BLACKBOOK UP, UP AND
BLACKBOOK UP, UP AND AWAY SKY HIGHS Whether it’s on the ground or in the air, here’s the latest news from the world of commercial aviation Inside Qatar Airways’ elegant Charles de Gaulle lounge Exclusive Enclaves Carriers around the around the globe are upping the ante when it comes to the art of pre-flight pampering. At Heathrow, First Class passengers, Gold Executive Club members and oneworld Emerald cardholders get the star treatment with British Airways’ (ba.com) First Wing – a separate channel leading from check-in via a dedicated security lane to Terminal 5’s Galleries First Lounge and Concorde Room. At T3, get a taste of Sydney at Qantas’ (qantas.com) flagship lounge, a swish, split-level space that serves up tasty dishes – and cocktails – by Australian star chef Neil Perry’s Rockpool Group. Meanwhile, at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle, Qatar Airways’ (qatarairways. com) T1 eyrie features a pair of terraces, state-of-the-art business centre and plush lounge seating – a welcoming cocoon pleasantly removed from the pulsating chaos just outside. HOT SEATS Comfy perches to book aloft SINGAPORE AIRLINES debuts fully reclinable first-class seats, which, at 89 centimetres, are nearly twice as wide as the industry standard. singaporeair.com Premium economy passengers aboard AIR FRANCE’s B787-9 Dreamliner nestle up in roomy fixed-shell seats that recline a generous 130 degrees. Creature Comforts The evolution of the basic amenity kit from drab to fab shows no sign of slowing as airlines continue to lavish passengers with ultra-luxe products and high-design, keepsake cases. While Qatar Airways A380 first-class passengers can look forward to sleek leather Giorgio Armani beauty and fragrance kits, Air France (airfrance.com) premium economy travellers’ earplugs and eye masks now come packed in an ultra-chic darkblue bag accented with an eye-popping dash of yellow and red. Equally aesthetic are Etihad Airways’ (etihad.com) first-class, Christian Lacroix-designed cases stuffed with gold-infused serums, creams and scrubs from Hungarian skincare authority Omorovicza. Etihad’s high-fashion his-and-her kits QATAR AIRWAYS’ new business-class seat, replete with features, will debut on its fleet of B777s, B787s and A350s later this year. B Y CLAUDIA ROELKE AND FARHAD HEYDARI CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MANGESH SALVI, WILSON ACCIOLY, © QATAR AIRWAYS, © AIR FRANCE, © SINGAPORE AIRLINES 42 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
