The World’s 6 Best Business and First Class Airlines, Routes and Seat Maps [2020]

Believe it or not, airline products are not created equally. When it comes to using our hard earning miles to redeem for one of those Business and First Class airlines, we want to make sure we are flying one of the world’s best Business and First Class seats in the airlines industry. This is not only to ensure our miles are well spent, but to also make sure we receive the best experience as much as possible in the air. This makes the journey as much fun as the destination itself.

In this article, we’ve put together all the airlines that we think are one of the world’s best airlines for premium class of service and what makes them special. In addition, we also include the routes that those airlines fly and how to identify which flight that features those amazing premium class products.

Table of Contents Toggle Table of Contents

ANA (All Nippon Airways) New Boeing 777-300ER Business Class “The Room” Emirates New Boeing 777-300ER First Class Emirates Airbus 380 First Class Etihad Airways Airbus 380 First Class Apartment Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuite Singapore Airlines New A380 First Class

ANA (All Nippon Airways) New Boeing 777-300ER Business Class “The Room”

Photo Credit: ANA

ANA surprised everyone when they announced their new 777 First Class called “The Suite” and Business Class called “The Room.” Many reviews have agreed that ANA new Business Class “The Room” is definitely comparable to other airline’s First Class cabin in a way that the new Business Class seat is a self-contained suite with door. Each seat alternates between forward and rear facing rows to boast direct aisle access and comfort. Not only the seats are massive and spacious, they also turn into a wide fully flat bed.

Highlights

• Revolutionary Business Class seats.
• Forward and rear facing seats. 
• Seats are wide and turn into a fully flat bed. 
• Self-contained Business Class seat with door for privacy. 
• Movable partition on pair seats.
• Looks and feels like First Class. 

Currently, ANA only operates the new 777 aircraft between Tokyo and London, and between Tokyo and New York.

How To Know If An ANA Flight Features New 777 Business Class “The Room”?

Look up the seat map. ANA new 777 Business Class cabin features 64 seats while the old 777 cabin features either 52 or 68 business class seats. Perhaps, the easiest way to tell is if the seat map shows the forward and facing rows in the Business Class cabin.

ANA New 777 Business Class “The Room” Seat Map Photo Credit: Seat Guru

Emirates New Boeing 777-300ER First Class

Photo Credit: Emirates

Emirates introduced the new First Class on selected triple sevens aircraft in 2018 made one of the remarkable news in the commercial flight’s industry. The new 777 First Class cabin features only 6 First Class suites and they are arranged 1-1-1 layout. Emirates claims that their new First Class suite is “Your hotel room in the sky.” Each suite comes with floor to ceiling walls with a complete shut door that offers total privacy. Inside the private suite, you can set the mood with your personal lighting and temperature control, video chat with flight attendants to address your needs, sleep, dine on-demand, and be entertained in your own “room.” Emirates also installed a cutting edge technology in each middle suite to allow passenger to open window to enjoy virtual high definition projections of the outside world. How cool is that!

Highlights

• Floor to ceiling walls with a privacy door.
• Personal lightning.
• Temperature control.
• Intercom video chat system with flight attendants.
• Middle suite’s window with virtual high definition views of outside world.
• Dine on-demand.

Emirates operates the new 777 First Class on the following routes from & to Dubai. However, Emirates also operates other types of aircraft on these routes. So be sure to check the seats configuration carefully.

How To Know If An Emirates Flight Features New 777 First Class?

Look up the seat map. If you see 6 first class suites in 1-1-1 cabin layout, then the flight will have Emirates new 777 First Class.

Emirates Airbus 380 First Class

Emirates A380 First Class Suite Photo Credit: Points Life

Emirates A380 Shower Spa Photo Credit: Points Life

Emirates A380 Lounge Bar Photo Credit: Points Life

Although Emirates has flown the Airbus 380 several times throughout the years, the jumbo jet remains one of the best in-flight First Class experience among travelers. The experience is as close as it comes to flying your own private jet. Luxurious gold studded design of each First Class suite that can be closed with a privacy door, on-demand dinning, on-board shower spa and the ultimate lounge bar are what really makes the journey with Emirates A380 a true unforgettable First Class experience.

Highlights

• Gold studded designed First Class suite. 
• Seats can be closed with a privacy door. 
• On-board shower & spa room. 
• On-board lounge bar. 
• On-demand dinning. 

Emirates operates the A380 First Class on several routes from & to Dubai, including a few of Emirates fifth freedom routes.

How To Know If An Emirates Flight Features A380 First Class?

Find the flight based on the routes above and make sure the aircraft says Airbus, then also look up the seat map. Emirates A380 First Class cabin features 14 suites in 1-2-1 configuration. It’s also worth noting it is very common that from time to time Emirates may swap Airbus 380 with Boeing 777. Although B777 has the same nice First Class suites, it does not have the on-board shower and lounge bar.

