Here's How Air Canada's 'First Class' Compares To Other Airlines From Around The World

There's a pretty stark difference in price, too! ✈️

A person sits in Air Canada's Signature Class. Right: A seat in Emirates' first class.​

A person sits in Air Canada's Signature Class. Right: A seat in Emirates' first class.

Writer

Looking to make your air travel fancier? Canadian airlines like Air Canada offer luxurious flight options with premium services, private pod-style seating and gourmet meals, but how does this compare to other airlines?

According to Skytrax's World Airline Awards, some first-class experiences are simply a cut above the rest, with airlines like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Swiss International Air Lines and Air France named among the best in the world for their first-class service.

Wondering how Canada's offerings compare? Here's how Air Canada's highest-class cabins compare to first-class flights from airlines around the world.

Air Canada

Details: While Air Canada technically doesn't have a first-class cabin, its highest offering is its Signature Class, which could be considered comparable to first class.

Passengers in Signature Class, which is offered on select routes, enjoy many similar perks to those of first class on other airlines, including lie-flat, pod-style seats with a pillow, duvet and mattress pad, and an amenity kit and CleanCare+ kit.

They can also take advantage of concierge and chauffeur services and enjoy complimentary meals and premium amenities like Molton Brown skincare products in Air Canada's exclusive Signature Suites.

Dining in Signature Class is also quite luxe, with passengers able to enjoy all-inclusive, premium food and drink options.

Price: Air Canada's Signature Class is offered when flying to and from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and South America on board certain aircraft, so the price will depend on your route and dates of travel.

However, as an example, a December 1 flight from Toronto to Paris on board their A330 Airbus would cost you as low as $7,150.

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Singapore Airlines

Details: Singapore Airlines, which was named the best first-class airline for 2022, offers luxurious, extra-wide seats in its first-class cabins, with sculpted headrests and large partitions for privacy when flying.

On Singapore Airlines' Airbus aircraft, passengers can even book entire suites that are more like hotel rooms, which are available for one or two people and come with full beds and spacious lavatories where you can touch up with luxurious toiletries before you land.

Passengers flying in first class or the airline's suites can also enjoy complimentary unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi and take advantage of the airline's first class lounge at Singapore Changi Airport.

For dining, Singapore Airlines offers meals by "world-renowned" chefs who are constantly crafting new gourmet dishes, as well as wines pre-selected by three of the world's leading wine experts.

Price: As an example of how much you can expect to pay, a flight from Vancouver to Lisbon, Portugal, on the airline's A380 Airbus aircraft would cost upwards of $15,574.

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Emirates

Details: Emirates' first class on the airline's Boeing 777 is like "your own private hotel room in the sky," with floor-to-ceiling doors, mood lighting, virtual windows, and spacious seats that are "reminiscent of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class." Talk about luxe!

First-class fliers get access to a chauffeur service, an amenity kit with a Bulgari fragrance, Byredo skincare and other personal essentials, a set of premium headphones and access to Emirates' first-class lounge, where they can take advantage of shower spas and luxury toiletries, a cigar bar and a wine cellar.

On the airline's Airbus aircraft, guests can also freshen up with the on-board shower spa or visit the swanky on-board lounge and bar.

In terms of dining, Emirates passengers get to enjoy gourmet bites, premium beverages, multi-course meals, movie snacks and more.

Passengers are able to order any dish to their suite at any time, including "generous servings" of caviar.

Price: While the price will depend on your travel dates and destination, as an example, a trip from Dubai to Adelaide, Australia, on December 1 would cost about $11,325.

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Swiss International Airlines

Details: Swiss International Airlines' first-class seating is described as a "mini suite above the clouds," with armchairs that turn into lie-flat beds with tons of privacy on both their Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Passengers are treated to pajamas specially designed for the airline as well as amenity kits with products by Swiss luxury brand La Prairie.

They can also take advantage of a number of priority services at the airport, as well as the airline's premium lounges in Zurich, Geneva and worldwide.

For food, the airline offers a selection of starters, main courses and desserts as well as exclusive wines and champagne.

The best part is that you get to decide when your meal is served, just like service at a restaurant.

Price: A Swiss first-class flight from Toronto to Nice, France, on December 1, comes in at $8,620.

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Air France

Details: Passengers flying in Air France's La Première cabins get to enjoy a "personalized living space" in the sky, including seats that transform into a bed with a memory foam mattress, pillow and large fluffy duvet, as well as extra storage space and a bedside lamp that makes it feel like home.

Dining in La Première is a "Michelin-starred" experience, with gourmet menus and signature dishes that are changed every four months.

Passengers will also, of course, be able to enjoy a premium selection of French wines and champagne during their flight.

Amenities include a kit of four Sisley beauty products (look up the price for these and you'll realize why that's important!) and clothing to change into, including a bathrobe, slippers and socks.

Guests travelling from France can also take advantage of La Première lounge at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, where you can indulge in relaxing beauty treatments like facials in the Sisley La Première area.

In certain cities in France, passengers can also have a personal driver pick them up in a swanky vehicle and take them to the airport at no extra cost.

Price: A flight from Toronto to Paris on December 1 in Air France's first class rings up at $9,895.

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  • Contributing Writer

    Katherine Caspersz (she/her) is a contributing writer for Narcity Media, covering travel, things to do and more. She has written for various news sites and magazines, including Yahoo Canada and The National Post, and worked as an editor for the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. She loves shopping, travel and all things spooky.

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