I sometimes share what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats, and also what I view as the world’s best business class airlines. In this post, I’d like to talk more broadly about the amenities, services, and features, that make a business class product great.
While flying business class is just about always better than flying economy, there’s a huge amount of variance in terms of the quality of business class between airlines. I walk away from some flights thinking “I wouldn’t fly that airline again even if it was the only nonstop option,” while I walk away from other flights thinking “I’d connect in order to fly that business class again.”
With that out of the way, let’s talk about what makes a business class product great. I’ll share the 12 things that matter most to me, roughly ranked starting with what I value most. Of course let me acknowledge that we all have different preferences, and for that matter, the order can also vary based on the individual flight, since we’re not always looking for the same things on all flights.
With that in mind, below are the factors that make for a perfect business class flight, in my opinion.
In this post:
Direct aisle access & some privacy
At the end of the day, business class is all about the seat. While the world’s top first class products can be over-the-top, the single thing that’s most important in business class is the seat, so that you can get some rest. What am I looking for in a business class seat?
- Direct aisle access, so that I can enjoy looking out the window without having to step over someone to access the aisle
- Ideally some level of privacy; this doesn’t have to be a door (though I do like doors!), but rather just some sort of privacy shield so that you don’t feel like you’re too exposed to the aisle, and so that you don’t get bumped by service items
- Bonus points to airlines that have flexible seating options for those traveling together, like Qatar Airways Qsuites, which lets you create a double bed or seating pod; too many airlines don’t consider the needs of couples or families
Free (or reasonably priced) & fast Wi-Fi
Nowadays we can stay connected just about anywhere, and that includes when flying. Admittedly I value Wi-Fi more than the average person, given that I work online, so that means I’m often also trying to be productive on planes. So it’s the second most important feature for me, though I recognize many other people will probably value it a bit less.
I’m instantly happy if I’m flying an airline that has fast and reasonably priced Wi-Fi, ideally with no data caps (since airlines with Wi-Fi data caps typically have outrageously low limits). This is an area where we’re seeing a massive amount of progress in recent times.
Forget reasonably priced Wi-Fi, we’re now also increasingly seeing free Wi-Fi with amazing speeds, thanks to services like Starlink. I think a few years down the road, the expectation will be lightning fast Wi-Fi that’s free, rather than just relatively fast Wi-Fi that’s a reasonable cost.
Great bedding to get comfortable
As I said above, business class is all about the seat, though what’s a good seat without a plush pillow and blanket? This might sound silly, until you fly an airline that gives you a scratchy blanket and a pillow as thick as a piece of cardboard. I love an airline that offers multiple pillows, a cozy blanket that’s not overly warm, and even a mattress pad.
Tasty & nicely presented food
Who doesn’t like a good meal? That applies in the air as much as on the ground. First and foremost, airlines need to focus on something that actually tastes good for what it is. It doesn’t need to be overly fancy, but just needs to be well executed. I’d rather have a tasty salad than a disgusting wagyu meatloaf.
If airlines can get the basics right, of course it’s nice if you feel like you’re getting a restaurant-quality experience.
Friendly & attentive service
I don’t really necessarily care what the service style is, I just care that the flight attendants are friendly and seem like they want to be there. I’m just as happy with Cathay Pacific’s hands-off service (where between meals you’ll only see the crew in the cabin when you press the call button) as I am with Singapore Airlines’ outrageously hands-on service (they’re like ninjas in anticipating what passengers want).
Just don’t make passengers feel like they’re an inconvenience. Fortunately there are some airlines offering consistently great service.
Individual air nozzles
Some airlines are known for keeping their cabins really warm. Admittedly everyone has different temperature preferences, but for those of us who easily get hot, individual air nozzles can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to being able to sleep. It amazes me how many airlines choose not to invest in these, as I find they help me sleep much better.
