20 Business Class Experiences: My Rankings

When I decided to put together a list of business class products I’d flown, I didn’t expect the total to hit twenty. I guess I’ve flown more than I thought! A quick check against my flights logged in OpenFlights confirmed my finding. My next idea was to order them from best to worst, and this exercise produced these business class rankings.

I will say that I’ve redeemed miles for 19 out of 20 of these. And for the only one where I paid cash, it really wasn’t cash—I redeemed Ultimate Rewards points through the portal for a mistake fare. So, let me start off by saying that these are experiences I never would have had without the help of miles and points.

Ranking My 20 Business Class Experiences

I didn’t include any recliner business class in my rankings. I’m only counting long-haul products, or ones that could easily be long-haul if they were installed on an aircraft that could fly that distance. Overall, I tried to balance hard product (i.e. seat) with an overall picture of the soft product (i.e. service and catering). There is certainly some subjectivity based on my own experience and preferences. Here are my business class rankings for the 20 products I’ve flown.

1. China Airlines 777-300ER

Picking a #1 business class flight was a bit tough, given that I enjoyed all of my top five immensely. But I think the honor has to go to my experience flying China Airlines business class on the 777-300ER several years ago. The ground experience wasn’t noteworthy, as the lounge is relatively poor in San Francisco. But once onboard, it was a fantastic experience. The cabin has some great touches, the service was stellar, and it is likely the best steak I’ve ever been served on an airplane. Getting several hours o20-produf sleep in-route to Taipei before kicking off your first day? I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

2. Cathay Pacific 777-300ER

In close second is Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class. The lounge was great, the seat was great, the service was great, and it was an excellent way to close out a trip to China with my two older kids. I have Cathay on the list to fly in 2025 since it has been several years since this last trip.

3. Finnair A350

My one and only A350 flight was with Finnair in their excellent business class product. This is before they started rolling out their updated seat, which I have not flown. But all the other aspects of flying Finnair were excellent as well. From interesting cocktails to some excellent meal options, I greatly enjoyed flying them.

4. JetBlue A321neo Mint

As my first herringbone product (as opposed to the reverse-herringbone of the previous three), I was interested to see how it compares. And honestly, I think I prefer it. At least JetBlue’s new A321neo business class product. I flew this relatively recently from Boston to Los Angeles, picking this aircraft and routing specifically so that I could try this. And I cannot recommend it enough. It became my favorite way to cross the continent. And I’d gladly travel to Europe in the same seat.

5. Asiana Airlines A380

I will always look back fondly on my first business class experience back in 2017. I flew to Australia the long way, via Asia, switching from United GlobalFirst (which was still a thing at the time) to Asiana A380 business class. Needless to say, I loved it. First business class, first Asian carrier, first time on the A380. It doesn’t hold up to a handful of other products, but I do still rank my Asiana experience highly. Such a memorable trip.

6. SWISS 777-300ER

Although you have less space and privacy than many business class products, the service and catering on SWISS are far above average. Objectively, they are probably the best European carrier business class I’ve flown, in this regard. Finnair just ends up higher since they pair solid service with an excellent menu and far better seat. But I loved flying SWISS 777-300ER business class.

7. United Polaris 777-300ER

I only rank United Polaris on their 777 so highly since I absolutely love the seat. The hard product is excellent, and it’s plenty comfortable for the 10+ hours in the air. I love the window seats that face straight ahead privacy and separation from the aisle is excellent. I’ve actually never flown in any other seat.

Some of the catering can be a miss, at least in terms of what one should expect in business class. But overall, it’s a solid product.

8. SAS A330-300

My flight in SAS A330-300 business class surprised me a bit. The seat was better than I’d expected. it was my first time in a Thompson Vantage seat, and I thought the design was a solid one. There was sufficient space and privacy. The catering on the SAS flight wasn’t as excellent as with carriers I’ve ranked higher, and this is the main reason I rank them lower.

9. KLM 777-200

Although KLM lags in ways, I have a soft spot for the carrier. I flew KLM 777-200 business class back in 2021. The food isn’t up to what you’d expect from a premium cabin, but I still enjoyed it. More than anything, I’ve enjoyed the conversations I’ve had with Dutch flight attendants on nearly every one of the handful of KLM flights I’ve had. The friendliness and openness really makes you feel at home.

