THE HIGH LIFE: A first-class cabin on Qatar Airways’s A380 fleet; (below) business-class travel on Emirates; and (bottom) a business-class lounge

by HOWARD ROBIN WHAT PASSENGERS CAN EXPECT IN BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS IMAGINE a pilot welcoming you aboard with the words: “Ladies and gentlemen, your flight time today is six hours in first class, nine hours in busi­ness and 12 hours in economy.” You would think he has lost his marbles and head for the exit? Slow down… especially if you’re reclin­ing up front in first. Psychologists have long noted how passengers’ perception of flight duration depends entirely on the relative comfort or discomfort of their surround­ings, with first-class passengers subjectively feeling their flight passes quickest. So what exactly do passengers…