Business Class Seat Guide (2022)
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Business Class Seat Guide (2022)

Business Class Seat Guide

The quality of business class seats has seen a dramatic increase during the recent years. First with the announcement of Qatar Airways’ QSuites business class seat, then British Airways released their new Club Suite seat – and now Finnair joined the party.

From our comprehensive seat guide, you can find a detailed list of different business class seat options, including photos and our recommendations of the best seats.

Latest updates:

  • August 26th, 2020 – New template styling
  • June 26th, 2022 Finnair AirLounge Business Class Seat added
  • July 6th, 2022 British Airways Club Suite situation update

Table of Contents

American Airlines

American Airlines has a wide selection of business class seats so you might want to pay attention to aircraft type when booking your business class flights.

Read our American Airlines business class flight reviews

American Airlines Business Class Seats (some Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-8)

The Zodiac Concept D reverse herringbone business class seat can be found on some American Airlines Boeing 777-200s and on all Boeing 787-8s. The cabin consists of a total of 28 seats and 7 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeZodiac Concept D
Bed lengthabout 195 cm (77 inches)
Seat width53 cm (21 inches)
Capacity45 passengers
Personal TV15 inches

The best seats on AA 787-8 and 777-200

The best seats are the window seats in a mini-cabin, so 6A, 7A, 6L, and 7L. Also, we recommend the last row of the main cabin, so the window seats 5A, and 5L.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our American Airlines 777-200 business class flight review.


American Airlines Business Class Seats (Boeing 777-300)

The Boeing 777-300ER is kind of a flagship of the American Airlines, so also the Zodiac Cirrus business class seat is top-notch. The seating layout is reverse herringbone in 1-2-1 configuration, with easy aisle access from every seat.

These same fully lie-flat seats can also be found from the first class of American’s A321T aircraft. The seat is also similar to what Cathay Pacific is using on their entire long-haul fleet, and also Finnair and Qatar Airways utilize the same seat.

As a side note, the Boeing 777-300ER is the only American Airlines plane that still has a first class cabin.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeZodiac Cirrus
Bed lengthabout 190 cm (75 inches)
Seat width52 cm (20.5 inches)
Capacity52 passengers
Personal TV15 inches

The best seats on AA 777-300

Our favorites are the window seats in mini-cabin, 3A, 4A, 3J, and 4J. Just note that row 4 is quite close to the galley so there might be some noise coming from there.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


American Airlines Business Class Seats (Boeing 787-9 and some 777-200)

American Airlines is using B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats on its Boeing 787-9s as well as on some retrofitted Boeing 777-200s. Like the Zodiac Cirrus found from Boeing 777-300ERs, these seats are comfortable and offer a decent amount of privacy.

The business class cabin consists of a total of 30 seats and 8 rows of reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 configuration.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeB/E Aerospace Super Diamond
Bed lengthabout 195 cm (77 inches)
Seat width53 cm (21 inches)
Capacity30 passengers
Personal TV15.4 inches

The best seats on AA 787-9

Our top pick would be one of the window seats, 2A/L, 3A/L or 4A/L but all other seats are relatively good as well.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


American Airlines Business Class Seats (Boeing 767-300)

American Airlines is using Thompson Vantage seats on their 767-300s. These business class seats go fully flat, and every seat has easy aisle access. The seating configuration is staggered 1-2-1. Other airlines using similar seats are Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

The best seats on AA 767-300

The window seats 2A, 2J, 4A, 4J, 6A, and 6J are our favorites, at least when traveling alone.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


American Airlines Business Class Seats (Boeing 757-200 and Airbus A321T)

American Airlines 757-200s and A321Ts have B/E Aerospace Diamond Parallel business class seats in a 2-2 configuration. We have tested A321T couple of times and found the seat very comfortable for transcontinental flights.

The same B/E Aerospace Diamond seat is also used by Delta, United, and Qatar Airways.

Configuration2-2
Seat arrangementOffset fully flat
Seat typeB/E Aerospace Diamond
Bed lengthabout 191-198 cm (76-78 inches)
Seat width48 cm (19 inches)
Capacity20 passengers
Personal TV15,4 inches

The best seats on AA A321T

Our recommendation goes to rows 7 or 8 as row 6 is close to lavatory and galley.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our American Airlines A321T business class flight review.


British Airways

British Airways has currently four different long-haul business class seat options, with the new Club Suite installed on about 50% of the Heathrow fleet.

Most of the British Airways planes (Boeing 747s, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Boeing 777-300s, Boeing 777-200s, and Airbus A380s) are using the same seat, only Airbus A321s and Airbus A318 are an exception to this. The general problem with the old business class seat is that passengers in window seats need to climb over someone else. There are few exceptions which are listed below, but roughly all window seats in the back rows have easy aisle access.

