With many airlines following the trend of removing international first class and enhancing international business class, it makes sense that the competition for business class travelers has gotten more intense.
Airlines have gone to great lengths to make their business class products as luxurious as possible, and travelers are benefiting from this cutthroat competition. This list of the 19 best international business class airlines will start making you wish you were on a plane!
As a disclaimer, this ranking is subjective and based on our opinions. We conducted hours of industry research (some of which involved trying out the products ourselves!), and we also included the opinions of some fellow travelers in this guide, especially for products we haven’t been able to fly.
Most people flying in business class do so for the comfort of having a bed to rest in. However, there are far more elements of the business class experience to consider such as the enhanced food quality and quantity, premium alcohol (including Champagne in many cases), additional inflight amenities, lounge access, and more personal service.
For this reason, we considered the following aspects when determining each ranking:
Hot Tip: All the business class seats in this ranking are bookable with points!
Qatar Airways QSuites often ranks as the best business class product in the world, and for good reason.
Not only is QSuites an amazing business class product for solo travelers, but it’s also the number 1 option for those traveling with friends or as a family.
With QSuites, you’ll enjoy fantastic bedding (including a quilted mattress, proper duvet, pajamas, and slippers from The White Company), a fully lie-flat seat with direct aisle access, fantastic catering, and, as the icing on the cake, incredible service.
The seats are 21.5 inches wide and 79 inches long in bed mode. The seat isn’t as big as the Singapore Airlines business class seat, but Qatar Airways’ bedding will make you feel like you’re sleeping in clouds.
Other features include sliding doors for extra privacy, tons of storage compartments, and a technologically advanced seat (with Do Not Disturb signs). The coolest thing is that the QSuites in the middle of the aircraft can be converted into a 4-person cabin if you’re traveling as a group!
Qatar Airways is a Oneworld Alliance partner, which is great because you can use miles from American Airlines, British Airways, and more to book your QSuites.
Hot Tip: If you’re looking for step-by-step guidance on how to book this amazing product, check out our guide on how to book QSuites using points and miles!
ANA’s business class is known for personifying Japanese hospitality and culture. The airline’s best business class product, aptly named “The Room,” is found exclusively onboard the airline’s Boeing 777-3000ER aircraft.
The cabin is arranged in 3 sections: 1 smaller section directly behind first class with 2 rows, a larger section with 10 rows directly preceding the first, and a second, smaller cabin consisting of 4 rows after passing through a second galley.
Designed by Acumen (the same manufacturer as United’s Polaris seats), The Room seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration featuring direct aisle access and fully lie-flat beds at all seats.
With 38 inches between each of the armrests, these seats are more like oversized armchairs. There’s also ample room in the footwell — a welcome upgrade to the airline’s “old” business class seat. One downside of the seat is that it only measures 72 inches in length when fully flat, which could affect taller travelers.
ANA provides a comfortable sleeping surface, great bedding, tasty Japanese cuisine, large footwells, and a 24-inch 4K inflight monitor. You’ll also receive a decent business class amenity kit by Globetrotter, though it’s not as complete as what you may find on some competitors such as EVA Air.
Additionally, you’ll enjoy genuine service throughout your flight. When all’s said and done, ANA will provide you with an excellent business class experience — the only hiccups being things like a narrow range of inflight movie options.
Best of all, booking ANA flights with points and miles is super easy. Plus, Virgin Atlantic and ANA Mileage Club offer some fantastic sweet spots in their award charts that make booking The Room a great deal.
Experiencing Emirates business class is almost a rite of passage for many points and miles aficionados. This product is known to be glamorous and glitzy with all the bells and whistles you could think of.
Some of the Emirates business class highlights include a state-of-the-art entertainment system, Bvlgari amenities, an at-seat minibar, motorized window shades, a manned inflight bar, and a spacious seat.
However, some of these things are meant to provide more of a “wow factor” than anything, such as the power shades and personal minibar. The food is known to be just OK, the bedding is rather lackluster, and the Wi-Fi is pretty bad for an airline with such a reputation.
Hot Tip: If you need help booking your Emirates award flight, see our guide on the best ways to book Emirates business class with points.
