For those lucky enough to ride in a first class cabin, a 20-hour flight is actually something to look forward to. 

AirlineRatings.com, which rates airlines on the level of comfort and safety they provide to passengers, recently ranked the top 10 airlines with the best first class cabins. 

From multi-room suites to double beds covered in plush linens, here's a look inside the cushiest first class cabins in the world. 

SEE ALSO: 8 things you should ask for on your next flight

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Emirates

Business class cabins on Emirates have privacy doors, personal mini bars, and ambient lighting for maximum relaxation. Each seat converts to a fully flat mattress. 

On longer flights, take advantage of the onboard shower spa stocked with Bvlgari toiletries, or stretch your legs and grab a drink in the first and business class lounge. 

Etihad Airways

On Etihad Airways, cabins feature Poltrona Frau leather seats, ambient lighting, personal wardrobes, and a chilled drinks cabinet. Guests looking for the ultimate experience in luxury can stay in The Residence — an upper deck cabin on the A380 airbus that has a living room, separate double bedroom, ensuite shower room, personal butler, and chef. 

Japan Airlines

Each wood grain and leather cabin on Japan Airlines' 777 is designed with custom airweave bedding, a retractable privacy partition, and a 23-inch personal TV screen. Meals are prepared by chefs like Seiji Yamamoto, known for his three-Michelin star restaurant, Ryugin, in Tokyo. 

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Flying might consist of long hours, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a miserable experience.

AirlineRatings.com rates airlines on everything from the level of comfort they provide to passengers to how safe their carriers are, and they recently ranked the top ten airlines with the best first class cabins. 

With lavish amenities that include multi-room apartments, double beds, and plush bedding, passengers can kick back and relax on their next flight.

Keep scrolling to see which airlines made the list.

Emirates

Emirates’ business class cabins come complete with a seat that converts into a fully flat bed and includes a mattress, privacy doors that allow for unwinding, a personal mini bar, an array of complimentary wine, champagne, and cocktails, and ambient lighting to allow for relaxation.

On longer flights, take advantage of the onboard shower spa equipped with Bvlgari toiletries and the onboard lounge that is available to first and business class guests for having a drink and meeting fellow passengers.

Finally, getting in and out of the airport is easy with a compliment chauffeur that is provided to business class passengers.

Etihad

With Etihad Airways, guests are first greeted curbside at the airport by a Porter and a Concierge and taken to a dedicated check-in reception. Afterwards, they can relax in the Etihad First Class Lounge or go for a massage at the Six Senses Spa.

The cabins come with Poltrona Frau leather seats, ambient lighting, personal wardrobes, and a chilled drinks cabinet. Guests who are looking for the ultimate experience in luxury can stay in The Residence—an upper-deck cabin on Etihad A380s complete with a living room, a separate double bedroom, an ensuite shower room, a personal butler, and a chef to cook whatever passengers desire.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines’ JAL SKY SUITE 777s are made with woodgrain interior and leather seating to ensure a cozy atmosphere. The suites include customized airweave bedding, a retractable privacy partition, and 23-inch personal TV screens.

Meals are prepared by an array of chefs including Chef Yamamoto, chef to the three-star Michelin restaurant Ryugin, and include both contemporary Western cuisine and traditional Japanese dishes. Passengers can even book their meals with a chef beforehand and their meal will be waiting for them when they fly.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa’s first class suites are simple and sophisticated. They come with lie-flat beds complete with a mattress topper, pillow, and duvet, ergonomically shaped seats, and in-flight entertainment options that come in up to eight different languages. 

First class passengers are also treated to wines selected by renowned sommelier Markus Del Monego and a caviar service that makes for a decadent meal.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has new first class seats that feature a fixed-back sell design with curved side panels that allow for added privacy. With a width of 35 inches and a bed length of 82 inches, passengers have space to relax.

Ambient mood lighting, pajamas, and bedroom slippers help to get a restful sleep and each seat comes with a vanity corner and mirror to allow for freshening up on long flights.  

Qantas

 Passengers booking Qantas’s international first class suite can unwind in a 6.5-foot-long lie-flat bed that comes with a plush sheepskin mattress and controls at the end of the armrest that allow for moving the seat, leg rest, and for lumbar positioning. The space also features an ottoman for hosting guests during the flight.

Dining options include an eight-course tasting menu or an a la carte menu designed by Chef Neil Perry and selections from Qantas’s award-winning wine list.

Swiss

Swiss International Air Lines’ first class armchairs are available on long-haul flights and can be turned into a lounge armchair, a table for two, or a 6.5-foot-long bed with mattress and privacy walls.

