Jet Airways

Your jet: Boeing 777-300ER Killer app: The personal Champagne cooler for vintage fizz Amenity you'll want to steal: The Indian rosewood doors to each first-class sleeper suite Ultimate itinerary: A weekend in Mumbai, taking in a glitzy Bollywood premiere and then a private dinner with India's answer to Brangelina: Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan (you did help fund the movie, after all) Life up front: Indian carrier Jet just landed in the American market, introducing its Newark-to-Mumbai long-haul service in early August 2007. It will add a JFK-Delhi route in late October 2007. Jet's 26-square-foot first-class cabin is one of the glitziest, with sliding doors (no pesky, half-measure screens here), a private wardrobe closet, and even a personal Champagne cooler — after all, the cabin crew pours vintage Dom or Krug, which is best kept chilled. The 23-inch flat-screen TV has 500 on-demand programs (Bollywood and Hollywood hits alike) and the largest bed in the sky — the basketball player–ready mattress is almost seven feet long. Newark to Mumbai

Singapore Airlines

Your jet: Airbus A380 Killer app: The double suite — ideal for snuggling Amenity you'll want to steal: The downy, soft Givenchy duvet Ultimate itinerary: Be the first of your Centurion Card–toting chums to test out the luxuries on the new A380, with service between Singapore and Sydney Life up front: Singapore is the first airline to fly the new superjumbo A380 from Airbus. The route — between Singapore and Sydney — might be out of the typical American's way, but you may want to consider a trip just to experience that upper-class hedonism. The 12 suites were masterminded by yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste and have fully closable doors, an armchair almost three feet wide, and a separate chaise longue/visitor seat. When the oh-so-fab passengers are ready to slumber, cabin crew will make up a bed using a separate mattress — no slumming on converted seat cushions here — adorned with the Givenchy duvet and pillow. Even better, Singapore has taken advantage of the usually less-than-luxurious middle pair of seats in its new 1-2-1 configuration, allowing traveling couples the chance to snuggle down in a double bed together if they sit there. Ever wanted to join that illustrious club in the air? You'll never get a better (and more private) chance.

Thai Airways

Your jet: Airbus 340-500 Killer app: Frequent flyers won't get bored with the food — the airline prides itself on swapping out new menus more often than the usual three months, so Frequent flyers won't get bored with the food Amenity you'll want to steal: The Guy Laroche eye masks Ultimate itinerary: A jaunt from London to Thailand with designer Olga Polizzi to handpick interior design items for the summer house Life up front: The treats for Royal First Class passengers start when a butler greets the lucky few curbside and whisks them through check-in, immigration, and security. Then it's time to settle into Thai's new lounge in its Bangkok hub. Its crowning glory is the on-site, stand-alone spa, the Royal Orchid, with rain showers, a sauna, yoga studio, and a dozen or so professional masseuses. A gratis Thai Touch traditional 20-minute massage has got to be the ultimate jet lag–busting treat. The beds onboard stretch out fully flat and are nearly seven feet long. Every passenger gets Guy Laroche sleepwear, slippers, and eye masks, plus Bulgari amenity kits. The only thing no longer available: shark-fin soup, once a jet-set delicacy, which was removed from the menu a few years ago.

Lufthansa

Your jet: Boeing 747-400 Killer app: The chauffeured Porsche and Mercedes that whisk first classers from the lounge to the airplane Amenity you'll want to steal: A dead heat between the Clarins onboard goodies and the stogies from the cigar lounge Ultimate itinerary: Boston to Berlin to trawl the art galleries and snap up early works by the next Teutonic Tracey Emin Life up front: Lufthansa's new first-class lounge in Munich is so appealing that banking types have been turning up hours early to luxuriate there before hopping their long-haul flight. No wonder, when the upper level of the two-story space has four marble bathrooms with full-size whirlpool bathtubs, two sleeping rooms with leather daybeds, and a high-end restaurant that serves sushi. The bar is stocked with more than 40 vintage Armagnacs — a perfect tipple while enjoying a Cuban in the adjoining cigar lounge. Plus, a Mercedes S-Class or Porsche Cayenne picks up passengers from the lower level to shuttle them directly to the aircraft. After that in-terminal orgy of luxury, life onboard is not bad either: The 16 first-class seats are tucked away upstairs, in 2-2 pairs. David Bouley dreams up the menus (chilled lobster terrine, saddle of veal, grapefruit jelly with elderflower sorbet), Joop supplies the duvets, and the Champagne is Piper Heidsieck. Oh, and those bulging Clarins amenity kits even have a hairbrush. New York City to Munich

