Best airlines for business class revealed
SCORING a business class seat on a flight is usually an incredible experience, but here are six airlines that do it the best. There are some surprises!
AS AIRLINES vie for the lucrative business of executive travellers, the quality of their premium offerings continues to climb to stratospheric heights.
In compiling our list of the top airlines for business class, we established certain baseline criteria, like fully flat beds, something each of the airlines on our list offers. Many also have ample space between seats and easy access to the aisle — configurations that certain airlines, like Swiss and Singapore, have mastered.
We consulted several sources, from SeatGuru.com to London-based Skytrax, which operates the World Airline Awards, a global benchmark of airline excellence based on extensive customer surveys. We also scanned reader surveys from trusted sources like Travel + Leisure magazine and intel from industry insiders like veteran flight attendants and savvy travel bloggers.
1. Singapore Airlines
This much-awarded airline tops the list in many crucial areas, not least its impressive seats, which, according to SeatGuru, are the world’s widest, a generous 34 inches on its Airbus A380-800, which flies from Singapore to London and Los Angeles, among other destinations. The cabin also features ample room between each seat, and, thanks to the 1-2-1 layout, gives every passenger direct access to the aisle.
The culinary offerings are similarly stellar: There’s Givenchy tableware and a special ‘book the cook’ option that enables passengers to preorder their main course from a lengthy online menu. Then there are the famously delightful flight attendants — Travel + Leisure readers gave them a shout-out in the 2013 World’s Best Awards — known for their thoughtful and intuitive service.
Hotel Insider’s Philippe Kjellgren is a fan: “Singapore’s business class is better than first class on most other airlines,” he notes. “You get an almost queen-size bed, turndown service and proper linens. If they can do it, why can’t everyone else?” singaporeair.com
2. Oman Air
Flagship airlines out of the Middle East — showcasing increasingly luxurious cabins and services to keep pace with their deep-pocketed clientele — have been giving traditional players across the globe a run for their money in recent years. This relative newcomer, established in 1981, has quietly been working its way up the ranks, coming in third for Best Business Class Airline Seat (length 77.5 inches, pitch 82 inches) and nabbing the No. 2 slot for business class overall in the 2013 World Airline Awards survey.
The service is exemplary as well: A warm welcome with Arabic dates and coffee greets business passengers (you’ll have to upgrade to first for caviar service); a solid Champagne and wine selection follows when country law allows or once passengers are in flight. Another highlight: Oman Air offers door-to-door service with complimentary chauffeur-driven airport transfers in select destinations such as Paris, London, Muscat, Oman, and Mumbai, India. omanair.com
3. Qatar Airways
Established in 1993, the national carrier of this tiny, prosperous Arab state is already one of the world’s most lauded, winning Skytrax’s Best Business Class Overall award in 2013 and ranking second in Best Business Class Lounge for its luxe facility in Doha, Qatar. The business-class service has also racked up a number of firsts: Its B787s have the world’s first dual-screen interfaces, which enable passengers to play games on handheld devices while waiting for movies to load.
The airline was also the first to offer different wine selections (hand-picked by two masters of wine) going east and west out of Doha, Qatar, so that frequent flyers enjoy different selections on each leg; and it’s the only airline to offer rosé Champagne in business — Billecart-Salmon, no less. Having star chef Nobu Matsuhisa oversee the in-flight menu hasn’t hurt either. qatarairways.com
4. British Airways
This veteran airline is still going strong, consistently polling well with business travellers thanks to features like its Elemis amenity kits and an on-board ‘Club Kitchen,’ where flyers can graze between meals. Its lie-flat seats also have a distinctive ‘Z’ position that extends to six feet, six inches and is ideal for watching movies.
The carrier’s lounges also garner top marks — the Heathrow Club World Lounge nabbed the third slot in the 2012 World Airline Awards Best Business Class Lounge category — with special mention going to the Galleries Arrivals lounge, which features an Elemis Travel Spa, 94 shower rooms, cabanas with infinity bathrooms and a garment-pressing service. britishairways.com
5. Etihad Airways
This precocious youngster, launched in 2003 as the flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has been busy winning the hearts of well-heeled travellers, not to mention several awards, including top-10 ranks for food, lounge and business class overall, according to Skytrax. The Pearl business-class cabin features six-foot-one-inch flat beds with privacy shells and direct aisle access from every seat; food and beverage managers for each passenger; and thoughtful touches like mood lighting to help ease jet lag.
On the ground, meanwhile, expect to be pampered in the business lounge’s Six Senses Spa. There’s also a library stocked with papers and magazines and speedy services — ironing and shoe polishing — you can cue up while you shower. etihad.com
6. Swissair
Attention to detail is what sets this airline’s business cabin apart: Expect out-of-the-box touches like all-veggie menus from Zurich’s Haus Hiltl, the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. The new angled seats and seating configuration (1-2-1/2-2-1, offering better access to the aisle) are also innovative, and the airline keeps the middle seat in three-seat rows empty on all European flights.
“The seating configuration is one of our favourite options right now,” writes Robeel Haq on the well-regarded travel blog The Aviation Writer, “providing privacy when you need it and the ability to travel and talk with a partner if you desire, plus it solves the dreaded ‘step-over-a-sleeping-stranger’ manoeuvre for the usual 2x2x2 seating configuration.” swiss.com
This article first appeared on Huffington Post.
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