Business class travel not so equal among airlines with Singapore Airlines in top spot: Bounce

Travelling at the pointy end of the plane can be a less than premium experience on some airlines, according to a new study.

Singapore Airlines has been ranked as having the best business class in the world, shortly after unveiling the makeover of its Boeing 737 Max 8s. Picture: Supplied

Travelling at the pointy end of the plane is not always worth the extra dollars, a new survey has found.

Analysis of thousands of airline reviews on businessclass.com by luggage company Bounce, revealed there were significant differences in the premium experience offered by various carriers.

Singapore Airlines was ranked as being the best business class airline with an overall score of 9.57 out of 10, based on marks awarded in seven categories.

These included the airport experience for premium passengers, cabin and seat, cuisine, beverage, in-flight entertainment, service and amenities.

Singapore managed a perfect score in four categories — food, beverage, service and entertainment — and was marked 9 out of 10 for the others.

Singapore Airlines’ business class has been ranked as the world’s best.

Qatar Airways came in second on 9.29 after impressing with its food and service while the airline’s private Qsuites for business class passengers were marked 9 out of 10.

Cathay Pacific was the only other airline to achieve a score of 9 or more to rank as the third best business class carrier, beating Turkish Airlines, Etihad and Emirates.

Qantas was not included in the study, however, Air New Zealand finished equal tenth with Virgin Atlantic, Thai, Delta and Hainan.

At the other end of the scale Egyptair scored most poorly with an overall mark of 5.71 out of 10, largely due to the fact the airline serves no alcohol on board, no matter where you sit.

Despite recently investing in some new aircraft, Egyptair’s fleet and cabin product were generally considered “dated” resulting in the lowest marks for business class seats.

Below average service and limited in-flight entertainment saw Panama’s flag carrier Copa Airlines relegated to second last, followed by Air China which lost points for having no Wi-Fi and only a few movies to choose from.

The survey also ranked international airports on their amenities for business class travellers with Sydney coming in 19th out of 38.

Despite boasting 24 lounges, Sydney Airport lost marks for the number of destinations served (119) and a 75 per cent on-time performance rate.

Heathrow in London was number one thanks to its 43 lounges, and the fact travellers could fly direct to 239 destinations.

Heathrow Airport’s international arrivals area. The London Airport has been ranked as offering the best business class traveller experience in the world. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Haneda in Tokyo came in second with 27 lounges and an 86.4 per cent on-time performance result, while Changi in Singapore was third with a 5-star Skytrax rating, and a broad network of 175 destinations.

The worst airport in the survey was Ninoy Aquino International in the Philippines, which managed a score of just 0.88 out of 10.

As well as having “only” 14 lounges, Manila’s main airport lost marks for a limited network and on-time performance, with under 60 per cent of flights taking off as scheduled.

Gatwick Airport south of London also fared badly, scoring 1.82 out of 10, and Newark Liberty International in New Jersey was third last on 2.03.