In the mid 2010s, premium economy was the class cabin of concern – these were the seats that airlines were pouring their investment into. It looked as though first class might face extinction, making business class seats the most sought-after seats on the plane. But then, something switched, as elite travelers went in search of one-of-a-kind, ever more luxurious experiences, and consequently many airlines have had a first class glow-up in recent years, with the gap between business and first class appearing to widen. We’re exploring the upper echelons of air travel below, just in case you’ve ever wondered: first class vs business class – what exactly is the difference?

[toc]

1. What is the highest class in a plane?

First class is the highest category of ticket you can buy. But between airlines, first class varies enormously and numerous airlines have added even more premium and unique options to the repertoire, such as Etihad’s The Residence. One airline’s business or first class offering can also vary massively between routes.

2. Which seat is better: first class or business class?

Business class seats tend to be the most luxurious version of what you get in economy and premium economy cabins, in that they are still actual seats, whereas first class seats tend to be within larger suite-like spaces, with full beds and privacy curtains or doors. Business class seats still have privacy, usually as a result of clever seat configuration, and they always have plenty of space, usually enough for lie flat seats.

3. Which food and drink is better: first class or business class?

There is a clear shift in the dinner service between these classes. In business class, you will usually enjoy restaurant-style plating with cloth napkins, ceramics, glassware and cutlery and you may be able to pre-select your meals or dine on demand, depending on your airline. In first class, things go up a notch; airlines are aiming to give you an actual gourmet experience, with elevated fine dining presentation, rare vintage wines, more choice and exclusive menus designed by Michelin star chefs.

4. What are the other key differences in amenities?

Essentially, first class is looking to provide a luxury hotel experience in the air, whereas business class is looking to make your flight as smooth and comfortable as possible. So, in business class, you’ll have more control over your personal space than in economy or premium economy (temperature, lighting), and you’ll have bedding to transform your seat into a bed. Business travelers will have easy access to plug sockets and WiFi and everything they need to get on with their work or take a break from it.

In first class you’ll have this, plus perhaps a personal minibar, access to a shower, a flat screen TV and space for another passenger to come and dine with you. There are luxurious amenities in both classes – Emirates works with Bulgari on their amenity kits, and Turkish Airlines works with Ferragamo, for instance. As a first class vs business class case study, Air France’s La Premiere passengers get embossed boxes in Air France red or pearl grey, with hand cream, eye contour balm, serum and moisturizer by Sisley, whereas the equivalent business class bag includes two Clarins moisturizers.

5. What’s the difference on the ground?

Like everything in the world of luxury travel, no two airport lounges are created equal. Generally, business class and first class passengers will have access to airport lounges, with extra special first class lounges available in some circumstances, for the most elite first class fliers. For instance, at Singapore Changi airport, Singapore Airlines has gold and silver lounges, as well as The Private Room, with a maximum capacity of just 78. As well as lounge access, first class passengers often receive additional perks like chauffeur-driven cars to and from the airport and dedicated jet bridges so they don’t have to board the plane with everyone else.

6. Is there an industry standard for airline classes?

Broadly speaking, business class is an enhanced experience, designed for your comfort, with wider seats and more amenities than economy or premium economy and first class is the highest level of luxury and service. But the reality is more complex; airlines have different priorities and different seat configurations on different routes, and they’re making updates to their fleets all the time.

7. Is it worth upgrading from business to first class?

You are never going to be uncomfortable on a business class flight, so this question comes down to what you are prepared to pay for. In the battle of first class vs business class, there is much to consider. How long is the flight you’re taking? For domestic flights, the difference in service will feel small, and you won’t have much time to make use of the amenities. Will you feel the benefit? Have you checked specifically which seats are available on your route and your airline? Not to mention, it’s often quadruple the price to travel in first class. We found an Emirates business class ticket from NYC to Dubai for $5,537 while the equivalent first class ticket cost $21,967.

We have a lot of love for Lisbon, and we know we’re not the only ones. It’s the perfect city to linger a while; not too big and not too small, with delicious treasures up and down its cobbled streets. And it wears its brilliance so lightly. If you’re embarking on a luxury tour to Portugalwith us, but want more Lisbon in your life, you might be wondering: what is the nicest hotel in Lisbon? If you choose to extend your stay, here – for your consideration – are the best hotels in Lisbon.

1. Pousada de Lisboa

You know this is one of our top hotels in Lisbon because it’s where guests stay on our Spain and Portugal in Style journey. It’s a palatial city landmark and we love it for its timeless grandeur: the marble halls, the Portuguese art-filled corridors and majestic, sunshine yellow facade. It’s a refined sanctuary on Praça do Comércio, in the heart of historical Lisbon.

