The end of 2024 is approaching soon so it’s time for a top 10 list! In this case, the top 10 Business Classes of 2024. I flew all these business class products myself in 2024 so this top 10 is purely based on my own experiences.
In this top 10, I’m only including wide-body business class products. I’ve reviews of all wide-body business class products on my Youtube Channel except one (KLM 787). There is no Youtube review of my KLM Business Class flight simply because I didn’t start my Youtube channel yet when I flew KLM in the beginning of 2024.
The last 3 of this top 10, all have in common that they still use a 2-2-2 or 2-3-2 seat configuration. This is really an outdated business class configuration. These days you’re expecting to always have direct access to an aisle in Business Class, even if you have a window seat. The fact that you can be stuck in a middle seat when flying Business Class is simply not acceptable. However, some airlines are still flying with these outdated business class cabins.
Number 10 – Lufthansa A380
The last one on this list is an easy one; Lufthansa’s A380 Business Class cabin. Even though this cabin is a 2-2-2 cabin and not a 2-3-2 cabin like the other 2 cabins in the bottom 3, the lie-flat seat comfort is really bad with an extremely tight footwell. In fact, this was the first time I got a cramp in my legs because of the tight footwell. It’s really a pity that the only A380 on this list occupies the last place, but even the comfort of the A380 couldn’t improve the worst business class experience of 2024.
Number 9 – Emirates 777-300
The days that Emirates was one of the cheapest long haul carriers are long gone. These days, Emirates has a solid market share with attractive slots, and thus prices have gone up substantially. In fact, Emirates is often far more expensive than the local flag carrier. This makes sense if Emirates is also offering a far more superior product. But are they?
A substantial part of Emirates’ fleet is still the Boeing 777-300ER. And in this Boeing 777-300ER, you will still find the outdated 2-3-2 cabin which can be easily confused with an upmarket premium economy cabin. So you could be paying a premium flying with Emirates Business Class expecting a world-class product, but then be stuck in a middle seat. A seat which doesn’t even completely lie flat in a 180 degrees angle. In fact, the seat reminded me of the old KLM Business Class seat, KLM was using more than 20 years ago which had the nickname ‘the slide’…. The seat is also too short and has a lip in the end which makes it even more uncomfortable.
Meals on my trip from Amsterdam to Dubai also weren’t very impressive. And even though entertainment selection and screen, as well as service were great, Emirates 777-300 doesn’t score higher than a 9th spot.
Number 8 – Turkish Airlines 777-300
The best of the 2-2-2/2-3-2 Business Class cabins was Turkish Airlines 777-300 cabin. This seat is by far the most comfortable seat in lie-flat position out of the bottom 3, with plenty of space for your feet and legs. The service and the meals were good and there was an excellent wireless internet connection. However, entertainment screen and functionality wasn’t very impressive and showed the age of this cabin. My screen didn’t work but I had 20 other screens I could try out on this flight since I was the only one in this Business Class cabin. This product will not win any awards anymore, but compared to Emirates and Lufthansa, it’s clearly the best one.
Number 7 – Qatar Airlines 777-300
In numerous top 10 Business Class lists, Qatar QSuites tops the list. So I was very anxious to finally fly Qatar’s QSuites myself. First impressions certainly didn’t disappoint. The entertainment screen is big with amazing high resolution. The suite itself feels comfortable and luxurious. But the first disappointment was the meal service on my flight. The main dish was below par and no desert was served. I think it’s the only time I didn’t get a desert served as part of the main meal – normally that should be one of the highlights in business class. Before landing in Doha, there was only tea or coffee – no small snack.
