Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand’s take on premium economy, which debuted in 2011, is quite possibly the leader of the pack. The carrier’s “Space Seat,” a distinctive white leather pod, is arranged in three pairs per row at a variety of angles to maximize privacy while ensuring those traveling together are not cut off from one another. Air New Zealand has won a number of awards for this design—deservedly so.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa held out for a number of years with a fully reclined business-class seat (which goes flat, but slopes toward the feet, causing many passengers to complain of gradually sliding down the seat while trying to sleep) while its competitors introduced fully flat seats. This year, they’ve begun to install a new fully flat seat, arranged in pairs across the cabin. In each pair, the seats angle slightly in-ward at the feet, and early indications are that this is the one awkward aspect of the design—if you’re seated next to someone, your feet may end up uncomfortably close to theirs. However, everything else looks top-notch, and the old signature blue and yellow seats have been replaced with a more subtle mix of grays and browns. The seat is currently available on one Airbus A330 and on the upper deck of the new Boeing 747-8I, which, combined with the intimate feel of the smaller upper-deck area, should make for a very nice ride. It may take a while, however, for the seats to be rolled out across the entire fleet.

On Lufthansa’s older 747-400s, first class is located on the upper deck and used to feature two pairs of seats side by side. The demands of first class being what they are (most passengers won’t accept a seatmate in first class), Lufthansa has come up with an innovative solution: each seat pair has been turned into space for one passenger, with a seat on the aisle side for working or dining, and a dedicated bed on the window side.

Originally appeared in the August/September 2012 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Cabin Fever”)