The World’s 11 Best Business Class Seats

I like to publish a list of what I consider to be the world's best first class airlines, first class lounges, best business class seats, and so on.

Business class seats have come a long way

Some of the world's best business class seats have only recently been introduced, but we've seen a lot of innovation when it comes to business class seats.

Over the past two decades, we have seen business class seats go from recliners to flat beds, to seats with aisle access, to suites with doors. Premium economy cabins are the same as they were 20 years ago.

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 diminish the perspective I can provide.

Direct aisle access from every seat is a favorite of some people. Some people like to sit next to their travel companion. People like seats with doors. They are hated by others. There is a list going on and on.

I don't know what goes into my decision as to what I consider to be the best business class seats. It is a given that a fully flat bed with direct aisle access is included in this list.

• 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.
• 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

I hope I don't have to explain this to regular OMAAT readers, but I think it's worth mentioning for those who aren't regular readers.

All the time I see media outlets ranking the best business class seats, though they usually just go off stock media images and how airlines describe their seats, rather than actually seeing them.

In the sense that I'm sharing my honest and informed take here, I think you should trust OMAAT rankings.

• I pay for all of my own flights, either with cash or miles
• I don’t let the airlines know that I’m reviewing their products, and go out of my way to remain as anonymous as possible (there are some rare exceptions, which I always disclose)
• 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 11 best business class seats

The world's best business class seats are ranked from number 11 to number one. There are just a few final notes.

• 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

The top business class seat is counted down to my ranking.

11. Oman Air old business class

The only seat on the list that has been around for more than a decade is the cutting edge business class seat. Some of the planes of the carrier have outdated but incredibly spacious business class seats, and I love them. They are in a 1-2-1 configuration, which reminds me of what first class used to be like.

The comfort, storage, and spaciousness of the seats are comparable to any new seat today. It's a blast from the past. The seats won't be around for long because of the reconfiguration of the planes.

You can find this seat on the A330s. There is no other airline that has this product.

10. Singapore Airlines A380 business class

New cabins can be found on the A380s. The new seat is a little better than the old one. The cabin is beautiful, the seats are large, there is plenty of privacy, and the seat controls are good. All the seats in the center can be turned into a double bed.

There is a problem. You have to sleep at a weird angle because the sleeping surface is hard. I don't find this seat to be particularly comfortable for sleeping.

There is a seat on most Singapore Airlines A380s. There is no other airline that has this product.

9. Zodiac Aerospace Optima seat

The Polaris business class seats are being installed on long haul aircraft. Every other row of the plane has private window seats and the center section has honeymoon seats. The seats are well designed. The footwell is on the tight side, and they aren't particularly spacious.

This seat can be found on all United planes, as well as on select ones. Air France has these seats on some of its planes. The seats on 787-9s and A330-900neos are the same as the ones on ELAL.

8. JetBlue Mint Suites

I put this seat on the list because it is heavily tailored, and because I think it is a different product on a narrow body plane.

The first business class seat with a door was introduced by the airline. The first airline to introduce this was a low cost carrier that didn't have a premium cabin.

Every other row has Mint Suites, which are available on a first come, first serve basis. The cabin has a door and plenty of storage. The seat's footwell is tight, which is the main downside.

There is an all new business class product on the A321LRs that are used for trans-Atlantic flights. The Mint Suite isn't a better product than the old one, and the Mint Studio doesn't meet my threshold of being an average of one of the seats per row

You can find this seat on certain A321s. Other airlines have put the same seats on their planes, but they haven't added doors. There is no other airline that has this product.

7. Etihad Airways Business Studio

A modified staggered configuration is the most common long haul business class seat that is currently in service. Many people travel with a companion in the middle of the cabin, while I prefer the authentic window seats.

The Business Studio is different from other configurations. There is a good amount of privacy and the seat functions are thoughtfully designed.

This seat can be found on all of the Etihad planes, but they may not fly again because of the grounding of the A380s. There is no other airline that has this product.

6. Vantage XL seat with door

The Delta One Suite is a business class suite. It is similar to what you will find on Philippine Airlines, Qantas, RwandAir, and SAS.

I consider this to be an evolved version of the seat, so it isn't included on the list. The seats are well designed and private.

The seat is a bit rough around the edges, the doors are low, and the window seats lack storage. I think a better job could have been done with the finished product.

All Delta A350-900s and A330-900neos have this seat. China Eastern has these seats on A350-900s and 787-9s.

5. British Airways Club Suites business class

British Airways went from a product that it had for nearly two decades to a reverse herringbone seat with a door in 2019.

The seat isn't that innovative because it's a standard Collins Aerospace seat. Since this is an evolved version of that, I won't include the seat on the list.

There are no bad seats in reverse herringbone seats. Regardless of whether you are relaxing or sleeping, the seats are comfortable and have plenty of privacy. Since the center seats are quite private, these seats are not ideal for travel with someone.

The seat has a door that is a nice feature. You don't have to use the door if you don't want to or if it's too small.

This seat is available on all British Airways A350-1000s and 787-9s, and on select 777s, as many planes will be reconfigured with these seats in the future. The product was installed on the A350-1000s.

4. Qatar Airways Adient Ascent business class

The Adient Ascent seat is being installed on the Boeing 787-9s, which is the most recent iteration of the plane. The seats have doors. We should expect a lot more airlines to introduce this product over the course of the next few years.

The seats have a door. The reverse herringbone configuration has the center seats facing the aisle rather than the center of the cabin. The cabin's finishes are very good.

There is a seat on the 787-9s. Only one airline has this product yet.

3. Apex Suites

You might think that they are just average business class seats, as they don't look that impressive. Apex Suites will be in a 2-2-2 configuration The privacy and personal space of the window seats make them superior. The partition between the seats can be raised or lowered to give you 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. If you travel with someone, you can choose an aisle seat and a window seat, but you won't have the same level of privacy in the aisle seat.

This seat is available on a number of airlines, including Gulf Air (787-9s), Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Oman Air.

2. Qatar Airways Qsuites business class

A new standard for business class was set by the introduction of the Qsuite. It is private, spacious, stylish, and thoughtfully designed, and it is just about everything you could want in a home.

The deal is sealed by the way these suites are configured. You can choose a window seat for full privacy, you can choose a double bed in the center section, or you can even reserve a quad and make a huge suite.

This seat is available on all of the A350-1000s, A350-900s, and A350-900s, as well as on some of the A350-ERs. There is no other airline that has this product.

1. All Nippon Airways “The Room” business class

The all new first and business seats were introduced in the summer of 2019.

The business class suite is better than many first class suites and I feel like airline products have come full circle. I did not believe anyone could beat the Qsuite.

This seat is only available on a limited number of ANA 777s, and more are expected to be fitted with these seats. There is no other airline that has this product.

I think those are the best business class seats. Some seats are specific to one airline while other seats are the same for many airlines.

On a given day, I could see the order of some of them being changed, depending on whether I am traveling with someone or not.

Do you think business class seats are the best? What is the difference between your list and mine?