I like to cover various aspects of the premium travel experience. For example, I’ve shared what I consider to be the world’s best business class airlines, the world’s best business class seats, and the world’s best business class lounges.
Continue reading: Best Business Class Bedding: Which Airlines Care About Coziness?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I saw this article a couple of months back when you flew Boliviana de Aviación, and presumably you’ve updated it now because of the CX Aria Suite. Perhaps you could mention at the top that you have updated this article because of the CX bedding product.
Looking forward to see CX regain its rightful place near the top of the best business-class products near QR and JL!
Sorry, I see that that’s mentioned near the top, without referring to Cathay by name. Nevertheless, a timely update!
I'm not a big fan of bulky bedding.. It's nice to have it when sleeping, but when I'm not sleeping, it's just a burden. I don't wanna put it in the overhead bin or on the floor cuz I know it's never clean, and the bedding falls on the floor during takeoff. Also, where should I put it during meal service?
For this reason, I really like airlines that put all the bedding in a bag so that it gets a lot easier to handle it.
It's all in a bag, then I have no problem with putting it in the "dirty" overhead bin or on the floor.
Airlines need to consider how to handle and store the bedding.
I feel carriers who want to differentiate their first class, deliberately underinvest in bedding. Swiss and Lufthansa are specifically bad at business class bedding and I think it is intentional.
Bestie you NEED to fly iberia’s new a350 cabin. It doesn’t look that snazzy but it’s the best matress pad i’ve ever been given, really puffy and has a ”hood” so it actually stays on the seat when you move.
No fan of plush bedding here. While I have no problem to buckle up without bedding (and without extension belt), it is an issue if you add a thick mattress and a duvet.
Fiji Airways has really comfortable bedding with a very cushy mattress pad, a duvet as well as a thinner blanket. The turndown service was also a plus!
This is like setting the temp in a room with lots of people of different preferences. If it's cold, you can always add layers but if it's too hot, you can only take so much off without being indecent.
If you don't like plush bedding, there's always a thin blanket option so you don't need to use the plush bedding. However, I think it's important to have for anyone who either needs more warmth or feels more comfortable with plush bedding.
Sometimes I forget how good United's bedding is and how much of a difference it makes. I flew to India this month using Air Canada on the outbound and United on the return. Wow, was it a difference in terms of how I slept. Had a bulkhead seat in both cases but my sleep in Polaris was so much better given the bedding situation. I also find the seat slept more comfortably in terms of where the bumps (or lack thereof) were located. Perhaps the mattress pad helps with that though it's thin enough I don't think it had an impact.
Sadly United's food is still so bad... But I'm unfortunately proving the point that I care more about the bed than the food because I just rebooked a trip this summer to switch to United Polaris away from Air Canada based on this recent experience.
Just got off UA Polaris EWR-GRU and my word are those pillows perfect.
Granted, I like a softer pillow than most but honestly would love to just steal one.
while i really enjoy QR's blanket and mattress pad, i find their pillow to be far too small and the stitching on it is easy to feel through the pillowcase. an honorable mention for bedding is honestly BA - the blanket and pillow are comfortable and appropriately sized. AA's old casper bedding was rather nice as well
To me, the main impediment to sleeping on an airplane is not bedding, but cabin temperature and especially humidity.
Great list Ben and quite helpful! Only quibble is with United. As a former 1K, I spent quite a bit of time in Polaris. The bedding is great but you have to ask for the cooling gel pillow and PJ's. Virgin gives everything automatically and don't give you the death stare if you request something.
Japan airlines actually has the worst bedding, their pillows are lumpy and flat with a weird rough terry cloth like pillowcase. It’s so bad it shouldn’t even be mentioned here.
American Airlines Casper bedding should’ve gotten a mention, they’re very nice.
I would go for Malaysian Airlines on its long haul routes (KUL to LHR). Super quality - both the topper with the hood, large pillow and comfy blanket. Plus pyjamas of course. And the crew to actively assist you if needed.
Air Canadas mattress pads are cheescloth crap. its seats are so worn out the bars hurt.
i just did the same flight on AC 777-200lr and they plane is in terrible condition.
perhaps update the article with the WORST bedding and put Air Canada at the top of the list.
Having flown two days ago on QR´s A380 from Doha to Bangkok I was told that they have a new mattress. It was extremely comfortable, felt like it was filled with feathers or downs and although this is a short 6 hrs hop, I slept better than before. So well done QR!