The best new business class seats

Another year has flown by, and it’s seen more airlines launching their next-generation business class offerings into what’s already a hyper-competitive market.

Eight years after Delta Air Lines and Qatar Airways debuted business class suites with sliding privacy doors – a trait previously reserved for the elite realm of first class – doors are now de rigueur for business class, transforming mere seats into cosy suites.

In 2025, those suites have continued to raise the bar for business class while also narrowing the gap to first class.

Upgraded inflight entertainment and tech complete the picture: large lush 4K video screens with Bluetooth audio streaming, wireless and USB-C charging are the new baseline.

They also drive demand for premium travel, especially on the longest globe-striding routes, providing maximum comfort en route while passengers also arrive rested and ready to go.

Here are the five new business class suites which impressed us, and travellers, across 2025.

1. Cathay Pacific 777 Aria Suites

While Cathay’s next-generation Aria Suites business class officially launched at the very end of 2024, it really began spreading its wings this year.

Long-range Boeing 777s upgraded with the stunning Aria Suites now fly to Sydney, Melbourne, London, Frankfurt and Vancouver, along with selected regional destinations across Asia, with San Francisco and Milan to follow from January 2026.

Cathay Pacific's 777 Aria Suites.

Cathay retained everything travellers love about its current long-haul business class and then reimagined it for the modern era.

Cathay Pacific's 777 Aria Suites.

Although it’s a given that the Aria Suite has everything you’d expect, layered on top of this are thoughtful touches such as sound-absorbent suede walls, breathable wool seat covers, intelligent lighting and activity-based presets.

This is all wrapped in an elegant aesthetic which Cathay describes as “understated luxury” and it showcases just how good a modern business class experience can be.

2. Etihad Airways A321LR business class

While Cathay Pacific was busy creating a new high-water mark for business class on twin-aisle jets, Etihad set about to deliver a similarly luxurious take on single-aisle business class.

Etihad's A321LR business class.

The Gulf carrier’s Airbus A321LR business class belongs to the new wave of premium travel on these long-legged LR and XLR jets, which can fly up to 10 hours non-stop.

Etihad opted to forego sliding doors in favour of an open mini-suite design which maximises a sense of privacy and personal space by orienting passengers towards the window.

Etihad's A321LR business class.

But they don’t cut back on other key features such as a 78” bed or 17.3” 4K screen with Bluetooth headphone pairing.

As more airlines embrace the A321LR and XLR, Etihad’s treatment will no doubt be among those closely studied.

3. American Airlines 787 Flagship Suite

The US carrier’s Boeing 787 Flagship Suite leaps ahead from American’s reliable but uninspiringly utilitarian long-haul business class.

The fully-enclosed doored suites are a first for American, which like United Airlines with its 2026 Polaris suites is in catch-up mode to the Delta One suites of rival Delta Air Lines.

American Airlines' 787 Flagship Suites.

American axed its outdated first class cabin in favour of the 787 Flagship Suites, which will also make their way onto retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER jets.

But for travellers who still want something beyond business class, row 1 contains four ‘business plus’ Flagship Suite Preferred berths which embrace the extra space to the bulkhead.

American Airlines' 787 Flagship Suite Preferred.

American also ups the ante with special touches such as a mattress pad and pyjamas, a throw blanket and a memory foam lumbar pillow.

4. Swiss A350 business class

Yes, the new ‘Swiss Senses’ A350 business class which took wing in October is identical to Lufthansa’s Allegris – albeit dressed in classy Swiss colours of warm Burgundy, anthracite, light woods, and off-white walls with a muted silver trim.

Swiss' A350 business class.

We’re fans of the revolutionary Allegris concept, which offers multiple variations on the core business class seat.

The aim is to give business class passengers more choice to suit their own preferences or even the timing of the flight (daytime vs overnight, for example) instead of a ‘one seat fits all’ experience.

Swiss' A350 business class.

This ranges from doored suites at the front row of the cabin and double suites for passengers travelling together to ‘throne’ seats for solo flyers, seats with an extra-long 2.2m lie-flat bed, and a parent seat where the bassinet is mounted on the bench next to the seat rather than hooked up on the wall.

In addition to its new A350 flagships, Swiss also plans to bring these premium pews to its Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 jets in a multi-year retrofit project.

5. Malaysia Airlines A330neo business class

Having launched in late December 2024 between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne, Malaysia Airlines’ new Airbus A330neo jets are now also darting to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, Bali and Tokyo.

Malaysia Airlines A330neo business class.

While Malaysia Airlines went for a relatively off-the-shelf business class design which British Airways has been flying as its Club Suite since 2019 – but with more mod-cons – this doesn’t diminish the fact that in every measure, the A330neo’s doored suites are a dramatic step up from the older A330 business class.

Malaysia Airlines A330neo business class.

And beyond the seats themselves, the A330neo improves the overall passenger experience with a quieter cabin, ambient LED lighting schemes and larger overhead bins with a 66% greater capacity for carry-on bags.

Also read: Leaked design reveals Singapore Airlines’ new first class