Dine on demand and/or efficient service
Of course it’s nice when airlines offer dine on demand in business class, where you can order what you want when you want (assuming they don’t run out of food early in the flight, which happens far too often). While I appreciate that, I don’t consider it to be essential. I’m also happy with more “standard” service, though:
- Ideally service is still customized, and passengers don’t feel like they’re part of an assembly line; for example, if a flight attendant sees an empty glass, they should proactively offer a refill
- If the meal service is a treat (like Turkish Airlines business class), I don’t have an issue with it being drawn out
- On a short overnight flight or if the meal service isn’t amazing, service should at least be efficient and quick, so that passengers can maximize their rest
- Ideally service should get started as quickly after takeoff as possible, with the first drink being served within 45 minutes of takeoff
Extensive entertainment options
Personally I don’t care all that much about inflight entertainment — as you can see, Wi-Fi is my priority. However, I realize this is an important feature for others, and I won’t turn down an airline with thousands of options. When it comes to inflight entertainment, you can’t beat Emirates’ ICE system, or Qatar Airways’ Oryx One system.
As an avgeek, what I like most from an inflight entertainment system is a good map feature as well as a tail camera.
Good coffee & espresso-based drinks
As longtime OMAAT readers know, I love good coffee. Airplane coffee is notoriously bad, probably at least partly because the water comes from the plane’s disgusting tanks. That’s why I appreciate an airline with great espresso-based drinks, including cappuccinos. We’ve even started to see more airlines introduce iced coffee and cold brew, which I’m happy about.
There’s a huge amount of variance in terms of the quality of airline espresso-based drinks. Waking up on a plane after a great night of sleep to a freshly brewed cappuccino is pure bliss.
Good alcohol selection
That’s right, I put coffee ahead of alcohol. Nonetheless, alcohol matters as well, be it good champagne, solid red & white wine options, or liquor. There’s a huge amount of inconsistency when it comes to the quality of this, and I’d say presentation matters too. This is an area where it’s hard to beat Emirates, given its amazing A380 onboard lounge.
Amenity kits & pajamas
Sure, I like having some goodies to take with me from flights, like amenity kits and pajamas, which some airlines offer in business class. But it’s not something that’s terribly important to me. It is interesting to see the different approaches airlines take in this regard. If an airline doesn’t have good amenity kits, I at least appreciate if popular toiletries and other items (like dental kits) are stocked in lavatories.
I’d say Qatar Airways is in a league of its own when it comes to this, in terms of the quality of amenity kits and pajamas in business class.
Some local flair
Airlines can be great ambassadors of their respective countries, so I always appreciate when they add in some local flair, whatever form that may come in. This is often what stands out to me, and is a common characteristic among my favorite airline brands. This could come in the form of “local” boarding music, signature menu items from a carrier’s home country, etc.
Bottom line
While I think most can agree that a great seat is the most important factor of a good business class, we all have different priorities beyond that. Above are some of the things that I value most in a business class product, roughly ranked. Hopefully that provides some useful perspective on why I’m more of a fan of certain products than others.
What do you value most from a business class product? How does your list differ from mine?
Speaking of representing their countries with flair, I was very impressed with Copa Airlines of Panama which offered a very nice coffee - It's a very good coffee country by the way. Then on top of that Copa have chocolates that tasted great, but the real kicker was that they were the exact size dimensions and the exact weight of a frog endemic to Panama.
Copas amenity kits as of late last year early...
Speaking of representing their countries with flair, I was very impressed with Copa Airlines of Panama which offered a very nice coffee - It's a very good coffee country by the way. Then on top of that Copa have chocolates that tasted great, but the real kicker was that they were the exact size dimensions and the exact weight of a frog endemic to Panama.
Copas amenity kits as of late last year early 2026 offered different designs depicting oil paintings of local scenery like ships passing through the canal, wooden boats on the river etc...
Similar in Thailand, Also a great coffee country - Thai airways royal silk business coffee experience offered both good coffee and flair. They had a very unique coffee pour over setup which they perform at your seat with filter n all. Talk about making a passenger feel special and giving them some flavor from the country.
#1 a cooler cabin, so Air nossels !
I cant fly Turkish because they keep the cabin so HOT.
Direct aisle access - Yes
& some privacy - Depends
Free (or reasonably priced) & fast Wi-Fi - Unnecessary
Great bedding to get comfortable - Yes
Tasty & nicely presented food - Hell Yes
Friendly & attentive service - Hell Yes
Individual air nozzles - Unnecessary
Dine on demand and/or efficient service - Yes
Extensive entertainment options - Unnecessarry
Good coffee & espresso-based drinks - Hell...
