A novel proposal to travel by plane without taking off 0:56

(CNN) -

The most luxurious thing in heaven is lying on a completely flat bed and sleeping during a night flight, only to arrive refreshed the next morning.

However, it can be expensive, as many business class seats cost thousands of dollars, and first class seats sometimes run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

But if you managed to pay the fare (or use your frequent flyer miles) to access the best of first class before it disappears from our skies, or if you are flying in the increasingly affordable but increasingly luxurious business class, These are some of the best beds in both classes for you to consider.

Let's take a look, anticipating the days when we will all be traveling again, and remember that we are only talking about the seating here, not the common facilities like bars, showers, or anything else you would share with others (God no! want it!)

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• Top 9 First Class Airline Seat Benefits

The Residence by Etihad Airways is a three bedroom apartment in heaven.

(Credit: Jamie MacFadyen / Etihad Airways)

Traveling first class

The Etihad A380 Residence and Apartments

At the top of the list should be the Etihad Residence, with its high-walled living room with a soft leather loveseat, a double bed in a separate room, and your own private bathroom with a shower and toilet.

Oh, and he comes with his own butler in a special uniform.

Yes, it is serious.

Etihad was not aiming to win the first-class battle here: it was aiming to win the battle with private jets.

Unless you're rolling down the runway aboard your own private jet, this first-class three-bedroom apartment is the most luxurious way to fly.

Etihad Apartments are the airline's least luxurious first-class offering.

You will find it at the front of the top floor in the Etihad Airbus A380s, just opposite the Etihad Apartments, which are the "normal" first class offer, which are at the top of the list.

These have their own shiny leather easy chair, a separate bed, and some of them even have a retractable wall next to the bed so you can spend time with a travel companion.

It is not a double bed, but you can snuggle from the waist up.

• This is how it is to travel in business class on a ghost flight due to the coronavirus

In the first class suites of the Emirates Boeing 777-300ERs, a seat that cradles the body reclines and turns into a bed, shown at the top of this story.

Emirates 777-300ER Luxury Suites

The walls of most first-class suites do not extend all the way to the ceiling;

it's a matter of airplane safety so flight attendants can see you, but Emirates' newest first class on its Boeing 777-300ER solved that problem with a closed-circuit camera.

Of course, you can also use it to order drinks.

Separate yourself from the world in your own room, with a surprisingly relaxing atmosphere in soft colors.

Emirates has toned down the glossy wood it uses elsewhere and instead put in a variety of textures and an ambient lighting system that means you can add your own signature color to the space.

You'll find three of these seats reclining on a bed in each row at the front of Emirates' newest 777s.

What if you are in the middle seat?

Your windows are completely virtual, with HD cameras and screens that show you exactly what you would see outside.

Singapore Airlines A380 double beds

There is the option to convert some of the new Singapore Airlines First Class Suites into a double suite with a double bed.

(Credit: Singapore Airlines)

The Modern First Class Suite was invented by Singapore Airlines about 15 years ago for their Airbus A380, and that original product is still great, offering a double bed option for passengers traveling together, in addition to the feeling of luxury in the Singapore Airlines own equipment.

Its new A380s, as well as the ones it is beginning to refurbish, feature a completely new and much larger suite, with a swivel chair and a completely separate bed, a large dining and work table with a separate dressing table.

And, yes, there is an option to convert some of the suites to a double suite with a double bed when the crew removes the partition wall.

The best in the industry and beyond

The first class is exquisite and priced to match, but you will find a growing number of business classes that are becoming more luxurious.

JetBlue's new Mint Studio

JetBlue's Mint Studio offering on its A321neos features one of the largest beds in business class.

(Credit: JetBlue Airways)

JetBlue's new Mint Studio is already taking the business class market by storm, with its additional sofa seat where a passenger can join them for a drink or dinner.

JetBlue's new A321neos, expected to debut in the coming months, will feature two mini Mint Studio rooms up front.

Each contains a comfortable seat that turns into a fully flat bed with an adjoining sofa that, with the seat, becomes one of the largest beds in the business class.

In addition to the Tuft & Needle bed, an oversized screen, and wireless charging, you can lock the doors on your own private domain and spend hours to and from London.

Qatar Airways' 777 and A350 Qsuites

The QSuite on Qatar Airways offers the option of converting two seats into a double bed.

(Credit: Qatar Airlines)

The national airline of Qatar revolutionized the business class market with its Qsuite, featuring individual suites with doors and plenty of space, an HD screen and an ultra-luxurious finish.

If you reserve the pair of seats in the center of the row, the crew can retract the dividing wall to create a double bed.

Groups of four in the center can be combined through some retracting walls to create a 'quad' seat for four.

ANA's new 777-300ER (and Hawai'i special A380)

If you love low-key luxury, you'll love All Nippon Airways' latest first-class suite, a slightest upscale experience called, yes, discreetly, The Suite.

Its relaxing wood-effect design and beveled edges do not show how high-tech it contains.

It's an updated version of the seat found on the airline's special sea turtle-patterned Airbus A380s, which fly between Tokyo and Hawai'i.

Also on ANA's newest 777s is their latest business class, The Room, which is almost a flying loveseat that turns into a bed, with direct aisle access for all passengers.

It's possibly the most spacious business class seat, even if its style leans a little more toward office furniture than a luxury jet.

Ranking of the best seats

Creating any sort of rating for these amazing seats is highly subjective and will depend on how much you plan to spend, when and where you are flying… and with whom.

You might like Emirates' zero-g seat for a long flight, where you can find exactly the right place to chill with movie after movie, but you might like Singapore's double beds if you're spending the night with your partner.

You may like the Qsuite if you're traveling in a group, or prefer the extra shoulder room in The Room at ANA.

The problem, of course, is what happens to all of these seats and the planes they fly in after covid-19: most are new enough to be available for a while, but you have to be on the lookout for that when you do. the reservation make sure you have the seat or the suite you want.

- John Walton is an international aviation and transport journalist based in France, specializing in airlines, commercial aircraft and the passenger experience.

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