Singapore Airlines introduced an updated version of its A380 business class seat in 2017 which brought a welcome refresh to its aging premium cabin products.
Notably, Singapore Airlines’ new A380 has double beds in business class! This is very similar to the Qatar Airways QSuites that we talked about above.
With this new Singapore Airlines business class product on the A380, you can definitely expect some huge technology upgrades, including blazing-fast Wi-Fi, a crisp 18-inch monitor that comes with phenomenal inflight entertainment, and the airline’s signature Book The Cook service.
The main drawback of these new business class seats is the tiny footwell, though you can get around this issue if you’re able to choose bulkhead seats. Another “first world problem” is that Singapore Airlines doesn’t provide amenity kits in business class.
For more information, check out our guide on the plane types, seating, and cabins available for Singapore Airlines’ U.S. routes.
Virgin Atlantic introduced its Upper Class Suite in 2019 — it’s a huge upgrade to its previous Upper Class seat.
The Upper Class Suite debuted on Virgin’s new Airbus A350-1000 jets and a slightly modified version of the new seat was installed on Virgin’s Airbus A330-900neos in the fall of 2022.
You’re in luck if you’re based in the U.S., as Virgin has a significant presence across the country offering nonstop service to the U.K. from 12 U.S. cities. The best part is, given how important the U.S. market is to Virgin, the airline predominantly uses aircraft with Upper Class Suites on U.S. routes.
Both variations of the product have a sliding door for added privacy and improved storage over its predecessor, and the onboard catering has never, ever let me down (even in economy).
Speaking of never being let down, Virgin Atlantic crew are among the best flight attendants in the world.
If you’re flying Virgin from London Heathrow, no matter which of Virgin’s business class products you’re flying, you’ll have access to the airline’s Upper Class Wing. It’s an exclusive check-in area for Upper Class passengers complete with a private security lane for expedited screening. The Upper Class Wing is such a great perk that it alone is enough to bring Virgin into the upper rankings of our list.
Hot Tip: You can transfer points from several U.S. credit card rewards programs to Virgin’s Flying Club for award flights. However, the generally good award availability is overshadowed by the steep taxes and fees you’ll have to pay to book a seat. Check out our step-by-step guide on the best ways to book Virgin Atlantic using points.
Starlux is a new Taiwanese carrier taking luxury travel into the stratosphere. The start-up boutique airline recently launched nonstop service from Taipei (TPE) to Los Angeles (LAX) and plans to soon inaugurate a second service between Taipei and California, but this time to San Francisco (SFO).
The cabins of the Airbus A350 jets that operate Starlux’s U.S. routes are beautifully designed. The seats have a pitch of 44 to 48 inches, include a door for extra privacy, and feature a zero-gravity mode which I absolutely loved when I flew this jet from Taiwan to Macau.
There’s ample storage, a huge tray table, and even the option to control the brightness of each of the 3 light fittings at the seat.
When you add in top-notch food, Singapore Airlines-like service, and thoughtful little extras like a post-meal hot towel, pre-landing candy, and a handy little toothpick, Starlux really is an airline to watch.
Cathay Pacific’s product has largely remained unchanged for a long time. The carrier’s business class product consists of reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each seat is 21 inches wide and the bed is 81 inches long aboard the 777. The setup is very similar on the airline’s newer Airbus A350 jets, albeit with slightly shorter beds.
The seating layout is very private, and Cathay Pacific’s cabin finishes are quite stylish. These lie-flat seats come with amenity kits by the British brand Bamford, but unfortunately, the bedding is nothing to write home about. You’ll receive a pillow and a comforter, but not a mattress pad.
Food is generally pretty decent and features Hong Kong classics such as dim sum, wonton noodles, or seafood chow mein (海鲜炒面). Your inflight entertainment options will be vast, you’ll have tons of storage at your seat, and your headphones will be noise-canceling for maximum comfort.
Cathay has a long-standing reputation for very good service, as is often the case for Asian carriers. However, this certainly was not the case on a flight I took recently from Hong Kong to London.
Cathay Pacific offers a few types of business class products — get the inside scoop in our definitive guide to Cathay Pacific’s U.S. routes to find the best seat. Don’t forget to try the Cathay Pacific Lounges in Hong Kong!
