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When I had finished my last cocktail and the fourth or fifth episode of Sex and the City, a flight attendant came to make my bed.

First, she reclined the seat into a flat position. Next, she produced a futon, duvet and pillow from a special closet. Then it was time for me to change into colour-co-ordinated pyjamas, slippers and an eyeshade.

It was almost hard to believe that, chronologically speaking, it was only mid-day for me. A few hours of pampering on this Cathay Pacific flight from Toronto to Hong Kong had convinced me I was part of a slumber party in the sky. The noise-cancelling headphones certainly helped; so did my seat's massage functions.

As for "midnight snacks," all I needed to do was alert a flight attendant for Cantonese goodies or British high tea. And if I felt like it, I could order again and again. Indeed, seconds seem to be expected.

What may not be expected is this level of luxury, of course. In the years since 9/11, the experience of commercial air travel has taken a nosedive. Seats are shrinking, and we're paying for things we never used to. JetBlue, the U.S. carrier, recently hit rock bottom by charging $2 for water.

And then there's the bumpy economy, which could affect business-travel budgets. "We are sort of anticipating that there are going to be fewer [travellers] flying," says Peter Fitzpatrick of Air Canada. The carrier recently announced plans to trim capacity by 7 per cent, with cuts on routes to Tel Aviv and Shanghai.

But for those who continue to travel, and can pay more for the privilege, most of the world's major carriers - including United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Air France - have been upgrading business and first-class "premium" offerings.

Cabin configurations, for example, have been redesigned to offer a sense of retreat from the world, from sliding privacy panels (British Airways) to a "fishbone" layout (Cathay Pacific), where passengers don't even make eye contact.

In August, Emirates Airlines went further with their new A380, a behemoth plane with a cocktail bar, anti-jet-lag lighting and an on-board shower.

Counterintuitive as it may seem, the upgrading of premium class is not an ill-timed move, according to Mike Boyd, a U.S. aviation consultant.

"Your money is made in front of the curtain, not behind," he explains. Business and first-class seats - which range from $5,000 to $11,000 on Cathay - are exponentially more valuable to airlines than economy seats. Even if companies cut back on travel budgets, "it's no big deal if it's economy class."

As well, most of the new "premium" services are for long-haul flights, popular with travellers for reasons beyond luxury. "If I have to fly for a client and the body of water is bigger than Lake Ontario, I am in business class," Boyd says.

In fact, as airlines continue to cut frills and squeeze passengers in economy, business class is shifting from perk to necessity. Among frequent fliers, the consensus seems to be that the new cabins are worth the expense.

Take Jeff Stober, owner of the Drake Hotel in Toronto, who travels for business and pleasure from Bali to Paris, along with many small hops from Canada to the U.S. As a hotelier, he thinks details are important. And he is largely impressed with the new business-class offerings on airlines such as Singapore, Cathay Pacific and now Toronto-based Porter Airlines.

"I'm finding there's a whole host of things that are upping the ante in business class," Stober says. "Better blankets and pillows. A better selection of healthy foods, which is huge in my books. And, of course, the technology. You're seeing access to DVD libraries and CD collections. Technology at that level is at long last catching up."

In some ways, airlines have taken a page from luxury hotels, which are, after all, where many of their passengers are headed. Stober points out that hotels have accustomed us to innovations in service from electronic draperies to pillow menus to in-room WiFi.

Really, to call some of the new cabin contents "seats" would be a veiled insult to the R&D behind them; Cathay Pacific prefers to call them "suites." And with their wooden decor accents, ottomans, cocktail tables and closets, they are like elfin hotel rooms.

But if the sky's the limit, is all this what travellers really want?

As program director of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, Daniel Cushing flies regularly to destinations in Asia, India and the Middle East. He thinks airlines could actually lose some of the frills in favour of more basic creature comforts.

"I think there are a fair number of travellers like myself who really don't care about the champagne cocktail, the extra one-on-one service that you get in business class," he says. "I want a flat bed. Full stop. And quiet."

For travellers who must be up and ready to work on arrival, the intended luxury of the ritual airplane meal - with its four to eight courses - can get in the way. Where fine dining and lavish service are concerned, many seasoned business travellers have been there, done that, and just want to be able to hit the ground running when they disembark, Cushing points out. "Next day, I'm going to have to get up and do a meeting."

To that end, British Airways has been experimenting with some programs that afford travellers more personal autonomy.

Called Sleep Easy, a new service offered at Heathrow and some other airports worldwide allows checked-in passengers to eat a pre-flight supper so they can get an uninterrupted sleep on their flight, followed by breakfast in bed.

The airline, which launches its all-business class plane in Europe next month, also offers a popular in-flight Club Kitchen that lets business-class passengers snack on what they want, when they want, from a stocked fridge.

Then there's Air Canada. In a much-anticipated move (and a controversial one, depending on whether you treat your time on a plane as an office away from home or the last escape from e-mail), the carrier announced this month that it plans to launch onboard WiFi service next spring. For a fee of $12.95, it will allow business travellers to walk the line between work and travel seamlessly.

Otherwise, airlines are looking at on-the-ground perks such as speed lanes through security and vouchers for airport massages. And lounges, once merely places with segregated seating and complimentary coffee, are becoming clubs.

For instance, The Wing, Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong airport lounge, has some of the benefits of a hotel. Cabanas, complete with recliners that look out over a 65-metre indoor stream, can be reserved for naps and bathing. Designed by famed minimalist John Pawson, the complex includes a noodle bar, a video gaming area and well-appointed reading libraries as well.

One might be forgiven for wanting to check in, flight or no flight.

*****

Class consciousness

AIR CANADA

Seating Pod-style layout with flat beds or 151-degree reclining seats.

Rest and refresh Duvet, pillows and Fruits and Passion toiletries in the bathroom.

Dining Four-course meal service or Gourmet Express; freshly baked cookies.

Extras Wi-Fi starting next spring.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Seating Cubicles with fan-style dividers and the world's first flat beds.

Rest and refresh Cotton quilts and noise-cancelling headphones.

Dining Self-service Club Kitchen.

Extras Massages at Molton Brown airport spas such as Heathrow and JFK.

CATHAY PACIFIC

Seating "Fishbone" seats with 6-foot-5 flat beds and ottoman that double as guest chairs.

Rest and refresh Duvet, cushioned mattress and Agnès B's line of toiletries and amenities.

Dining On-board rice cookers and toasters that can make eggs or congee à la minute.

Extras Airport lounges with Wi-Fi, noodle bars and nap "cabanas" with soaker tubs.

EMIRATES

Seating 6-foot-6 minipod seats with massage functions.

Rest and refresh Atmospheric lighting that gradually shifts throughout the flight to "trick" jet lag.

Dining Five-course meals and wines selected for their ability to "stand up to the challenges" of tasting at 40,000 feet.

Extras An on-board cocktail lounge and 1,100 entertainment channels.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Seating 6-foot-6 SpaceBeds with armrests that pull down to make an extra-wide 30-inch seat.

Rest and refresh Full-size pillows, plush blankets and Givenchy cosmetics.

Dining Menus by celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay.

Extras Voted world's best business-class airline by Forbes magazine in 2007.

Jessica Johnson was a guest of Cathay Pacific.