Qantas’ US flights get non-reclining business class seats

It’s the business class seat which Qantas travellers love or loathe, and sometimes a bit of both: a controversial ‘sofa in the sky’ which doesn’t recline.

Called the AirLounge, it’s modelled on the familiar couch in your living room – and it will soon be winging its way on Qantas flights between Sydney and Honolulu.

Finnair's AirLounge business class is less a seat and more a 'sofa in the sky'.

From 26 October 2025, Qantas will swap out the modern Boeing 787 fitted with the airline’s signature Business Suite...

Qantas' signature 787 Business Suite.

... for a leased A330 AirLounge jet from Finnair, the innovator behind this unique non-reclining business class seat.

Finnair's innovative AirLounge business class.

Many Qantas high flyers have already experienced the AirLounge on the Sydney-Singapore and Sydney-Bangkok routes, where Qantas runs two leased Finnair jets to help offset a shortfall in its own fleet.

Qantas has confirmed to Executive Traveller that a third Finnair A330 is joining the Red Roo’s network, although unlike its Singapore and Bangkok siblings – which are flown by Finnair pilots and crew under a ‘wet lease’ agreement – this one will be fully staffed by Qantas.

Finnair is unable to make full use of these jets following the closure of Russian airspace due to the Ukraine war – and that lengthy detour puts its Asian destinations beyond the range of the A330.

The business class AirLounge: coming soon to Qantas' Sydney-Honolulu flights.

This additional Finnair A330 will free up a Boeing 787 to be used elsewhere in Qantas’  international network, which continues to evolve with the return of the final Airbus A380 superjumbos  – and on the domestic front, the mid-year debut of the first Airbus A321XLR.

There’ll be five Qantas Finnair A330 flights each week between Sydney and Honolulu, although a sixth flight – on one of Qantas’ own A330s – will be slotted in during the summer peak travel season between 4 December 2025 and 29 January 2026. 

What to expect from the Sydney-Honolulu AirLounge business class

The AirLounge ditches the conventional business class design that’s become entrenched since British Airways launched the world’s first business class beds in 2000.

Instead, it offers an oversized but fixed sofa-like space wrapped within a wide contoured shell.

Passengers find their own comfort zone by sitting, slouching, sprawling or stretching out.

The business class AirLounge: coming soon to Qantas' Sydney-Honolulu flights.

A padded swing-up section bridges the gap between the seat and the ottoman to create a long bed when it’s time to sleep.

Finnair's radical non-reclining AirLounge business class.

While everyone has a different opinion on the AirLounge business class seat – many praise it as as the best non-doored business class, while others place it in ‘never fly again’ territory – there’s no argument that this seat takes some getting used to.

This is how most business class passengers will end up sleeping on the Qantas/Finnair A330 flights.

As detailed in our Qantas-Finnair A330 business class review, the AirLounge’s fixed-in-place nature requires more effort on the part of the passenger to get comfortable.

Perhaps what surprises most travellers is that while this non-reclining seat makes a great bed, it’s sitting that presents the biggest challenge.

The business class AirLounge: coming soon to Qantas' Sydney-Honolulu flights.

Because the seat doesn’t recline, you’ll be either sitting upright or lying flat – there’s no in-between position unless you create it yourself.

So be prepared to change position, wiggle around and nestle in, lean this way and slouch that way in order to make yourself at home, because the seat won’t do any of that for you.

You'll have to figure out how to find the most comfortable positions in Finnair's A330 business class.

Here are some tips to help you find your own comfort zone in Finnair’s A330 AirLounge business class.

Use both of the supplied pillows and try placing them vertically, one above the other, for more back support (unfortunately, as soon as you shift around, so will the pillows) .

Experiment with the rolled-up mattress pad as a bolster, either behind your back or even positioned next to you to support your arm in this extra-wide seat.

Put the seat into ‘bed’ mode for extra room to sprawl out, stretchy your legs or even sit cross-legged.

Nestle yourself into the curved corner of the seat, closest to the aisle, rather than hard up against the flatter portion of the seatback.

If you have one of those U-shaped pillows that slips around your neck, for when you fly in premium economy or economy, bring it along on your AirLounge business class flight – you might find it’s just the thing for when you’re sitting in the corner with your head against the back of the seat.

Get used to watching inflight moves or TV shows sitting up – not only does the seat itself not recline, but the 18” video screen doesn’t pivot down to face you.

At least the 10-hour trek between Sydney and Honolulu will give passengers the chance to assess the AirLounge in both daytime and overnight modes. 

The Finnair A330s also feature a solid premium economy offering, with 21 recliners set at a standard 38” pitch and an 8” recline.

Finnair's A330 premium economy.

We’d hazard a guess that most premium economy travellers will find this superior to Qantas’ own 787 premium economy.

Finnair's A330 premium economy.

As previously reported, Qantas’ low-cost arm Jetstar is scrapping its own Sydney-Honolulu flights as of 24 October; Qantas has also taken over the Melbourne-Honolulu route from Jetstar.

Also read: Unlock the best Qantas seats for free with the ‘T-24’ hack