Cathay Pacific

Your jet: Boeing 777-300ER and 747-400, Airbus A330-300 and A340-300 Killer app: The suites, and no annoying overhead bins Amenity you'll want to steal: The 17-inch personal TV Ultimate itinerary: San Francisco to Hong Kong for lunch at the Mandarin Oriental's new penthouse eatery, Pierre Life up front: The Hong Kong carrier is midway through an all-cabin overhaul, helmed by Design Q, the London-based firm that can take credit for much of Virgin's snazzy look. The fleet makeover will be finished in early 2009, though the North American routes should be completed earlier, by mid-2008. First class is changing to all-suite, with mood lighting, ergonomic chairs with massage functions, and a freestanding personal closet rather than forehead-bruising overhead bins. Each can hold a duvet, pillow, and in-flight amenities (Darphin for women and Acca Kappa for men), as well as keep that Brioni blazer crease-free. The ottoman footrest is ideal for stashing extra luggage, and doubles up as a visitor seat. Each seat has a personal TV showing more than 50 movies and 100 TV shows on demand. When it comes to food, Cathay was one of the first to install rice cookers, toasters, and skillets onboard, so you can expect fresh rice, toast, and eggs on a whim. Even the bathroom is VIP-style, with a huge window, more mood lighting, and loft-style fixtures. San Francisco to Hong Kong

Emirates

Your jet: Boeing 777-300ER Killer app: Your own en-suite mini bar, stocked with soda, juice, and water — ideal when summoning an attendant is just too tiresome Amenity you'll want to steal: The leatherbound in-flight menu to show off later to friends Ultimate itinerary: New York City to Dubai, to see how your property on the Palms is coming along. Life up front: In summer 2007, Emirates spent $50 million spiffing up its first-class cabins to the tune of $125,000 each. The results are suites that might remind you of a nice little Manhattan studio. That six-figure sum guaranteed not just comfort but also a cutting-edge entertainment system. The 23-inch monitor is one of the largest in the air and comes with a wireless remote. It even has a USB port, which allows you to browse those digital vacation snaps long before you reach home. Each suite is tricked out with gold trim, beige leather, and an impressive honey-walnut wood effect. There are no overhead bins, just aisle-side personal closets. And if even that suite isn't roomy enough, there's a freestanding, mingle-ready bar for swinging business singles. The seven-course meal includes such niceties as Beluga caviar. New York City to Dubai

Virgin Atlantic

Your jet: Boeing 747-400, Airbus A340-600 and A340-300 Killer app: The double seats that convert to double beds Amenity you'll want to steal: The oh-too-cute Virgin jammies Ultimate itinerary: New York City to London for a brainstorming session with Richard Branson about the next private-island project you're planning together (book your main squeeze a ticket to make the most of the flight) Life up front: Billionaire Branson's impish personal touches are evident throughout his airline's Upper Class cabin, but best of all are the Mile High Club–endorsing double-bedded suites — private two-person snuggle zones. There's also a stand-up bar ideal for meeting someone, if you haven't brought a partner along, and free in-flight beauty treatments and massages. And trust Virgin to offer a seat like no other: The leather recliner doesn't convert into a jerry-rigged bed, but rather flips over entirely to reveal a memory-foam mattress. Virgin's $20 million Clubhouse at London Heathrow is just as lavish. There's a branch of Soho House's Cowshed spa, a Bumble and Bumble salon for last-minute haircuts, a full-size sauna and steam room, and even a roof garden for romantic preflight cocktails (the door-to-door limo service is a plus, too). Virgin is also arguably the only steal among these carriers: Its amenities may be first class, but its price barely scrapes business. New York City to London

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