The food
“Fresh? Tick. Seasonal? Tick? A ‘wellness menu’ of lighter dishes? Tick. Cathay Pacific has rolled out the requisite culinary buzzwords for a contemporary spread, but the promise of caviar with vintage champagne will more likely have first-class customers salivating,” says Bryant. She points out that many of the dishes have “potent flavour combinations to enliven taste buds desensitised by low air pressure: smoked duck stars a sweet and sour dressing; pork ribs come with a strawberry sauce”. She also applauds a 4.2% pale ale that’s been “lovingly tuned for altitude” according to the brand. “A bottle of Betsy (named after the airline’s first aircraft) is a stylish step up from the household beer brands served on other carriers,” she says.
What else?
Bamford made the 600 thread-count sheets too, for what Cathay deems “the softest bed in the sky”. Meanwhile, upmarket and bespoke Hong Kong shirtmaker PYE is behind its incredibly cosy pyjamas. And there’s even a pillow menu. Look out for the brand’s new first class cabin onboard its 777-9 planes, launching in 2025.
Emirates
Emirates has thought of everything – moisturising pyjamas infused with shea butter and argan oil to ensure limbs don’t dry out in the air; unlimited caviar; and, on selected A380 routes, shower spas with adjustable heated floors where passengers can scrub up and even dry their hair. It’s little wonder that this is one of the world’s most popular first class services.
The amenities
The Emirates’ set by Bulgari, featuring the pricey Le Gemme Desiria fragrance (or Le Gemme Gyan for men), was a winning combo for Haria. “As far as covetable beauty kits go, this luxury selection by Bulgari is definitely high up on the list,” she says, highlighting the rose and jasmine notes of Le Gemme Desiria as “a stunning floral blend”. The embossed compact mirror is a nice extra touch and, out of all the kits, these had the highest resale prices on eBay.