We’re All About Aura: The Latest Airline In Luxury Flying

The comforts of first-class flight far surpass the questionable perks of economy seats, transforming the toil of long flights into peace and relaxation. Such comforts are, of course, luxuries, and as such tend to be far more expensive and less economically sensible than flying economy. And if your goal is to get to where you’re going, you’ll find yourself settling for the cheap seats. With the new Aura airlines, however, a first-class flight is well within your financial reach.

Aura is the latest luxury airline, set to launch in 2019. The fleet consists of 75 Bombadier CRJ700 planes, each one with a seating capacity of up to 29 passengers. Flights come in two classes—there’s First Class, at a price of $560 a seat, far cheaper than the usual thousand and a bit that you’d have to shell out for a first-class seat with a different airline. The Wave Class, even more luxurious than First, comes in at $1200 a seat. Special subscribers, known as Keyholders, get to fly at a fixed rate that adds up to half the price or more than a non-member flyer, at a monthly subscription rate of $100.

What’s it like to fly with Aura? Aura’s smooth service starts while you’re at home booking your flight. Unlike many other airlines, Aura doesn’t practice overbooking, and the price you pay for your ticket also includes the price of luggage and your choice of seats. Waiting times have been slashed as well, and Aura flyers only have to be at the airport 20 minutes in advance, as opposed to the usual hour or two. 

Stepping aboard one of their Bombadiers is like stepping into the future. The interior of the craft looks almost alien, with seats that curve and bend and glow at the back. The entire cabin seems to undulate from roof to floor. A panel runs down the middle of the roof, displaying either a sunny day or a starry night sky depending on what time it is. The attendants are just the same, donning fleet attires that glitter like the Milky Way.

Luxury takes over the minute you settle down into your seat. The seats themselves are designed for ultimate comfort—each seat comes with an OLED screen that blends seamlessly with the rest of the cabin, while the Wave seats are capable of unfolding into a bed so smooth; it seems to have come straight out of a science-fiction movie.

Food and drinks are tapas and sushi topped off with good wine or whatever you fancy from a fully-stocked in-flight bar. Particular about your meals? Aura’s Meatlocker service lets passengers request their meals to be cooked to their liking, courtesy of an on-board sous-chef. There’s WiFi, too, and each seat comes with special SkyLight Virtual Reality headphones for easy listening and an iPad Pro to keep you busy.

Aura may have caught your eye, but you’re going to have to make your way to the States if you want to give it a try. The company has plans for a humble launch, flying between only six select cities, namely New York City, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles. They plan on tying up flights to coincide with big-billed events like Coachella and Art Basel, and are looking to expand to ski destinations in the States as the seasons permit.

Photos from flyaura.com