I’m an airline product geek, and every so often I like to publish a list of what I consider to be the world’s best first class airlines, best first class lounges, best business class airlines, best business class lounges, etc. In this post I wanted to provide an updated ranking of what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats, as this is an area where we’ve seen lots of developments over the years.
In this post:
Business class seats have come a long way
We’ve seen a significant amount of innovation when it comes to business class seats, with some of the world’s best business class seats having been introduced in recent years.
However, it’s worth acknowledging that this is part of a larger trend, as over the past few decades we’ve seen business class seats go from recliners, to angled flat seats, to flat beds, to seats with direct aisle access, to suites with doors. In many ways, the premium economy cabins being introduced nowadays aren’t that different than business class 20+ years ago.
Given the amount of innovation we’ve seen, I wanted to share an updated post with what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats.
What makes a great business class seat?
My ranking will be subjective, since not everyone is looking for the same thing when flying, and I think creating a formula for ranking these seats would minimize the perspective I can provide, having tried all of these products myself.
Some people love direct aisle access from every seat. Others don’t, since they love to sit next to their travel companion. Some people love seats with doors. Others hate them. The list goes on and on.
What goes into my decision as to what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats? A fully flat bed with direct aisle access from at least most seats is a given to make this list, though here’s what I’m looking for beyond that:
- A comfortable sleeping surface — First and foremost, business class is about the bed, so a comfortable sleeping surface is the single most important factor. Part of that is lots of space for my feet, since some airlines seem to be developing elaborate seats with small footwells.
- The ability to maximize privacy — This is something I personally care about, though I know others don’t. Given the choice, I’ll always take a seat that offers more privacy over one that doesn’t. I find it awkward to sleep next to strangers on the ground, and the same applies in the air.
- Attention to detail with the design — Often I wonder if the person who designed a particular business class seat has ever actually been in business class before, because the design doesn’t have great attention to detail. I’m talking about where buttons are located, how good the lighting is, how easy it is to use the tray table, and more.
- Different seating configurations for different occasions — Everyone travels with a different purpose, so it’s important that seats are customizable depending on whether you’re traveling alone, with a companion, or with your family. It’s great to have a lot of privacy, but truly exceptional airlines have designed their cabins in such a way that you can choose whether you want to sit alone, or next to someone else.
- Great tech — Lately a lot of the innovation with new business class seating has come in the form of improved technology, including bluetooth audio, several high speed charging ports, wireless charging, high definition personal entertainment screens, and more.
- Beautiful finishes — While the substance of a seat is most important to me, there’s also something to be said for a cabin that’s stylish.
- Individual air nozzles — This is something I won’t be able to cover too thoroughly here, since in some cases I’ll be talking about seats that are used by many airlines. However, for any airline product folks reading this, individual air nozzles make a huge difference in terms of being able to sleep comfortably, given how warm cabins are often kept.
Why you should trust OMAAT seat rankings
Hopefully I don’t have to explain this to regular OMAAT readers, but I feel like this is worth mentioning for those who aren’t regular readers…
All the time I see media outlets ranking the best business class seats, though typically they’re just going off stock media images and how airlines describe their seats, rather than actual firsthand experience.
While I’m absolutely not saying you need to agree with my rankings, here’s why you should trust OMAAT rankings, in the sense that I’m sharing my honest and informed take here:
- I pay for all of my own flights, either with cash or miles
- I’ve tried virtually every kind of business class seat out there, and have flown business class literally hundreds of times, so have lots of context for what makes a great seat
- I don’t have any sort of financial relationship with any airline
- This is my passion, I’ve been reviewing airlines for 15+ years, I’ve written hundreds of flight reviews, and have logged millions of miles
The world’s 10 best business class seats
Let me now share what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats. Just a few final notes, before I do so:
- Some of the seats I list are only available on one airline, while others are available on dozens of airlines, so I’m only going to be listing each type of seat once, even if there are minor variances
- In situations where only one airline has a seat type, I’ll refer to it by airline, while when it’s a situation where multiple airlines have the same seat, I’ll refer to it by the seat name
- One general struggle I have with these rankings is deciding which seat in a configuration to judge (for example, Singapore Airlines’ bulkhead business class seats are phenomenal, while the rest of the seats aren’t nearly as good); so I’ll be judging seat variations only if at least an average of one seat in each row has the comfort that wins it the ranking
- I’m leaving service, food, drinks, entertainment, and Wi-Fi out of this equation; this list is all about the hard product
- I won’t be including “business class plus” products in these rankings, though that is becoming an increasingly common offering, that’s somewhere between first and business class
Below are my rankings, starting with the best…
1. All Nippon Airways “The Room” business class
All Nippon Airways has the world’s best business class seat, in my opinion, which was introduced in 2019. This is simply an incredible product — each seat has a door, the suites are massive, and the amount of personal space is unparalleled.
