Business class seat survey

A nit-picker's guide to the ultimate executive class stretch. A look at the A380 seats on SIA, Cathay Pacific's new business class seats, and the price of ordering Viagra inflight. Who has most legroom and widest seats?

by Vijay Verghese
updated by Philippa Young

See also First Class Seat Survey | Economy Class Seat Survey | Small Airlines Guide | Airbus vs Boeing | Frequent Flier Programs | Business Class Seats Review | Round the world flares

SIA: flat beds	Emirates B-777	Virgin Atlantic Suite	Cathay new club seats	BA's new Club World

THIRTY THOUSAND feet aloft, coddled in business class, having mortgaged the car, house, wife, kids and dog, it is perhaps reasonable to expect two things – that the champagne is fizzy and the bed is flat. After all this is the FRONT of the plane, not the cattle-class rear end where noses are jammed into armpits, tighter than Rubik's wettest dream.

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This is where those Airbus adverts have you believe you'll discover that buzzing bar with long-limbed beauties, sensuous spa, and a full-size Coliseum where Christians – and reality show producers – are being fed to the lions. It is the very pinnacle of success. Share it with a G&T, or your inner child, if you can afford the extra companion fare.

The proof of the pudding is in the sleeping. How flat is that bed? Can both corporate cheek bottoms coexist in unfettered harmony as you stretch out languorously for yet another prime cut of juicy steak?

Generous aircraft seat size, roomy seat pitch (the distance between rows, seat anchor to anchor), and comfortable seat recline, are not the only prized assets of Club Class travel. More often than not, you'll get a personal TV (or PTV), sometimes with movies on demand, swivelling screens that might let you watch a movie upside down in case you happen to be Australian, and even occasional Internet access. For on-the-go executive travellers, inflight Web access is a great way to stay ahead of the competition and buy the cheapest Viagra. A few minutes online and you can bankrupt your boss. All in the line of duty. "Give me a raise, or I'll send you a long e-mail." "Oh my God, no, not that."

We surveyed a broad range of airlines to see how their bottom lines compare in business class. Strap in, lie back, and read on.

First things first. If you're travelling flat out, you'll need to be flat. It took a while but airlines are cottoning on faster than you can say 180-degrees is the new black. The first three airlines capable of escorting you absolutely horizontal were Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and South African Airways, and now 17 airlines have at least one longhaul aircraft where you can kick back and find a perfectly flat bed business class seat. Recline is measured in degrees, inches and centimetres. A simple rule of thumb – six inches (15cm) translates roughly into 25 degrees.

Unabashedly over-the-top is Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com) whose A380 now flies to Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. This behemoth carries just 471 passengers (not the sweaty 800 of lively scuttlebutt, though that figure does represent the aircraft's maximum capacity). In addition to 12 partitioned Singapore Airlines Suites in a grade beyond first class – where a double bed can be created for passengers travelling together who might thus fully enjoy the feel of Givenchy linen aloft – the 60 business class seats on the upper deck recline fully flat and offer USB ports, in-seat power for a laptop, a height adjustable table, and a 39cm (15.4-inch) LCD video screen. These are the widest business class seats in our survey at 86cm or 34 inches. A forward-facing configuration of 1-2-1 permits aisle access from every seat. These seats have already appeared on the B777-300ER fleet. SIA A-380 business class toilets offer special amenities including a shaving mirror but, for practical and weight considerations, no shower. Sensitive ears will be happy to hear that the SQ A380 cuts take-off and landing noise in half and dramatically reduces it in-cabin throughout the flight.

SilkAir’s (www.silkair.net) new-look Business Class cabin for its Airbus 320 aircraft boast ergonomically designed seats, which, in a perfect world, should mean no neck pain, stiff legs or swollen toes. Seats are leather and measure in at 40 inches for pitch and 22 inches for width. The recline is eight inches and headrests can be adjusted six ways. In addition to regular inflight entertainment SilkAir provides booklets featuring short stories as part of its Booklovers on Board programme, introduced in June 2008.

Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com) introduced its new business class to an expectant audience, who were then split down the middle. Long haul passengers appreciate the private space and flat bed. But for short haul flyers (who flay the anti-social seats), “herringbone” is a dirty word. See our business class seats review. The new Cathay business class seat has fully flat 180-degree reclining seats that stretch out six-and-a-half feet – handy if you play basketball. The shoulder width in bed mode is a comfortable 32 inches with the normal seat width at 23.5 inches with the armrests up. The new 15-inch PTV is a huge improvement on the current nine-inch version and the personal noise-cancelling headphones complement the on-demand movie selection. There is in-seat power for your laptop. The new Cathay business class seats are being retrofitted on the B747-400s, A330-300s and A340-300s while the new B777-300ER aircraft will come with the new configuration. The accompanying chart reflects the new Cathay Pacific business class seat configuration. Bear in mind several CX aircraft will still carry older seats with a 19-inch width and 130-degree angle of recline, until replaced.

Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com) has gracefully bowed to the pressure of horizontal pleasures and added a business seat that reclines a full 180 degrees. That's flat. There are innumerable variations in position and lumbar support. Go ahead and play around. The seats are being introduced progressively on the B-747 and B-777 fleet, along with the “new average” 10.4-inch personal TV screen and a 50-inch seat pitch.

Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com), which has searched for some years to find the right mix, is making a strong comeback with a business class product called, unsurprisingly, Royal Silk Class. Seats recline, not quite the whole hog, at 170 degrees. This was launched on the longhaul A340-500s plying the groundbreaking 17-hour Bangkok-New York nonstop route. The route was canned in July 2008 and the future of the THAI Airbus A340-500 fleet is in doubt. Airbus A340s and retro-fitted B747-400 aircraft also offer generous 170-degree recline (old B747’s retain the 49” pitch and 133 degree recline). The A340 aircraft are flying Bangkok to Los Angeles, Auckland and Zurich. Personal entertainment options have started appearing with 10.4-inch screens and a choice of over 30 films and documentaries on all classes on A340-500 and A340-600 aircraft. New livery and entertainment is being gradually introduced to the TG longhaul fleet. These are reasonably wide business class seats and legroom is good.

The Singapore Airlines A380 hosts a 60-seat business class on the upper deck, with 34-inch wide seats that recline fully flat

Jaunty Indian newcomer Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com) offers a 180-degree fully flat bed onboard its B777-300ER aircraft as well as on the Airbus A330-200s. Jet Airways offers some of the widest business class seats in this survey at 23 inches, but newbie Jet needs to watch its back as a swathe of upgrades outdo 23” with widths of 27.5” on Vietnam Airlines, and vast acres of bottom space on SIA. There's a truckload of in-flight entertainment on a large touch screen and there's power for your laptop too. The Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) International Business Class Skybed is almost flat. It is a very accommodating six feet six inches in length and almost 24 inches wide when fully reclined, with a curving cocoon headboard that offers greater privacy. In fact several other airlines provide flat, but angled, beds. This means that while your body is flat, it is not horizontal. Your head will be positioned slightly higher than your feet. The A380 changes all that with a 180 degree flatbed, an extra 20 inches of leg room and a 12.2-inch personal TV screen. It’s onwards and upwards for the Aussie carrier.

Not to be outdone, Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com) introduced Business Premier featuring "lie-flat" beds, 22-inch-wide leather chairs that open out into six-feet-seven-inches of stretch space when you decide to nod off, an Ottoman footrest that doubles as a visitor seat, in-seat power and a 10.4-inch screen for on-demand entertainment. Air New Zealand’s older B767-300 shaves a little off the seat width and reclines just 150 degrees but has a slightly larger TV screen.

South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) provides an exceptional bed, roomy, spacious (using a traditional 2-2-2 seat layout on the A340-600). The pitch is a yawning 73 inches so there’s lots of leg room for a good stretch and a seat width of 21 inches will accommodate a reasonably successful upwardly mobile girth. SAA has won accolades for its seat not only for its lie-flat position, but also for the numerous sitting and recline variations that account for much of the flying time. The traditional seat layout is a definite plus. For one, you can talk with a companion aloft and need not be thrust into someone's smelly socks.