Etihad is primarily known in the luxury travel space for the out-of-this-world First Class Apartment, which you’ll find exclusively onboard the airline’s Airbus A380. Etihad recently relaunched A380 service after the aircraft’s pandemic-induced retirement.
However, Etihad also offers a great business class product, the best of which you’ll find on Etihad’s 787s, A380s, and newly-introduced Airbus A350s.
Seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, and the seats alternate between facing backward and forward in every other row.
These Business Studio seats are 20 inches wide on the A380 and 22 inches wide on the 787, with up to 78 inches in bed length and pitch. Major highlights include a comfortable seat and bedding, great service, the dine-on-demand menu, provided pajamas, great inflight entertainment, and decent Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, the food is what lets Etihad’s business class product down — for such a well-rounded business class product, it’s just OK. And with very few business studio routes and not-so-stellar award pricing, this product falls right in the middle of the pack.
Hot Tip: While Etihad’s award pricing leaves a lot to be desired, its Etihad Guest frequent flyer program is interestingly one of the best options for booking American Airlines business and first class. We also put together a guide on Etihad Airways’ Routes which can help you find what type aircraft and seats are on the route you want to fly.
JetBlue recently launched transatlantic flights from the U.S. East Coast to London, Paris, and Amsterdam.
Despite being founded as a low-cost carrier, JetBlue offers a business class product — complete with lie-flat seats — which it calls Mint. The stars of the show are seats 1A and 1F — the airline’s so-called Mint Studio seats.
Even though the Mint Studio is on a narrow-body Airbus A321, there’s so much space in the seat that I’d argue they’re a more comfortable way to cross the Atlantic compared to other airline’s business class seats on wide-body aircraft.
The IFE screen is huge, there’s more than enough storage, and when the seat goes fully flat, the surface area is definitely larger than most competitors. Better still, there are 2 tray tables and enough extra seating space in the Studio for a fellow passenger to join you for food or to just hang out.
Additionally, only the 2 passengers in Mint Studios are offered extra amenities such as pajamas and playing cards.
With JetBlue’s recently revamped TrueBlue program, TrueBlue members can book regular Mint seats using points. To enjoy the Mint Studio experience, you can upgrade from a standard Mint seat for around $299 each way.
The only thing missing from JetBlue’s business class experience is lounge access. In fact, the airline has no lounges whatsoever in its network, true to its low-cost roots.
I recently experienced the Mint Studio on a flight from Paris to New York, and trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed by this seat when hopping across the Pond. You can read about the entire JetBlue Mint Studio experience in my full review of the product.
Air France is often a top choice for people planning transatlantic travel. Although the carrier operates a slew of different business class products, Air France’s 777 business class (except the 3-class 777) offers a reverse herringbone layout that’s worth spending your hard-earned points on.
This business class product is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with seats that measure 21.5 inches wide and offer 61 inches of pitch.
The duvet and pillow are pretty thick, though there’s no mattress pad or pajamas provided on these flights. Your amenity kit will most likely contain Clarins toiletries, and the food tends to be extremely tasty and exquisitely French.
Award availability for these routes is spectacular, though the award pricing is another story. Air France/KLM Flying Blue uses a “variable award pricing” calculator, which can price U.S.-to-Europe business class awards anywhere from 53,000 miles to an eye-popping 212,500 miles one-way!
The good news is that Air France/KLM Flying Blue partners with all 7 major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Miles, Bilt Rewards, and Marriott.
Hot Tip: Want to go to Paris? We’ve already done all the hard work for you. Check out our guide on the best ways to fly to Paris using points and miles!
We’re also huge fans of Delta One Suites (check out our review of the product aboard an A350). These Delta One Suites are Thompson Vantage XL seats with sliding doors that give you the utmost in privacy.
Though Delta One Suites are among the most technologically advanced and thoughtfully designed hard products out there, the seats are relatively narrow at 21 inches wide. The aisles are also quite narrow, so you might get a bit claustrophobic walking through them.
Highlights of Delta One include an amenity stocked with high-quality products, plush bedding, and a comfortable seat to rest in.
