The Ultra-Luxury Air Travel Arms Race Heats Up, From Private Member Clubs to Flying Chefs

In a year where airports have become vortexes of time-consuming frustration and the number of canceled flights is on the rise, it might be understandable to choose to staycation this summer.

That said, the luxury side of air travel is becoming more enticing than ever, with companies increasingly catering to the highest net-worth travelers. At top airlines and major airports, there are new and updated lounges, onboard suites, spa showers, large entertainment screens, video calls and fine-dining options that allow you to take a big exhale — even if you are simply headed to a business conference. And, if you want to skip the hassle altogether, there are semi-private options — allowing you to skip security lines — that are becoming more luxe by the day.

Elegant Upgrades at Major Airlines

Air France made a splash last year when it introduced La Premiere, with high-curtained walls giving a new level of privacy to mini apartments that contain a flatbed and separate armchair and can be combined for couples or families to double their space. As of March, all flights in this category, as well as business class (for flights departing the U.S.), will have meals curated by famed chef Daniel Boulud. The ticket also includes lounge access and — for flights originating in Paris and six other cities in France — transportation to the airport in a premium vehicle.

“With its new La Première offering, Air France now presents the highest expression of travel, delivering a private jet-like experience,” says Fabien Pelous, Air France’s executive vice president, customer. “On board, in the new fully redesigned and modular suite, which stretches across five windows, every detail has been carefully considered: three-Michelin-star fine dining, designer pajamas, signature French pastries, iconic cosmetics, and more.”

Boulud, who is creating the food for the airlines flights from the U.S. to Paris, has come up with 75 recipes. “Everything is fresh,” the chef tells THR. “JP Park, the chef at Atomix, just sent me a picture of the dinner on his flight, and wrote ‘I had the beef.  It was tender and the sauce was great!”

On Turkish Airlines, “Flying Chefs” actually comes out to greet you these days, personally delivering gourmet fare, including bread freshly made using ancient grains, and offering amenities from Lanvin. Meanwhile, Emirates and British Airways now provide 32-inch screens for movies and allow you to control the temperature in your suite, so no more begging the flight attendant to turn down the air conditioning. Lufthansa has introduced a suite with double beds, so you can cozy up with your travel buddy, while Emirates and Etihad Airways offer shower spas, which allow you to arrive in a much fresher state after a lengthy trip.

The experience is chic at Delta, where the bedding in Delta One onboard suites is by Missoni and cushions are memory foam. “Customers are clear that comfort is their number one priority when flying Delta One — 97 percent say Delta’s flat-bed is the reason for choosing the cabin,” said Mauricio Parise, Delta’s vp brand experience. “This led us to a new design that, when combined with our current mattress pad and luxury bedding from Missoni, makes for an incomparable sleep at 30,000 feet.” The elevated offerings build on the rollout of the upscale Delta One lounges at LAX and JFK in 2024.

Beyond the curtain of the first-class cabin, several carriers are reimagining the economy experience as well. Lufthansa and ANA offer economy seats that convert to coach-style sleepers, and starting next year, United Airlines will be offering “Relax Rows,’’ where for an extra fee, seats in economy will allow passengers to lie flat on long-haul trips. These United seats will come complete with custom-fitted mattress pads, extra pillows and blankets. And on BermudAir, the company is so opposed to single use plastics, all classes on board get served with glassware —and a Dark & Stormy, Bermuda’s national drink, is complimentary, including in economy.

The Private Terminal Route

Voyagers can avoid entering the main public terminals at some airports and instead head to beautifully designed private terminals like PS. Open since 2017 at LAX, PS debuted last year in Atlanta, will open this summer in Miami, and will expand after that to Dallas and Paris. In each city, the concierge-style service has its own private check-in and TSA process’,’ provides food, drinks and spa services’,’ and chauffeurs you directly to your plane.

Similarly, at The Windsor by Heathrow in London, a private butler tends to your whims, and you are fast-tracked through immigration, customs and baggage handling. A BMW collects you at your hotel and delivers you directly to your plane — which is particularly valuable at Heathrow, where your flight can be miles away. The lounge itself is a treat, with food curated by British star chef Jason Atherton.

Semi-Private Carriers

Of course, travelers can avoid going anywhere near large airports by flying semi-private. Passengers simply book an individual seat on a scheduled flight, drive up to the lounge at a private airport and hop on, with a brief luggage screening as one boards.

Slate, an upscale semi-private carrier, launched last year and now has busy routes from New York to the Florida cities of Palm Beach, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. This season, it is introducing direct flights from NYC to the Hamptons, landing in Westhampton.

With just 30 seats on each plane, air carrier JSX not only offers free Starlink service, but in June it will introduce new routes between Monterey and Orange County and Burbank and between Reno/Tahoe and Carlsbad. It has also partnered with Petco to give four-legged passengers swag including branded bandanas and frosted cookies. For domestic flights, passengers can check in just 20 minutes before a flight.

One of the joys of these carriers is that travelers strut on with their dogs, no matter the size of the pooch. And two newer services are actually canine-centric: RetrievAir, which launched last year, and Bark Air. The latter just added four new European routes (Berlin, Dublin, Athens and Stockholm) complete with doggie wellness kits and a lounge serving bowls of warm broth. Bark’s new Companion Concierge will help arrange international paperwork and required vaccinations.

In contrast to typical airline food drowning in salt and sauces, the culinary offerings aboard Aero are a delight, with meals created in partnership with Erewhon, Spago, Parm, Sadelle’s and Flora Farms along with an open bar of top-shelf spirits and Veuve Clicquot champagne. The wifi is Starlink here too, and there are dedicated customs agents to help passengers speed through passport control. Last year, the luxury carrier — which has the feel of a private-jet experience, with a limited amount of seats and high-end service — launched flights between L.A. and Maui in partnership with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. And it’s just announced service between L.A. and Miami (starting in November) and between Aspen and Miami (starting in December), along with expanded service between New York and L.A., including special flights to get industry travelers to and from the upfronts. 

Private Member Club in the Air

As private membership clubs continue to proliferate on the ground — from the new Zero Bond in Las Vegas to the relatively under-the-radar Living Room in L.A. — the membership model is increasing in the skies too, from Wheels Up’s recently launched Signature Membership offering to XO’s Insider program, which offers special access to such events as Miami race weekend.

One of the newest entrants in the space is invite-only members club Revaire, which launched last year with a membership fee of $1,500. A digital platform with patent-pending technology, Revaire allows vetted members to share the cost of private charter flights. It tracks the activity of its group and lets people know if there are fellow members headed in the same direction, giving them the opportunity to upgrade to charters from the commercial travel they’ve booked. Most activity at the moment involves flights that either initiate or land in L.A., New York and Miami. “As we grow, we see the community side of this being as important as private travel,” explains Revaire co-founder Luke McNees, who used to be Diplo’s tour manager. “People are more than happy when we put them into a room with other vetted individuals. This is tapping into a membership club trend we have seen expand.” Revaire also puts together curated experiences, including trips to major music festivals.