With this seat, I really feel like airline products have come full circle, because this business class suite is better than many first class suites out there. This even beats the world famous Qatar Airways Qsuites product, at least in terms of hard product.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available exclusively on select ANA 777-300ERs. No other airlines have this product.
2. Japan Airlines Safran Unity business class
Japan Airlines is the global launch customer for the Safran Unity seat, which is the latest and greatest new business class seat out there. This is ultimately a staggered business class seat, though what sets it apart is that it’s incredibly spacious, has a ton of storage, and also has excellent tech, from bluetooth audio to wireless charging.
While the seat isn’t quite as spacious as ANA’s business class, the soft product and technology is quite a bit better, in my opinion, so I’m a huge fan of this product, and it’s among my favorite business class experiences in the world.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on all Japan Airlines A350-1000s. It will eventually be available on other airlines, including on Air India’s refreshed wide body planes, plus Qantas’ A350s.
3. Collins Aerospace Elements business class
Nowadays, reverse herringbone seats are among the most popular business class seats out there. Popular seat manufacturer Collins Aerospace recently took this to the next level, with the introduction of its new Elements business class seat.
What makes this different than previous generation reverse herringbone seats? Well, quite a bit. The seat has a massive 24″ entertainment monitor, amazing tech, a door, and most important of all, it has significantly more space in the footwell. Many reverse herringbone products feel really tight in bed mode, so that’s where this evolution of the concept shines. I can’t wait to see more airlines introduce this same product.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on all Starlux Airlines A350s, and is also being installed on the newest Etihad 787s.
4. Qatar Airways Qsuites business class
Qatar Airways introduced the Qsuite in 2017, and set a new standard for business class at the time. Just about everything about it is incredible — it’s private (it features a door), it’s spacious, it’s stylish, it has plenty of storage, and everything is thoughtfully designed.
What really seals the deal is how customizable these suites are. You can choose a window seat for full privacy, you can choose a double bed in the center section, or if you’re traveling as a group of four, you can even reserve a quad and create a huge suite. What’s most exciting is that Qatar Airways will soon be introducing a next generation version of the product, with even more incremental improvements.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on all Qatar Airways A350-1000s, and on select Qatar Airways A350-900s, 777-200LRs, and 777-300ERs. No other airlines have this product.
5. Adient Ascent business class
While Qatar Airways is most well known for its Qsuites business class, the airline is installing the Adient Ascent seat on its 787-9s. These seats have doors and direct aisle access. Qatar Airways is the launch customer for this product, though you’ll also now find it on Hawaiian Airlines.
This configuration is highly customizable, and each seat has a door. It’s a bit different than your typical reverse herringbone configuration, since the center seats sometimes face the aisle rather than the center of the cabin. The finishes in this cabin are all very well designed.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on Qatar Airways 787-9s and on Hawaiian Airlines 787-9s. This is also the new American business class, so will be installed on the carrier’s new premium 787-9s, and retrofitted on 777-300ERs.
6. Air France Safran Versa business class
Safran debuted its new Versa business class reverse herringbone seat on Air France, and it’s quite a good product. It has doors, excellent technology, and the seat feels quite spacious. Perhaps what’s most remarkable is the bulkhead seats in this configuration, which I’d consider to be the single best business class seats in the world. Of course only a small percentage of passengers get that seat, though.
Where to find this seat: This product is available exclusively on select Air France 777-300ERs, though you can expect this to be available on more planes in the future. Note that while Air France A350-900s have a very similar product, it’s from a different manufacturer.
