Flying in the front of the plane used to mean a slightly bigger chair and a nicer meal. Today, on many airlines, business class feels closer to having your own tiny room in the sky. In this guide, we walk through what we think are the 10 best business class seats in the world and why they stand out.
How Business Class Turned Into Mini Rooms
If you go back many years, business class seats were basically recliners. They leaned back more than economy, but you were still sitting, not lying down. After that came angled lie flat seats. Those tilted toward a bed shape but your head and feet were not quite level.
Then airlines introduced real lie flat seats. You could stretch out in a straight line and actually sleep. The next step brought layouts where most people could reach the aisle without climbing over someone else. Finally, some airlines added high shells and sliding doors, which turned many business class seats into small suites.
At the same time, more and more carriers started offering premium economy. If you look at premium economy today and compare it to business class from about 20 to 25 years ago, you can see that they are not that different. That shows how far the top cabins have moved.
Right now, we think the basic comfort level of business class is close to its peak. Most new changes are smaller upgrades instead of huge jumps. You see more focus on privacy, charging points, screens, and smart storage, not completely new shapes of seats.
What Makes A Business Class Seat Truly Good
People travel for different reasons, and they do not all care about the same things. Some want to sit right next to a partner. Others want a quiet corner away from everyone. Some like doors and high walls. Others feel trapped if the space is too closed in.
Because of that, any list like this will always be based on judgment. We are not trying to build a rigid math formula. Instead, we rely on our time actually flying in these cabins, resting in them, and noticing the details.
To even be considered for this list, a seat needs to turn into a fully flat bed and give most or all passengers direct access to the aisle. On top of that, we look at several key points.
How Well You Can Sleep
The bed is the heart of the product. If you cannot rest properly, the seat is failing at its main job. We pay attention to how long the bed is, how wide it feels at the shoulders, and how firm or soft the surface is.
Foot space is especially important. Some cabins look great in photos but squeeze your feet into a small tunnel when the seat is flat. That can feel tight and awkward, especially for tall people or those who like to sleep on their side. The best seats avoid this or at least make it much less of a problem.
Privacy And Separation
Many travelers want to forget that there are dozens of other people around them. We like seats where you do not feel like you are sitting face to face with a stranger. High shells, dividers, and doors can all help with this.
We also prefer layouts where your head is not right next to the aisle. When your head is tucked away from foot traffic, you are less likely to be bumped or woken by noise and movement.
Design That Feels Thoughtful
You can tell when the people who designed a seat actually thought about how real travelers use it. We look at simple but important details: where the buttons are, how easy it is to reach the reading light, how the tray table moves, and whether you can get up without folding everything away.
Good seats have smart places to store a phone, laptop, glasses, and a bottle of water. Those spots should be easy to reach whether you are sitting up or lying flat. When those details are wrong, you spend half the flight hunting for a safe place to put your things.
Flexibility For Different Kinds Of Trips
You might be flying alone on a work trip this month and traveling with family next time. Great cabins can handle both.
If you want peace and quiet, you should be able to pick a seat that feels like your own little corner. If you want to sit close to a partner or a friend, there should be options where you can talk without shouting across the aisle. A few of the very best designs even let four people sit together in the middle and create a shared space.
Up To Date Technology
New business class seats are packed with tech. We like products that offer bluetooth audio, so you can connect your own wireless headphones. Several fast charging ports make it easy to keep a phone, tablet, and laptop powered at the same time.
Screens matter as well. Clear, bright, high definition screens with quick menus make it easy to enjoy movies and shows. Old, low resolution screens with slow controls feel out of place in a modern premium cabin.
Look And Feel Of The Cabin
Appearance is not as important as sleep comfort, but it still plays a role. Soft colors, warm lighting, and good materials can make the cabin feel calm and premium.
When the finishes look cheap or the colors clash, the cabin can feel less special even if the basic seat design is strong.
Air Vents You Can Control Yourself
Long flights are often kept a bit warm, and not everyone likes the same temperature. When there are air nozzles above each seat, you can cool your own space instead of hoping the whole cabin gets colder.
Not every airline installs these vents, especially in newer cabins. When they do, it makes it much easier to stay comfortable and fall asleep.
Why You Can Trust Our Business Class List
Lists of “best business class” appear all over the internet, and many of them are clearly built from press photos, seat maps, and marketing talk rather than real flights. Our rankings come from actually sitting in these seats again and again, so we judge them the same way you would as a paying traveler.
