Ten new business class seats coming your way

Airlines are seeking an edge in what’s become a hyper-competitive market.

By David Flynn, December 6 2023
Ten new business class seats coming your way

Business class has long played second fiddle to opulence of first class. However, with more airlines looking to do away with first altogether, the once-clear lines between the two cabins are now increasingly blurred.

When you think about it, it’s not at all surprising, given the latest pointy-end pews have moved beyond mere seats to fully-fledged suites with sliding doors and more space, alongside bigger video screens and even personal closets.

Here’s a glimpse at what nine leading airlines have in store for high flyers in the near future. 

 

Japan Airlines A350 business class

Travellers jetting between Tokyo and New York on Japan Airlines are primed for a significant inflight upgrade this month when the Japanese carrier debuts not only its latest A350 on the route but an all-new business class to match.

Inside Japan Airlines' new A350 business class suite.
Inside Japan Airlines' new A350 business class suite.

Enveloped by 1.32m-high walls and sliding doors, the room-like business class berths – adorned in a soft red, white and grey palette accented by metal trims – are arguably a big step up from their Boeing 777 counterparts in comfort, privacy and technology.

The wardrobe is concealed behind a sliding panel next to the sreen.
The wardrobe is concealed behind a sliding panel next to the sreen.

Among the enhancements are wireless charging and Bluetooth audio streaming, plus sharp 24” 4K screens and even built-in stereo speakers in the headrest. The latter means you can enjoy the entertainment without donning headphones.

Sliding doors dial up the privacy.
Sliding doors dial up the privacy.

There’ll also be an in-suite wardrobe to hang your coat, as well as the option to borrow a pair of cotton pyjamas from Japanese sleep brand Uchino for the duration of the flight.

Air India business class

India’s national carrier Air India recently stunned with the unveiling of its impressive new business and first class suites, which are set to roll out across the airline’s twin-aisle fleet from late 2023. By March, it expects up to 22% of the fleet to be refurbished.

Business class onboard Air India's refurbished Boeing 777-330ER.
Business class onboard Air India's refurbished Boeing 777-330ER.

Concept images of its refurbished Boeing 777-300ER show a light and bright interior from nose to tail, with the business class cabin adorned in a neutral palette of aubergine and grey accented by rose gold and silver.

Wireless charging, a lie-flat bed and sliding doors are just a taste of what awaits within.
Wireless charging, a lie-flat bed and sliding doors are just a taste of what awaits within.

The seat itself is based on the Safran Unity product, which is coincidentally also set to take wing on Qantas’ A350 from 2025 (more on the Red Roo’s version later).

The refurbished interiors are part of new owner Tata's sweeping reinvention of the airline.
The refurbished interiors are part of new owner Tata's sweeping reinvention of the airline.

Passengers will be cocooned behind sliding privacy doors in a 1-2-1 layout, with the suite itself featuring modern conveniences such as wireless charging along and large touchscreen monitor, as well as a pull-out tray table and, unlike Qantas, a fold-down drinks shelf.

Cathay Pacific ‘Aria’ business class

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific is also jetting into a new era with a fresh business class on its flagship Boeing 777-300, with travellers primed to enjoy a first taste of the ‘suite life’ from the second quarter of 2024.

A first look at the new Cathay 'Aria' business class suite.
A first look at the new Cathay 'Aria' business class suite.

Evoking what Cathay describes as ‘quiet luxury’, Executive Traveller suspects this is the same suite intended for the airline’s long-delayed Boeing 777X jets, for which it holds 21 orders of the 777-9 model. Delivery of that aircraft is now expected some time beyond 2025.

The suite has the look of a refined premium hotel, with sleek timber-look finishes.
The suite has the look of a refined premium hotel, with sleek timber-look finishes.

Promotional images of the current 777 reveal a contemporary suite tucked discreetly behind sliding doors and privacy ‘wings’,while the sky-high living space itself is adorned in timber-look finishes and silver trims, together with a cloth seat and multiple storage nooks.

High wings and sliding doors transform the suite into a private sanctuary.
High wings and sliding doors transform the suite into a private sanctuary.

One of what we’re sure will be several modern touches is wireless device charging, and you can bet that the large video screens facing each business class passenger will not only run at 4K but come with Bluetooth audio streaming to a passenger's own headphones or earbuds.

Lufthansa Allegris business class

Lufthansa’s next-gen business class is not just one seat but seven variations of the unique ‘Allegris’ design offering different degrees of space and privacy.