7. Collins Aerospace reverse herringbone business class with door
As you can see above, Collins Aerospace’s cutting edge business class product is the Elements seat, available on Starlux Airlines and Etihad Airways. However, it’s worth also mentioning the company’s previous generation reverse herringbone product, which is otherwise among the best you’ll find in the skies.
The Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat is incredibly popular, and can be found on airlines like Air Canada, American, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Xiamen Air, and many more airlines. However, what elevates this product to the next level is that we’ve seen some airlines add doors to this seat.
In general I like reverse herringbone seats because each seat is virtually identical, so there are no bad seats. The seats have plenty of privacy, the window seats face the windows, and the seats are comfortable regardless of whether you’re relaxing or sleeping. The downside is that these seats aren’t ideal when traveling with someone, since even the center seats are quite private.
Where to find this seat: British Airways has the most of these seats in service, as they can be found on all A350-1000s and 787-10s, as well as select 777s and 787s. On top of that, Etihad has a similar product on its A350-1000s.
8. Collins Aerospace Horizon business class
Here’s another staggered business class product that’s becoming increasingly popular. Collins Aerospace has produced the Horizon business class seat, which is a staggered configuration with a door. This is a very functionally designed seat, with storage, good tech, and it’s comfortable whether sitting up or trying to sleep. Personally I prefer this product to the Vantage XL product with a door.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on a subset of Turkish Airlines A350s and on Air India A350s, all of which were initially intended for Aeroflot. On top of that, Korean Air is installing this on its newly delivered 787-10s.
9. Apex Suites business class
When you look at Apex Suites, you may initially think that they’re just average business class seats, as they don’t look that impressive. For example, on a 787, Apex Suites will be in a 2-2-2 configuration. What makes these seats superior is the window seats, as they feature an unrivaled amount of privacy and personal space. The window seats have a private walkway leading to the seat, and you can raise or lower the partition between seats for full privacy.
For many other business class seats, you have to sleep with your feet in a small footwell, while in an Apex Suite you have an unlimited amount of space for your feet. The other nice thing is that if you’re traveling with someone you can select an aisle and a window seat and sit next to one another, though you won’t have the same level of privacy in the aisle seat.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on Gulf Air (787-9s), Japan Airlines (select 777s and 787s), Korean Air (747-8s, 787-9s, and select 777-300ERs), and Oman Air (select 787s and A330s).
10. Vantage XL business class with door
Delta’s flagship business class product is the Delta One Suite, which is a business class suite with a door. Delta uses a modified Vantage XL seat (similar to what you’ll find on Philippine Airlines, Qantas, RwandAir, and SAS, for example).
The Vantage XL seat isn’t otherwise on the list because I consider this to be an evolved version of it, given the addition of a door. The configuration is staggered, and the seats are private, spacious, and mostly well designed.
However, I do think the seat is a bit rough around the edges — the window seats lack storage, the door doesn’t quite close the whole way, the doors themselves are pretty low, and they’re difficult to open. This is a very good product, but a better job could have been done with the finishes, in my opinion.
Where to find this seat: This seat is available on select Delta A350-900s and A330-900neos (though it feels much tighter on the A330s). Virgin Atlantic also has these seats on A330-900neos, China Eastern has these seats on A350-900s and 787-9s, and Shanghai Airlines has these seats on 787-9s.
Bottom line
There you have it, those are what I consider to be the 10 best business class seats. As you can see, in some cases these seats are specific to one airline, while in other cases many airlines have the same seats.
These rankings are highly subjective, and on a given day I could see the order of some of them being switched around, depending on whether I plan on sleeping the whole flight, am traveling with someone, etc. The only rankings I’m pretty committed to is my top four choices, though I could also see the order being moved around depending on the circumstances.
What do you think the world’s best business class seats are? How does your list compare to mine?
I didn't see storage area on your list of characteristics. We've been in some business class where the seats were very comfortable, but there was almost no convenient storage near the seat. Maybe enough to put your cell phone, but that's it. Compare that to decent storage in JetBlue business class.
Ben,
No mention of the Finnair business class seat? I have not own it but have read a number of favourable reviews.
What is it you don't like about it that kept it off the list?