British Airways Club Suite update – July 2022

The Club Suite can be found from following aircrafts: all A350s, all B787-10s, 90% of B777-200s, 45% of B777-300s.

The Club Suite is NOT yet installed on any of B787-8s, B787-9s and A380s.

British Airways A318

British Airways uses one Airbus A318 “Babybus” on a London City Airport to New York-JFK Airport transatlantic route. It has only business class seats, a total of 8 rows in a 2-2 arrangement. All of the seats are pretty similar, but the first row has few centimeters of extra space.

Note: British Airways retired all Boeing 318s in 2020, so unfortunately it’s now too late to book flights on one of those.


British Airways A321

Another odd duck is Airbus A321, which are mainly converted to short-haul setups but four of them are still equipped with an old British Midland (BMI) business class seat. If you happen to fly on one of those, try to book one of the “throne seats” 1A, 2F, 3A, 4F, 5A, 6F, 7A or 8F.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


British Airways Business Class Seats (Boeing 787-9)

The business class on British Airways 787-9 consists of 2 sections, in total 6 rows and the layout is 2-3-2. There is also a small first class cabin on BA 787-9.

Configuration2-3-2
Seat arrangementYing Yang
Bed lengthabout 183 cm (72 inches) + footstool
Seat width51 cm (20 inches)
Capacity42 passengers
Personal TV10,4 inches

The best seats on BA 787-9

7A/7K, 13A/K – so the last rows of each section. You could consider middle seats 7E and 13E.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our British Airways 787-9 business class flight review.


British Airways Business Class Seats (Boeing 787-8)

The business class on British Airways 787-8 consists of 2 sections, in total 5 rows and the layout is 2-3-2. Note that there’s no first class on BA 787-8.

Configuration2-3-2
Seat arrangementYing Yang
Bed lengthabout 183 cm (72 inches) + footstool
Seat width51 cm (20 inches)
Capacity42 passengers
Personal TV10,4 inches

The best seats on British Airways 787-8

3A/K, 7A/K – so the last rows of each section. You could consider middle seats 3E, 7E.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


British Airways Business Class Seats (Boeing 747)

On Boeing 747 business class seats can be found on both floors. The upper level is often called “mini-cabin” as it consists of only 5 rows. Due to the small size, it’s definitely recommended over the first floor.

The best seats on BA 747

64K, 62A/K, 64A, 20A/K, 22A/K.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


British Airways Business Class Seats (Boeing 777)

Many frequent travelers dislike the cabins on the British Airways 777-300 and 777-200, because of the layout (2-4-2) and the big size of the cabin. So if you have a chance, you might want to consider another plane (or airline). If you still end up flying on one of Boeing 777s, usually the best business class seats are the window seats in last rows, especially if you are traveling alone.

The best seats on BA 777

Window seats in the last row.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


British Airways Business Class Seats (Airbus A380)

On Airbus A380 business class seats can be found on both floors. Since the upstairs layout is 2-3-2, it’s definitely recommended if you have an option to choose.

Configuration2-3-2 / 2-4-2
Seat arrangementYing Yang
Bed lengthabout 183 cm (72 inches) + footstool
Seat width51 cm (20 inches)
Capacity97 passengers
Personal TV10,4 inches

The best seats on BA A380

53A/K, 59A/K, 15A/K

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our British Airways A380 business class flight review.


British Airways Business Class Seats (Airbus A350 Club Suite)

British Airways’ new business class seat is called Club Suite. Airbus A350-1000 features 56 of those new business class seats with a 1-2-1 configuration and direct aisle access from every seat. It’s a dramatic improvement to the old seat and is considered as one of the best business class seats, very similar to Qatar Airways QSuite (read our review here)

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


Finnair

Finnair has two types of business class seats and no first class cabin on any of their planes.

Finnair Business Class Seats (Airbus A330 – old seat)

Finnair A330 seat is manufactured by Zodiac, and the configuration is staggered 1-2-2 or 2-2-1, so there are plenty of different seating options (and only a few outstanding ones).

Configuration1/2-2-1
Seat arrangementStaggered fully flat
Seat typeZodiac Vantage
Bed lengthabout 195 cm (77 inches)
Seat width53 cm (21 inches)
Capacity45 passengers
Personal TV12,1 inches

The best seats on Finnair A330

For daytime flights, pick one of four “throne seats” 2A, 4A, 6A or 8A. However, the foot space on throne seats is very narrow (except the on the bulkhead one), so you might consider other seats like 2L, 4L or 6L if your want to get some sleep.

Note: Finnair is currently replacing the old seat with a new AirLounge business class seat.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Finnair A330 business class flight review.