Lufthansa's Allegris business class.
Lufthansa's Allegris business class.

That manifold mix includes:

  • upmarket ‘business plus’ suites with sliding doors, personal wardrobes and even a minibar
  • double suites for couples travelling together
  • solo ‘throne’ seats with additional personal space,
  • and seats with an extra-long 2.2m flatbed.
A section of Lufthansa's Allegris business class cabin.
A section of Lufthansa's Allegris business class cabin.

Lufthansa says it’s all about offering “personalisation and choice” to suit the needs of each traveller, although these different seats will generally come with a higher price tags than the ‘basic’ business class seat.

A section of Lufthansa's Allegris business class cabin.
A section of Lufthansa's Allegris business class cabin.

But no matter where you’re seated, common to all Allegris business class seats will be direct aisle access, Bluetooth audio connectivity, wireless charging, a minimum 2m long bed and a ‘shoulder sink-in’ to boost comfort for for side sleepers.

Lufthansa's Allegris business class.
Lufthansa's Allegris business class.

Each seat has warming panels built into the cushions, similar to a car’s heated seats, while cool air can be circulated from underneath the seat as well as from a vent mounted on the seat wall.

Lufthansa's Allegris business class.
Lufthansa's Allegris business class.

Lufthansa’s Allegris business class is set to debut on factory-fresh Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in early 2024, followed by new Airbus A350s later in the year.  

The same seat, but with a markedly different and arguably more elegant look, will also be adopted by sibling Swiss from 2025.

Swiss' new A350 business class.
Swiss' new A350 business class.

Emirates A350, 777 business class

Emirates is another airline looking to narrow the gap between business and first class, especially on its forthcoming Airbus A350s, which won’t have a first class cabin at all.

Instead, the Gulf carrier is lining up an all-new business class suite – one which will almost certainly include sliding doors – to debut on the A350, and likely also be refitted to the Boeing 777-300ER fleet.

(And yes, that means an end to the dreaded middle seat as the dated 2-3-2 configuration gives way to a sensibly modern 1-2-1 layout.)

Emirates has awarded European  aerospace specialist Safran with a US$1bn contract to deliver new business, premium economy and economy seats for the A350, the 777 upgrade and the new 777X jets due from late 2025.

While this new business class seat remains under lock and key, the two front-runners from Safran’s published portfolio are the Unity, which is also the platform for the next-gen business class of Qantas and Air India...

Safran's Unity suite is a prime candidate for Emirates' A350 business class.
Safran's Unity suite is a prime candidate for Emirates' A350 business class.

... and the Fusio, which Safran touts as a “Business-First Class” product and would be Emirates’ best bet for taking on Qatar Airways’ highly-regarded Qsuite.

Safran's Fusio is a 'fusion' of business class and first class.
Safran's Fusio is a 'fusion' of business class and first class.

The Fusio is already being flown in a heavily customised version by Japan’s ANA as its flagship Boeing 777 The Room business class.

Etihad 787 Business Studio

Etihad Airways is following up the debut of its Airbus A350 Business Studio suites with spacious private suites for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Every Etihad 787 business class suite will have a sliding privacy door, and there’s added seclusion compared to the A350 sibling through slightly higher walls plus a small lip or ‘halo’ wrapped over the top of the suite.

Etihad's new Boeing 787 business class.
Etihad's new Boeing 787 business class.

Other design and engineering tweaks unlock more personal space inside the suite, including additional space for your feet under the 17.3” 4K TV screen, which has Bluetooth headphone pairing for use with travellers’ own headphones.

Etihad's new Boeing 787 business class.
Etihad's new Boeing 787 business class.

The seat is based on the Elements suite from Collins Aerospace – a model that’s already broken ground on Taiwan’s Starlux A350 jets, where our Starlux A350 business class review described it as the foundation of “a suitably stellar business class offering.”

Etihad’s 787 version is due in the third quarter of 2023 with the delivery of three new Dreamliners of out a larger order of 11. 

Air New Zealand 787 Business Premier

September 2024 will see Air New Zealand finally ditch its 20-year old ‘sleeper shells’, with their narrow confines and a steep rake that sees many passengers facing one another like commuters on a bus on the way out in favour of an all-new Business Premier class.

These will debut on ultra-long range Boeing 787s dedicated to the Auckland-New York and Auckland-Chicago routes.

Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier.
Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier.

