Airlines like Qatar and Turkish are upgrading their business seats as competition for the best premium cabin heats up

Despite 481 orders from airlines around the world, Boeing can't sell US carriers on its new widebody jetliner.

A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller India.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, August 27, 2024, and now, here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Aug 27, 2024 • 8 min read

Between Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO world heritage sites, its thriving wildlife, and pristine white sand beaches, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” has enough glimmer for everyone—and now, visiting the South Asia island nation, located off the coast of India, is about to get easier (and cheaper) for travelers from 35 countries.

Oman Air is replacing its first-class cabin for specific routes, joining a growing list of carriers to do so. The replacement is called “Business Studio” and will initially feature on London and Bangkok routes.

I've been invited to more bachelorette parties than I can count.

Founded by the Tata Group in 1932, Air India was once the gold standard for air travel — so much so that Singapore Airlines modeled its business after it.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, will be introducing a business class on the high-demand Delhi-Mumbai route. This is a strategic move by the airline to meet the growing demand for luxury and premium travel.

The Qatar Airways Group has acquired a 25% equity holding in one of Africa’s largest regional airlines. On Tuesday, the Doha-based company confirmed the stake in Johannesburg-based Airlink. 

I first tasted lavash in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at a restaurant named after the flatbread. Bakers rolled out huge ovals of thin dough, slapped them against the wall of a clay oven called a tonir, and, after leaving them inside for a minute, pulled out delightfully blistered bread. Pliable and paper-thin, lavash in Armenia is ubiquitous and versatile: For lunch, it can be stuffed with cheese and pickled vegetables; for dinner, it is often served with a barbecued meat called khorovats, the smell of which perfumes almost every street corner in Yerevan. Mine came with an omelet topped with blades of tarragon—an ideal summer brunch.

As I stood on South Korea's Hangang Bridge, cars whizzing by, I wondered: who thought putting a hotel suite here was a good idea?