Passengers are given pajamas by Zimmerli of Switzerland and toiletry bags that contain socks, eye masks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ear plugs, and high-quality products by Swiss luxury brand La Prarie.

Korean Air

Korean Air’s first class cabins come with a variety of seat options. The Kosmo Suites 2.0 includes a sliding door that is see-through on the inside, a 9.4-inch partition, and a 79-inch seat. The Kosmo Suites are 26.5 inches wide and come with adjustable back support, a footrest, and one-touch controls to change positions.

There is also the Kosmo Sleeper—a 78-inch-long lie-flat bed—and the Sleeper Ottoman, which includes a 180-degree on B777-300, A330-300, and A330-200 aircrafts. Seats come with personal LCD screens, individual readings lamps, and complimentary noise-canceling headphones.

All Nippon Airways

ANA (All Nippon Airways) offers first class passengers a cabin that is more like a private room with comfortable seating, a large adjustable dining table with wood tones, an adjustable cocktail table, and plenty of storage space. Besides the jacket and shoe storage, there is also additional storage space underneath the seat’s ottoman for baggage and multiple compartments for smaller items.

Seats come with two LED personal lights, international telephones with personal satellites to make calls in privacy, a do not disturb light for when you want to get some rest, a USB port, and a 23-inch LCD wide-screen monitor. 

Thai Airways

Thai Airways’ Royal First Class begins with a hostess who treats passengers to a flute of chilled champagne and caviar. Seats on the Airbus A380s and newly remodeled Boeing 747s include semi-private suites that are almost 8 feet long with a seat width of 23 inches on the 747s and 27 inches on the Airbus A380s.

Seats convert into 180-degree lie-flat beds, in-flight entertainment systems boast 23-inch flat screes with over 300 programs, and passengers can relax with a full body massage at the Royal First Lounge of Bankgkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport before their flight. 

SEE ALSO: 8 things you should ask for on your next flight

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An airline based in southwest China has promised to stop bullying by members of its staff after new cabin crew were forced to lie in aircraft overhead luggage lockers.

Kunming Airlines issued a statement saying it would stamp out the behavior.

Pictures of cabin crew forced into lockers went viral after they were posted online over the weekend.

The photographs were published on a WeChat social-media account called Civil Aviation Tabloid.

The post alleged that almost all cabin crew were forced into lockers by security staff after completing 30 to 50 hours service at the airline.

Kunming Airlines said the bullying was carried out without its knowledge and it had never received any complaints from cabin crew.

It said the bullying was carried out after cabin crew had completed their duties and the safety of flights was never affected.

‘The company attaches high importance to the incident and will prevent such things from happening again,” the statement said.  

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As airlines and airplanes have evolved, so have their "liveries"— the exterior designs, including paint colors and logos, on the aircraft.

As planes crisscross the globe, their exterior graphics not only represent the companies that operate them, but in many instances also serve as visual ambassadors for their respective homelands.

A great airline livery gives onlookers a taste of a carrier's values or its culture's ethos in an attractive and effective color scheme.

You mess with this at your own peril. Airlines like Southwest, Spirit, and American have recently updated their liveries, with mixed results.

Others have hit home runs. Here's a selection of 15 airline exterior designs that look simply amazing.

15. Air Malta: The national airline of the small Mediterranean island nation recently revamped its livery to feature the Maltese Cross prominently on the tail and wingtips.

14. China Southern Airlines: Based out its hub in the city of Guangzhou, China Southern is the country's largest airline. Its elegant exterior design features a combination of multiple hues of blue with its tail dominated by a brilliant red kapok flower.

13. Asiana: The Seoul, Korea-based airline may not have the eye-catching turquoise paint scheme of its rival — Korean Air — but its simple yet elegant design depicting a blossoming flower is still one of the best around.

The film "Frozen" has captured the imagination of kids and adults alike.

Canadian carrier WestJet even decided to paint one of their planes with characters from the movie, collaborating with Disney on their second Disney inspired plane. The first featured scenes from "Fantasia."

To get into the spirit, the paint team watched the movie before getting started. Then, they spent 21 days and used 170 gallons of paint and lots of glitter to decorate the plane on the outside. However, the inside is also "Frozen"-themed, and passengers can watch on-demand Disney movies during their flight.

Story by Jacob Shamsian and editing by Adam Banicki.

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Sunday, thousands flocked to John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York, to bid farewell to one of the last remaining artifacts of the Jet Age. The long-abandoned Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight Center, designed and constructed during a time when the middle class could first afford the luxury of flying, was built to celebrate a new era in aviation.