On British Airways (www.britishairways.com), seats are coupled, with passengers sitting next to, and diagonally facing, each other in twos. It's a private, but conversation-damping, arrangement. Separating the passengers was a flip-open fan that provided a stylish yet somewhat flimsy partition. This has been replaced in the new BA Club World with a more solid partition that covers the space at the press of a button. The new Club World business class seats recline 180-degrees flat – six feet in the fully flat position, and six feet six inches in the NASA-inspired "Z" position with the knees drawn up a wee bit. This, NASA, claims, is the most restful posture for recline. If it works in space, it should at 30,000ft. The new seats offer a few extra inches of elbow room as the armrest flattens out flush with the bed as the seat back drops down into the horizontal position. This opens up 25.25 inches of width. With a 2-4-2 seating configuration, only the centre two seats, twinned together, face the same way, forward. This is where romantics might park.

Expect touch-screen 10.4-inch LCD with movies on demand, a footrest (not an extra seat), a small drawer for personal effects and a Club Kitchen well stocked with fruit, juice and muffins to grab munches along the way. The 110 volt power socket will need a US adaptor for some. The new Club World is rolling out in the B747 fleet to be followed by the B-777s through 2008. The Boeing 747s on the Hong Kong-London and Singapore-London routes are already largely equipped with the new product (reflected on our seat chart). The new Club World offers a cosy stand-alone cubbyhole sort of feel with firmer surrounds and more legroom though passengers using the centre two seats will need to step over their neighbour's outstretched feet to get to the aisle.

THAI Royal Silk Class	Lufthansa flat out	MAS: flat beds soon	Sri Lankan A-340	Qantas: roomy

On then to trendsetter Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com), which has come out with a revolutionary piece of club-class kit. The Upper Class Suite (as the new rig is termed) features single seats angled in from the windows and two in the middle forming a V-shaped herringbone. This is a 1-2-1 layout on B-747s but as seats are not really next to one another, each is an utterly private space unto itself. On A-340s the configuration is 1-1-1. On the plus side, each pod is a self-contained bedroom, working room, dining room and meeting room with a seriously draughty 79-82 inches of legroom – that’s 6.8 feet.

When the seat is upright, a guest can sit on the facing leg-rest with a fold out table in between. The guest "chair" has a seat back but can be a squeeze to slip into. Full marks for gadgetry though. There's room to stow your books and the laptop can be tossed under the footrest. The downside is you cannot actually look out of the window (as you are facing away with your back to the view), nor can you cosy up to a neighbour. These are stylish cubicles for singles who appreciate a chic open-plan office layout. Seats are 22 inches wide, claiming the edge on the average seat width on this business class seat survey. Whip out your laptop and get working. Yes, there's power.

China Southern (www.csair.com), one of the largest carriers on the Chinese mainland, has introduced "cocoon-style flat-bed" seats on its new A-330 aircraft. The new Premium Business Class seat features electronically adjusted footrest extensions, a lumbar massage function, a 10.4-inch LCD video screen, power plugs for laptops (no adaptor needed) and a roomy 58 inches of seat pitch. Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com) is something of a dark horse. It does not claim to dazzle you with technology but it certainly offers comfortable seats that stretch out almost flat though the recline is described by the airline at 180 degrees. Not to be outdone, Air Canada's new ultra-longhaul A340-500s linking Toronto and Hongkong offer a 180-degree recline Executive First (cheeky misnomer for business class) bed with stowage compartments and lumbar support. There is video on demand on a 12-inch screen, and a seat pitch described as “individual” because it points into the aisle – although we’re certain that you can’t stick your feet into the aisle. The Air Canada A340-300s on the Vancouver-Hongkong run offer a still comfortable 151 degrees of recline.