Direct aisle access - Yes
& some privacy - Depends
Free (or reasonably priced) & fast Wi-Fi - Unnecessary
Great bedding to get comfortable - Yes
Tasty & nicely presented food - Hell Yes
Friendly & attentive service - Hell Yes
Individual air nozzles - Unnecessary
Dine on demand and/or efficient service - Yes
Extensive entertainment options - Unnecessarry
Good coffee & espresso-based drinks - Hell No
Good alcohol selection - Hell No
Amenity kits & pajamas - A must
Some local flair - Unnecessary
I’m in the camp that comfort is more important than privacy. Give me an old-fashioned 1990s 747 F recliner any day over a semi-private plastic pod thingy. And I agree with those who stress excellent lavatories - good ratio, sized reasonably, and spotless for the entire journey.
Before I got as far as your list I guessed/knew that high up would be free/good wi-fi and air nozzles!
Nozzles rate in my top 3 too, and are a welcome addition.
this bit made me laugh:
> too many airlines don’t consider the needs of couples or families
umm, it's *mass transit*. the needs of couples or families are the same as the needs for single travelers. if you're looking for a custom experience then fly private.
I get where you're coming from. As a NJ early adopter with a relative who piloted for another private conglomerate there's nothing like it...of course. But also of course how much more is it to fly private than F or J? Sometimes not much but usually alot.
I looked to outright charter my family from MIA to EZE (LONG FLIGHT maybe 12hrs+ and it was over holidays) - it was almost $250k. I could...
I get where you're coming from. As a NJ early adopter with a relative who piloted for another private conglomerate there's nothing like it...of course. But also of course how much more is it to fly private than F or J? Sometimes not much but usually alot.
I looked to outright charter my family from MIA to EZE (LONG FLIGHT maybe 12hrs+ and it was over holidays) - it was almost $250k. I could shop around more but Obviously for me, hard no but the points earn was tempting lol not. That's a bit different but if we are comparing int'l J to private it's fair.
Lots of people fly J or F with family and splurge on such trips. Maybe just me but when I splurge I often do a lot of research on differentiating items of which I'd say considerations for families makes a good differentiator.
once flew Qatar QSuites for actual business purposes in a four-person setup where we 2ppl faced another two because the four of us we needed to work on a key note speech and presentation. That almost conference room like setup was amazing and then when it came time to sleep we put dividers up and rested well in privacy.
It's why we booked it for almost 20k for the four of us and wow was it a differentiator.
That said, when I book for pleasure, I always book the seat in q suites next to the window because I'm a look out window guy. WE ARE FLYING! I know it's 2026 but it's still novel to me and I get giddy
I kinda don't care if WiFi is free or $10 on a flight I paid a few thousand dollars for. But I do care if it works well.
Bed comfort (and an atmosphere conducive to sleep) are the only thing I really worry about. I don’t care about wifi and I can make my own entertainment. And the food is bound to be ok.
These tabloid, HuffPost style lists seems to have become a regular feature of this blog and takes away from overall quality and positioning.
And before someone jumps in with “if you don’t like it then don’t read it”, let me just add that I didn’t read it. I just skipped directly to the comments section.
And yet you took the time to engage in the comments and grace us with your opinion.
You’re welcome.
For me, the seat, food, service, toilet and entertainment matter. I am not bothered about coffee, individual air nozzles and am fine even on a dry flight (I do enjoy beer and wine, but beer choices on almost all airlines are the cheapest supermarket brands, so...). I didn't miss wifi earlier and now welcome the absence of it to disconnect.
It makes me crazy how they brag about their wines and serve the cheapest rock bottom beers.
I would add the following enhancements:
Lavatories: Maintain excellent passenger-to-lavatory ratios with consistent cleanliness standards throughout flight. Upgrade amenities and avoid crew monopolization of forward facilities. Eliminate premature lockouts 30-45 minutes before arrival (common on UA, VS, BA).
Cabin Communications: Minimize non-essential flight deck announcements (limit to pre-flight and top-of-descent). Reserve seatbelt sign for operational necessity: takeoff plus 10 minutes, final 25 minutes of descent, and genuine turbulence only. Excessive alerts create passenger fatigue.
I...
I would add the following enhancements:
Lavatories: Maintain excellent passenger-to-lavatory ratios with consistent cleanliness standards throughout flight. Upgrade amenities and avoid crew monopolization of forward facilities. Eliminate premature lockouts 30-45 minutes before arrival (common on UA, VS, BA).
