Best Business Class Offerings

The world of business class offerings on today’s top airlines is incredibly competitive and the levels of comfort and service available are in a completely different league compared to what was common 20 years ago. As more airlines up their game to outdo one another competing for the business travel market the overall quality across the board simply gets better and better. With this in mind we’ve taken a look at some of our favourite business class products and outlined why we rate them so highly.

Our primary considerations in choosing the best of the best in business class are comfort and space, general amenities, decor, level of service and any extras that may be included when booking your seat or suite. As completely flat beds are now common on premium business class services for long haul flights we’re only considering these in our reviews and won’t be looking at seat-only options or short-haul flights.

So, which are our favourites? Read on!

Qatar Airways

A gulf carrier known for its devotion to luxuriant passenger experience, Qatar Airways have two main business class offerings on their long-haul flights. Their classic business class product can be found on their Airbus A330s and some Boeing 777s whilst the slightly more impressive Qsuite experience features on their A350s, 787 Dreamliners and many of their 777s.

The Qsuite is the one to seek out if you truly want the very best in class right now. Why is it so incredible? Where to begin!

First up this is the winner of numerous awards including the Skytrax Best Business Class award so you know you’re in for a seriously premium experience when you fly with Qatar (also named World’s Best Airline by the same respected publication). The Qsuites each feature a full height door that can be closed for maximum privacy, unlike many of their rivals where privacy screens can be a bit more limited (if available at all). This is definitely one of the best features of these fantastic suites as solo travellers can really escape the outside world completely to get lost in their own personal space for work, sleep or simply taking advantage of the extensive IFE options.

The seats for the Qsuites are configured in a somewhat unusual fashion with some facing forward and others facing to the rear. It may at first seem jarring to be facing backwards on a flight but you quickly get used to it, particularly if you’re not in a window seat. That said the rear facing window seats do seem to offer the most privacy and are rated as the best ones to pick if you’re travelling alone, according to Seatguru.

As well as featuring a generous amount of personal space travellers are also presented with gorgeous amenity kits along with luxury sleepwear. The quilted mattress and plush duvet only add to the sense that if you’re on a night flight you’re unlikely to struggle to get any good sleep. What’s more, in our experience, the Qatar Airways staff couldn’t be more friendly and helpful, providing a fully pampered experience that is second to none.

You’ll find Qatar’s Qsuites on a wide range of their popular routes including those from Amsterdam, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Paris, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

All Nippon Airways – ANA

For a long time, the gulf carriers have dominated the premium passenger offering space but in recent times the flag carrier of Japan, ANA, have come along to disrupt the market. Their top business class product is labelled “The Room” and can be found on their 777-300ER fleet.

What impressed us most about this top of the range business class suite was the super wide seat that really provides more space than you’re likely to find anywhere else. In fact, the seat itself is more like a sofa than a traditional seat, which also means that when you convert it into a bed for sleeping, you really don’t feel cramped at all (at least not at the head end!)

Like the Qatar experience, each suite features a full-size privacy door allowing passengers to completely switch off from outside distractions and the seat configuration is also similar to those found in the Qsuite cabins, with both forward and rear facing seats. The screen for these seats has to be one of the best found on any aircraft and at a whopping 24 inches (approx. 61cm) we’ve not found a more generous IFE offering, which also adds to that impressive sense of space you get from each suite.

The only reason we don’t rate this one quite as highly as the Qsuite is that the bed is slightly smaller, at 5’11 or 180cm, so taller passengers won’t find the maximum comfort compared with the 6’7 (203cm) space offered by the Qsuite bed. It’s also fair to say that the amenities on offer aren’t quite the same standard on ANA either. The bedding and toiletries are adequate rather than luxurious.

Currently you can experience The Room suites on All Nippon’s routes between LHR and JFK, as well as Tokyo to Frankfurt flights.

Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong’s flag carrier has long been known as one of the world’s finest airlines and in 2022 their business class offering has not disappointed. Unlike many rivals Cathay Pacific don’t assign a specific product name to their business class cabins but the experience is largely the same across all of their long-haul routes so when you book in business you won’t get short changed if you’re on an older plane for example.

The lie flat beds in these spacious suites come in at 6″2 or 190cm. So of the three we’ve recommended here, this is in-between the larger Qatar product and the less roomy ANA bed. For the majority of people it will provide more than enough space but taller passengers may want to consider looking at the Qsuites.

In terms of amenities and bedding this is right up there with the Qatar Airways kit. You’ll find a plush leather effect toiletries bag along with what they describe as “400 thread count linen sheets”, plump duvet and comfy pillow. The slippers are of a better quality than those on All Nippon but unlike in the Qsuites you won’t be offered sleepwear so you may want to consider bringing your own pyjamas.

What also stands out about the Cathay Pacific experience is that the staff could not be more friendly and attentive whilst the ground experience is right up there with the best of the gulf state carriers. In fact, their top tier lounge at their Hong Kong hub, called The Pier, is rated as among the very finest airport lounges on the planet and it’s easy to see why. This space is just absolutely glorious in every respect and really needs to be experienced to be believed. Certainly if you’re connecting through or flying from Hong Kong then this is an experience not to be missed.