We buy our own tickets using cash or miles, and over the years we have tried all the main styles of business class seats on hundreds of flights. We do not have money deals with any airline, so there is no hidden reason to push one carrier ahead of another.
Reviewing cabins and onboard products has been our focus for many years and millions of miles flown, so even if you disagree with the exact order of our list, you can trust that it is based on real experience in the air, not on reading brochures.
With that in mind, here are our 10 favorite business class seats, starting with our top pick.
1. ANA “The Room” Business Class Suite
First place goes to the very wide business class suite that All Nippon Airways introduced in 2019 and calls “The Room.” This product feels closer to a compact first class suite than to a typical business class seat.
Each seat has high walls and a sliding door. When you turn it into a bed, you get a long, wide surface with lots of room to move your legs and change positions. The feeling of space is amazing, especially compared to older business class layouts.
You are also well protected from the aisle. Once you close the door, it is easy to forget that there are people walking by. It is a great setup if you value privacy and want to sleep as much as possible.
The Room is on selected ANA Boeing 777 300ER jets. A version of this suite is also planned for some ANA Boeing 787 aircraft.
2. Japan Airlines Safran Unity Business Class Seat
Next on our list is the Safran Unity seat that Japan Airlines introduced on its flagship long haul planes. The design is technically a staggered layout, but the way the space is shaped makes it feel generous and well planned.
You get a door for privacy, smart storage areas, and modern tech. Features like bluetooth audio and wireless phone charging are built in. That means you can use your own headphones and keep your phone powered without juggling cables.
Unity does not feel quite as huge as The Room, but it offers a very strong mix of comfort, design, and technology. For many travelers, it is one of the best all around business class experiences you can book.
You will see Safran Unity on Japan Airlines Airbus A350 1000 aircraft. The same basic seat type is also expected to roll out to other airlines and fleets, including refreshed wide body planes at Air India and future Airbus A350s for Qantas.
3. Collins Aerospace Elements Reverse Herringbone Suite
Reverse herringbone layouts are a modern classic in business class, and Collins Aerospace took this idea further with its Elements suite. The result is one of the most balanced seat designs in the air right now.
Each seat faces slightly toward the window or the aisle, which gives you a sense of space and privacy. There is a large, sharp entertainment screen, updated controls, and, importantly, a door at each seat.
The biggest improvement over many older reverse herringbone products is the foot space. Instead of a tight little tunnel, Elements gives you more room for your legs, which makes lying flat and turning over much easier.
The Elements suite is installed on Starlux Airlines Airbus A350s, on the newest Etihad Boeing 787s, and on Cathay Pacific Boeing 777s that feature the Aria Suites cabin.
4. Qatar Airways Qsuite Business Class
In 2017, Qatar Airways launched Qsuite, and it quickly became a new benchmark for business class. The suites look stylish, offer plenty of storage, and include a door for privacy.
One of the smartest parts of this design is how flexible it is. Solo travelers can pick window suites for a quiet, private space. Couples can choose middle seats that convert into a double bed style setup. Groups of four can even book a block of middle suites and lower the dividers to make a shared area for eating, talking, or working.
Even with newer products on the market, Qsuite still stands out as one of the most complete business class hard products.
Qsuite cabins are on all Qatar Airways Airbus A350 1000s, plus selected Airbus A350 900s, Boeing 777 200LRs, and Boeing 777 300ERs. At the moment, this suite is unique to Qatar Airways.
5. Adient Ascent Business Class Suite
Qatar Airways is best known for Qsuite, but its Boeing 787 9s use a different premium product called Adient Ascent. This suite also gives each passenger a door and direct access to the aisle.
The layout looks a bit different from classic reverse herringbone cabins. In some rows, the center seats angle toward the aisle instead of toward each other. This changes how you feel in the space and how you interact with people nearby.
The finishes in these cabins are usually quite elegant, with soft lighting and good storage. Overall, Adient Ascent is a very strong option if you fly on one of the aircraft that offers it.
Adient Ascent appears on Qatar Airways Boeing 787 9s, on Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787 9s, and on selected American Airlines Boeing 787 9s. A related version is also used as the latest United Polaris business class seat.
6. Air France Safran Versa Reverse Herringbone Suite
Safran’s Versa business class seat is another advanced reverse herringbone design, and Air France was the first airline to roll it out. The seat has a door, modern tech, and a spacious feel.
The most special places in this cabin are the bulkhead seats in the first row. Because there is no seat in front of them, they get extra legroom and storage. Many frequent travelers consider those specific seats to be among the very best business class spots in the world.