I'm curious what you feel is the best US to Europe business class for couples traveling together? My wife and I are going to Italy next year and I've been reading a ton of reviews on the various business class products, but most of the reviewers seem to be solo travelers so the reviews are slanted as such. We want seats with a feeling of privacy, just not from each other. Thanks in advance!
Overnight I flew on TAP A330-900 Miami to Lisbon. I would have to submit whatever seat this config has as the worst I've flown for International Business class in the last 10 years ever since Singapore abolished their A330 sloping lie flat with the floppy foot pads. The seat looked like many others but it was tight and no space once the TV is released into your immediate viewing space. Plus the audio jacks are...
Overnight I flew on TAP A330-900 Miami to Lisbon. I would have to submit whatever seat this config has as the worst I've flown for International Business class in the last 10 years ever since Singapore abolished their A330 sloping lie flat with the floppy foot pads. The seat looked like many others but it was tight and no space once the TV is released into your immediate viewing space. Plus the audio jacks are hidden away down with your shoes where normal people would never see them. I only selected TAP as it was readily available with Aeroplan points. Next time I will look harder.
TAP is an airline to avoid. Resist any temptation to give it another chance, no matter how good the pricing seems.
On the way to the fated trip to the Maldives we flew SEA-DOH in the Honeymoon suite. This ended up being our mistake because had we stayed with our original window seats the screw-up would never have happened.
The Honeymoon Suite was fantastic - except the door would never stay closed as the suite faces backwards and the plane flies with a little pitch.
FA's eventually taped it closed not that we really cared.
Probably need to update the comment in the super diamond seat review about its downside being too private when travelling with a partner. This applies to almost all of the seats it in the list, with the exception of Q-suites.
Nice article, Having flown on average 150 flights pa for the past 10 years, average 500,000kms every year, 95% Business and First, I concur with you on ANA The Room. I have a particular seat I think is the best for Privacy but I'm not telling ha ha. I'd put QR at 2nd ( have not flown JL ) recently so cannot comment.
I really like Oman Air A330's, although little too narrow, but...
Nice article, Having flown on average 150 flights pa for the past 10 years, average 500,000kms every year, 95% Business and First, I concur with you on ANA The Room. I have a particular seat I think is the best for Privacy but I'm not telling ha ha. I'd put QR at 2nd ( have not flown JL ) recently so cannot comment.
I really like Oman Air A330's, although little too narrow, but bloody great that Qatar are using them on the DOH CMB route instead of those ridiculous old QR A330's.
I just did Etihad new Business AMS-AUH and found the cushioning was the the best. So soft and comfortable.
If I had one criticism of ANA, the cushioning tends to be a bit hard especially after a 12-13 hour flight which I have experienced twice this year ( JFK HND )
Thanks for this article, the research is really beneficial for the full time flyers. It actually helps me personally determine which airlines I choose when I have multiple options.
I'll look forward to the next First best seats. Although I did SQ Suites twice this year ( FRA-SIN ) on their A388 and would suggest that is a no-brainer as to the world's best
I am just wondering where the Allegris privacy seats would fit in the list. Those got a positive review from Ben - although it’s only a subset of the various Allegris seats.
In spite of all of the hype about Allegris.
Just flew LH Allegris this week, superb product and great use of technology!
It would be very interesting to see more of these niche rankings such as best bedding, lounge shower rooms, lounge sleeping rooms (already covered, i know), etc.
Nice idea... could be a fun list of various service aspects, as well as airport amenities besides just the lounges (that could be many lists in itself!)
The Q Suite spacious? You are kidding. It's cramped and claustrophobic with a table under the tv that you constantly bump into when sleeping. And you said this was not about technology etc, yet you mentioned technology several times
Absence of Singapore is really noticeable.
But then again, they were never really known for their hard product.
I appreciate that Ben admits that this is a SUBJECTIVE ranking but it is also entirely based on the hard product - which contains features that can be measured, even if those may not be known because of customization. Some reviewers have been know to get out rulers in order to measure things.
No great product is great if it comes with mediocre service. Ben does review a lot of flights which includes the hard...
I appreciate that Ben admits that this is a SUBJECTIVE ranking but it is also entirely based on the hard product - which contains features that can be measured, even if those may not be known because of customization. Some reviewers have been know to get out rulers in order to measure things.
