The News
The battle for super-luxury supremacy in the skies never really stops and Dubai’s Emirates is trying to up its game once more.
The world’s largest operator of international first class seats is now offering its pampered customers an enhanced cheeseboard presented on rustic slates by gloved attendants and unlimited caviar served in engraved bowls designed by Robert Welch. There will also be keepsake menus that explore the finer points of its wine list — featuring greats such as Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem — and binoculars to better enjoy the view.
Rival carriers will no doubt respond soon enough: The region’s newest airline, Riyadh Air, has already promised a “game-changing” first class. But the real competition is just as much with charter flights: Private jets have privacy and the hassle-free convenience of small airfields in their favour, but Emirates is betting that some customers would still prefer a ‘zero-gravity’ bed and the ability to order wagyu sliders and Dom Pérignon champagne to their suites.