Taking pride of place on the marathon flights will be eight private Business Premier Luxe suites – four in the first row of each business class cabin – with a ‘buddy seat’ where a companion can sit and share a meal, a glass of wine or a game of cards, and dressed by upmarket touches including a Merino wool throw.

Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier Luxe suite.
Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier Luxe suite.

Behind will be new-look Business Premier seats with their own sliding privacy panels – albeit not a full door – a storage cabinet and vanity mirror, a spacious side shelf, wireless device charging and a massive 24” video screen with Bluetooth audio streaming to your own cordless headphones or earbuds.

Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier cabin.
Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787 Business Premier cabin.

The updated Business Premier beds are slightly longer than the current model, and in sleep mode will be dressed with a memory foam mattress and feather pillow; the seat itself can also be put into a reclined position for the taxi, take-off and landing stages of the journey. 

American Airlines 787 Flagship Suites 

This business class seat is allegedly so good, it killed first class: at least that’s the take of American Airlines, which joins other carriers in removing first class from its international fleet.

These all-new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites feature more personal space than American’s current business class, along with the now-almost-mandatory sliding door.

American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.
American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.

As a halfway point to transforming into a lie-flat bed, American claims its Flagship Suites convert into a relaxed “chaise lounge position” – which to us sounds like marketing-speak for what other airlines and seat-makers invariably refer to as Lazy Z, sun-lounge or deckchair mode.

Other creature comforts include several storage nooks, power from AC and dual USB-A and USB-C sockets and, Executive Traveller understands, wireless charging for smartphones.

American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.
American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.

Each Flagship Suite is angled away from the aisle for greater privacy, with a sliding partition between the paired middle seats if you’re travelling with a partner.

American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.
American Airlines' new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites business class.

We’ll first see the Flagship Suites on new Boeing 787-9 deliveries expected from 2024, with a retrofit to the older Boeing 777-300ER fleet also slated to begin in late 2024.

Qantas A350 Business Suite 

It’ll be late 2025 before we see this next generation of Qantas’ international business class, which has been designed especially for non-stop Airbus A350 ‘Project Sunrise’ flights from Sydney and Melbourne to the likes of New York, London and Paris.

Branded as the Qantas A350 Business Suite, the seat itself is based on the new Unity platform from Safran Seats – albeit heavily customised and styled by David Caon (who also helped shaped the airline’s Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 business class seats).

Qantas' new A350 business class.
Qantas' new A350 business class.

And it’s got the works: sliding doors, a long fully lie-flat bed, a generous 18” video screen with Bluetooth audio streaming, USB-C and wireless device charging plus plenty more.

Surrounding the suite is a soft-touch material which reduces noise while adding a tactile element which supports what Qantas describes as a ‘residential’ aesthetic in the materials and colours.

Qantas' new A350 business class.
Qantas' new A350 business class.

Each seat fronts a cushioned leather ottoman which becomes part of the 80” (2m) bed – that’s actually an inch longer than the beds in Qantas’ A380 first class – while the ottoman also lifts up to reveal additional storage space.

Qantas' new A350 business class.
Qantas' new A350 business class.

The Qantas A350 Business Suite is framed by 47” walls, with a sliding door at the same height (although the inside of the doors is bare rather being lined with that noise-dampening fabric).

Qantas' new A350 business class.
Qantas' new A350 business class.

The first row of each Qantas A350 business class cabin will offer more legroom and an enlarged ‘foot cubby’, just as it does on the current Business Suite family.

LOT Polish Airlines 787 business class

‘Functional but not overly exciting’ is a common summary of LOT Polish Airlines’ current Boeing 787 business class. Yes, it has a lie flat bed, but a lack of privacy and rather outdated 2-2-2 layout hold it back from achieving its potential. 

LOT Polish Airlines' existing 787 business class.
LOT Polish Airlines' existing 787 business class.

However, that’s all set to change from 2026, when eight of its 15 Dreamliners are upgraded with an all new pew from seating manufacturer Recaro. And what a glow-up it will be.

AC, USB and wireless charging are all part of the deal.
AC, USB and wireless charging are all part of the deal.

Midnight blue walls, tangerine panels and timber-look detailing set the scene, while the 1-2-1 configuration and updated tech such as 17.3” 4K screens, USB-C ports and wireless charging and the addition of inflight WiFi bring it firmly into the modern era.

Subdued lighting gives it the feel of a boutique hotel room.
Subdued lighting gives it the feel of a boutique hotel room.

