The answer to the headline question is BA. 2-4-2 config is like a sardine can, with consequent lack of any storage space, stepping over sleepers to get to the aisle, and the horrible assault on personal space and privacy that is the yin yang seating.
Additionally, BA's cost cutting has lead to a very poor catering product in J, and low staff morale.
Can't understand how they maintain Skytrax 4 star status, when the customer reviews on that site score just 5/10.
I would not agree about BA - it hugely depends what seat you choose and
if you score last windows seat (and especially so on second deck of
B747!) you will have own mini-suite with ample of space and storage.
Though stuck in the middle pair with strange may be no fun.
Very confined and poorly designed with almost the same seat width as economy. There's plenty of other Airlines with vastly better seats to choose from so I give EKI a big miss.
Any airline that still offers 2-2-2 config with no direct aisle or full flat in J class has to be 20years behind the game.
I consider 1-2-1 and direct aisle access now pretty much the baseline when booking J class for myself. Otherwise what's the point for paying that much more on a mid-long haul flight, right??
Actually depends. I would not mind 2-2-2 when flying with my missus. But generally speacing I agree with you.
Have you tried the new AF business product on their 773? excellent flat bed, great food and entertainment and to Europe can sometimesfind aus to SIN on Singapore then sin to cdg on AF for around 5K, great product and great price. Shame about the lounge at CDG that is appalling.
The poor quality QF product in J really limits their appeal to the USA and Europe. I don't want to burn my hard earned FF points for those products, the new A333 is good however.
Really time for QF to upgrade their A380 product, I appreciate that there is talk about changing it to the a333 product but this cannot come soon enough!
The question was about A380 product, AF is not fun. Except for the food. And the price, if you can snag a deal flying QF to HKG the AF to Paris.
China Southern A380s have decent J seats (although looks cheap), but their other products (ground operation, lounge, service on board, IFE content) are terrible most of time.
BA's first class is even more woeful. Its a business class product at best. How some airlines can manipulate the spin into making their product world class is amazing. QF still the same with the A380 / 744 J seat..... "award wining" , Yes, 10 years ago!! its wide with space but foot rest droops and did so 6 months into its genesis. Bring on A330 J class seating I say. Only then will QF truly have a world class product in hard and soft product.
Hold on chaps! Just getting out of Luanda or Lagos on any Business seat is great, I can assure you the Champers never taste so good. Onto my last 12 months of travel (when in Business and not in First).
Qantas A380 - Indeed it is now a B to B- product, alas, it was once good.
Emirates A380 - 10years ago, a cracker. But now, it's a C. No PJ's and just a little too 'dated'
Singapore A380 - Really looking forward to the refresh, until then, my Singapore Girl is still an A+ but the seats are a little tired and dated.
BA A380 - Just say No, I didn't and I should have. Which brings me to;
Etihad A380 - Swish and modern and a damn fine product all. You can't complain here (unless you get an upgrade to the Apartment and that my friends makes a long haul flight all too short.
Qatar A380 - Not done yet. Will have to make a dash to Middle East (UAE & Qatar) in the next few weeks so will see which toss of the coin I take.
No question that the worst business class a380 searts have to be jointly air france, malaysia airlines and korean airlines. No direct aisle access for all passengers and an angled bed to sleep on. Angled beds are awful, I cant understand how people can sleep on them, i spent the whole time trying to scootch my way back up the surface. Since BA brought in the fully flat bed over 15 years ago, it astonishes me that airlines that still roll out this sub standard product dont get more over critisism. Why would you pay the cost to upgrade if you're not even going to be able to sleep properly??
Lufthansa comes next in my opinion as again you do not have direct aisle access, you do get a fully flat bed but you also have tiny little cubby holes to put your feet. A very strange design in appearance I think, and seems quite inefficient.