As part of Open House New York, an annual festival that welcomes the public into typically off-limit design sites, the TWA reopened its doors for just four hours so people could get one last glimpse of the terminal before it's converted into a hotel complex.

Check out the photos to see why the '60s was the boldest time to fly.

Built in 1962, the Trans World Airlines Flight Center marked a turning point in the aviation industry.

During that period, planes became bigger, faster, and cheaper to manufacture thanks to the introduction of the jet engine.

Flying was no longer a luxury for the upper class. In celebration of this new era, the TWA terminal was built in Queens, New York.

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Just in time for those grueling holiday flights, United Airlines is unveiling a new onboard menu that you might actually want to eat. 

According to the company, the fall menu is all about customer satisfaction. 

Not only did the airline have four chefs collaborate on the new menu (rolling out November 1), frequent fliers were invited to its Newark Liberty International Airport facilities to taste the food and give their input.

With plenty of regional specialties and seasonal ingredients, the new premium-cabin and United Economy meal and snack options will feature chef-inspired dishes on flights throughout North and Latin America. 

Keep scrolling for a look at what's to come. 

SEE ALSO: A top sommelier rates the airlines with the best wine lists

United Airlines invited a handful of frequent fliers to its Chelsea Food Services center at Newark Liberty International Airport to test the new menu.

Four renowned chefs contributed to the menu.

Meals are only tested at sea level for now. But since altitude can affect the way we taste food, United plans to take a plane out of service and turn it into a flying test kitchen of sorts.

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Sunday, thousands flocked to John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York, to bid farewell to one of the last remaining artifacts of the Jet Age. The long-abandoned Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight Center, designed and constructed during a time when the middle class could first afford the luxury of flying, was built to celebrate a new era in aviation.

As part of Open House New York, an annual festival that welcomes the public into typically off-limit design sites, the TWA reopened its doors for just four hours so people could get one last glimpse of the terminal before it's converted into a hotel complex.

Check out the photos to see why the '60s was the boldest time to fly.

Built in 1962, the Trans World Airlines Flight Center marked a turning point in the aviation industry.

During that period, planes became bigger, faster, and cheaper to manufacture thanks to the introduction of the jet engine.

Flying was no longer a luxury for the upper class. In celebration of this new era, the TWA terminal was built in Queens, New York.

NOW WATCH: This new Airbus patent could fix the worst thing about flying coach

American Airlines just reported the highest quarterly profits in company history.

The airline returned $1.9 billion in profits at $2.77 per share — beating analysts expectations of $2.72. 

Although revenue fell 3.9% to $10.7 billion, costs decreased almost 12%. 

For the quarter, the airline reported pretax margins of 17.7% — a record for American.

Much of the drop in expenses come from a 43.7% fall in fuel costs compared to the same period last year for a savings of $1.2 billion in cash. 

Over the first three quarters of the 2015, American Airlines has seen fuel expenses fall 41.3% versus 2014 or $3.5 billion in cash savings. 

Over the past year, crude oil prices have been cut in half. 

During the quarter, American took delivery of 16 new aircraft and retired 30 older, fuel guzzling Boeing 757, 767, and MD80 aircraft. 

American's fellow US legacy carriers — United and Delta — also reported massive fuel savings. 

In the third quarter, American Airlines returned $1.63 billion to investors, mostly through a $1.5 billion stock repurchase. 

This month, American completed its two-year-long merger with US Airways by combining reservation systems. The two carriers merged fleets earlier this year. 

SEE ALSO: Cheap oil is actually hurting United Airlines in this one area

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With 21 fatal accidents and 986 fatalities, 2014 was marred by some major commercial-aviation crashes. That said, flying is still one of the safest forms of transportation in the world. According to Australian consumer-aviation website AirlineRatings.com, the airline industry transported 3.3 billion passengers on 27 million flights last year.

Airline Ratings released a list of the world's 10 safest airlines selected from a pool of 449 carriers. To compile its list, the website evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, its result from an International Air Transportation Association safety audit, and whether the airline's country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's eight-point safety parameter. All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.

Interestingly, the carriers on the list hail exclusively from Asia, Australia, and Europe, with no carriers from the Americas and Africa making the cut. Airline Ratings didn't list the final finishing order for places two to 10, but did crown a winner.

Air New Zealand has made a fine recovery after a period of financial turmoil in the early 2000s. This renaissance culminated with AirlineRatings.com recently naming it the best airline in the world. Air New Zealand has not suffered any significant incidents in the past couple of decades.

