How Asia perfected the art of air travel

Telegraph

a day ago

Can you remember the last time you actually enjoyed flying?
If your answer is 'yes,' you probably live in Asia. On my recent flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, I checked my bags at Cathay Pacific's in-town drop-off, which is available from a day in advance up to 90 minutes before departure.
I then hopped on the Airport Express for the Wi-Fi-enabled 24-minute journey to the airport. Once at the airy, Sir Norman Foster-designed Chek Lap Kok Airport, I breezed through facial recognition gates and glided past a security checkpoint using X-ray machines that eliminate the need to remove laptops and other devices.
Within an hour of leaving home, I was settled in Cathay Pacific's newest lounge, The Bridge, with a breakfast smoothie and a bowl of wonton noodles. My three-hour flight departed exactly on time. My economy-class lunch was sweet and sour pork from the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Yat Tung Heen. Alcoholic drinks were included, and dessert came in the form of a tub of Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
At Changi, my bags were already on the belt, and I sailed through another set of biometric facial recognition gates, thanks to having completed my electronic landing card before setting off. Singapore this week announced that more than 93 million passengers have passed through the airport without presenting a passport since the initiative rolled out last September.
While I was there, I could have swung by Jewel, the steel-and-glass, donut-shaped mall featuring the world's largest indoor waterfall cascading through its centre. If I'd been in transit, I might have visited the airport's rooftop pool, complete with sun loungers, yellow parasols and runway views.
Both of these airports have reshaped the world of air travel. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is a groundbreaking reclamation and engineering project, with light-filled terminals seamlessly connected to the city and beyond. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) goes further, not just adding amenities but reimagining airports as tech-driven leisure spaces, with free movie theatres, a butterfly garden, sleep lounges, award-winning restaurants and a gigantic rain vortex.
While these two mighty Asian hubs might steal most of the thunder, they're not alone in offering exceptional airport experiences. Multi-lingual robots at Seoul's Incheon Airport carry luggage and guide passengers to their gates – just scan your boarding card for assistance. Self-driving vehicles transport travellers with mobility issues, while meal-delivery droids bring food and drinks straight to your location, so you don't have to hunt for a restaurant.
Robots aren't just in Korea – you'll find them at Nagoya Airport in Japan, including one that plays the trumpet, and at Tokyo's Narita. At Nagoya, visitors can also soak in a 41C onsen with runway views. At Narita, those with time to spare can head to the nearby JAL Agriport to pick strawberries, harvest grapes, or dig up sweet potatoes, depending on the season.
Thailand's airports might not be quite as advanced – although Bangkok Suvarnabhumi is slowly rolling out facial recognition – but you can still enjoy a 30-minute pre-flight massage in Chiang Mai's departure lounge for less than £5, or play a round of golf on an 18-hole course sandwiched between two live runways at Bangkok's Don Mueang. Lights signal when golfers must pause to let planes land.
Exciting innovations aren't limited to airports. Taiwan's Starlux, named 'Most Improved Airline' at the 2025 Skytrax Awards – the aviation industry's equivalent of the Oscars – was founded in 2020 by the ex-chairman of EVA Air. The boutique airline now serves 29 destinations across 11 countries, including long-haul routes from Taipei and Hong Kong to Los Angeles.
Along with boasting one of the youngest fleets in the skies – its Airbus A320neos, A321neos and A350-900s have an average age of just 2.8 years – Starlux has distinguished itself with a signature scent (a mix of leather, woods, iris and violet), branded toilet paper stamped with spacemen and cabin lighting modes themed for Chinese New Year, White Christmas and the Moon Festival.
I was lucky enough to fly with Starlux last year on a business class hop between Taipei and Macau. I was bowled over by the BMW Designworks aesthetic, which felt chic and original, in charcoal greys and muted golds, with murals of metallic flowers adorning the bulkhead walls.
The seats came with sliding doors, mood lighting, Bose headphones, wireless charging pads and 17.3-inch 4K touchscreen TVs. The safety video featured a cast of aliens, and the menu offered a choice of breakfast or a selection of Spanish tapas, along with Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs champagne served by affable, multi-lingual cabin crew.
The Starlux suites are perhaps only rivalled by Cathay Pacific's new Aria suites, which launched earlier this year. On a recent flight between Hong Kong and Heathrow, I luxuriated in a softly lit cabin more reminiscent of a boutique hotel, decorated in muted caramel shades with rich tweeds, bronze accents and slatted screens separating the galley.
I closed the door to my private pod almost immediately after take-off and spent the next 14 hours savouring meals from two of Hong Kong's top Michelin-starred restaurants – French fine dining from Louise and exquisite Cantonese fare from Duddells – sipping award-winning wines and catching up on the latest films on cinematic 24-inch 4K screens, the most advanced in the skies.
I was especially impressed by the tech, which includes free Wi-Fi, nearly imperceptible wireless chargers, Bluetooth connectivity, gaming and a screen symbol showing when the toilets are occupied. Later, I indulged in lush Bamford amenities and enjoyed a blissful eight hours of non-medicated sleep on my amply padded lie-flat bed, complete with fluffy duvet and pillow mist.
I've yet to experience the business class suites on Japan's largest carrier, All Nippon Airways (ANA), designed by Kenzo Kuma. Styled as 'The Room,' these seats are hidden behind sliding panels and measure a whopping 38 inches across – wider than two of British Airways' 17.5-inch economy seats – and 72 inches long. Even ANA's economy seats boast a generous 34-inch seat pitch.
Both ANA and Japan Airlines also have aircraft fitted with TOTO electronic toilets, featuring warm seats and wash-and-blow-dry settings. Across the Sea of Japan, Korean Air sports a chic new electric-blue livery and business class seats with a 'honeymoon mode,' where the middle partition fully retracts for couples to cuddle. Further south, Singapore Airlines (SIA) plans to roll out new business and first class products in mid-2026, promising enhanced privacy, more luxurious amenities and technical innovations.
That said, you don't have to splash out to enjoy top-tier service from Asia's airlines. Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Starlux and Cathay Pacific all provide USB ports, power sockets and meals even on short flights.
Low-cost carrier AirAsia has been named the 'World's Best Low-Cost Airline' at the Skytrax World Airline Awards for an astonishing 16 consecutive years, from 2010 to 2025. Its success comes from affordable fares, consistently good service and a vast network that includes secondary airports such as Medan, home to volcanic Lake Toba and the emerald island of Miyakojima in Okinawa.
AirAsia's meals have proved so popular that the airline now sells its signature dishes – nasi lemak, green chicken curry and pad thai egg wraps – on the ground in Santan restaurants across Malaysia. And SIA's spin-off Scoot was crowned the 'World's Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline', thanks to friendly, reliable service and fares as low as £165 return between Singapore and Perth, Australia.
What's not to enjoy? And, more importantly, when will the rest of the world finally catch up?