No great product is great if it comes with mediocre service. Ben does review a lot of flights which includes the hard and soft elements with the soft elements being even more subjective in rating.
I still think Ben needs to come up with a numeric approach to evaluating both hard and soft products.
I've gotta agree with you this time... soft products certainly are important, and it sometimes even feels like their importance are getting ignored (not that Ben ignores those).
@NS I doubt even if the soft product were included a certain US based airline would crack the top 5.
With drunk or stabby flight attendants and stowaways!
In the absence of a customized seat, there are only so many manufacturers and models of business class seats. If airline A, B, and C each have (for example) the Super Diamond, the differentiator is the service. And, if seat model X is similar enough to model Y, the differentiator is again the service.
ANAs seat is the Safran Fusio. The only thing it needs really would be Bluetooth audio, wireless charging, and additional storage space. The new CX Aria Suites and QRs Qsite have a storage drawer under the cocktail table which is a creative way to incorporate storage space. Hopefully they find their way on their 787s as they need to catch up.
A month ago I flew the above-mentioned ANA business class from HAN-ORD. I found the foot cubicle small, and when I laid down I could not extend my legs fully. I had to sleep at an angle to actually fit in the bed. I am not that tall - 185cm. Never had this issue in any other business class seat. Anyone else had this experience?
Could not agree more about the Apex seat. One of the oldest on the list but still my absolute favourite.
You know it's a good product when the airlines hate it because it occupies too much real estate on the aircraft!
World's best business class "seats", that was a good decision to change the title.
The top three on the list have inferior soft products to the fourth place.
Because I would never fly an airline with decent or excellent hard product but a subpar soft product (wouldn't mind too much if it was the other way around) especially the cases like the US carriers where the crew are downright rude, I'll say that...
World's best business class "seats", that was a good decision to change the title.
The top three on the list have inferior soft products to the fourth place.
Because I would never fly an airline with decent or excellent hard product but a subpar soft product (wouldn't mind too much if it was the other way around) especially the cases like the US carriers where the crew are downright rude, I'll say that QR has the best business class product on the world.
Not to mention that Qsuites are installed on significantly more A/Cs compared to NH The Room 777, JAL A35K, etc.
But it seems like some man whose name starts P and ends with a doesn't really care.
I think that may be a personal opinion.
I definitely consider ANA and JAL to have superb soft products and in my opinion, better than QR's.
Like I say, personal opinion.
@Duck Ling
Yeah, personal opinion.
But I can't help but think that those two Japanese carriers' soft product is overrated.
Still top tier but maybe not as much as the community hypes about.
Their IFE is lacking selections, service isn't very personalized especially in The Room 777, etc.
While QR has very wide variety IFE contents, offers dine on demand and even serves caviar in business class and more.
The only...
@Duck Ling
Yeah, personal opinion.
But I can't help but think that those two Japanese carriers' soft product is overrated.
Still top tier but maybe not as much as the community hypes about.
Their IFE is lacking selections, service isn't very personalized especially in The Room 777, etc.
While QR has very wide variety IFE contents, offers dine on demand and even serves caviar in business class and more.
The only standout in their soft product (if you can call this that), would be the the attetiveness of FAs. Or maybe the fact that it's Japanese itself for some people like Proximanova.
Again, personal opinion.
No rights or wrongs.
Yeah, ANA and JAL in terms of food and service aren't inferior to QR in any way.
@Julia
Maybe not inferior in a major way, but it's just that QR's product have some advantages.
Dine on demand on business class can't beat their assembly-line (at least with some touch) service.
But again, they're still one of the best in the world.
And the whole "top N" thing is extremely subjective.
I also forgot to mention that I found EVA Air to be better than Japanese carrier in terms...
@Julia
Maybe not inferior in a major way, but it's just that QR's product have some advantages.
Dine on demand on business class can't beat their assembly-line (at least with some touch) service.
But again, they're still one of the best in the world.
And the whole "top N" thing is extremely subjective.
I also forgot to mention that I found EVA Air to be better than Japanese carrier in terms of soft products.
Just that their seats are average on 777s and 787s and subpar on A330s.
I so disagree when people say the premium economy is like the business class of 20 years ago. I remember flying the QF recliner J seats long haul all the time back in the day. And while they’re no where near as comfortable as business class today, they were far better than premium Y today. They had way more recline. The leg rests were actually good and they had a lot more space. Sure. When...