Overall, it checks most of the boxes (though the airport lounge experience is currently limited to Delta Sky Clubs). Additionally, the Delta One Suites routes are somewhat limited — so if you want to try it, you’ll want to confirm that Delta One Suites are being offered on your prospective flight.
Hot Tip: When using points to redeem for Delta flights, you’ll often be able to use significantly fewer rewards by using the frequent flyer program of a partner airline, such as Virgin Atlantic. Check out our step-by-step guide on the best way to book Delta One Suites using points and miles.
EVA Air arguably has one of the most underrated business class products in the world — especially with its newest product that it rolled out on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Even EVA’s older business class got the thumbs up from Upgraded Points writer Stephen Au who said “I had no complaints at all”.
In its long-haul business class offering (which the airline calls Premium Laurel Class), the seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. This gives a feeling of great privacy.
Each business class seat is 26 inches wide and the bed is 78 inches long. This is extremely wide for reverse herringbone seats (typically you’ll see a width of 20 to 22 inches).
Furthermore, EVA Air offers some fabulous Taiwanese catering, including juicy pork dumplings from Din Tai Fung, and endless Western courses too! You can also reserve your meals before your flight.
Their bed is super comfortable, plus you’ll get pajamas from Apujan (a London-based designer label,) and Rimowa/Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kits.
There’s very little to complain about when it comes to EVA Air, and we like it that way. Plus, award availability is absolutely phenomenal on this Star Alliance carrier.
Be sure to check out these great ways to earn Eva Air miles, and you can experience its business class for yourself in no time.
Hot Tip: Need help booking? Check out our guide on how to book EVA Air business class using points and these 29 ways to redeem EVA Air Miles for maximum value.
Japan Airlines has a somewhat misleading business class product. From looking at the 2-3-2 seating configuration, you might think its business class is nothing special — but it’s one of the best products you can find in this category.
That’s because Japan Airlines uses a seat product called Apex Suites, which is known to be incredibly private. Even in a 2-3-2 seating configuration, all seats have direct aisle access along with privacy dividers and partitions. All the lie-flat seats are 25.5 inches wide and are 74 inches long in bed mode.
If you think these seats sound huge for business class, you’d be right! And if you manage to secure seats in row 5 as Stephen did on the 777-300ER, you’ll enjoy a true private-jet feel: there’s only 1 row of business class seats in this mini-cabin, and the bulkhead means you’ll have a lot more legroom.
Aboard Japan Airlines, expect a selection of tasty Asian dishes, a comfortable ride with solid bedding, a 23-inch inflight monitor, a boutique Japanese amenity kit, and the very best of Japanese service.
Finally, Japan Airlines releases a generous amount of awards, both very far in advance and at the last minute. In fact, the carrier is consistent with releasing all its unoccupied seats for award redemption 1 to 2 days before departure.
Hot Tip: If you want one of the best all-around business class experiences, Japan Airlines won’t disappoint. For the inside scoop, check out the best ways to book Japan Airlines business class.
Once the pioneer of lie-flat business class seats, British Airways was left in the dust when most other airlines went several steps ahead with their cabin upgrades.
Fast forward to 2019 and British Airways joined the competition again with the introduction of the Club Suite on its Airbus A350 aircraft.
Much to the delight of many frequent British Airways flyers, the Club Suite’s 1-2-1 configuration and privacy doors replaced a 2-4-2 configuration and awkward seat clambering of the old Club World seats.
When fully flat, the bed measures a comfortable 79 inches and comes complete with White Company bedding and amenity kit.
In terms of tech, the fixed 18.5-inch IFE screen means passengers can watch their preferred entertainment from gate to gate.
British Airways’ Do&Co catering on flights departing London verges on excellent on most occasions (even on short-haul flights to Europe and within the U.K.), while the same cannot be said on departures from its destination airports.
You’ll currently find the Club Suite on all of British Airways’ A350s and Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, and most Boeing 777s. The airline has plans to retrofit its Airbus A380s, 787-8s, and 787-9s with the new Club Suite.
After a lengthy retrofit program, all of United Airlines’ wide-body jets that operate international flights now have the most up-to-date version of its Polaris business class.