Singapore Airlines is universally lauded for its high-quality service and efficient operations. It is also Business Insider's pick for the best airline in the world. The Changi Airport-based carrier has been accident-free since 2000.

As Finland's national airline, Finnair doesn't get as much attention in the media as some of its Scandinavian counterparts. But don't discount the Helsinki-based carrier. It has one of the best safety records in the business and hasn't suffered any major accidents since the 1960s.

Russia is mourning the loss of a St. Petersburg-bound charter flight that crashed Oct. 31 in Egypt, killing all 224 passengers and crewmembers on board.

This disaster joins a spate of fatal commercial airline crashes in recent years — including the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March 2014 and the downing of a second Malaysia Airlines plane, flight MH17, in July 2014.

The high-profile nature of such commercial airline crashes might make it seem that such events are on the rise; however, it's actually never been safer to fly, Harro Ranter, CEO of Aviation Safety Network, told Tech Insider via email.

When you look at the number of fatal accidents since 1950, we've actually seen a continuous downward trend since the early 2000s.

Not all geographical regions of the world have been affected equally in the past 70 years, though. Below is a chart of the 25 countries with the most fatal commercial airline accidents since 1945, sourced with data from the Aviation Safety Network.

Note that these statistics do not include military, corporate jet, and hijacking incidents (e.g. 9/11):

If you live or fly in the United States: Don't panic.

Although the US has the most accidents and fatalities, the country is the busiest commercial air travel market on Earth, which would explain its inflated accident history.

Russia and Brazil, along with the US, also "account for a substantial amount of world air traffic," Ranter said.

But in 2011, Russia snagged the title as the most dangerous country to fly from, according to The Wall Street Journal. A rash of fatal accidents there prompted investigations into its airline industry, which found "ineffective regulation, inefficiently small airlines and poorly trained pilots not following modern safety procedures," according to The Journal.

Brazil also has "a challenging environment, especially inland with remote airstrips in the Amazon that do not have the same equipment compared to airports of the larger cities," Ranter said.

Still, your odds of being killed in an airplane crash on one of the 78 major world airlines, according to Plane Crash Info, is only 1 in 4.7 million. You're more likely to be killed by a strike of lightning, a dog attack, an earthquake, and even an asteroid impact across your lifetime than in an airplane crash.

Join the conversation about this story »

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A quick search on Google yields plenty of varying methods of ranking the world’s airlines. You can easily sort airlines (at least those in the US) out by their on-time performance, complaints, baggage handling, and which magazine you’re carrying. Expand your horizons a bit to look at the worldwide airline industry, and it can be a little tougher to identify just who is the “best” in the world.

The World’s 10 Safest Airlines

1. Quantas
2. Lufthansa
3. Air New Zealand
4. British Airways
5. Finnair
6. Cathay Pacific
7. Eva Air
8. Singapore
9. Emirates
10. Any U.S. based air carrier

Note:We picked our list based on the data and research in this article.Regardless of Russian Celebrities recently going on Russian TV and touting safety records of the Motherland. AirlineRating.com’s rating system actually mark down airlines that operate Russian-built equipment, so airlines such as Aeroflot or Cubana will never make the top of the list simply by nature of the aircraft they operate.

How do you define the best? Is it the airline that got you to your destination on time (it’s a miracle!) and gave you the whole can (gasp!) of ginger ale?

Best is an awfully vague and subjective term, so for the sake of argument we’ll take a look at the safest airlines in the world. That’s a bit more objective and a more measurable standard than identifying which airline has the most comfortable seat or finest champagne in first class, but it’s still a very finicky subject.

The UK-based aviation consultancy firm Skytrax elaborates, there is no “single, global measure of airline safety and no accurate or scientific formula that can be applied on an industry-wide basis.”

While that may be true, what we can do is take a historical perspective, and see how the world’s safest airlines have evolved with the changing nature of air travel. One of the ways we can do that is to look at data from one of the organizations that was created specifically for establishing worldwide safety criteria as the aviation industry grew exponentially.

Founded by the United Nations in 1944, the International Civil Aviation Organization describes safety as one of its strategic objectives, as the “organization is constantly striving, in close collaboration with the entire air transport community, to further improve aviation’s successful safety performance while maintaining a high level of capacity and efficiency.”

Every year, AirlineRatings.com publishes a list of the world’s safest airlines after evaluating audits from the Federal Aviation Administration and ICAO, and the list for 2015 is topped by Australia’s Qantas. The airline was founded in 1920, making it the world’s oldest and most experienced (sorry, Virgin) airline. They earned their spot at the top of the list by going 64 years – and counting – without a fatal accident. That’s a remarkable stat: meaning the airline has not had a fatality in the jet era!