With customary German efficiency, Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) presents exact figures for its PrivateBed: 57-59.8” pitch, 19.7-22” width and a 168-degree recline. On some 747s the middle seats are a couple of inches bigger – watch out for these to make sure you have the insider ticket and the last laugh on Lufthansa. Both Air France (www.airfrance.com) and Finnair (www.finnair.com) have rolled out new business seat versions. The Air France B777 and Finnair A330 products offer a 180-degree recline with the Finnair A340 offering 168 degrees and the MD-11s (to be phased out early 2010) offering 170 degrees. The tall slender Finns on their way to Hongkong can enjoy a generous seat pitch of 62 inches, a slim-ish 20-inch width and a 15-inch screen (on the newer A330). There’s power and even email/SMS capability – at US$2 a pop. Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) has rolled out its Blue Ribbon business class on select routes including Bangkok-Phnom Penh, Bangkok-Samui, Samui-Hong Kong and Samui-Singapore.

Emirates offers sleeperette seats in a 2-3-2 configuration on A330s and B777s with added lumbar support

Contenders in the front-of-the-bus sweepstakes include Continental (www.continental.com) – a satisfying 170 degrees on the B777-200 and United Airlines (with a less generous 150 degrees). Not best known for its in-flight entertainment, Continental now offers an audio-visual on demand system with a 10.4-inch PTV. In the works starting late 2009 is a steady rollout of a new business class seat offering 180 degree lie-flat comfort, with a 25 inch seat width and a humungous 15.4-inch PTV. The New Boeing 787 fleet will be delivered to Continental with the new BusinessFirst seats installed. Delta's (www.delta.com) newly acquired (January 2010) Northwest Airlines aircraft following the merger, with former World Business Class "cocoon" seats stretch out an extraordinary 201cm, with a six-way adjustable headrest, lumbar support (and massager) and 176 degrees of recline. This easily puts these aircraft at the top of the US airline heap. American Airlines (www.aa.com) B777-200s flying transpacific routes offer a seat pitch of up to 60 inches with generous recline and laptop power.

Emirates (www.emirates.com) offers "sleeperette" seats in a 2-3-2 configuration on A-330s and B-777s with lumbar support and electronically adjustable footrests. Seats are flat – and 78 inches when fully reclined – on the A380 and refurbished B777s, but even if there’s a little more rod to your back, there's sufficient distraction in the form of riotous in-flight entertainment. The B777 and A380 surge ahead in this category with 17-inch personal television screens, the largest in our business class survey. Most Emirates aircraft are kitted with external cameras offering up-close views of take-offs and scenery below en route.

Gulf Air (www.gulfair.com) is rolling out its refurbished A-330s with a new premium cabin designed to enhance travel comfort with “rich, deep-pile carpeting complemented by warm, Arabian colours”. The new seats stretch out into beds with sheets, duvets and pillows. An onboard changing room, done up “spa style”, with a window and timber flooring, gets guests into the mood. Later pore over a 15-inch PTV and enjoy some sumptuous menus.

Vietnam Airlines	SAS club class	Royal Brunei	Eva recline mode	Air France

Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com), an aggressive newcomer to the Far East, offer a generous 60-inch seat pitch with plenty of legroom though its seats are a modestly tighter 19.6 inches wide. Seats recline a comfortable 160 degrees and there's a large 15-inch PTV for video entertainment aloft.

And how do the Asian giants compare? The Singapore Airlines A380 business class seats offer an expansive 34 inches of stretch room while the Raffles Class SpaceBeds open up when the armrests are stowed, to a full 27 inches wide, more than any other seat surveyed (save for Virgin's bed which, when fully deployed, has up to 33-inch breadth in certain areas of the sleeping space, and Vietnam Airlines, which trumps SIA with 0.5 inches extra). Regional flights offer the Ultimo seat with a 142-degree recline and seat width of 21 inches. On SIA's new B777-300ER aircraft business class seats go up to a roomy 30 inches with a 180 degree recline. The layout here is 1-2-1 with a seat pitch of 51 inches. The bed length is 76 inches.

