International airline alliance SkyTeam is to roll out a global premium service for its top-paying customers – based on a package offered by US airline Delta since 2010.

The SkyPriority service will standardize the luxury travel experience for customers flying with SkyTeam members at over 1,000 airports around the world.

The service includes specifically prioritized check-in areas, baggage drop-off points, ticket offices, transfer desk, boarding lines and baggage handling for customers flying First or Business class.

Last week Lufthansa sent its first retrofitted 747-400 from Hong Kong to Frankfurt and those flying first class were in for quite a surprise.

Where previously these planes catered for 16 passengers in their ultra-luxury section, now they are fitted out for just eight and that means a full-length, window-side bed next to the seat, among other treats.

Lufthansa’s move comes as the likes of Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air New Zealand and Air Canada have done away with first class cabins in favor of expanded business class facilities.

Korean Air is to inaugurate its new A380 “superjumbo” on a route between New York City and Seoul this week.

The airline, which is the seventh in the world to fly the enormous Airbus aircraft, will wave off the first A380 flight from New York across the Pacific Ocean on August 9, launching what it describes as a “new age of air travel.”

It will be the first A380 service between Asia and New York, carrying some 407 passengers — considerably less than the 525 that the A380 is capable of.

Spanish airline Iberia has announced a new Mediterranean-themed food lineup, drawing on the experience of some of the country’s top chefs.

Emulating the top-notch German cuisine offered by Lufthansa and Air France’s gastronomic offering by Alain Ducasse, Iberia has invited a committee of culinary experts to come up with a new menu to be rolled out for business class passengers.

The chefs include Paco Roncero of Madrid’s La Terraza del Casino, Ramón Freixa, the head of Ramón Freixa Madrid, Caceres chef Toño Pérez of Atrio and Malaga’s Dani García, chef at Calima restaurant in Marbella.

Qantas has again been lauded for its on-board wine selection at the annual Cellars in the Sky Award ceremony, held February 3 in London.

The Australian flag-carrier, which took four awards last year, won a total of six at this year’s airline wine tasting event, including Best First Class White, First Class Red and First Class Sparkling, as well as Best Business Class Cellar, Best First Class Cellar and Consistency of Wines Across Business and First Class.

The competition has been running since 1985 to determine the highest quality fine wines available in Business and First Class on board the world’s flights.

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has become the seventh airline in the world to win a five-star rating from airline reviewer Skytrax.

The prestigious ranking is awarded by Skytrax and is the highest rating an airline can achieve, signifying a “truly consistent and high quality of Product and Service.”

Hainan Airlines was the first mainland Chinese airline to be awarded four star status in 2009 and was elevated to five star last week, with exceptional rankings in long haul business and economy classes and short haul first class service.