With competition now in full gear amongst the world’s top airlines, eager to capture the hearts of the rich and famous, the golden age of air travel has returned – if only for a select few.

Of all the airlines in this very first class battle, Singapore Airlines reigns supreme with the all new, double-decker Airbus A380 featuring a double bed that sleeps you and a companion in your own private suite. The 12 suites, created by yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, include fully closable doors for your absolute privacy, though no “mile-high” activities are theoretically permitted. How they will deal with any uncontrollable human passions in this flying Shangri-la is anybody’s guess.

And Singapore Airlines competitors are not taking this supremacy lightly, offering first-class amenities onboard such as vintage wines, personal mini fridges, gourmet cuisine, exotic perfumes and a host of services that would put even the very best hotels to shame. The only thing missing it seems, in this long list of unashamed luxury, are the Cohibas, which will probably appear one day but rather like the “private” double cabins you won’t be able to anything constructive with them.

For me though, no airline service makes you feel more regal than THAI’s aptly named Royal First Class. THAI prides itself on a ‘Restaurant in the Sky’ approach and an exemplary customer service, that begins when First Class passengers are greeted by a butler who discretely whisks them through check-in, immigration and security formalities. While you are waiting to board your flight at THAI’s hub in Bangkok, you can relax in their magnificent new first class lounge complete with sauna, professional masseuses and a yoga studio – far removed from the mingling masses outside.

The cost of all this upper-class hedonism doesn’t come cheap to us mere mortals, but then again “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”!

www.avantgardeasia.com