The Ish Awards: Airline Edition
They aren’t real awards, don’t get too excited, but here are my favourite First and Business Class cabins in the air and lounges on the ground. How do I compare a First Class seat with a Business Class seat to normalise for the fact they are different products? Science, that’s how. Can I tell you what that science is? No, it’s a special proprietary blend using a complex algorithm. So there.
They’re in no particular order. It’s all very egalitarian at the Ish awards. Once you have one have an Ish award it’s considered gauche to ask where you rank amongst you peers.
I wouldn’t have flown in any of these cabins without airmiles. The lounges are a product of having a BA card from frequent flying.
Read more about airmiles, here.
(Some of the photos stretch back a decade and are of lower quality than my recent output)
Cabins
Swiss First Class
The footprint of each seat is vast. The seat itself really comfortable to lounge or sleep and and there’s a large TV to watch. Overall, this is the best food I’ve had in the sky across a menu.
Qatar Q-Suite
This is by far the most capacious Business Class seat I’ve flown in. You are cocooned in your own little cube as zoom across the globe. The seat lets you sleep on your back or side with ease. I found the food to be variable but the drinks selection to be stellar (not Stella).
Emirates First
I had a shower on a plane. Did I need a shower? No. Was I going to pass up my chance to have one? Also no. Huge seat, exceptional food and drinks selection and a choice between a self-service bar or one with a bartender and a seating area.
British Airways First
There’s bigger seats and airlines that spend more on their food and drink, and I’m sure that there’s a sprinkle of British bias here, but I like BA First. Sitting in 1A or 1K on a 747 was fun; you couldn’t see anyone else on the plane and such was the curvature of the aircraft that you got a unique view out of the window.
British Airways Club Suite
Not far off BA First in terms of the seat which leads some to believe that BA First is sub-par. The seat is very comfortable with a decent table and TV. Not on all aircraft yet, eg my recent flight home from JFK that was substituted from this to one of the eldest 777s in the fleet which is showing its age and then some.
Lounges
British Airways Concorde Room, Heathrow
Quiet with a well stocked bar and a choice of a restaurant or eating on an open terrace.
Qantas First Lounges, Melbourne and Singapore
Melbourne: A huge space with a restaurant looking out onto the apron. Delicious menu designed by Neil Perry (as with all Qantas lounges) and lots of nooks with comfy chairs and sofas to relax. Or as I did in May 2022, watch the Federal Election results.
Singapore: A massive bright and airy lounge run by Sofitel. Neil Perry menu with some local favourites.
Qantas Lounge, Heathrow & Cathay Pacific Lounge, Heathrow
ph
Two separate lounges but in my mind they are two halves of the same plan. Thanks to my BA Gold card, it’s salt and pepper squid in the Qantas lounge with Gin & Tonic (Aperol ice cube) and then over to the Cathay Lounge for Dim Sum and Champagne.
Lufthansa First Class Terminal, Frankfurt
That’s right, an entirely separate building where they take your bags and check you in while you enjoy a vast menu and a bar that seemingly has every drink you might ever want. There’s at least 100 different types of whisky from around the world. When it’s time to board your flight, you are driven across the apron to your plane in a Porsche, Mercedes or BMW.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge, Doha
The water feature is captivating. This, the little sibling of the Al Safwa lounge which is apparently like a museum, is either so busy that you struggle to find a seat or like a ghost town given that most people are connecting in Doha and the busy periods coincide with the four big blocks of departures and arrivals each day. I had a long layover and so waited patiently before having a shower and eating more than strictly necessary.
Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai
It’s an entire floor of the terminal which means you can walk around for some time before spotting someone else. Numerous delicious food and drink options from around the world.
Thai First Class Lounge, Bangkok
You get an entire room to yourself with a TV and several couches and chairs. There’s no pictures because I ate a bowl of Tom Yum and then had a three hour sleep on a sofa. Sorry.
Finnair Platinum Wing, Helsinki
Reindeer burger and a sauna. Need I say more?
Didn’t make the cut
Lufthansa First - Flew the old seat over a decade ago when it was still 2x2. Not particularly comfortable. The food was very high quality though
United First - Big seat but drab food and service
American Airlines First - much the same as United
Thai First - A delightful crew member who made sure I was well fed but the seat was lumpy
Singapore First - Amazing service, Dom Perignon and Krug (yes, and) but I didn’t sleep particularly well. No, it had nothing to do with the amount of champagne I had consumed. Perish the thought
Air India First - Sensational food. But that’s about it
BA Club World (not Suite) - Showing its age. This was the original flatbed seat and revolutionary at the time when everyone else still had reclining chairs. But it no longer hits the spot
Swiss Business - Very close to an Ish award but eclipsed by Qatar and BA’s Club Suite
Emirates Business - Not every seat has a window or aisle. You feel quite hemmed in for a business class seat. The mini bar is a great idea but everything is warm
South African Airways Business - The food was dreadful and while I slept, I was woken up on each flight by being poked in the eye. Admittedly, it was by my eldest child and they were 15 months old, but the point stands
Qantas Business - I wanted to like this but the seat was uncomfortable and narrow in bed mode. Food was above average
Air New Zealand Business - The same seat used until very recently by Virgin who originally developed it. Law fans, there’s a court case in relation to the licence. You can’t lounge in it. Beyond a certain point it flips down to turn into a bed. It’s also pointed away from the window. A no from me.
Virgin Upper Class - Same reason as Air New Zealand above
Finnair Business - Not the new sofa style seat which I was hoping to try. The old one is okay and the food average. Extra marks for the glassware which is Finnish in design and price.
BA Lounges at Heathrow - Crowded with a poor selection of food. A better than average selection of drinks however, so I can have a always make a decent Bloody Mary.
BA/AA Greenwich Lounge, JFK - Very busy as the evening bank of transatlantic flights depart. Walk round the corner to the Bridge as it seems nobody else bothers.
South African Airways lounge, Johannesburg - Hard to tell which was more plastic, the cheese of the cling film that the sandwich was wrapped in. In a basement too.
Virgin Clubhouse, Heathrow and JFK - To quote the person I visited them with “A great place to hang out if you were heading off on a trip with lots of friends, less so if you want somewhere quiet to wait for your flight”
Not rated
American Airlines First Class Lounge, Miami - My 2.5 hour connection got whittled away to 15 minutes. No time to visit as I ran to the next plane
United Business - Last travelled in a very old generation seat
American Airlines Business - Last travelled in a very old generation seat