The key facts
- Etihad Airways' The Residence topped the ranking with 98 points out of 100
- Scores were assigned across five criteria: luxury (35%), rarity (25%), privacy (20%), restricted access (10%), experiences beyond the seat (10%)
- No more than two products per airline were counted
AirAdvisor ranking: top 10 luxury experiences on board and before departure
AirAdvisor examined the offerings of major international airlines and compiled a ranking of the most 'mind-blowing' individual experiences available on board and before departure. Only services that could be independently verified through official data from carriers or airports were considered. Private aviation, already cancelled services, concepts not yet available to the public, as well as standard offerings — business lounge access, travel kits and ordinary seats that fold flat — were excluded from the list. The study is based on data as of September 2026; no more than two products per airline were counted so that the ranking would not be monopolized by a single carrier.
Evaluation methodology
The selected experiences were rated on a 100-point scale across five criteria: level of luxury (weight 35%), rarity (25%), privacy and exclusivity (20%), restricted access (10%) and 'experiences beyond the seat' (10%) — showers, spa areas or individual apartment-style spaces. 'Premium air travel has turned into an arms race,' said AirAdvisor founder and CEO Anton Radchenko. According to him, a seat that folds into a bed is no longer enough: airlines are competing with bedrooms, showers, separate lounges and spaces for couples and small groups. He also noted that most of these experiences remain rare — often available only on one aircraft type or a few routes.
Distribution of places in the top ten
1. The Residence by Etihad Airways — 98/100: three-room apartments in the sky. 2. Shower Spa on board the A380 by Emirates — 91/100: a shower at an altitude of about 12,000 meters. 3. First Grand Suite by SWISS — 88/100: a private 'loft' for groups of up to three people. 4. La Première by Air France — 85/100: a private 45 m² suite before boarding the flight. 5. Suites by Singapore Airlines — 82/100: a class of cabins with a separate seat and a double bed. 6. Allegris Suite Plus by Lufthansa — 80/100: a two-seat first-class suite that converts into a double bed. 7. Japan Airlines' A350-1000 first class — 78/100: a suite 1.23 m wide with a minibar and a 43-inch screen. 8. Onboard Lounge on the A380 by Emirates — 76/100: a cocktail bar on board. 9. Al Safwa First Lounge by Qatar Airways — 72/100: a thermal jacuzzi before boarding. 10. Retreat Suite by Virgin Atlantic — 68/100: a business-class suite where four people can dine at one table.
Ranking leaders: apartments, a shower and a 'loft'
First place went to The Residence by Etihad Airways — a three-room suite with a separate bedroom, its own shower and a living room. Before departure, passengers have access to check-in from home or a hotel, personal driver services and an individual airport greeting. According to AirAdvisor, the product received near-maximum scores for luxury, rarity, privacy and going beyond the usual airline seat. Second place — the Shower Spa on board the A380 by Emirates, available exclusively to first-class passengers: a separate shower room with an area by the mirror, a changing space and heated flooring. The top three is rounded out by SWISS's First Grand Suite, presented in 2025 and launched in 2026: it combines two adjacent first-class seats together with the aisle between them into a fully isolated space on long-haul flights, which can serve as a bedroom, an office or a meeting room for a group of up to three travelers.
