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Flying in your own suite is truly the ultimate flying experience!

Jet setters and airline enthusiasts alike can now find many new ways to fly in style. Last July, Etihad Airways had unveiled another ridiculously stylish first class suite on their Airbus A380 Sydney-London route.

Etihad's superjumbo is going up against some pretty big names which include Qantas, Emirates and Singapore, who have already cemented their A380 suites in this industry. So we decided to compare these four airlines that offer the game-changing (and life-changing) A380 first class suites which now rule the skies.

While these airlines offer spectacular first class seats on other aircraft aside from the A380, for this comparison we will keep a tight focus on the Airbus A380. As well as showcasing the luxurious superjumbo suites, we also compared pricing.

Etihad A380 first class

Etihad Airways has coined its new Airbus A380 first class suite as 'The Apartment', and we can clearly see why...

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Each Apartment has a total area of 3.6 square metres (39 square feet) and is finished in Poltrona Frau leather.

And while other first class seats generally follow the convention of converting into a flat bed, either by laying the seat down or flipping it over, Etihad's primo cabin has a separate seat and bed.

And the seat's not just a seat: it's more of a reclining leather-clad lounge chair.

Across from this is a full length ottoman which opens into an 80.5 inch long and 26 inch wide bed.

Several of the suites have connecting doors so that passengers travelling together can share the experience. Each suite also has a 24-inch flat screen TV, its own chilled mini-bar, a personal wardrobe and a vanity cabinet with lit make-up mirrors, stocked with luxury branded amenities.

Passengers in the nine Apartments also have access to a single shower suite.

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Located between the first class and business class cabins is The Lobby.

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This social area features a lounge and bar with leather sofas, marquetry table and large-screen television.

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The price: during our travel period Etihad's discounted 'First Suite Saver' fares were sold out, but even the top-rate 'First Suite Freedom' fares saw the Sydney-London return trip costed as $12,388 – almost $1,400 less than Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines, for what's clearly a superior product.

Emirates A380 first class

Etihad's UAE neighbor and globe-striding competitor Emirates has, to date, been the one to beat in the private suite sweepstakes.

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Savvy travellers opt for the staggered middle suites (A, E, F and K) where the beds are 79 inches long, compared to the shorter 70-inch beds in the aisle suites (B, D, G and J).

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That said, the design is heavier on the gaudy golden bling than Etihad's more contemporary international style.

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Creature comforts include a personal mini-bar and snack basket, so you needn't leave your little haven for almost anything but a trip to the loo – or the inflight bar, if you want to mingle with the business class brigade.

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There are two shower suites available among the 14 suites.

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The price: doing the Sydney-London jaunt all the way in an Emirates A380 suite came in at $13,768.

Singapore Airlines A380 first class

As the worldwide launch customer for the Airbus A380, Singapore Airlines created the ground-breaking 'private cabin' concept – and it's still one of those must-try travel experiences.

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The interior was crafted by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, with a soft leather armchair hand-stitched at Poltrona Frau.

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A single bed of 76 inches folds out from the wall of the suite...

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While any pair of suites in the middle of the A380 can be transformed into a 'twin suite' with a double bed – provided there's either nobody in that adjacent suite, you and your neighbor are on very good terms, or if you can actually afford to purchase both suites!

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The price: Singapore Airlines has a flat rate for its A380 suites, which during our travel period costed a Sydney-London return trip at $13,721.

Qantas A380 first class

Alone among this first class foursome, Qantas chose to outfit its A380 superjumbo with a more conventional seat than an almost fully-enclosed private suite.

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The Flying Kangaroo still tags this as a suite, and that's not inaccurate. The high walls which wrap around your wide plush seat afford a good degree of privacy, and many other airlines sport a similar seat-as-a-suite design in first class, so we're not going to argue over nomenclature.

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Qantas' A380 first class remains one of the best, but it's up to the passenger to judge how it compares to the chi-chi private suites of its superjumbo competitors.

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The price: Our ticket came in at $13,760, comprising $6,724 for the Sydney-London leg and $7,036 for London-Sydney (yes, we know those numbers sum out by a dollar).

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