WITH the click of a button, a privacy panel slides up around me and it feels as if I am the only passenger on the plane.

I am on a recent Emirates' two-hour demo flight out of Dubai and in a First Class seat. It comes with massage functions, can transform into a 78-inch flat bed and packs a 23.5-inch TV screen.

The perks are an example of how full-service airlines, from Singapore Airlines (SIA) and British Airways to Cathay Pacific and Emirates, are wooing customers.

The market for jet travel has spiked in recent years, despite fears of terrorism and oil-price hikes.

Emirates, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is spending US$50 million (S$75.8 million) to pamper First Class passengers and giving Economy Class travellers seats that can tilt further back and have 10.6-inch TV screens. All these will be rolled out in its 24 new Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft and existing fleet of Boeing 747s.

A DOSE OF THE GLITTERATI: Mood lighting in Emirates' First Class suite simulates a 'sleeping under the stars' ambience for its travellers. [Photo: The Emirates Group]

Closer to home, SIA unveiled a $570-million bundle of new offerings last October, and this was soon followed by news of upgrades from rivals like United Airlines and Qantas.

SIA's new cabins in its new craft offer seats that are 10 inches wider for Business Class and an extra inch or two for Economy Class.

Over at Cathay Pacific, it is touting bigger personal TV screens for passengers.

If all these manoeuvres seem like a dogfight for supremacy, it is.

"Innovation is the key," says Emirates' vice-president of passenger communications and visual services Patrick Brannelly.

Industry sources say that while budget carriers have become popular, there is still demand for full-service carriers.

Which is why airlines are playing a game of one-upmanship to justify charging higher prices and develop a branding.

Citi Investment Research's regional aviation analyst Corrine Png notes that this is crucial as liberalisation of the industry globally has also made things much more competitive.

Mr Jonathan Galaviz, partner at a Las Vegas-based travel and leisure consultancy, says competition for customer loyalty is especially intense in Asia because the booming economy, particularly in China and India, has boosted the demand for travel.

Competition is especially stiff for the well-heeled Asian jetsetter flying within Asia and to Europe.

Data released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) in March this year estimates that the Asia-Europe premium traffic alone is worth US$3.7 billion.

Hence, it is no surprise that airlines are targeting these high-fliers.

The carrots vary. Qantas boasts seats by designers like Marc Newson. British Airways stocks amenity kits by Anya Hindmarch filled with products from cult beauty brand Kiehl's.

Ms Png says for premium airlines like SIA and Cathay Pacific, which have a large share of the First and Business Class markets, the higher investments are justified by their ability to charge premium prices.

And such investments do pay off. Online travel agent Pricebreaker says demand for SIA's upgraded seats among corporate travellers has gone up 35per cent.

Passengers eager to sample SIA's new flying experience have to pay 10 to 20 per cent more.

An Economy Class seat on the Singapore-Paris route used to be listed on SIA's website at $1,650 (before tax). It is now $1,950 compared to $1,298 (before tax) as listed on the BA website.

Abuzz with excitement

THE attention is now focused on how airlines which will soon take delivery of the long-delayed A380 plane plan to outdo one another.

While Qantas has already revealed frills like self-service snacks and refreshment bars for Economy Class and a First Class menu by Australian chef Neil Perry, SIA and Emirates are keeping mum.

All three carriers have ordered A380s, with SIA buying 19 planes.

An SIA spokesman will only say that "we're very confident that the products we have released, and will unveil next month, will push the boundaries of cabin product innovation".

SIA will be the first to fly the A380 when the plane takes off from here to Sydney on Oct 25.

Already, the travelling public is excited.

ASA Holidays marketing communications manager Eileen Oh says its staff fielded many enquiries about the flight at last weekend's Natas fair.

She estimates that demand for tickets on that route has gone up 30 per cent.

Ms Png says this is good news for SIA and other airlines willing to spend to innovate. In general, she notes that Asian airlines tend to operate younger fleets - 10 years old on average compared with the global average of 17 years.
This gives them an edge in rolling out new products and services on a faster basis.

However, Mr Galaviz sounds a note of caution: "The cost of cabin enhancements, such as in-flight entertainment systems, is decreasing at a very rapid rate and that makes it accessible for even marginal airlines to provide to their customers."

Which is why, at the end of the day, one vital factor will still be a trump card - the human touch from cabin crew.

As 24-year-old furniture exporter Rebecca Lam, who flies for work once a month, says: "Ultimately what I want is quality service. And that is where other airlines still cannot top the Singapore Girl."

weichean@sph.com.sg