Almost everyone seems to love Cathay Pacific for its smooth service and fantastic Hong Kong hub, but with an 81-inch-long first class bed, flat beds in business class, and shell seats in economy (meaning that even if the person in front of you reclines, their chair-back does not), Cathay's a particularly comfortable option for those who value their personal space.

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Wales loose-head prop Gethin Jenkins has booked his first-class flat bed to South Africa along with Scotland's Euan Murray, Vickery and England's Andrew Sheridan, who's coming back to form with Sale.

BBC: Jeremy Guscott column

In the same week, Lufthansa announced it would deploy the first upgraded 747s -- with a first class configuration that includes a bed and a seat -- on flights from Frankfurt to Mumbai and Delhi.

BBC: The new epicentre of business travel

Down the hall, a private first class who was driving the vehicle was put gingerly on a bed.

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