Then there is the seat itself. Great for a day flight but in a lie flat position, the seat is not that wide and not so comfortable. In my opinion the QSuites seat in lie-flat position is the worst one in the top 7. So with a disappointing seat and a bad meal service, Qatar QSuites doesn’t score higher than number 7 on my top 10. Very disappointing…
Number 6 – KLM 787
The Dutch are the tallest people in the world so you would expect that this is reflected in the seats. However, for me the footwell could be a bit bigger, same for the seat itself. Service is always very friendly and even though the food quality isn’t very consistent, during my flight is was pretty good. What is always good are the snacks in between meals and the crew regularly passes by with drinks.
One highlight of every intercontinental business class flight with KLM is the KLM house you can pick as souvenir. A collectible item and there are now 105 different houses. Luckily this specific item isn’t axed yet as part of costs cutting efforts!
Number 5 – Air India A350
Up to a year ago, I would have never imagined I would voluntary fly with Air India. Air India had such a bad reputation that even people from India preferred flying with Emirates or Qatar Airlines. However, with Tata taking control of Air India and a promised turn-around, I was very curious to see whether Air India was indeed able to turn around things. After Air India received some new A350’s – which were originally destined for Aeroflot – I decided to take a gamble and fly with them to Mumbai and Delhi. And both these flights exceeded my expectations mainly because of the excellent hard product. Even though some aspects needed some attention (economy class blanket, not a decent pillow, no amenity set), service was great. and thus a surprising top 5 for Air India!
Number 4 – Air France 777-300
One of my favorite airlines when flying Business Class is Air France. I even enjoyed flying with their A380 back in the day, even though the cabin configuration was getting outdated. But the outstanding service and food always made up for that.
Also in 2024 I was able to fly with Air France in Business Class. Unfortunately this wasn’t with their latest, updated business class product but still with the ‘old’ Business Class in the 777-300. This product is now starting to show some wear and the entertainment screen is showing its age, but it’s still a very comfortable product. This trip, the food wasn’t as memorable as I was starting to expect with Air France but service was the best out of the top 10. I hope I’ve the opportunity to fly with their latest Business Class product in 2025 and then I’m sure we will find Air France back in the top 3.
Number 2: Swiss A330-300
Another surprise in this top 10 is Swiss Airlines. I flew with them last year from Zurich to San Francisco and service and food was really disappointing. However, when I was able to get a ‘cheap’ business class ticket using LifeMiles from New York to Zurich with Swiss, I decided to give Swiss another chance. And I was really happy I did that! Because this last flight with Swiss ticked all the boxes of what a Business Class flight should be; great seat, great food and excellent service. What a difference a year could make! The entertainment screen isn’t the latest and greatest but that’s probably the only thing you could fault.
Number 1 – Etihad 787-9
Number 1 Best Business Class in 2024 is Etihad’s 787-9 cabin. This was really an easy one to pick because in all categories, Etihad was the clear winner. The food was excellent, service was outstanding and the seat was great with the extra amenities. On top of that the entertainment screen with content (including live sports) was fantastic.
When you fly Etihad out of the amazing new terminal A in Abu Dhabi, you can also visit the Etihad Business Class lounge which is one of the best Business Class lounges I visited in 2024. All in all a very deserved winner of this top 10. Because Etihad is on an aggressive path to gain marketshare, there are still deals to be had with Etihad Business Class. So there are still some good opportunities to fly with Etihad in Business Class in 2025!
Points & Cash
For only one flight in this top 10, I directly purchased a business class ticket; that was Air India’s A350 from Dubai to Mumbai. For all other Business Class tickets, I used points and/or cash to upgrade, or I bought the ticket directly with points. LifeMiles turned out to be an excellent points program. I used LifeMiles to purchase Swiss Airlines as well as Turkish Airlines Business Class tickets for the price less than a basic economy class ticket!
Till December 31st, Lifemiles is running another promotion where you can buy miles with a bonus. These bonus miles can run up to to 160%. Review my post of buying miles with LifeMiles.
Also have a look at my YouTube channel where you can find videos of these top 10 Business Class products including this specific top 10.
links on this page may pay me a commission – as always, thanks for your support if you use them. You’ll not pay a higher price!
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