Emirates A380 First Class Seat Map Photo Credit: Seat Guru

Etihad Airways Airbus 380 First Class Apartment

Etihad A380 First Class Photo Credit: Points Life	Etihad A380 Shower Photo Credit: Points Life
Etihad A380 First Class Bed Photo Credit: Points Life	Etihad A380 Lounge Lobby Photo Credit: Points Life

Etihad First Class on the A380 is one of the best First Class airline products that offers a unique private suite experience like an “Apartment.” Each suite comes with a door, a leather seat and a leather armchair that can turn into a fully lie-flat bed. So the seat is completely separated from the bed. There’s also a shower on-board, a lounge lobby that has a small bar area and a widescreen TV that keep both Business and First Class passengers entertained throughout the flight.

Highlights

• A leather seat and a separate leather armchair that can turn into a lie-flat bed.
• Suite has a door for privacy. 
• On-board shower. 
• On-board lounge for socializing or catching up on sports and news on a widescreen TV.
• Mini bar area within the lounge. 
• Dine how and when. 

Etihad currently operates the big bird A380 on the following routes from & to Abu Dhabi.

How To Know If An Etihad Flight Features A380 First Class Apartment?

Find the Etihad flight based on the routes above and make sure the aircraft says Airbus. There are a total of 9 closed suite in the First Class cabin. Keep in mind also that sometimes Etihad swaps their A380 aircraft with Boeing 777 on those routes for a reason. The Etihad 777 First Class does not have a separate armchair, and there’s no shower and lounge on-board either.

Etihad A380 First Class Seat Map Photo Credit: Seat Guru

Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuite

Photo Credit: Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways takes pride in the their revolutionary Business Class suites that come with doors for ultimate privacy. Each suite offers ambient mood lightning, fully lie-flat beds and generous storage space. The cabin offers forward and rear-facing seats boasting direct aisle access for each seat. For those that sit together in the middle sections, the seats can even turn into a fully lie-flat double bed for you and your travel companion. Although this is just a Business Class, Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuite is definitely a First Class in its own.

Highlights

• Revolutionary Business Class suites with ultimate privacy doors. 
• Each seat offers direct aisle access with forward and rear-facing layout. 
• Fully lie-flat bed and middle seats can turn into a double bed for those traveling together. 
• Ambient mood lightning and generous storage space. 
• Looks and feels like First Class.

Qatar Airways is in the process of rolling out of Qsuite to more of their aircraft. At the time of this writing, Qatar operates the Qsuite aircraft from the following routes:

How To Know If A Qatar Flight Features Business Class Qsuites?

With the exception of Qatar A380 aircraft, all Qatar new A350 aircraft offers Qsuites and Qatar is rolling out Qsuites to more of their Boeing aircraft as well. It’s worth noting that from time to time, it is possible that Qatar can change aircraft from the one that has Qsuites with one that does not have Qsuites. The easiest way to tell whether a Qatar flight features Business Class Qsuites is to look at the Seat Map. If you see the forward and rear-facing seats, that’s definitely the Qsuite seats. The Qsuite seats arrangement is 1-2-1.

Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuites Seat Map Photo Credit: Seat Guru

Singapore Airlines New A380 First Class

Photo Credit: Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines New A380 First Class is a true in-flight luxury VIP experience. Although the Singapore orginal A380 First Class is still a favorite among travelers, the new A380 comes with so many amazing things to rave about. Each suite is spacious, has a 45 degree recliner chair and a luxurious bed. For those that are traveling with loved one, the double suites can be made into a luxurious double bed room. Of course, such fancy roomy suites cannot go without a private sliding door and window blinds that close at the tap of a button.

Highlights

• Luxury feels First Class suite.
• Each suite has a recliner chair and a bed. 
• Double suites can be made into a double bed suite room. 
• A sliding door and window blinds for ultimate private room. 

Singapore Airlines operates the new A380 on the following routes from & to Singapore. Singapore also operates other types of aircraft including the original A380 on these routes. So be sure to check the seats configuration carefully.

How To Know If A Singapore Flight Features New A380 First Class?

Singapore Airlines flies the new A380 on very limited routes. The best way to tell if a Singapore flight features the new A380 cabin is through the seat map. The First Class cabin layout is 1-1 configuration with a total of 6 closed suites at the front of the top deck. If you see 1-2-1 seats configuration, that is the older A380 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines New A380 First Class Seat Map Photo Credit: Seat Guru

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow Me

P. LY

I am a dedicated travel enthusiast with a deep passion for miles and points. Always willing to share my expertise, I possess a wealth of knowledge on miles and points, extensively researching and staying up-to-date with the latest strategies for maximizing travel rewards through credit cards and loyalty program promotions.

Follow Me

Latest posts by P. LY (see all)

• The Best Hyatt Business Credit Card Offer (60,000 Bonus Hyatt Points and 1 Free Night) - January 10, 2025
• Full List of Buying Points & Miles Promotions and Offers (2025) - January 10, 2025
• New Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 First Class Honolulu to Phoenix Review - January 7, 2025

---