Even if you are not in the first row, Versa still offers a good mix of privacy, comfort, and function.
Safran Versa is on selected Air France Boeing 777 300ER aircraft. The airline’s Airbus A350 900s have a similar looking product built by a different manufacturer.
7. Collins Aerospace Reverse Herringbone Seat With Door
Collins Aerospace also produces an earlier reverse herringbone design that is very popular, often known as the Super Diamond seat. Many airlines use it without doors, and even in that form it is a strong product.
What pushes it onto this list is the version where airlines add doors to the basic design. This small change greatly increases privacy while keeping the core strengths of the original seat: direct aisle access, good storage, and a comfortable bed.
We like this layout because there are no terrible seats to avoid. Every spot in the cabin feels broadly similar in quality. The one trade off is that the middle seats are not perfect for long conversations, since even those have fairly high partitions.
British Airways has the largest number of Collins reverse herringbone seats with doors. You will see them on all Airbus A350 1000s and Boeing 787 10s, as well as on selected Boeing 777s and 787s. Etihad also has a similar version on some Airbus A350 1000s.
8. Collins Aerospace Horizon Staggered Suite
Horizon is another Collins Aerospace business class product that uses a staggered layout, with each seat including a door. It has started to appear on more airlines and offers a good balance of privacy and practicality.
There are several storage areas for small items, useful charging options, and a bed that feels comfortable when flat. The controls are easy to understand, and the seat works well for both sitting and sleeping.
In our view, Horizon edges out some other staggered suites with doors because the details feel more polished. It is easier to live in this seat for a long overnight flight.
Horizon cabins are on some Turkish Airlines Airbus A350s and on Air India Airbus A350s that were originally built for Aeroflot. A similar layout is also flying on Korean Air Boeing 787 10s.
9. Apex Suites Business Class Layout
At first glance, Apex Suites do not look very special. On a Boeing 787, they are often arranged in a 2 2 2 pattern, which many people think of as old fashioned. The magic is in the window seats.
Each window seat has its own short walkway to the aisle, so the person sitting there does not have to climb over anyone. There is also a divider that you can raise between the window and aisle seat. When the divider is up, the window seat feels very private, almost like a small room, even though there is no door.
One of the biggest wins with Apex is the legroom. Instead of putting your feet into a narrow box, the bed stretches out in a straight, open way. That gives you lots of space to stretch, bend your knees, or curl up, which is great for side sleepers.
If you are traveling with someone, you can book the window and the aisle seat next to it. You will sit close enough to talk, although the person in the aisle will not have as much privacy as the person by the window.
Apex Suites are installed on Gulf Air Boeing 787 9s, on selected Japan Airlines Boeing 777s and 787s, on Korean Air Boeing 747 8s, Boeing 787 9s, and some Boeing 777 300ERs, and on Oman Air Boeing 787s.
10. Vantage XL Business Class Suite With Door
The last product on our list is the Vantage XL suite with a door. Many airlines use some form of Vantage XL, but the door equipped version is clearly better than the basic one.
Delta’s custom version, called the Delta One Suite, is probably the best known. It has a staggered layout with a sliding door and a shell around each seat. When you lie the seat flat, you get a long bed with good privacy compared to older cabins.
The design is not perfect. On some planes, window seats have limited storage space, and the doors are not very tall and can be a bit tricky to close smoothly. Still, the overall product is strong and clearly ahead of many older staggered designs.
The suite version of Vantage XL is on Delta Airbus A350 900s and Airbus A330 900neos, though the cabin feels a bit tighter on the A330. Similar seats are on Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 900neos, China Eastern Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, and Shanghai Airlines Boeing 787s.
Turn Great Seats Into Better Trips With Our Community
Reading about the best business class seats is one thing. Turning that knowledge into real trips, with smart planning and good value, is where it gets exciting. That is why we built our free TheMilesAcademy community.
Inside the community, we talk through practical ways to plan long haul flights, spot good deals, and use rewards in a way that matches your travel style. You can ask questions, learn from other travelers, and see how different people choose routes, seats, and timing for their big trips.
We also offer a free card finder tool that helps you sort through travel and rewards card options based on your goals. It is a simple way to see which choices might work well for frequent flyers, occasional vacationers, or people who are just starting to explore points and miles.
If you like comparing cabins and dreaming up future routes, joining TheMilesAcademy and trying our card finder tool is a natural next step. It gives you the support and structure to turn great seats in theory into better journeys in real life.
