The Australian Financial Review today announces the arrival of Highflyer, an aspirational and luxurious travel magazine aimed at where we all want to be: up the front of the plane. 

Helmed by the Financial Review's travel editor, Fiona Carruthers, Highflyer is out tomorrow (Friday 23 February) as a supplement insert in the March issue of AFR Magazine as well as on afr.com.

For anyone who has always wondered which airline has the longest beds, who does a sliding privacy door in business class, or how the various champagnes they pour compare, Highflyer is unashamedly aimed at the luxury travel market. 

The new annual 44-page guide in print will be regularly updated on afr.com, and seeks to make frequent fliers' lives easier by curating a “one stop shop” guide to the front end of the plane specifically designed for the Australian market, focusing on the airlines most relevant to us.

Fiona Carruthers, Financial Review Travel Editor, said: “Flying up the pointy end tops many aspirational travel lists these days. Australians are hostage to the tyranny of distance - when we take to the air, we want to do it in style. A 24-hour flight can end up comprising a reasonable chunk of your overall holiday experience; the time and research consumers put into understanding what the various airlines offer reflects that.”

In a nod to how hot the travel and aviation sectors are, the Financial Review welcomes back Rear Window's Joe Aston as a guest columnist in Highflyer. Aston's trademark style will be applied to the topic of how you can survive landing at LAX or Heathrow. He also shares his tips for where to eat, stay and dine in Los Angeles (where he lived for a number of years) and in London, a city he visits regularly. Drinks writer Max Allen's guide to the best drops in the sky is also not to be missed.

With the luxury travel and aviation booming, Highflyer has allowed Nine to strengthen its offering in those sectors. Brands that feature in Highflyer include Silversea as our media sponsor, as well as other valued partners including Virgin Australia, Scenic, Captain's Choice, Celebrity Cruises, Orlebar Brown and Paspaley.

Amanda Upton, Nine Publishing's head of luxury, said:

“I am so proud of this new venture. From a commercial standpoint as soon as Fiona proposed the idea I knew it would be an outstanding success. Knowing how well airline content resonates with our audience, there is an insatiable appetite for content about the pointy end of aviation and this magazine and digital collection will not disappoint!”  

With Highflyer, the Financial Review cements itself as the home of “news you can use” when it comes to aviation, and especially to turning left on boarding your flight. The first issue also covers how the big airlines that fly to the US, UK and Europe stack up at the front of the plane; route maps with handy hacks such as the best stopover locations; expert tips on packing; road testing airline amenity kits and how best to use frequent flyer points.

Highflyer will appear as a 44-page bound supplement in the March issue of AFR Magazine tomorrow Friday, February 23

For more information:

Adrian Motte

Senior Communications

Manager - Trade & Publishing

amotte@nine.com.au

0415 271 339