Cabin Communications: Minimize non-essential flight deck announcements (limit to pre-flight and top-of-descent). Reserve seatbelt sign for operational necessity: takeoff plus 10 minutes, final 25 minutes of descent, and genuine turbulence only. Excessive alerts create passenger fatigue.
I was on a BA flight (AUS-LHR) a while ago that was seemingly punctuated by numerous self-congratulatory announcements from the purser to the cabin crew for having to overcome "operational adversity" when they did not fully-cater the flight at AUS.
Sounds like you expect top notch waitressing in business class. Imagine grtting a college degree then bring judged only on tucking onemileatatime into bed and giving frequent drink refills. I don’t expect that in a restaurant.
I suppose if they went to Clown Dancing college, that would be as good as it could get.
There’s a Clown Dancing college? Awesome!
I wouldn't expect any of that at McDonalds 'restaurants' either.
That's about the restaurant level you are most comfortable at, yes?
Ben covered it. No notes. So far, I’ve found QR Q-Suite, ANA The Room, JAL 35K, and SQ long-haul, really do J best, but I know everyone has their favorites. I’m also fond of AF mostly for food/wine, KL long-haul for delft blue houses, and B6 newer Mint as far as US carriers with premium. If you’re gonna spend-big, you’d hope to be satisfied all-around in the end.
This - "If you’re gonna spend-big, you’d hope to be satisfied all-around in the end"
I prefer digital detox. So no Wifi is best for me.
I enjoy a good movie and a glass of wine instead of internet stress
It is funny how we all have our preferences. Could not care less about entertainment as I like to unplug from technology on flights, but love a local/cultural vibe.
I love the Japanese meals on ANA/JAL, the traditional Ethiopian course on Ethiopian, etc. To me the cultural food is what makes a lasting impression.
Here's my hot take: The focus on privacy and partitions has actually hurt business class products, particularly on narrower aircraft.
I should point out here that perspective matters - of the 100+ business class flights I've taken since I got into this game in 2011, virtually all of them have been with a partner. So I have rarely had as much reason to need privacy. Still that doesn't make my POV wrong, just different.
And...
Here's my hot take: The focus on privacy and partitions has actually hurt business class products, particularly on narrower aircraft.
I should point out here that perspective matters - of the 100+ business class flights I've taken since I got into this game in 2011, virtually all of them have been with a partner. So I have rarely had as much reason to need privacy. Still that doesn't make my POV wrong, just different.
And the fact remains that privacy and walls come at a cost. On a wider aircraft like a 777/A380, that cost is minimal or sometimes even non-existent. But on narrower aircraft, that cost is real estate and comfort. Look at the Turkish 787, the Virgin A339, the American 321XLR. In order to give everyone the privacy and walls, they're using sub-optimal products and sacrificing comfort.
By contrast, look at seats like the old Qatar product/old Turkish product. Not as fancy, no privacy - but man you could sleep great in those seats because you had so much room. And those seats had downsides as well (TK having a middle of the middle in J was definitely sub-optimal) but comfort is an inherent good to me, and privacy/partitions often come at the cost of comfort.
Yeah. I would agree with that for the most part but also realise different people have different preferences. I find that sleeping on planes in business class is becoming less and less comfortable, and recently even reclining is not that great.
I’m old so I’m going to partly blame social media. The enclosed cocoons are very instagrammable haha
I agree with you 100% about the problem with sleeping on these planes now (and I am also old). I find I keep bumping my shoulder and elbows against hard unforgiving plastic when I lay down. I almost feel like I have to be perfectly still in a coffin like position, which is not an easy way to fall asleep. I think we can all agree the seat is the number one priority although we...
I agree with you 100% about the problem with sleeping on these planes now (and I am also old). I find I keep bumping my shoulder and elbows against hard unforgiving plastic when I lay down. I almost feel like I have to be perfectly still in a coffin like position, which is not an easy way to fall asleep. I think we can all agree the seat is the number one priority although we may then differ on the others (eg I could care less about wi-fi but like entertainment and clean bathrooms!)
Having been on SQ for two legs to SIN, only 1 meter away from a screaming baby for 18 flight hours, I would have appreciated doors.
A door with no full seal which doesn't extend to the ceiling is really not gonna block much sound.