Australia’s neighbors across the Tasman Sea also made the top 10 list. Although not quite as old as Qantas, Air New Zealand has firmly established itself as one of the world’s safest airlines, their last fatal accident occurring in November 1979 – the tragic crash of flight 901 on Mount Erebus while on a sightseeing flight over Antarctica.

The famed British Airways is the UK’s flag carrier, and is also touted as one of the world’s safest carriers. Almost 40 years have passed since the airline’s last fatal crash, although luckily the recent uncontained engine failure at Las Vegas only resulted in some minor injuries during the subsequent emergency evacuation on the McCarran runway.

Finnair and Lufthansa are the other two European airlines that maintain stellar safety records. Finland’s flag carrier is also one of the oldest airlines in existence, and has not suffered any fatalities since 1963. The airline is also in the midst of replacing some of its long-haul fleet, and is taking delivery of new Airbus A350s.

Lufthansa is Europe’s largest airline, serving over 200 destinations in 78 countries with its fleet of almost 300 aircraft. Though they also own low-cost carrier Germanwings, a name which became known the world over with the tragic crash in the French alps, there have been only 2 fatalities on Lufthansa proper since 1979.

Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong, Eva Air of Taiwan, and Singapore Airlines are the top 3 Asian carriers with fantastic safety records. These airlines primarily operate long-haul fleet that is almost continuously updated with the latest Boeing and Airbus widebody (twin-aisle) offerings.

Relative newcomers to the worldwide airline industry as compared to the rest of the list are Etihad Airways, and Emirates. Emirates was founded and began operations in 1985, but only in recent years has achieved new heights (so to speak) with massive growth and fleet refresh. Etihad Airways is an even newer player, having been started in 2003, but has already gained a reputation for excellence and has been named as one of the best in the world.

All the above airlines have several things in common, not the least of which is operating a newer fleet of aircraft. Etihad’s fleet of all-new Boeing and Airbus aircraft are newer than 2003 and hires numerous American and British ex-pats with jet time already in their logbooks. It’s worth noting that AirlineRating.com’s rating system actually mark down airlines that operate Russian-built equipment, so airlines such as Aeroflot or Cubana will never make the top of the list simply by nature of the aircraft they operate.

Several airlines also operate their own cadet programs, teaching students how to fly from their very first lesson, grooming them for their unique operations. Lufthansa operates a large flight school in Arizona, while Cathay Pacific has its own large flight school operation in Australia. Given the enormously expensive (and rising) cost associated with obtaining civilian certificates in the US, I would not be surprised to see some of the major US airlines taking a similar approach in the future.

Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin America, and Westjet are some of the top contenders for U.S. low-cost carriers on Airlineratings.com and almost across the board US air carriers sport excellent safety records.

Though most of the world has conformed to ICAO safety standards, the organization’s audits have also revealed some glaring holes in the system. Thailand, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Nepal, Uruguay, and several African countries have all been flagged by ICAO for operational safety concerns. Most of the operators in these countries don’t have service to the US, but Thai Airways maintains a large international network out of its Bangkok hub.

I’d think twice before buying a ticket on Malaysian Airlines, but that’s largely because the airline seems to have hit a string of terrible luck. Does it mean you’ll crash if you fly on Middle Eastern Airlines out of Beirut or Nepal Air into Kathmandu? Absolutely not, but doing so certainly adds risk in an industry that survives by reducing risk.

All that said, maybe we should look at some data with perspective. In 2014, ICAO reported approximately 3.2 billion worldwide passengers operated by some 33 million flights. In the same year, there were only 3 accidents for every 1 million departures. The number of fatalities increased due to the two Malaysian 777 accidents. Ideally there would be zero, but according to AirlineRatings.com 50 years ago there were 87 crashes, killing a total of 1,597 passengers, in a time when airlines only carried 141 million passengers annually – and that amounts to around 5% of today’s traffic.

The worldwide air travel industry is not showing any signs of slowing down either. It’s busy airspace out there, and accidents do still happen – and fortunately they are extremely rare – but we can’t let our guard down now.

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Smart clothing is becoming increasingly more popular, and UK airline easyJet is going along with that trend with their new wearable tech for flight attendants. 

EasyJet teamed up with clothing company CuteCircuit to create uniforms embedded with sensors and LED lights, according to a press release.

For crew members, LEDs will be embedded on jacket lapels to relay information like the flight number and destination. There will also be built-in microphones so crew members can communicate more efficiently. 