10. Lufthansa A340-300

Coming in at #10 is my only flight aboard an A340. It was my goal to fly the aircraft before it was potentially retired from carrier fleets, and Lufthansa has surprised me by still flying it as late as 2024. All that to be said, it was a fine business class experience. Nothing special. Just cool to be aboard the plane for the first time.

The seats are comfortable enough. But since there is literally no privacy between seats, Lufthansa business class is a far better experience for a couple traveling together. The catering was solid.

11. American 777-300ER

With a reverse-herringbone product and lots of potential, American 777-300ER business class should rank higher. There’s enough to like about their flagship business class seat. But with the service that never seems to be up to the that of other carriers, I can’t get myself to rank American in my top ten.

12. American 777-200

Pretty much the same as the 777-300ER, the seat on the 777-200 in reverse-herringbone and plenty comfortable. I had a solid experience flying American Airlines 777-200 business class from Dallas to Buenos Aires. They may be the best option to South America aside from Delta (who I’ve actually never flown in business class, oddly enough). But if any other carrier served the route, I’d prefer them instead.

13. Hawaiian Airlines A330-300

A more recent experience, this was my first time aboard the Aloha State-based carrier. I’d been sitting on Hawaiian Airlines miles, and this was the perfect flight to clear out the stash.

Compared to many other carriers, their product aboard the A330 falls short. But it was still enjoyable enough, and allowed for some sleep on the redeye flight from Seoul back to Honolulu.

14. JetBlue A321 Mint (older version)

As my only experience in the standard, original Mint product is in the throne seat, I likely rank this higher than I would if I was in the paired seats. In any case, I’d be more than willing to fly JetBlue A321 Mint long-haul, if the product was offered on such a flight. It falls short of others on the list, but the throne seat offers the spaciousness and privacy of many other airlines’ business class. It’s one of the best ways for a transcontinental trek across the U.S.

15. LATAM 787-8

With little privacy and par-for-the-course catering, there isn’t a lot that helps LATAM stand out at all. I haven’t written up a full review, but I’d look for other options if you’re wanting an excellent business class experience. Still, given the award value in many cases, not to mention the fact that only LATAM serves a number of routes (e.g. the flight I took from Los Angeles to Santiago), they’re a fine choice if needed.

16. Alitalia 777

Alitalia holds a special place for me, albeit how old their product was and the completely lackluster catering, made worse by a country known for their cuisine. The state carrier has since folded. Oddly, I actually like the seat, at least the spot closer to the window. It offered plenty of space when in lie-flat mode. In any case, snagging this for ~$600 for a round-trip business class ticket is something I’m unlikely to ever pull off again.

17. Emirates 777

This flight goes down as one of the only business class experiences where I was more than happy to deplane. I flew the 777 business class from Athens to New York back in 2021. This was before Emirates started to refresh their cabins.

The angled-flat seat was uncomfortable for sleeping. The 2-3-2 configuration also allows for minimal room. I would have rather saved the miles and booked premium economy.

18. Turkish Airlines A330-300

I’ve heard fantastic thins about Turkish Airlines and plan to fly them on the long trek from the West Coast to Istanbul next year. But this A330 experience left a lot to be desired. The 2-2-2 cabin offers no privacy or spaciousness. And the box lunch was underwhelming. I should note that this was both during COVID-19 and a short-haul flight. But it’s near the bottom of my business class rankings.

19. American 767

This was an unfortunate flight. The American 767 business class seat was likely uncomfortable for anyone relatively large, as the seats do not offer much space in lie-flat mode. I had trouble getting comfortable. Combined with par catering and indifferent, uncaring service at the end of the flight, it’s near the bottom of the list.

20. United 777-200 Eight-Across

Definitely the worst product of them all. I’m glad I only flew back from Hawaii in this business class cabin on a relatively cheap award ticket, as I’d never want to take this long-haul. Imagine spending tons of miles and getting this disaster. No one should have ever tried to go with a 2-4-2 cabin. That’s most airlines’ premium economy spacing these days.

Business Class Rankings: Final Thoughts

So there you have it. Overall, I’ve had mostly great business class experiences, but with a few real poor experiences. As I stated at the outset, these are experiences I never would have been able to enjoy save for points and miles. And I’m thankful for this amazing modern marvel of jet travel.

Do you disagree with my business class rankings? What carrier or seat is your favorite?