What consumers expect in business varies greatly around the globe, especially for short haul and regional flights. You’ll probably find the world’s best regional business class products in Asia (including the Middle East), where you’ll often receive lounge access, flat beds, delicious food, and attentive service.
Meanwhile in the United States and Europe, it’s a totally different story. I’m always intrigued by how OMAAT readers have different takes on which region has the worse business class, so I thought it would be fun to discuss that in this post.
Comparing two unpopular business class experiences
All else being equal, would you rather fly business class on a regional flight in the United States, or business class on a regional flight in Europe? Now, personally I have a strong preference, but I also recognize other people have equally strong preferences in the other direction (let me note that in both regions there are outliers, so my analysis is based on the “average” flight in each region).
Regional business class in Europe
Regional business class in Europe typically consists of an economy seat with a blocked middle. For planes with just pairs of seats, some airlines give you both an aisle and a window, while others do no seat blocking. The size of the cabin can be changed with each flight based on demand, as the curtain is simply moved back and forth based on how many people book the cabin.
Suffice it to say that booking business class and getting an economy seat is quite underwhelming, especially given how little legroom there is on most flights within Europe. Some airlines offer Wi-Fi and power ports on these flights, while other airlines don’t, but there’s not much consistency there.
There are some advantages to intra-Europe business class, though:
- The food and drink selection is generally quite good, better than you’d find in the United States; even on a very short flight, you’ll be served something substantial and/or fresh
- You get lounge access on intra-Europe flights when traveling in business class, which generally isn’t offered on flights within the United States
- Business class often isn’t full on flights within Europe (since there typically aren’t complimentary upgrades), so you’ll sometimes find that you get a whole row to yourself, especially if you strategically choose seats
Regional business class in United States
Typically the forward cabin on domestic flights in the United States is marketed as first class rather than business class, which tends to cause some confusion among foreign travelers. In the United States, the forward cabin has different seats, and therefore the size of the cabin is the same on each flight.
Domestic first class seats are probably most similar to international premium economy seats. You can expect that they’ll have considerably more width (as they’re usually in a 2-2 configuration rather than a 3-3 configuration), and also feature substantially more legroom. However, aside from some premium markets, don’t expect that you’ll get a flat bed product.
The advantage of business class within the United States is obvious, which is that there’s more space. However, there are also some downsides:
- A domestic ticket usually doesn’t offer lounge access within the United States, so unless you’re a member or otherwise have lounge access, you’ll be stuck waiting in the gate area; then again, so many frequent US travelers have credit cards offering lounge access
- The quality of food and drinks on domestic flights is typically underwhelming; on flights of under two hours, you’ll typically just be served packaged snacks at best, and on longer flights you might get a hot meal, but it’s unlikely to be great
Which business class experience is better?
There doesn’t really seem to be any consensus as to whether business class in the United States or Europe is preferred.
Some people say that business class within Europe is an embarrassment, as you’re just getting an economy seat. Meanwhile others say that business class in the United States is awful, since you don’t even get lounge access, and the food typically isn’t very good.
Where do I stand? Given the choice, I’d choose business class within the United States a vast majority of the time. To me the single most valuable commodity on a plane is personal space, and that’s an area where US airlines win.
I care a lot more about being comfortable than I care about having a decent meal, or getting lounge access. For that matter, there are lots of other methods for accessing lounges in the United States, beyond just the ticket you booked.
When traveling in domestic first class, I can typically be every bit as productive as at home. There are consistently power outlets and Wi-Fi, and I don’t have to contort my body to be able to work on my laptop.
In defense of intra-Europe business class, I still see value in the product when redeeming miles. Would I pay an extra $500 for a business class seat on an intra-Europe flight? Nope, probably not. But you can regularly book business class for an extra 5,000-10,000 points one-way, so based on my valuation, that’s often like paying the equivalent of under $100 to upgrade.
For that matter, saver award space in business class on flights within Europe is typically readily available, while it’s extremely rare to come across that on domestic flights in the United States.
To me that’s well worth it for the premium ground services, the better inflight service, and most importantly, the guaranteed blocked middle seat. When you have an empty middle seat, you can at least get relatively comfortable.
The last thing worth acknowledging is that the average segment length in Europe is typically much shorter than in the United States, and that can impact preferences. The shorter the flight, the more I see merit to business class within Europe rather than within the United States.
For example, on a 143-mile flight from Zurich to Geneva, I’m probably more willing to forgo seat comfort for the better ground experience and snack. Meanwhile on a 1,510-mile flight from London to Athens, I’d definitely miss the comfort of a bigger seat.
Bottom line
Airlines in both the United States and Europe are often criticized for their regional business class products. Some prefer business class in the United States for the better seats, while others prefer business class in Europe for the lounge access and better food and drinks.
Personally I’m more in the former camp, as I value space above all else on a plane. However, length of flight also factors into my preferences, and given the short length of many flights within Europe, seat comfort often isn’t as important of a factor.
Where do you stand — for regional flights, do you prefer business class in the United States or Europe?
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