With an extra $23,000 to spend, would you spend it on a suite on a Singapore Airlines flight? Some people do just that; spend the kind of money it takes to purchase a moderately-sized used car on a suite for flight that won’t take more than a day. Singapore Airlines made the announcement in 2008 that they would introduce a new class, the Suites Class, on their Airbus A380 flights. The class is the most expensive, most luxurious and most high-end commercial flight traveling experience available.
What’s it like to fly in a seat that costs so much money? It’s not terrible, that’s a certainty. Each of the enclosed cabins features sliding doors and an interior designed by a French yacht designer by the name of Jean-Jacques Coste. Each private cabin is complete with a plush armchair made of leather. The chair is not just any old leather chair, however. It’s a custom-made, hand-stitched chair created by a famed Italian leather maker, Poltrona Frau.
What really makes this suite worth the price, however, is the fact that it’s the only commercial suite with a double bed. This makes for comfortable overnight flights for guests who want to get some good sleep when they are in the air. There is no other commercial airline with a bed this large, or an actual suite in which guests can fly with this much space and/or comfort. So what’s it like to fly like this? According to one passenger; it’s good.
When you book the Suites Class, you get to check in for your flight in a private lounge complete with a bellhop who will carry your luggage for you. You then get to step into The Private Room, where everyone knows you by name and you are immediately given a glass of high-end champagne, and you can order anything from the high-end menu. When it’s time to board, you are escorted to your own entrance to the plane, greeted by the staff by name, given every single newspaper on the plane and offered a glass of Dom Perignon while the entire flight crew comes to introduce themselves to you.
While in flight, you are given a pair of Bose headphones, a Givenchy blanket, pillow, slippers and robe and a Ferragamo amenity kit complete with everything you might possibly need. You are provided a five course dinner, pajamas, and the flight crew will give you a tour of the plane as well as convert your suite into a bed for you. Additionally, when you are laid-over somewhere, you will be taken to the nicest lounge in the airport and given spa treatments. The problem with a flight like this is that you won’t want to fly any other way ever again.
Photos by Derek Low
