Window shopping #40
A bucket list business class, an aviation milestone, and a skyline-soaking hotel stay
This is Window Shopping, a weekly mini-letter from Window Seat—your stylish scroll through what’s new and noteworthy in the world of travel. Each issue blends timely headlines, personal favorites, and design-forward hotels to keep your wanderlust well-fed.
A new business class just jumped to the top of my bucket list. Cathay Pacific is launching its new Aria Suite business class on select U.S. routes starting December 31st, debuting on flights between San Fran and Hong Kong aboard retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs. The suite features sliding privacy doors, suede-lined walls, wool seats with leather headrests, customizable lighting, wireless charging, and a massive 24-inch 4K screen—a clear signal that business class is continuing to creep closer to first. For travelers planning Asia trips next year, this is one to watch (and plan your PTO around).
The crane airline turns 100, and the planes are dressing the part. In 2026, Lufthansa will mark 100 years since its founding in 1926, celebrating with a special anniversary fleet that blends heritage with modern design. For travelers, it is a rare chance to spot (or fly on!) a piece of living airline history. These are the kinds of details that make flying feel special again.
Emily in Paris just turned the world’s most glamorous train into a moving red carpet. To celebrate the global premiere of Season 5, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express carried cast members and creators from Venice to Paris, transforming the journey itself into the headline. The bigger story is what this signals for travel right now: trains are no longer just a way to get somewhere, they are destinations in their own right. As travelers crave romance, ritual, and slower, more intentional trips, expect brands to double down on cinematic rail journeys that make the journey itself just as memorable as the arrival. (Personally, I’m here for it.)
If you get 15 PTO days, strategic calendar stacking can turn them into a whopping 47 days off in 2026. By anchoring trips around federal holidays and long weekends (from New Year’s and Presidents Day to Thanksgiving week) you can unlock multiple four and five day getaways with minimal PTO burn, plus a nine day November stretch using just four days off. This is exactly how frequent travelers make long weekends feel like real trips without draining their balance. Make sure to submit your requests ASAP for your best chance at maximum approval.
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I first clocked Four Seasons Philadelphia when Bethenny Frankel called it “the best hotel in America,” which is quite the claim coming from someone notoriously hard to please. When I was invited on a press trip this week, I couldn’t say yes fast enough, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. I stayed in the Landmark Corner Suite, which felt like the pinnacle of what I want in a hotel: striking design, elite comfort, and personalization that feels thoughtful rather than performative.
The design alone is impressive. Set high in the tallest building in the city, my room on the 54th floor was flooded with natural light and sweeping skyline views. The true showstopper, though, is the bathroom: a platform bathtub overlooking the city, complete with sheer curtains for setting the mood. Add a bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne and you’ve got my idea of the perfect evening.
Personalization is where this property truly pulled ahead. Beyond monogrammed robes and pillowcases (which always delight me), the team surprised me with a bespoke dessert made from my favorite candy bar, waiting in the room at check-in. A memorable four-course dinner at Jean-Georges and late-night access to a skyline-facing infinity pool were the final touches that made the stay unforgettable.
Taken together, these are the kinds of details that remind you why great hotels are worth traveling for.
Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
Late night pool access?! Say less!
That Cathay Aria Suite sounds insane tbh. The fact that business class is basicaly turning into what first used to be shows how much premium aviation has shifted in the last decade. I flew Cathay's older config a few years back and while it was solid, having a 24-inch 4K screen plus sliding doors feels like a completly different product category. The suede-lined walls detail is what gets me, those tiny tactile things that seperate "very good" from "worth restructuring a trip around." Lufthansa's centenary fleet is such a smart move too, heritage branding in aviation hits diferent when the planes themselves become the story rather than just transportation.