Are Doors On Business Class Seats A Big Deal?

Business class seats with doors are something that most travelers are happy about. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to seating arrangements. Some people prefer older generation seats.

I wanted to discuss the general trend of adding doors to business class seats. I wanted to explain why I appreciate airlines that have seats with doors.

The odd arguments against business class doors

I would appreciate it if someone said that I don't care about doors at business class seats, and I prefer airlines.

Every time I write about an airline introducing a new business class product with doors, there is a comment along these lines.

I don’t understand this obsession with doors. I mean, if you need privacy on a plane that badly, what on earth are you doing in your seat?? And if you need privacy so much, then why do you fly commercial? Clearly, your only solution is to rent a private jet. Then you can have all the privacy you want.

The narrative gets flipped to the point that people should fly private jets if they have a need for privacy because they are obsessed with doors. That is quite an increase, no?

One can't just be grateful for an improvement that makes the passenger experience better. I'm not trying to call out a specific comment. The anti-door crowd tries to create a narrative about peoples obsession with doors when I don't think that exists.

In the quote, you could replace doors with aisle access, flat beds, etc.

Why I like doors at business class seats

Business class seats have doors. Is it possible that I am obsessed with doors? I would like to think I'm not. Is it possible to choose an airline solely because of a business class seat? No.

If an airline has doors on business class seats, it also means that it is a cutting edge product. All business class seats have aisle access and are flat.

Why do business class seats have doors? Personal space and privacy are the two biggest luxuries in business class. There are limits to how much real estate will be allocated to each seat, and airlines are focused on more efficient configurations that create the feeling of having more space.

We have privacy because of that. Privacy doesn't mean that you can't see someone if you're a drug runner or trying to join a mile high club. Privacy is the ability to minimize the extent to which you are disturbed by others. This can come in many different forms.

• We all have different sleeping patterns and quirks, and personally I rest much better if I’m in a cozy space where I feel like I have a cocoon, and am not having to look at a stranger (or feel like a stranger may be looking at me)
• You’re less impacted by other people turning on their lights or using a bright entertainment screen when you have a door
• We’ve all had some pretty annoying seatmates (whether they talk to you nonstop, look at your computer screen, etc.), and that’s less of a problem if you have a seat with a door
• If you’ve ever been in a staggered configuration, surely you’ll appreciate that if you’re in the seats closest to the aisle you may otherwise frequently get bumped by other passengers, and that’s not an issue when there’s a door
• With many of us being more conscious of avoiding getting sick when traveling, having a door does add an extra layer of protection, even as air travel mask mandates are lifted
• The beauty of a seat with a door is that you can just keep the door open; there is a little more built in privacy just due to the shield to the side of the seat, but that shouldn’t make the seat claustrophobic

The reality is that a lot of passengers like these doors. How do we know? If you have taken a flight that has a business class cabin with doors, you probably know that a majority of passengers use them. If they didn't like them, they wouldn't use them. At least that's what I've experienced, though maybe others have different opinions.

Bottom line

I understand that people don't care about doors on business class seats. I understand. Even when I take my dad in international first class, he doesn't like to recline his seat, but rather prefers to sleep upright.

I prefer seats with doors over seats without doors. It comes down to me being able to close a door and relax. It seems that most people feel the same, based on passengers using their privacy doors.

Do you like or dislike business class seats with doors?