Finnair Business Class Seats (Airbus A350 – old seat)

Finnair A350 seats are also manufactured by Zodiac, but the Cirrus III model is newer compared to A330. Cirrus III is the same seat Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and Qatar Airways (Read our review of Qatar Airways 787) are using.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeZodiac Cirrus
Bed lengthabout 200 cm (79 inches)
Seat width58 cm (23 inches)
Capacity46 passengers
Personal TV16 inches

The best seats on Finnair A350 (old seat)

All of the seats are relatively good and privacy-wise similar. Our recommendation goes to window seats 4 A/L or 5A/L in the middle of the cabin, as they are far from the galleys and lavatories.

Note: Finnair is currently replacing the old seat with a new AirLounge business class seat.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Finnair A350 business class flight review.

Finnair New Business Class Seat – AirLounge (A350 & A330)

Finnair will be renewing their business class cabins during 2022 and 2023. The new seat is manufactured by Collins Aerospace and is called AirLounge. The unique design of the seat will receive mixed reviews, but in our tests we found it rather comfortable.

Finnair AirLounge Details

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementSuite
Seat typeCollins Aerospace AirLounge
Bed lengthover 200 cm (over 80 inches)
Seat widthWide
Capacity28/30/43 passengers
Personal TV18 inches

The best seats on Finnair A350 with AirLounge Business Class

Due to the 1-2-1 layout, there are no bad seats in the new business class. If you want to maximize privacy, the last three rows of the business class form a separate area, kind of a “mini-cabin”.

Read our Finnair A350-900 with AirLounge business class flight review.


Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways business class seats can be divided into three groups – the new QSuites, reverse herringbone Zodiac Cirrus III and the rest. If possible, you should only consider the first two options – although even with the worst business class seat, Qatar Airways is still a better option than most of the other airlines.

Qatar Airways QSuite Business Class Seats (Airbus A350-1000 and A350-900 and some 777s)

Qatar released its new business class seat called QSuite in March 2017. As of June 2019, it is found on all Airbus A350-1000s and on some of the A350-900s. In addition to Airbus A350s, a small (but steadily increasing) number of Qatar’s 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs have been retrofitted with QSuites business class seat.

It can be quite tricky to book QSuites them as the number of QSuite-equipped planes is relatively small, and Qatar keeps changing the equipment often (and without any notice). We experienced such last-minute equipment change on our April 2019 trip from Doha to Bangkok.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat typeSuite with a sliding door
Bed lengthabout 200 cm (79 inches)
Seat width54 cm (21.5 inches)
Capacity46 passengers
Personal TV21.5 inches

The best seats on Qatar A350-1000 and A350-900 with QSuites

All QSuite seats are terrific and offer excellent privacy. If you are traveling in a group of 2 or 4, you can combine two or four QSuite cabins into one bigger suite.

See the A350 QSuite seat maps on Seatguru.com

See 777-200LR QSuite seat maps on Seatguru.com

Read our Qatar Airways A350-1000 QSuites business class flight review.


Qatar Airways Business Class Seats (Airbus A350-900 / Boeing 787-8)

Qatar’s QSuite (read our review here) is definitely the best business class seat out there, but their second-best option, reverse herringbone Zodiac Cirrus III, is not terrible either. It’s the same seat that Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines are using. It’s very comfortable for sitting and sleeping but in our opinion, lacks privacy – as the seats are exposed towards the aisle.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeZodiac Cirrus
Bed lengthabout 201 cm (80 inches)
Seat width56 cm (22 inches)
Capacity46 passengers
Personal TV17 inches

The best seats on Qatar A350-900 and Boeing 787-8

Our recommendation goes to window seats in the middle rows, so 2A/K, 3A/K and 4A/K (and 5A/K on A350). All other seats are relatively good too, but seats 6E/F (on B787) are just next to the lavatories, which can be a bit annoying.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Qatar Airways 787-8 business class flight review.


Qatar Airways Business Class Seats (Airbus A380)

Qatar’s A380 has the same reverse as the A350-900 and 787, but the cabin is much larger (which is usually a minus, when it comes to service). On the positive side, there is a fantastic onboard lounge area (see photos below), and also it’s the only plane to have a separate first class cabin.

Configuration1-2-1
Seat arrangementReverse herringbone
Seat typeZodiac Cirrus
Bed lengthabout 201 cm (80 inches)
Seat width56 cm (22 inches)
Capacity48 passengers
Personal TV17 inches

The best seats on Qatar A380

It’s a large cabin, so most of the seats are similar. If you are planning to visit the onboard lounge, you should pick your seat from the back rows, for example, 20 A/K or 21 A/K.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Qatar Airways A380 business class flight review.