LOT Polish Airlines expects the rollout to be completed on its Boeing 787-8 fleet by the end of 2030, with premium economy and economy also receiving an overhaul. 

Sliding doors are an appreciated addition.
Sliding doors are an appreciated addition.

Those with a keen eye will recognise the Recaro CL6720 seat from Air China’s newer A350s, though styling is chalk and cheese between the two.

Additional reporting by Chris Ashton.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

18 Feb 2015

Total posts 124

David, 

What would be nice is if you did a comparison table among the different airlines and the new offer

Line for screen size, bed length, door, wall height, ect ect ect 

All the best 

American Airlines - AAdvantage

13 Jul 2015

Total posts 275

Have ET ever done comparison tables? I don't recall...

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge

01 Sep 2011

Total posts 416

Not that I am going to get this wish, but I wish these variants of the seats would do away with the "tunnel" effect when the seat becomes a bed. I find it all so claustrophobic. Would make a huge difference if it was open and the TV swings out like in the QF first class suite. People rave about Qatar's Q-suite and I hate it as it feels so cramped.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Jul 2011

Total posts 1379

But that's part of the design that minimises the space / square metres each seat takes up...

Otherwise the seat takes up a lot more space and you are into First class territory seating and pricing.

SNC
SNC

29 Dec 2023

Total posts 1

I'm also at a loss as to why Q-Suite is so popular. Its unbelievably cramped and the seating positions are extremely limited.  By far the worst of Qatar's J offerings. Some of these options look very similar. 

11 Nov 2021

Total posts 2

Why is it the one I really want to try isn’t here? I’m keen to give the new Finnair seat a crack. It just seems that all these seats have become so narrow, and the foot well is merely a tube. There is no joy in rolling over on any of these offerings. I used to love the old Singapore flying couch - even if I had to fold out the bed. But it gave great shoulder room & general space.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

29 Mar 2015

Total posts 95

We flew the Finnair product last June and were very impressed. It is different and it does take a few minutes to work out how best to use it. Our next flight was Singapore airlines and the difference couldn't be more amazing. The Finnair product beat the v uncomfortable Singapore seat easily.

22 Mar 2013

Total posts 8

I'm very late to the party here - but how did you find the seat firmness when used as a bed on Finnair? I've read some saying it's quite firm to sit/lay on. 

08 May 2020

Total posts 85

The Gap has widen even further now between Cattle Class and Bus Class. a Ticket from an Australian Port to Europe being around 2000.00 Bus Class tickets are 6 x the price at 12K where as pre Pandemic were 3.5 times the price on average. Not sure but I certainly would like to see more Premium Econ. being offered at reasonable prices, but even that is out of the Window being offered at such higher elevated prices than what I would consider Value for Money. looks like more local Holidays in future as C class does not excite me.

11 Jun 2023

Total posts 1

Having flown on a Finnair A350 , I can say that the seat is excellent and also very quiet.

12 Jan 2012

Total posts 3

Exciting products! Reverse herringbone seem to be a popular seat design.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

07 Dec 2014

Total posts 175

Interesting that Air NZ's new seats still face/tilt toward the aisle.

24 Jun 2020

Total posts 47

I found when it is converted to the bed, that you seem to be much lower than the sliding doors thus feeling like you are in a coffin or a ditch looking out. It's a weird feeling for me but better than not having a flat bed I guess.

05 Dec 2017

Total posts 19

Yeach I'd say the NZ seat is looking the weakest of the bunch, perhapsnin par with the dull Lufthansa offering. The flimsy slide panels won't give the encased privacy of all of the others. The use of white invariably leads to every mark and scrape being visible. The tiles away from the windows just ignores 20 years of customer complaint on this so I'm not sure why they're sticking with it. And the use of purple LED lighting to try and make it look funky and moderm just shows how cold and plastic the NZ cabin will be. 

19 Mar 2018

Total posts 7

Finnair's sofa-style seat is the best for sleeping...wider than any other one, you can actually sleep on your side, impossible in these narrow seats called suites. They started with truly horrible seats on their A350s few years ago (plastic falling apart), changed them after just few months and then again after covid. Now, they have the most comfortable seats in J.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

03 Sep 2015

Total posts 3

Agree with all the comments, can airlines please make seats wider, im happy to have less side table space if i get a seat i dont feel squashed in, why is that so hard? The old Singapore a380 seats were sooo comfortable because of their width


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