Qantas is fine, although similar to the worst business seats in the 2-2-2 layout as quite wide seats make stepping over neighbours in bed position a near impossibility unless you are very tall. They are at least fully flat, although with all similar seats which extend entirely from itself (ie. without a separate footrest) I find them incredibly uncomfortable as a lounging seat as i have no where to put my feet. I am 5"11 so not particularly tall really, but without a separate foot rest it is nearly impossible to properly 'lounge'
British Airways has a consistent hard product across their fleet, and one of the only major airlines to offer full flat beds on its entire long haul fleet. Whilst i fully understand some criticism of BA, namely inconsistent service, poor and declining food offering, disgraceful showers/toilets at Heathrow lounges etc, I have no idea what provokes such hatred of their product compared to others.. I can only assume it is because they expect BA to be at the forefront. Realistically they aren't, they are a solid middle ground hard product in my opinion. A lack of table space and no direct aisle access are its biggest down falls, but at least stepping over the foot stool is a lot easier than other seats, and I find the seat itself very comfortable particularly for lounging if slightly narrow.
I've not flown Singapore Airlines business seat, although I would imagine it sits around here. Whilst the seats are very wide in seat position, and are given lots of thumbs up for comfort in both seat and bed position, the tiny cubby hole for your feet would definitely annoy me, and I dont like seats that require a total rework to turn it into a bed. I like to gradually lounge more and more and eventually go all the way back into bed mode.
Emirates have pretty much the same hard product as China Southern, Asiana and Thai.. as well as the old Etihad seats. I think this is a really good product to be honest; comfortable in both seat and bed position and with lots of table space to put things. The seats are a little bit narrow, but thankfully I am not large build so this does not affect me personally.
Qatar airways have a fantastic business class seat, very comfortable in all modes, private, lots of table space and direct aisle access. The decor is refreshingly non bling for a middle east carrier, although maybe they went a little too far.
I've not flown Etihads new business class but it looks fantastic, and is nearly identical to the brand new Qatar Q suite, although Qatar have been more clever about the flexibility of it to cater better for different types of traveller. Ultimately it looks like a fantastic product and probably belongs at or near the top of the a380 list.
pointyendmark
pointyendmark
Qatar Airways
Member since 06 Jul 2016
Total posts 15
The answer to the headline question is BA. 2-4-2 config is like a sardine can, with consequent lack of any storage space, stepping over sleepers to get to the aisle, and the horrible assault on personal space and privacy that is the yin yang seating.
Wingflex
Wingflex
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 13 Feb 2015
Total posts 12
I really dislike LH business Class on the 380 (and 747s) due to the total lack of privacy and poor seat comfort
Toptravel
Toptravel
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
Member since 19 Jul 2014
Total posts 7
BA is the winner of the worst B/C seat in the air and just maybe take out the all round worst Business Class flying.
Serg
Serg
QFF
Member since 12 Apr 2013
Total posts 923
Air France has A380 business class seats that largely resemble Qantas.
And how about BA? Brrr... Qantas A380 business beats BA hands down.
I would not agree about BA - it hugely depends what seat you choose and if you score last windows seat (and especially so on second deck of B747!) you will have own mini-suite with ample of space and storage. Though stuck in the middle pair with strange may be no fun.
Serg
Serg
QFF
Member since 12 Apr 2013
Total posts 923
EK J class seats are woeful.
Very confined and poorly designed with almost the same seat width as economy. There's plenty of other Airlines with vastly better seats to choose from so I give EKI a big miss.
Yep, not mention their ugliest plastic wood.
Serg
Serg
QFF
Member since 12 Apr 2013
Total posts 923
Actually depends. I would not mind 2-2-2 when flying with my missus. But generally speacing I agree with you.
Packetman21
Packetman21
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 28 Jul 2016
Total posts 68
Lufthansa, Air France and BA have far worse products....
sydney slug
sydney slug
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
Member since 27 Feb 2015
Total posts 12
Have you tried the new AF business product on their 773? excellent flat bed, great food and entertainment and to Europe can sometimesfind aus to SIN on Singapore then sin to cdg on AF for around 5K, great product and great price. Shame about the lounge at CDG that is appalling.
The poor quality QF product in J really limits their appeal to the USA and Europe. I don't want to burn my hard earned FF points for those products, the new A333 is good however.
Really time for QF to upgrade their A380 product, I appreciate that there is talk about changing it to the a333 product but this cannot come soon enough!
The question was about A380 product, AF is not fun. Except for the food. And the price, if you can snag a deal flying QF to HKG the AF to Paris.
