program. Thanks to a slew of transfer partners (and frequent transfer bonuses), it’s quite easy to rack up miles with Aeroplan.

Air France La Premiere

When it comes to transatlantic flying, there’s perhaps no better option than Air France’s exclusive four-seat La Premiere first-class cabin that spans just a single row.

Though the product isn’t technically a fully enclosed suite, it still deserves a spot on this list for its opulence, chic French style and innovative privacy solution (floor-to-ceiling drapes that look like a hospital curtain).

Plus, the ground experience and onboard service are some of the best in the entire world. Better yet, Air France is slated to debut a new La Premiere cabin in the coming months, but even the existing product shines.

Where it flies

La Premiere is only found on a subset of Air France’s Boeing 777-300ER jets, which fly from Paris to:

• Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
• Dubai
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• San Francisco
• Sao Paulo
• Singapore
• Tokyo
• Washington, D.C.

Booking with cash

La Premiere is a big splurge. The airline rarely discounts the cabin, and the first-class fares are steep. And that’s by design, according to airline officials, who routinely say that the four-seat cabin sells to deep-pocketed leisure travelers and business executives. Plus, the product gives the rest of the brand a nice halo effect.

You’ll find a breakdown of sample round-trip pricing below. Note that prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

Redeeming miles

To maintain the cabin’s exclusivity, Air France restricts La Premiere mileage redemptions to Flying Blue Platinum (or higher) elite members. Even if you are a top-tier Flying Blue elite, you’ll need at least 220,000 miles for a one-way flight across the Atlantic.

For most people, the best way to get into La Premiere is to book a business-class ticket and hope for a paid upgrade offer to first class. That’s how I was able to fly the cabin — I once paid $1,780 for the upgrade from Paris to Washington, D.C.

Sure, the price is steep, but it was a bucket-list experience that I’m still raving about.

ANA The Room

These days, the luxury aircraft suites aren’t limited to the exclusive first-class cabins. Across the world, we’re seeing more airlines debut fully enclosed business-class suites that might even resemble what some might expect from a first-class cabin.

One such example is Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA), which introduced a new business class called The Room in 2019.

This cabin is outfitted with spacious private suites, complete with sliding doors. Combined with top-notch catering and friendly Japanese hospitality, you’re bound to have a memorable flight in The Room.

Where it flies

The Room is available on 10 out of ANA’s 13 Boeing 777-300ER jets. Right now, the airline is consistently flying these planes on two routes from Tokyo Haneda:

Several other routes feature ANA’s new Boeing 777 cabins (such as Chicago and San Francisco), but those flights are also served by older jets and cabins. You’ll want to take a look at the seat map during booking to confirm you’ll enjoy the new cabins — this jet is ANA’s only 777 variant with 64 business-class seats.

Booking with cash

You’ll find a breakdown of round-trip pricing below. Note that prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

Redeeming miles

ANA is a member of the Star Alliance, meaning that there are plenty of ways to book an award seat in The Room.

In terms of U.S.-based programs, you’re limited to United MileagePlus, which charges variable rates for Star Alliance awards.

Other redemption options include ANA’s own loyalty program, Mileage Club, which is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards. Note that ANA requires that awards be booked round-trip, which doesn’t make that an ideal option here. You can also book The Room via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, which is a transfer partner of all four major credit card points programs.

One of your best options for The Room awards is Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards Points, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Aeroplan allows customers to book most one-way awards online, and the program also offers cheap stopovers.

Qatar Airways Qsuite

Though newer products have been introduced in recent years, Qatar’s Qsuite remains one of the world’s very best premium-cabin products. Introduced in 2017, the airline’s famous business-class product offers a level of service, privacy and personal space that exceeds first class on a number of international carriers.

Qsuite is now available across many of Qatar’s existing long-haul jets, including many Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s.

Where it flies

Of all the cabins in this guide, Qsuite is the most ubiquitous. It’s available pretty consistently on every route that Qatar flies to the U.S. from Doha, as well as many of the airline’s other medium- and long-haul routes from its Qatar hub.

We’ve listed all of Qatar’s U.S. destinations below for convenience.

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Washington Dulles

Just note that Qatar often makes last-minute aircraft substitutions, so be sure to keep checking the details of your flight leading up to departure.

Booking with cash

Although Qsuite is available on many Qatar Airways flights worldwide, I’ll focus exclusively on fares between the U.S. and Qatar’s Doha hub.

You’ll find a breakdown of round-trip pricing below. Note that prices are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars for a sample itinerary in November 2024.

It’s worth noting that Qatar’s fares can be significantly lower if you connect beyond Doha to other destinations.

Redeeming miles

As a member of the Oneworld alliance, Qatar Airways flights can be booked via all Oneworld members, including American Airlines in the U.S.

American’s program, AAdvantage, prices awards based on region, so all flights between the United States and Doha require the same 70,000 miles for business class — you may be on the hook for additional miles if you’re traveling beyond Doha or the U.S. See our guide to earning AAdvantage miles for more details on how to boost your account.

Some of the other more popular booking options include British Airways Executive Club and Qatar’s own Privilege Club program, as well as Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Be sure to check out our detailed Qsuite guide for a better idea of how else you might want to book your award flight.

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