Engineer uniforms will feature reflective components and include LEDs to increase their visibility.

The jackets will also include built-in cameras and a microphone so engineers can get assistance when diagnosing technical issues. An air quality sensor and barometer will be installed on the jackets so engineers can monitor their work environment.

"With features like the LED hood and video streaming and communications capability these amazing designs offer very practical solutions for engineers working on the ramp whilst enhancing safety at the same time," Ian Davies, engineering director for easyJet, wrote in the press release.

Smart clothing is taking flight as more people see the potential for wearable tech to improve daily life for the user. For example, scientists at MIT recently created sportswear that can determine how much your sweating and ventilate itself to cool you down.

Here's some models sporting the CuteCircuit uniforms, which will be trialed early next year:

Join the conversation about this story »

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RyanAir might be the "world's favorite airline" based on the number of passengers it carries per year, but it's still notorious for being unpleasant to fly on.

One index rated RyanAir the second-worst brand in the world for customer service last year. The Dublin-based airline has drawn so much ire from passengers that one set up a website with the URL "ihateryanair.co.uk" and was later forced to forfeit the web address to the company.

RyanAir's bad reputation isn't very surprising considering it once announced plans to charge passengers to use the bathroom (which the company later dropped).

Flying with RyanAir is predictably frustrating in many ways, but the service wasn't so bad that it deterred me from booking flights with the airline while I was living in Europe. The rock-bottom prices keep customers coming back, and I don't know of any airline in the US that lets you fly to another country (or another state) for $20.

I flew with RyanAir several times over the past year, and I did notice some differences from more traditional airlines.

Hands-down the most frustrating thing about flying with RyanAir as an American is having to go to bag drop to get your boarding pass stamped.

Even if you're not checking anything, non-EU citizens have to get a "visa check," which means waiting in the long line for bag drop to have an airline employee behind the desk check your passport.

You also can't get a mobile boarding pass if you're not an EU citizen, which means you have to remember to print out a paper boarding pass before you head to the airport.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Guidelines for carry-on luggage differ from airline to airline. This is confusing and frustrating for many travelers.

While most airlines will allow carry-ons that are 45 linear inches in combined length, width, and height, the break down of these dimensions can vary quite a bit. American Airlines, United, JetBlue, and U.S. Airways' sites specify the luggage you bring onboard should be 22 inches long by 14 wide and 9 tall, or smaller, whereas Delta's doesn't specify dimensions for its 45-inch cap. Then there's this summer's International Air Transport Association (IATA) initiative, which slims those numbers even further, identifying 21 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches as the "perfect" size for carry-ons, allowing every passenger on a flight of 120 people or more to fit one bag in the overhead space near their seat.

Instead of pouring over inches and centimeters, trying to figure out if your rolling suitcase needs to be checked or not, you can save time and shop the luggage below. We already determined each will be a perfect fit in the overhead compartment of most any aircraft.

Herschel Supply Co. Highland Luggage

Herschel Supply Co.'s travel gear is a consistent favorite among shoppers. We highlighted its Novel Duffel a couple of weeks ago for its affordable price, good looks, and attention to detail. The brand's rolling luggage is much of the same — it meets the carry-on standards of all major airlines and has lots of interior pockets and compartments.  

Measurements: 19" (length) x 14" (width) x 9" (height).

Herschel Supply Co. Highland Luggage, $184.99, available at Herschel Supply Co. and Amazon.

TumiAlpha 2 International 4 Wheel Carry-On

Tumi luggage doesn't run cheap, but it's top-of-the-line in terms of quality and convenience: This one's slim wheels and retractable handle will let you weave easily through foot traffic at the airport. It also features a second wraparound zipper (for expanding the storage space), a nylon-lined interior with adjustable clothing straps and zip pockets, and a TSA-approved lock. 

Measurements: 19.75 (length) x 13.5 (width) x 9.75" (height).

Tumi Alpha 2 International 4 Wheel Carry-On Suitcase, $625, available at Amazon.

Briggs & Riley 'Explore' Spinner Carry-On

Super-durable, water-resistant materials make up this compact carry-on case from Briggs & Riley. Weighing about 8.2 pounds, the suitcase is set on 360-degree swivel wheels for easy navigation and has ample interior storage for short weekend or business trips. If you're packing suits and dress shirts, here's how to do it without wrinkling them.

Measurements: 19" (length) x 15.5" (width) x 9" (height).