Qatar Airways Business Class Seats (Boeing 777 without QSuites)

Qatar Airways 777s, which are not retrofitted with QSuites business class, have 2-2-2 configuration, so privacy-wise they are far from optimal. Even so, the seats are relatively comfortable, especially when not sleeping – and you can still enjoy Qatar’s excellent service.

Configuration2-2-2
Seat arrangementFully flat
Bed length198 cm (78 inches)
Seat width56 cm (22 inches)
Capacity42 passengers
Personal TV17 inches

The best seats on Qatar 777 without QSuites

We try to avoid last rows and the bulkhead seats (if the business class has two sections), but otherwise all seats are relatively similar. So our recommendation goes to window seats 2A/K and 3A/K.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Qatar Airways 777-300 business class flight review.


Qatar Airways Business Class Seats (Airbus A320)

Qatar Airways A320s have a 2-2 business class seating configuration. The seat is B/E Aerospace Diamond, which for example Delta, United, and American Airlines are also using. Read our American Airlines A321T business class review here.

Configuration2-2
Seat arrangementOffset fully flat
Seat typeB/E Aerospace Diamond
Bed length200 cm (79 inches)
Seat width53 cm (21 inches)
Capacity12 passengers
Personal TV15.4 inches

The best seats on Qatar A320

As the aircraft has only 3 rows of business class, all seats are very similar.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com

Read our Qatar Airways A320 business class flight review.


Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is using Zodiac Cirrus reverse herringbone business class seats throughout their long-haul fleet, which makes them different to most of the other Oneworld carriers.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Seats (Airbus A350)

The business class cabin of Cathay Pacific A350-1000 consists of a total of 46 seats and 12 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration, and the smaller cousin A350-900 has 38 seats and 10 rows.

The best seats on Cathay A350

All seats are relatively ok, but our recommendation goes to 12A/K, 17A/K, 18A/K, 22A/K, and 23A/K. And remember to avoid seats 11D and 11G as they are super close to lavatories.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


Cathay Pacific Business Class Seats (Airbus A330)

The cabin of Cathay Pacific A330 consists of a total of 39 reverse herringbone business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The best seats on Cathay A330

Our recommendation goes to 15A/K (best privacy, less noise), 19A and 20K (some extra space, good privacy)

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


Cathay Pacific Business Class Seats (Boeing 777-300ER)

The business class cabin of Cathay Pacific 777-300ER consists of a total of 39 reverse herringbone business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The best seats on Cathay 777-300ER

Our recommendation goes to 15A/K and 16 A/K, although all the other seats in the front section of the cabin are excellent too.

See the seat map on Seatguru.com


Royal Jordanian

Royal Jordanian Airlines has been part of Oneworld Alliance since 2007 and is the flag carrier airline of Jordan. It flies to over 40 destinations throughout the world.

Royal Jordanian Business Class Seats (Boeing 787-800)

Royal Jordanian Boeing 787-8 aircraft has 24 flatbed business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The seat is B/E Aerospace Diamond Parallel – the same one American Airlines uses on their A321 Transcontinental flights (read our review) and Qatar Airways on their A320s (read our review). I personally find the seat very comfortable for lounging and sleeping, but limited aisle access might be problematic especially on longer flights.

Configuration2-2-2
Seat arrangementOffset fully flat
Seat typeB/E Aerospace Diamond
Bed length200 cm (79 inches)
Seat width53 cm (21 inches)
Capacity24 passengers
Personal TV15.4 inches

The best seats on Royal Jordanian 787-800

Our recommendation goes to window seats 2 A/K and 3 A/K, as they are farthest from the galley on this relatively small business class cabin.

See the seatmap on Seatguru.com


Read our Royal Jordanian 787-8 business class flight review

Other Airlines

While we mainly focus on Oneworld alliance carriers, our goal is to update this guide with other airlines as well, especially the ones with really nice business class seat. For example, the following airlines and seats are on our bucket list:

Business Class Vs Economy

If after reading this article you still wonder what is the point of flying in business class compared to economy, here is a short recap of general business class advantages:

  • Priority check-in, immigration, security and boarding (depends on airport and country)
  • Extra baggage allowance
  • Airport lounge access
  • Amenity kit (sometimes also on Premium Economy)
  • Much better seat
  • Larger In-Flight Entertainment screens
  • Better food, usually a menu with multiple choices
  • Unlimited drinks onboard the aircraft, including Champagne

Also, keep in mind that international business class is usually much better than short-haul business class inside Europe or the US. International flights on airlines within Oneworld alliance feature a fully-flat seat, which generally doesn’t exist on short-haul flights.

Business Class Reviews

Read our detailed business class flight reviews and find your new favorites for the next vacation.

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