2. Brown’s Avenue Hotel

The Brown’s Hotel Group runs four boutique hotels in Lisbon, and this one’s rooftop pool is the crown of them all. It’s not huge, but it’s supremely glamorous, set in angular, sun-bleached limestone and surrounded by potted cacti, green striped loungers and vintage style parasols. If you like your resting place to feel like an oasis, this is one of the best hotels in Lisbon for you.

3. Pestana Palace

If you want somewhere to stay that is unabashedly palatial from top to toe, Pestana is the place. On the palace hotel checklist it has: parquet floors, frescoed ceilings, stained glass windows, oil paintings, marble staircase and lush, green garden flourishing with subtropical trees. There is a spa with a Turkish bath, and the outdoor pool (converted from an original garden lake) will make you want to weep.

4. Convent Square Lisbon

Super-central and as sleek as you could possibly wish it to be, this 800-year-old Dominican convent is easily one of the best hotels in Lisbon. The heart of the place is the open-air cloister, complete with a central firepit and plush outdoor furniture – a place to rest after a morning of walking up and down hills. The rooms are also about peace and repose, with neutral tones, sumptuous sheets and bronze velvet cushions.

5. Palácio Príncipe Real

Another palácio for your address book, this one is in the Principe Real, which is the best neighborhood to stay in Lisbon if you like to swoosh down chic, quiet streets, but still be close to the action. Within this 28-room peachy mansion, you’ll find checkerboard marble floors, palm motifs, azulejo tiles, chandeliers and a glorious, bougainvillea-filled garden with an enormous heated pool and always-alluring hammocks.

6. Bairro Alto Hotel

This is a big old 87-room 18th century building that sits grandly on the borders of two bohemian neighborhoods: the Bairro Alto (an old quarter at the top of Lisbon) and Chiado (lively cultural hub). These are two neighborhoods people might name in answer to the question, which part of Lisbon is best to stay? The Bairro Alto Hotel was one of the first boutique hotels in the city in 2005. No two rooms are the same and each has its own dose of Portuguese flair, with glazed tiles, woven fabrics and ceramics by local makers. The terrace is a special place to soak up views of the city and the Rio Tejo.

7. ME Lisbon by Meliá

The best hotels in Lisbon offer a little respite from the city. On our Ultimate Portugal journey, we stop at this sparkling “luxury lifestyle hotel” to be soothed and energised in equal measure. At the magnificent rooftop pool, sunset is served with spicy watermelon margaritas and California rolls. Rooms are light, modern spaces, with plenty of personality and dreamy views whether you’re facing the street or the Palácio Sotto Mayor.’

8. Memmo Alfama

Many visitors city’s fans cite Alfama as the best place to stay in Lisbon, thanks to its winding, cobbled streets and the fado music that drifts through them as evening descends. Memmo Alfama sits in an immaculately restored 19th century building, beautifully blending the old and the new. The Memmo motto is “make yourself at home” and it’s easy to do so in the fresh, white rooms, with polished concrete floors and views over red roofs, towards the river.

9. Lumiares

An homage to Lisbon’s colours, patterns, and light, this luxury, apartment-style stay in Bairro Alto does not let you forget where you are. The rooftop bar and restaurant is all terracotta, linen, rattan and stone, with mesmerising city views and gorgeous gazpacho and roast octopus. Interiors feature monochrome tiles and gold detailing alongside natural materials – and even the studio rooms have kitchens and coffee machines.

10. Palacio Ludovice

One more palacio for the road (although this one is a mere five storeys, a palacete), this relatively recent luxury opening is named after the man who built it nearly 300 years ago, João Federico Ludovice, architect to King João V. The 18th-century tiles, frescoes and stucco ceilings have all been wonderfully restored. Good news for oenophiles, too: it considers itself a ‘wine experience hotel’, with wines from each Portuguese region represented, a five-course ‘wine dinner’ in the restaurant and wine-themed treatments in the Caudalie spa.

If you’ve been meaning to “do” Japan for the first time, our luxury Japan itinerary is here for you. Aptly named Majestic Japan for its supreme majesty in all areas: iconic temples, fairytale lanscapes (seen from the windows of bullet trains), magical metropolises, luxury hotels (often with their own onsen or hot springs) and life-altering food, this is an 11-day luxury tour to Japan that will leave you thrillingly sated (and planning to come back for more).