Japan Air Lines offers a staggering 60 possible configurations in its JAL Executive Class — Seasons

Thai Airways International offers a generous 170-degree recline on its A340-500, B777-200 and newer B747-400 series. Seat pitch on the jumbos is 49 inches and there's a personal TV – this could be a measly 6.5 inches or an excellent 10.5 inches depending on your B747 configuration. The older version also has no power for laptops so, if craving technology, make sure your aircraft is a configuration two jumbo. Seat pitch on the B-777 is 61 inches. The aircraft features a large 15-inch PTV, telephone and PC port. THAI’s business class overhaul has seen a 170 degree recline become the norm with around 20 inches more legroom than older models and vast improvements in onboard technology. No flatbeds yet though.

Japan Air Lines (www.jal.com) offers a staggering 60 possible configurations in its JAL Executive Class – Seasons. The greatest recline and pitch is on intercontinental flights that offer "Shell Flat Seats" as on the B747-400 and B-777s. Fly on a Malaysia Airlines A330-200 and business travellers will be treated to a substantial 62-inch seat pitch. That's a fair bit of legroom. Royal Brunei's (www.bruneiair.com) retrofitted B-767s servicing routes to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and some Asian destinations provide a pretty comfortable 75-inch recline.

In April 2006, Finnair became the first airline in Nordic countries to offer lie-flat seats in long-haul Business Class. Finnair A330 aircraft offer the 180-degree beds, while the A340 goes almost all the way at 168 degrees. The A330 business seat has a 15-inch PTV, power port and access to email aloft. Send email and SMS for US$2. Seat pitch is 63". The Scandinavian Airlines (www.flysas.com) Business Sleeper seats on the A340 business class recline 170 degrees now in a comfortable 2-2-2 configuration with a 61-inch seat pitch. The SAS business class seats offer a 20-inch width between armrests, 6.1 feet of stretch when extended, and a 10.4-inch video screen.

Etihad’s (www.etihadairways.com) new Pearl Business seat reclines the full 180 degrees and has a generous seat pitch of 72 inches. There is power access, USB port and an RCA socket for you to connect your laptop and work the hours away. Or if you’d rather space-out to some mindless entertainment, enjoy the Plug-and-Play feature, which works as an IP TV, to view your own videos on the 15-inch screen.

A personal TV is available on most airlines but don't take it for granted. The largest 17-inch monitor can be found on Emirates, while Etihad, Cathay, Singapore, Qatar and United Airlines (www.united.com) all serve up 15-15.4 inches of screen space. Continental will be flying high with this elite bunch with the rollout of its new business class seats late 2009 onwards. Making a valiant effort with 12 inches are Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) and Qantas. The average size on most airlines is now a generous 10.4-10.6 inches of PTV screen. Anyone falling below this should have their knuckles rapped. AVOD or video on demand is also becoming the industry standard, which means you can time the Hollywood gore pre-meal and finish with a glass of port. On SIA's SpaceBed, unwind with a choice of over 40 KrisWorld movies and features, and 50 games. Or play a networked PC game with a friend sitting on another seat. On some Finnair flights DVD players are available for in-seat viewing. We can't think of a better way to hone those executive skills. Malaysia Airlines' new business class also features a dramatically expanded inflight entertainment selection with over 200 music CDs and 40 movies available on demand.

If you have a hankering for sending e-mails aloft, look no further than Emirates or Virgin. From September 2009, British Airways commenced onboard connectivity for Internet and email access, and text messaging/SMS on the new Club World London City flights flying between London and New York JFK. Will this become the industry standard, or a flop, like Cathay Pacific's NETVIGATOR inflight e-mail experiment (shut down 1 June 2006)? Watch this space. Spamming the boss comes at a price, so check the rates carefully. Qantas International Business Class SkyBeds come with telephones capable of sending and receiving inflight short messages (SMS), a handy facility if all you really need is to make contact and plan arrangements for your appointments on arrival. On Emirates, send or receive SMS at US$1 per item. Even Aeroflot (www.aeroflot.ru) the Russian behemoth is in on the act with a rebranded image and new business class featuring a la carte menus, food served on fine china and inflight crew undergoing rigorous training in service and hospitality. On its Hong Kong run the airline is code-sharing with Cathay Pacific. The new image features a silver fuselage with an orange stripe and a dark blue tail with the Russian flag.

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