9 Amazing Things You Can Only Do in First Class or Business Class

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

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Ever gotten a massage, taken a shower, or been served by a butler while flying? These envy-inducing experiences are only for first-class or business-class passengers. For a peek behind the first-class curtain, read on.

Fly in a Suite (Etihad Airways)

The Etihad Airways’ Residence might be bigger than your hotel room, but I’d say if you’re paying approximately $30,000 for a one-way ticket, you’re probably not booking a tiny motel room on the ground. Book this flying suite for yourself and a guest, and you two can enjoy your own personal living room, divided bedroom, and ensuite shower room. The living room has a leather sofa and two dining tables for relaxing or eating in front of your 32-inch flat-screen television, and the bedroom has a 6-foot 10-inch double bed that’s made up with designer Italian linens. The bedroom also has its own 27-inch flat-screen television so you can watch a movie as you fall asleep.

Get Chauffeured to & from the Airport for Free (Turkish Airlines)

Cancel your rideshare—if you’re flying Business Class on Turkish Airlines, the airline will send a luxury car and driver to come pick you up and take you to the airport or your destination after landing. Just tell them your flight details and they will get you there on time and in style.

Have an Intense Business Meeting (Qatar)

At a few thousand dollars per seat, you have no excuse not to work if your company is financing your business-class ticket on Qatar Airways. The airline’s Business Class Q-Suites offer groups of four seats (two forward-facing and two aft-facing) that can be combined into a flying conference room, with media panels in between to display your exciting PowerPoint presentations.

Take a Shower (Etihad & Emirates)

Taking a shower while flying through the clouds has got to be a pretty bizarre feeling, but you can enjoy it on either Etihad Airways or Emirates Airline if you’re flying in First Class. Briefly. Both airlines only allocate approximately five minutes of hot water per person, so you’ll have to soap up quickly unless you like cold showers.

Control the Temperature (Emirates)

If you’ve ever been on a plane that’s too hot or too cold, you know that the tiny airflow vent above your seat isn’t worth much when it comes to changing the temperature. If you had your own suite in Emirates’ First Class, you’d be able to set the temperature to be exactly to your liking. Each suite is fully enclosed with floor-to-ceiling doors, and comes with its own climate control capabilities.

Get a Massage (Turkish Airlines)

Worn out by the rigors of travel? The fully lie-flat chairs in Turkish Airlines’ Business Class have a built-in massage feature, so you can work out those knots at 35,000 feet. And if you want to take your massage on your back, the chairs fully recline into a lie-flat bed.

Dine on Wedgwood China (Singapore Airlines)

When you fly coach, you don’t even get real silverware, but in Singapore Airlines’ upper classes, gourmet meals are served on bone china that was specifically designed for the airline by Wedgwood (a world-famous fine china company). As for the food served on those expensive dishes, it’s been cooked fresh by the onboard chef.

Be Catered to By a Savoy-Trained Butler (Etihad Airways)

Flight attendants can be great, but they haven’t undergone an intense weeks-long training course with the world-famous Savoy Hotel. Etihad Airways employs a fleet of trained, white-glove-wearing butlers to cater to first-class fliers staying in Etihad Airways’ The Residence class, who will work with the flight attendants to help arrange anything guests could possibly want while on the plane.

Drive a Porsche on Your Layover (Lufthansa)

Instead of killing time in the airport lounge on a long layover, First Class guests flying Lufthansa can book the Porsche First Class Excitement experience. For just 99 euros, you’ll get a three-hour rental of a Porsche 911, gas, and insurance so you can explore the city at top speed and make it back for your connecting flight.

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Caroline Morse Teel would love to fly in first class someday. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline for photos from around the world.

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