Samsonite Fiero HS Spinner 20

This Samsonite carry-on garners a very respectable 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, culled from nearly 350 customer reviews. Not only is it exceedingly lightweight (it weighs seven pounds), it also has a scratch-resistant exterior, 360-degree swivel wheels, and an ample amount of interior storage. It's being under $100 (for the teal version pictured here) doesn't hurt either. 

Measurements: 19.5" (length) x 14.5" (width) x 9" (height).

Samsonite Luggage Fiero HS Spinner 20 (Red), $119.99, available at Amazon. 

Flight 001 Avionette Carry-On

This slim, lightweight design from Flight 001 is just as simple to carry on the subway as it is through airport security. It also has a bunch of genuinely useful features you may not have thought to look for in a suitcase: An add-a-bag strap that lets you to easily attach any handbag, tote, or duffel; a quick-access magazine pocket in its rear, for all your terminal impulse buys; soft polypropylene wheels for silent rolling; and a 360-degree reinforcement strap that supports even the worst over-packer. 

Measurements: 22" (length) x 14" (width) x 9" (height).

Flight 001 Avionette Carry-On, $195, available at Amazon. 

Victorinox Spectra 2.0 Extra Capacity Carry-On

There's a lot to like in this ultra-light, wide-body, scratch-resistant polycarbonate case. Weighing just 6.4 pounds, it has a front organization panel for quick access to the things you need, with space for your laptop (up to 15''), travel documents, and more. Inside, there's a zippered mesh divider wall, which stretches to accommodate your packing needs, and Y-shaped compression straps to keep your belongings in place. It's award-winning design is an added bonus, if you're concerned with looks. 

Measurements: 21.7" (length) x 16.1" (width) x 9.4" (height).

Victorinox Spectra 2.0 Extra Capacity Carry-On, $299.99, available at Amazon. 

DelseyHelium Aero Carry-On Spinner Trolley

If Tumi and Victorinox are too steep for your budget, you should consider something like Delsey's polycarbonate trolley. It has four twin spinner wheels, which allow for multi-directional rolling with zero weight on your hand, and a fully lined interior with two spacious compartments. Similar to the other carry-ons on this list, it'll fit perfectly in overhead compartments, according to numerous Amazon reviewers.

Measurements: 20.5" (length) x 14.5" (width) x 10" (height).

Delsey Luggage Helium Aero Carry-On Spinner Trolley, $127.49, available at Amazon.

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Ireland-based airline Ryanair has become one of the most popular carriers in Europe due to its extremely low fares. Business Insider politics reporter Pamela Engel recently returned from a year-long stay in London, during which she traveled on Ryanair seven times. 

We asked her to share what it's really like to fly Ryanair.  

Produced by Graham Flanagan

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The Transportation stocks are the big losers this year. With most of the major U.S. Averages flat for 2015 (except the Nasdaq100 up 10%) the Dow Jones Transportation Average is down over 10% year-to-date. The underperformance out of the space is telling and I believe there is more to come. Today we are focusing specifically on the Airline stocks, which I think are about to see another leg lower, likely over 20%. The risk here is also very well-defined, which for those of us who are here to make money (not noise), is all that actually matters.

Here is a longer-term chart of the Amex Airlines Index. The first thing that stands out is the uptrend from the March 2009 lows. This level marked an important bottom, not just in Airlines, but for the U.S. stock market as a whole. Notice how in the first quarter of 2009, the Airline Index did NOT make new lows below it’s Q4 2008 trough. This relative strength was the tell before such tremendous outperformance ever since. The Dow Transports rallied over 330% from those lows, crushing the returns of the other indexes. Today we are seeing the opposite as it breaks the uptrend line from those 2009 lows and struggling vs the other averages all year:

Also notice how prices reached the 161.8% extension of the 2007-2009 decline, hovered around that area, and then rolled over hard. This exhaustion is further evidence that more selling is likely coming soon.

Short-term, we can see prices below a downward sloping 200 day moving average. Bad things tend to happen when prices are trading below this downward sloping smoothing mechanism. Another issue is the overhead supply. Prices are holding below all of that former support near 98 from the first half of the year. All of that overhead supply is an issue, not to mention the downtrend line from the January highs. That is way too much trouble to get me long Airlines:

Now look at the uptrend line from the August lows. That’s now broken as well. When what is typically a continuation pattern instead resolves itself to the downside, the market is speaking. It’s up to us to listen. This is the case with that “bull flag” throughout the second half of October, that resolved lower. We take this as further evidence of overhead supply.

