For nearly two years, the business class throne was occupied by only one airline.
The Qsuite, privacy doors, big screen tv, and all of the other extras were included in the price.
All Nippon Airways, better known as ANA, had something to say about that. ANA looked as if it could finally take a shot at the throne after the introduction of The Room.
These two are competing to be the best in 2022.
I hopped on the first ever flight to feature the new ANA business class, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I made my way into the wrong cabin, and a cabin crew member would direct me to the correct class.
I was in the right place. Could this be the best business class in the world? I weighed in on the verdict.
A flying experience can be summed up into 5 parts.
Check in and lounge are some of the pre-flight bits. The food and drinks are on board. Five areas of judging keep things simple, and I think it's a good idea to give the seat 2/6th of the total outcome, since it's the only thing you're guaranteed.
Catering at different airports can change from crew to crew.
I will award one point for pre-flight, two points for the best seat, one point for the best service and one point for the food, beverages and all other elements. The math will add up to the winner, if there is any hope.
Pre-FlightI've been to both the home bases of both ANA and Qatar Airways.
Based on the wow-factor of lounges, the consistency of high quality food, drinks and amenities on the ground and helpful agents, is what Qatar takes the point here.
The ANA lounges in Japan are busy, but the Al Mourjan lounge in Doha is better, and the lounges in other countries are more refined.
In the battle of the world's best business class, it's now Qatar Airways.
The first business class cabin to feature a privacy door at every seat, as well as the latest electronics and massive storage space, was introduced by the Qsuite.
It's still a delight, but it doesn't hold a candle to what ANA has done. The ANA seat is large and wowing.
I proclaimed ANA to have the world's best business class seat on the very first flight. The screen is bigger, the storage is better, and the privacy door is larger.
There is a portion of the privacy door that you can open to get a meal. It is the next level.
The original ruling on the field stands, and I'm awarding both points to ANA here.
It's just better in almost every way, so Qsuite doesn't even manage a half point here, even though it's still better than every other seat out there.
The crowd is going crazy because the battle for the world's best business class just went in ANA's favor over Qatar Airways.
The ANA cabin crews were professional and polite. They are lovely, and treat every guest with respect in line with Japan's standards.
It is a style of service that can be mistaken for impersonal. ANA still offers a meal time service with just a few items available at any time.
Few have been able to recreate the dine on demand concept without taking an eternity, but that is not the case with the standards of dining in business class.
The cabin crew is fantastic at sticking to the polished service script, and you can eat whatever you want whenever you want.
The presentation of service, the way they place the hot and cold towels, and the high level of service all make up the difference between winning and losing.
The crew members from both airlines are wonderful, but the experience of having them on your flight is rarely seen.
The crowd at the game were on their feet as the final plays drew to a close, after the best business class score was leveled at 2-2.
The food, drinks, and amenities on board both airlines highlight and celebrate their heritage. I like that. I can pass up an okonomiyaki snack or a lovely sake with my meal on ANA, and I can also pass up a biryani and karak chai tea on the plane.
You know if you know.
When you get down to price points, consistency, and overall quality, you can see that Qatar is pulling ahead. The lead only extends further on perks.
When it comes to wine, price points don't determine good wine, but they can certainly help, andQatar Airways tends to have wines in business class between $20-$50, including Grand cru chateaus, whereas ANA tends to stick to the $10-$25 range.
Crowdsourced scores for the wines on Vivino, which are often a better indicator than price points alone, typically reflect better scores with Qatar Airways wine selections than ANA.
Both airlines have good standards, but to most travelers the options on Qatar Airways are more accessible.
If you are coming from outside of Asia, traditional Japanese meals can be more of an acquired taste. Amenity kits tend to beat ANA on design.
Despite an inferior seat, Qatar Airways just manages to squeak by here, based on what's known as the soft product, which is things that aren't bolted to the floor.
If you don't eat or drink on the plane, you could easily call this a draw or even move the win to ANA. A draw would be a good result.
The scales could easily tip their favor if ANA were to match the other elements of the business class experience, such as lounge amenities or dine on demand.
Even though ANA offers the world's best business class seat, it's not the best experience overall.
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