Seats tend to be around 22 to 24 inches wide and have 78 inches of pitch and bed length. These new products are technologically advanced and feature Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, which has been a hit with flyers.
The major highlight of United Polaris is the bedding, which features 2 pillows (one of which is gel), a mattress topper, and a thick duvet/comforter.
The main drawbacks are: Polaris award availability is relatively sparse — if you want to try it, you’ll need to be tremendously flexible, and the catering often leaves a lot to be desired.
Qantas operates the A380 and 787-9 on routes to/from the United States. In business class, the A380 isn’t amazing, with angled-flat seats that don’t all have direct aisle access. However, the 787-9 is a totally different story: you can expect seats in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, each being 23 to 24 inches wide and offering beds up to 80 inches in length.
This product ranks here primarily because of its seat size, dine-on-demand availability, and thoughtful departure times. Qantas seems to understand that the flights between the U.S. and Australia are excruciatingly long, so planning red-eye departures is beneficial in every way.
Qantas’ soft product isn’t going to win any awards, but the mattress topper, seat size, and emphasis on comfort are sure to impress.
Some drawbacks of the product include limited award availability and smaller foot space in non-bulkhead seats. Still, with the addition of several new nonstop services from the West Coast to Australia and New Zealand, Qantas’ Dreamliner business class is certainly worth considering.
Hot Tip: Check out our step-by-step guide on the best ways to book Qantas business class using points.
Even if you’ve never heard of Oman Air, one thing you should know is that their business class — especially their Apex Suites on the 787 — is fantastic. These seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration and are super private (especially the window seats). They feature partitions, direct aisle access, and lie-flat capability.
You’ll find thick bedding (though no mattress topper), pajamas, and a solid Oman Air-branded amenity kit. Furthermore, the food and beverage program is top-notch.
One of the cons of this product is that you won’t be able to find a U.S. route to try it out on. In fact, there aren’t many Oman Air routes that offer the Apex Suites product. But if you manage to get your hands on some award availability, be sure to utilize Etihad Guest miles for fabulous value!
Korean Air uses the same Apex Suites-style configuration as Oman Air, but on quite a few more routes (mainly found on the Boeing 747-8, 777-300ER, 787, and A330-300).
Food and service tend to be the highlights for Asian carriers, and Korean Air is no exception. While their cabin finishes are known to be hospital-like and sterile, the service is always undeniably good. Plus, you’ll have around 21 inches of width and 75 to 80 inches of bed length to stretch out on.
The inflight monitor measures around 17 inches, and the amenity kit includes luxury products from French brand Atelier Cologne. The main drawbacks brought up with Korean Air business class are a lack of thick bedding, concerns with inflight entertainment options, and poor ground service.
Hot Tip: Have you decided on visiting South Korea and want to fly on Korean Air to get there? Check out our guide on the best ways to book Korean Air business class.
Air Canada’s flagship business class product is known as Signature Class and features lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration.
The hard product is generally excellent, and the bedding (which includes a mattress pad) is very plush — though you’ll have to set up your bed yourself. The seats are 21 inches wide and 75 to 78 inches long in bed mode, which is solid, but not spectacular, for a reverse herringbone seat.
Though Air Canada has decently stocked amenity kits, the brands may vary and no pajamas are offered.
On the plus side, food and beverage options are said to be tasty and familiar to American palates. Additionally, free inflight messaging is available to Aeroplan members — its entire fleet is set to enjoy free access to full Wi-Fi connectivity in the near future.
The unfortunate thing is that award availability on flagship routes is relatively limited — unless you book through Air Canada Aeroplan, which comes with hundreds of dollars in fuel surcharges!
If you prefer to try your luck at scoring an upgrade, check out our guide to upgrading to business and first class on Air Canada.
Bottom Line: Air Canada provides a solid product for a restful flight, with comfortable beds and seats and good food.
As you probably know by now, each business class product has its pros and cons, whether it’s a large business class seat, specific cuisine choices, or even amenity kit brands.
All of these considerations are essential, especially when spending your hard-earned points and miles. Now, you have an idea of the 19 best international business class airlines in the world. Happy traveling!