What can change my mind? We always want to make the counter-argument because the one thing that we do know is that none of us know what will happen. If the circumstances change, then we change our tune, simple as that. First of all, we need to see prices climb back above the broken uptrend line from the August lows. Then we need to consolidate those gains, allow the declining 200 day moving average to flatten out and begin to slope higher. Then we need to take out that broken support from the first half of the year near 98. In order to accomplish this difficult feat, it will take time. It’s not going to happen tomorrow and it will be a headache along the way. So to get long hoping for that outcome makes little sense to me. I would prefer to be wrong and let time ultimately get me long, if that eventually becomes the case.

On a more realistic note, we want to err on the short side of airlines. From an execution standpoint, we want to be short a basket of Airlines (also see:$JETS) if and only if prices of the Airline index are below the highs from the Summer of 2014. This is a big level for us which represents that former resistance, but also the broken uptrend line from the 2009 lows. A rollover below Monday’s reversal should trigger a massive sell-off. That to me is the highest probability outcome from where we sit today.

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Air Koryo is an airline run by the North Korean government, and it's consistently rated as the worst airline in the world. In fact, it's the only airline with a one-star rating on airline-review site Skytrax. See for yourself what it's like to fly on Air Koryo — the worst airline in the world.

Produced by Will Wei. Video footage courtesy of Just Planes and David Flack.

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Airline crewmembers have tough jobs. They have to maintain an aircraft's safety while dealing with grumpy and inattentive passengers — all while keeping smiles on their faces.

But flight attendants and pilots also face an unseen menace on the job: Cosmic radiation.

You can't see it or feel them, but at any given moment, tens of thousands of highly charged particles are soaring through space and slamming into Earth from all directions.

These particles, sometimes called cosmic rays or cosmic ionizing radiation, originate from the farthest reaches of the Milky Way. They're bits and pieces of atomic cores shot to nearly light-speed by black holes and exploding stars, and they smash into (and through) anything and everything in their way.

With that incredible speed and energy, it's no surprise cosmic rays can easily penetrate human flesh and, in the process, pose risks to our health. Their damage to tissues and DNA have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems, for example.

The good news is that these rays don't pose much of a risk to humans on Earth. That's because our planet's atmosphere and magnetic field form a mighty shield against these rays. But the shield isn't impenetrable, and some particles leak through.

Those who spend a lot of time high up in the atmosphere — flight crews, for instance — face much higher exposure to cosmic radiation. The closer to the ground you are, the less exposure you'll get.

For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies airline crewmembers as radiation workers.

In fact, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reported in 2009 that aircrews have, on average, the highest yearly dose of radiation out of all radiation-exposed workers in the US.

The annual hit to aircrews is an estimated 3 millisieverts (mSv) — a complicated-sounding measure of the amount of background radiation a person receives in one year in the US — which beats out the annual doses received by other high-radiation jobs, such as X-ray technicians and nuclear power workers. (Only astronauts are more exposed; 10 days in spaces delivers about 4.3 mSv to the skin alone, which is about 4.3 years' worth of cosmic radiation on the surface of Earth.)

Flying through the sky increases your exposure of two different types of cosmic radiation: galactic cosmic radiation, which is always soaring through an aircraft, and solar particle events, which only occur during solar flares. The latter, very intense bursts of energy from the sun can occur anywhere from one to 20 times per day.

We know that ionizing radiation — which not only comes from space, but from X-rays, nuclear power generation, and atomic bombs — causes cancer and reproductive issues in humans, including miscarriage and birth defects.

But we don't know the health effects of cosmic radiation alone.

Most studies have looked at people bombarded with high amounts of various kinds of radiation, such as atomic bomb survivors and those who received radiation therapy. For this reason we don't know what level of cosmic radiation is safe for humans, according to the CDC. Which is why there are no official limits on the amount of radiation a crew member can receive in a given year.

There are some worldwide guidelines, however. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends that a crew member not be exposed to more than 20 mSv per year. The ICRP says that the general public, on the other hand, should receive less than 1 mSv per year. That same 1 mSv recommendation goes for those who are pregnant, both in the sky or on the ground.

But for crewmembers, these limits are difficult to abide, according to the CDC, and such exposures may put them at greater risk for health effects.

To minimize exposures, crew members should try to limit working on flights that are very long, at high altitudes, or that fly over the poles, which are all associated with heightened exposures. Pregnant crewmembers are also particularly at risk and should try not to fly during their first trimester, or at all when the sun is having a solar particle event, which can deliver a higher dose of radiation in one flight than is recommended for the entirety of the pregnancy, according to the CDC.

To calculate your exposure on a typical flight, check out this handy Federal Aviation Administration online tool.

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