business class

Cathay Pacific’s new ARIA Suite is making waves across Australia’s luxury travel market, drawing strong interest from premium travellers and trade alike since it first launched on the Sydney-Hong Kong route in March 2025.

A 20% increase in premium capacity from Sydney to Abu Dhabi is on the horizon as Etihad Airways confirmed it would introduce its A350-1000 aircraft to the route from 1 October 2025.

Etihad is rolling its first class offering out across more routes from August, with new services to include a private chauffeur service to and from the airport.

Oman Air is introducing a new Business Studio, set to replace the airline’s First Class product. The new cabin will retain its spacious layout of 1-2-1 with 8 classic lie-flat Studios, Wi-Fi connectivity, but with more affordable fares and a redefined service approach that is tailored to the needs of modern travellers.

As the only airline in the world to have won the Skytrax World’s Best Business class 11 times, Qatar Airways announces further enhancement to its business class service with the introduction of caviar service on its menu offering.

Qatar Airways revealed the latest iteration of its award-winning Qsuite at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 last weekend.

Emirates is offering First and Business Class customers a new collection of exclusive Bulgari amenity kits for the northern summer season. With a gradual introduction on select routes and long-haul flights, the new range features colour palettes designed to reflect Emirates’ newly upgraded aircraft cabin interiors, alongside the latest best-selling fragrances from luxury Italian brand, Bulgari.

Business class flights to the United Kingdom and the United States are finally starting to fall, with premium class price wars currently underway to two of the most popular international destinations for Australian travellers.

Emirates has released stylish Bulgari amenity kits for the Autumn/Winter season in First and Business Class. The range features new colour palettes and new fragrances, along with a keepsake mirror, and thoughtful amenities for passenger comfort – onboard select routes and long-haul flights now.

Last month, I had the envious opportunity of trialling American Airlines’ business class product on the non-stop Sydney-Los Angeles route. This was my first time flying American across the Pacific, currently operated by its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The oneworld aviation alliance member has been flying to Sydney for about eight years in partnership with Qantas, excluding a six-month pause last year due to aircraft availability issues, and a still recovering COVID market.

Qatar Airways has unveiled newly curated onboard dining menus for its Australian flights, featuring sustainably sourced meals using local produce. The menus have been launched in phases across the airline’s Australian network for both Business and Economy Class passengers and are fully integrated into all flights.

Lufthansa is expanding its premium First Class offering with the “Suite Plus,” a separate double cabin with ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required.