Days 1-2: Osaka

Categorically not just a smaller Tokyo, Osaka is a singular city that sparkles with life. It has street food like nowhere else on earth, a cracking nightlife scene and daytime strolls that are not too arduous but dotted with delights. We kick off our tour of Japan in style at the Imperial Hotel Osaka, which has terrific, welcoming views of the skyline and the shimmering Okawa River (which is popular for cherry blossom cruising). Once everyone’s settled at the hotel (perhaps after a swim in the brilliant pool, with its epic views), our guests meet over tempura, sushi and sake. And we’re off…

Explore more Japan: 21 Most Beautiful Places In Japan You Need to Visit

Day 3: Hiroshima

Kyoto and Osaka are about an hour from each other by car, and a mere 14-15 minutes by shinkansen, not even long enough to require a bento box picnic. On our luxury Japan itinerary, however, we slow things down by traveling via Hiroshima, so we have time to sit back and relax as we travel past small towns, rice fields and snow-capped mountains. In Hiroshima, the itinerary is as varied as this thriving, cosmopolitan community; we pause to reflect at the Peace Memorial Park and meet a survivor of the world’s first atomic-bomb attack. Later, we try okonomiyaki – one of many unmissable gastronomic experiences –  before heading onward to one of the loveliest luxury hotels in Kyoto: The Thousands.

Day 4: Kyoto

There is much to see in Kyoto, and often visitors encounter a long distance between key sights, so we’ve carefully designed a fulfilling day taking in temples, bamboo groves, and the Gion district, which is famed for its geisha, as well as its teahouses and lantern-lit restaurants. Guests love our visit to the picture postcard Zen Buddhist temple Kinkaku-ji, a three-tiered pavilion covered with gold leaf, which reflects spectacularly in the pond beneath. Lunch is traditional Kyo-Kaiseki cuisine (multi-course, Kyoto cooking), with an unforgettable performance by a maiko – an apprentice geisha.

Read next: The Most Famous Torii Gates in Japan

Day 5: Mount Fuji

Is there a more iconic mountain in the world than Mount Fuji? Many visitors to Japan encounter it through the window on their way somewhere else, but on day five, we board the bullet train to Mishima, an oasis-like town built on the lava flow of Mount Fuji – for our close up. This is your luxury Japan itinerary, so you might choose to soak up the views on the Kachi-Kachi Ropeway cable car, or to visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum for an alternative dose of serenity (in the gardens), some spectacular architecture and a dazzling collection of kimonos. We head straight on to the Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel for a well-earned rest before a big day in the capital.

Day 6: Tokyo

Where to begin? Tokyo is a simply thrilling place to be, and you have some difficult choices to make. Will you join a local expert on a tour of the arty, fashion-forward Omotesando and Harajuku neighborhoods? Will you spend time crafting your own lunch with a master sushi chef? Will you prioritize the Tokyo National Museum or the Meiji-jingu Shrine? And what on earth will you eat first? We’ll help you work all this out and more, so that your day in Tokyo is everything you want it to be. But don’t panic – you’ll be back on day 10.

Journey beyond Japan: 15 Best Places to Visit in Asia

Day 7: Sendai

Our luxury Japan itinerary is all about balance, so after the energy of Tokyo, we take the opportunity to revel in Japan’s soothing nature. On a private cruise of Matsushima Bay, we listen to the many haikus it has inspired, which describe it as a place of love and wonder. We eat fresh seafood in a local inn, and we embrace the nourishment and calm of a traditional tea ceremony.

Day 8: Tsugaru and Hirosaki Castle

This is a magical stop that makes a trip to Japan extra special. This wedding cake castle features fortified moats and castle gates, and is one of the country’s cherry blossom hotspots. In season, the blush pink petals fill the moat so it looks like a strawberry milkshake. We learn about the meticulous care and nurturing of the trees from a specialized cherry blossom doctor.

Day 9: Oirase

You are booked into the Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel, a wildly serene mountain stream resort inside a National Park, surrounded by clear streams, mossy rocks, and a forest of deciduous broad-leaved trees. The hotel features hot springs and restaurants out in the thick of it, surrounded by a changing colour palette, depending on the season of your visit. While we’re in Oirase, we enjoy a rare opportunity to meet a sake brewmaster, Takeshi Miura, and share some of Japan’s sacred drink in stunning surroundings.

Day 10: Back to Tokyo

However you choose to spend your remaining time in Tokyo, we always toast to a successful trip to Japan with a celebratory dinner at Hoshinonaruki. It’s always an intensely atmospheric meal, showcasing Japanese culinary techniques and seasonal ingredients.

Day 11: Arigato Nihon!

Your private car takes you to Narita or Haneda International Airport. Unless, of course, you choose to stay awhile…