I so disagree when people say the premium economy is like the business class of 20 years ago. I remember flying the QF recliner J seats long haul all the time back in the day. And while they’re no where near as comfortable as business class today, they were far better than premium Y today. They had way more recline. The leg rests were actually good and they had a lot more space. Sure. When visually looking at them, they look more similar, but to fly on them is totally different.
I also flew on a United 747 trans-Pacific flight. Screens in front for "entertainment" and a seat equal to their 737 F product today.
Agreed, I remember my trips 20yrs ago on KL DC10 business class. Tremendous padding, endless leg room and a very effective leg rest. In some ways they were easier to sleep in than the angle flats that followed.
So much better than todays PE seats which have better tech but are more cramped (2/4/2 vs 2/2/2) and much less padding.
I would put Polaris (Optima) above Vantage XL with a door. It’s a dense configuration and lacks a door, but is exceptionally well designed for what it is. The layout + shell design provides terrific privacy, beating both Vantage XL w/ door and Superdiamond w/ door due to shell height. The seat itself is super comfy as a bed or while sitting, and there is at least as much storage space as American’s Cirrus seats...
I would put Polaris (Optima) above Vantage XL with a door. It’s a dense configuration and lacks a door, but is exceptionally well designed for what it is. The layout + shell design provides terrific privacy, beating both Vantage XL w/ door and Superdiamond w/ door due to shell height. The seat itself is super comfy as a bed or while sitting, and there is at least as much storage space as American’s Cirrus seats (and perhaps a bit more than most SuperDiamonds.)
Thanks in part to the smart design, the density becomes a feature instead of a problem. More seats per plane for cheaper tickets or upgrades!
As a tall side sleeper, I am fine with Vantage XL (whether door or not), but cannot sleep well in Polaris Business Class. Polaris feels like being in a coffin with no possibility to bend my knees.
How about the worst list? has to be the older British Airways that resembles a coffin. recently flew on the older one all I could think is "never again" - outdated and zero comfort.
The window seat for these 777-200ER's are superb... rear facing, more privacy than seats with doors
I can't handle a business class seat that splits midway, and a tiny footrest thingy, lack of privacy and the dump n grind if seated in an aisle seat. the WORST
"Different seating configurations for different occasions"
-LH Allegris entered the chat
Wow, how Qatar Airways have fallen, and how Japan and Taiwan have risen. That said, it will be only a matter of time before the execs at Doha realise they’ve had enough of Taipei and Tokyo stealing their thunder, and of Singapore being totally irrelevant. I bet the Qsuite Next Gen will arrive on the A350 as well.
When I say ‘how Qatar Airways have fallen’, I forgot to put the /s over there — of course it’s the pioneer, and the Qsuite remains one of the very best in the game!
By the way, Oman Air no longer has A330s, other than the ones flying for QR. Too bad they retired the A330s with the unique throwback first class!
I was going to say... It's not that they've fallen, it's just that others have improved so much. Just flew QR the other day and it was fantastic all around (though I seem to be the only one that thinks DOH, while a nice airport, is highly overrated).
What about the top 10 worst business class seats??! Ha.
that's actually a really good post idea. ben, you should totally write an article about the 10 worst seats (i.e., club world, concept d)
This is a really good idea and hope Ben writes this.
Agreed! Love the idea!
I vote for BA's Club Europe on the A320 (not the neo version). I just had a miserable 5-hour LHR-CAI flight on that product. My knees are still aching.
If Ben does actually write that, that better be the top 10 worst business class seats of "major carriers". There're countless (and irrelevant to the most) minor carriers that he haven't flown yet and who knows how does that compare to one of the most hated products of major carriers, like Emirates 777 business classs....
So much to choose from:
-- Old BA Club World
-- Air New Zealand
-- Virgin Atlantic 787
-- United domestic 777-200 coffins
-- Lufthansa 747-8
And the DL 767
As for BA, I loved the old Club World with the cradle seats. I found I could sleep better in those than on most flat bed seats today. It even saved me one time after I had a back spasm in Beijing and decided to fly to London rather than deal with the PRC medical system. Of course BA's service, then, was also better than in recent years.