Kolbein Camunas
Kolbein Camunas
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
Member since 27 Feb 2017
Total posts 1
China Southern A380s have decent J seats (although looks cheap), but their other products (ground operation, lounge, service on board, IFE content) are terrible most of time.
mitchimus
mitchimus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Mar 2012
Total posts 67
I don't mind the Skybed II, better by far than BA and EK. I do like the new A330 J product. Also like the A380 J on Qatar.
btaus
btaus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Dec 2016
Total posts 171
Best A380 business class seats:
Joe
Joe
Member since 03 May 2013
Total posts 181
BA's first class is even more woeful. Its a business class product at best. How some airlines can manipulate the spin into making their product world class is amazing. QF still the same with the A380 / 744 J seat..... "award wining" , Yes, 10 years ago!! its wide with space but foot rest droops and did so 6 months into its genesis. Bring on A330 J class seating I say. Only then will QF truly have a world class product in hard and soft product.
Packetman21
Packetman21
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 28 Jul 2016
Total posts 68
Remember that Qantas will be refitting the A380s with new seats, that will see them at one of the best fitted A380s
BevanMcBevan
BevanMcBevan
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 01 Mar 2013
Total posts 32
cd1982
cd1982
Member since 17 Mar 2017
Total posts 1
No question that the worst business class a380 searts have to be jointly air france, malaysia airlines and korean airlines. No direct aisle access for all passengers and an angled bed to sleep on. Angled beds are awful, I cant understand how people can sleep on them, i spent the whole time trying to scootch my way back up the surface. Since BA brought in the fully flat bed over 15 years ago, it astonishes me that airlines that still roll out this sub standard product dont get more over critisism. Why would you pay the cost to upgrade if you're not even going to be able to sleep properly??
Lufthansa comes next in my opinion as again you do not have direct aisle access, you do get a fully flat bed but you also have tiny little cubby holes to put your feet. A very strange design in appearance I think, and seems quite inefficient.
Qantas is fine, although similar to the worst business seats in the 2-2-2 layout as quite wide seats make stepping over neighbours in bed position a near impossibility unless you are very tall. They are at least fully flat, although with all similar seats which extend entirely from itself (ie. without a separate footrest) I find them incredibly uncomfortable as a lounging seat as i have no where to put my feet. I am 5"11 so not particularly tall really, but without a separate foot rest it is nearly impossible to properly 'lounge'
British Airways has a consistent hard product across their fleet, and one of the only major airlines to offer full flat beds on its entire long haul fleet. Whilst i fully understand some criticism of BA, namely inconsistent service, poor and declining food offering, disgraceful showers/toilets at Heathrow lounges etc, I have no idea what provokes such hatred of their product compared to others.. I can only assume it is because they expect BA to be at the forefront. Realistically they aren't, they are a solid middle ground hard product in my opinion. A lack of table space and no direct aisle access are its biggest down falls, but at least stepping over the foot stool is a lot easier than other seats, and I find the seat itself very comfortable particularly for lounging if slightly narrow.
I've not flown Singapore Airlines business seat, although I would imagine it sits around here. Whilst the seats are very wide in seat position, and are given lots of thumbs up for comfort in both seat and bed position, the tiny cubby hole for your feet would definitely annoy me, and I dont like seats that require a total rework to turn it into a bed. I like to gradually lounge more and more and eventually go all the way back into bed mode.
Emirates have pretty much the same hard product as China Southern, Asiana and Thai.. as well as the old Etihad seats. I think this is a really good product to be honest; comfortable in both seat and bed position and with lots of table space to put things. The seats are a little bit narrow, but thankfully I am not large build so this does not affect me personally.
Qatar airways have a fantastic business class seat, very comfortable in all modes, private, lots of table space and direct aisle access. The decor is refreshingly non bling for a middle east carrier, although maybe they went a little too far.
I've not flown Etihads new business class but it looks fantastic, and is nearly identical to the brand new Qatar Q suite, although Qatar have been more clever about the flexibility of it to cater better for different types of traveller. Ultimately it looks like a fantastic product and probably belongs at or near the top of the a380 list.