The best First Class suites flying from Australia

Business Class is enough for most premium travellers. First Class is a different proposition, and Australia is better served than many people assume: nine distinct First Class suites operate on routes into and out of the country. Some long-standing favourites have left our skies, but what remains is a genuinely competitive field.

This ranking looks at one thing only — the suite. Not the lounge, not the wine list, not the service, not the amenity kit. Just the space you occupy for the duration of the flight. It also counts only cabins actually sold as First Class, so the occasional situation where a Business Class fare places you in a First seat does not qualify.

The field at a glance

1. Emirates Game Changer, Boeing 777

Emirates' newest First Class seat earns the top place, and it is not close. The door closes all the way to the cabin ceiling — the only product flying here where that is true — which means you can change into the supplied pyjamas at your seat rather than queueing for a lavatory.

The details are what separate it from every other suite. Mood lighting is standard on modern aircraft, but it is almost always controlled by the crew; here you choose your own colour or cycle through them. The air conditioning goes further still: rather than an on-off vent, you adjust both the airflow and the temperature. The cabin also carries a Ghaf tree motif, the UAE's official tree. The experience is less like a seat and more like a small apartment.

Melbourne is the fortunate city. The Game Changer had been confined largely to Dubai's European and selected US routes before it reached Australia, and it operates on one of the daily Melbourne–Dubai rotations. Reward seats are commonly booked through Qantas Frequent Flyer, Emirates Skywards or Air Canada Aeroplan.

2. Singapore Airlines Suites, Airbus A380

A very close second, and for many travellers the more memorable experience. The current-generation Suites cabin holds just six suites at the front of the A380's upper deck, arranged 1-1. On the world's largest passenger aircraft, that produces a single aisle — which tells you most of what you need to know about the space.

Inside each suite there is a separate bed and armchair, so the bed is made up without your seat being dismantled around you. Close the door and the outside world disappears.

The headline feature is the pairing. Book two adjoining suites — specifically 1A with 2A, or 1F with 2F — and the crew can retract the wall between them, creating a shared apartment with a proper double bed and still enough room for the armchairs alongside. With only six suites in the cabin, those four seats disappear quickly. Suites are booked through KrisFlyer; Velocity members can convert points to KrisFlyer miles to reach them.

3. Emirates First, Airbus A380 and Boeing 777

Emirates offers First Class on all but a handful of its international services, which puts the cabin on almost every Emirates flight touching Australia. Adelaide is the exception. Beyond Dubai, it also appears on the Tasman run to Christchurch.

The reason it outranks the airlines below it comes down to closing privacy doors. Apart from Singapore Airlines, Emirates is the only carrier offering them in First Class on Australian routes — Qantas, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, British Airways and Japan Airlines all do without.

The suite is full of small, well-judged touches: a vanity mirror that lights up when opened, a proper reading lamp instead of the usual harsh downlight, and a writing kit in the drawer. The personal minibar is less convincing, since everything in it sits at room temperature. On the A380, there is also a shower spa — which plays no part in this ranking, but is impossible to ignore.

4. Qantas First, Airbus A380

Once closing doors stop being a differentiator, the question becomes what else the suite does that others do not. For Qantas, the answer is companion dining. Book any two seats in First and one passenger can join the other for a meal at the same table. A few airlines offer something similar in Business, but it is usually a squeeze; here there is genuine room, which makes it work for couples and colleagues alike.

The seat itself uses a high-backed shell for privacy, and after take-off it swivels away from the aisle, which adds to the cocooned feeling. For sleeping it converts to a 212cm bed, with a pillow menu, a memory foam mattress, a duvet and a Sheridan throw. For a lot of Qantas flyers, that overnight sleep is the whole point of the cabin. The A380 also carries an upstairs lounge shared with Business.

Qantas First can be booked with Qantas Points, and through American Airlines AAdvantage, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Emirates Skywards. One quirk worth knowing: on seasonal A380 services to Hong Kong, First is not sold at all, but high-tier frequent flyers holding Business seats can select a First seat at no extra charge, receiving Business service and amenities in it.

5. Singapore Airlines First, Boeing 777

Singapore Airlines reserves the 'Suites' name for its A380s, so the 777 cabin is branded simply as First Class. It earns its place here on width alone. Each suite is sold for one passenger but genuinely fits two side by side, rather like a loveseat, which is ideal for sitting with a companion over a meal or a film. It works less well for the whole flight: there is one seatbelt, and this does not become a double bed.

For sleeping, the seatback folds forward and lies flat, revealing a padded shell behind. Sit upright against that shell and you have something close to a chaise longue.

Two practical notes. The catering, dining and service in 777 First are the same as in Suites on comparable flights, so nothing softer is lost by flying the smaller product. And award availability tends to be friendlier: 777 First appears more often at KrisFlyer's Saver rate, while A380 Suites frequently surface only at the more expensive Advantage rate. It is a tendency rather than a rule.

Runner-up: Qatar Airways First, Airbus A380

Qatar Airways' First Class seat arguably looks and feels more premium than anything else in the chasing pack. The style is deliberately understated — textured shells, chiselled metal, tanned leather, restrained woodgrain and small bursts of the airline's purple. Nothing shouts.

There is an obvious tension, though. Qatar's Qsuite Business Class product offers closing doors, combinable suites, double beds and even a four-person arrangement. Its First Class cabin offers none of those; on the seat alone, many travellers would rate Qsuite higher. The saving grace is that the A380s carrying First do not have Qsuite fitted, so on those aircraft First remains the most comfortable option on board. There is a raisable divider for privacy rather than a door, and an inflight lounge shared with Business. Privilege Club and Velocity Frequent Flyer offer the best access to award seats.

The remaining three

American Airlines Flagship First on the Sydney–Los Angeles 777 allows companion dining and lets you swivel the armchair towards the windows, which suits anyone planning to work. British Airways First is a heavily customised version of a seat design that flies as Business Class elsewhere, with some newer aircraft adding doors, though which aircraft operates a given flight is unpredictable. Japan Airlines First is roomy but visually dated, a muted shell with little in the way of character. All three can be booked with Qantas Points or other oneworld programme currencies.

Frequently asked questions

How many First Class products fly to Australia? Nine, spread across Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, British Airways and Japan Airlines.

Which First Class suites have closing doors? Emirates, on both the Game Changer and its standard First Class product, and Singapore Airlines. Some British Airways aircraft have them, but their appearance on any given flight cannot be relied upon.

Can two people share a bed in First Class? Only in Singapore Airlines Suites on the A380, where the wall between adjoining suites 1A and 2A, or 1F and 2F, can be retracted to form a double bed.

Which airlines let you dine with a companion? Qantas on the A380, where any two First passengers can share a table, and American Airlines Flagship First.

Is Qatar Airways Business Class better than its First Class? On the seat alone, many would say yes, because Qsuite offers doors and combinable suites that First does not. But Qsuite is not fitted to the A380s that carry First Class, so on those aircraft First is still the best cabin on board.

Is award availability better in some First cabins than others? It varies constantly, but Singapore Airlines' Boeing 777 First Class tends to appear more often at KrisFlyer's cheaper Saver rate, while A380 Suites more often require the higher Advantage rate.

This information is general in nature. It does not take your personal circumstances into account.