The modern business class experience has evolved to include a host of new features as airlines aim to create the most luxurious experience possible. However, the most basic aspect of travel remains the same: the seat. Passengers can receive fantastic service, enjoy great food, access a great lounge, and sleep on comfortable bedding. Yet the whole experience can be ruined by a cramped, firm seat.
Making use of the Skytrax World’s Best Business Class Airlines 2025 award rankings, this article introduces five of international aviation’s best and most roomy business class seats. Featured are 
Qatar Airways, 
Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Cathay Pacific, and Air France, which ranked in the World’s Best Business Class Airlines 2025 award in that order.
Top 10 Best Business Class Seats
This article defines the most spacious widebody business-class seats according to the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which Skytrax calls the “Oscars of the aviation industry.” Since 1999, these awards have given airline passengers the ability to vote on their favorite airlines across an impressive range of categories. For the September 2024 to May 2025 voting period, which this article makes use of, 325 airlines from almost every country on the planet were included, and over 100 nationalities participated in voting.
The table below shows the top 10 airlines in the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025, ranked by business class.
|
Position |
Airline |
|
1 |
Qatar Airways |
|
2 |
Singapore Airlines |
|
3 |
All Nippon Airways (ANA) |
|
4 |
Cathay Pacific Airways |
|
5 |
Air France |
|
6 |
Hainan Airlines |
|
7 |
STARLUX Airlines |
|
8 |
Japan Airlines |
|
9 |
Turkish Airlines |
|
10 |
Virgin Atlantic |
It is unsurprising that Qatar Airlines tops Skytrax’s business class rankings, given that it won the overall Top 10 Airlines of 2025 ranking. The carrier was closely followed in the overall category by Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, and All Nippon Airways, all of which scored well in the business-class-specific category. The only airline to feature in the Top 10 Airlines category but not place in the top ten for the business-class award is SkyTeam founding member Korean Air.
Under the voting system, any carrier can be nominated, and there are no fees to vote or to be included. Strict security measures, including the absence of any third-party funding or platform hosting, ensure that the results are fair. This is facilitated by Skytrax’s other paid services, which fully fund the awards.
Qatar Airways’ Business Class Seats – Qsuite
One fantastically spacious business class is Qsuite, Qatar Airways’ flagship premium product. Your seat comes with do-not-disturb controls, plenty of storage, a lie-flat bed with comfortable bedding, and a sliding door. For entertainment, passengers can enjoy 4K screens that make use of the carrier’s Oryx One entertainment system. Qsuite also offers layered and customizable lighting, so passengers have the right amount of light for every stage of their journey.
The table below shows Qsuite seat dimensions aboard Qsuite-enabled Airbus A350s and 777-300ERs:
|
Airbus A350-900/-1000 |
Boeing 777-300ER |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Seat width |
21.0-22.25 inches (53.3-56.5 cm) |
21.8-22 inches (55.4-55.9 cm) |
|
Bed length |
79-82 inches (200.7-208.3 cm) |
76.4-79 inches (194.1-200.7 cm) |
|
Screen width |
18 inches (45.7 cm) |
17-22 inches (43.2-55.9 cm) |
The unique aspect of Qsuite is that group bookings are possible. Alongside the Single Suite, you can also book a Twin Suite, Double Suite, or The Quad. Movable panels let you switch between privacy for sleeping and relaxing and a communal space for socializing and getting work done together. The group suites are groundbreaking because premium aviation aboard commercial airlines is so often an isolating experience. That is why business travelers often choose to fly private instead.
Qsuite is currently available on the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ER and almost all its A350s. Meanwhile, business class aboard Qatar’s Boeing 787-9s is similar but branded differently. Make sure to check if your route features Qsuite in advance so you are not disappointed.
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Singapore Airlines Business Class Seats
Singapore markets its business class seat as the world’s widest at 30 inches (76.2 cm), designed in collaboration with James Park Associates. The carrier claims that this is 50% wider than equivalent products. The seat can lie flat to create a 76-inch-long bed. The overhead stowage bins are removed, giving premium passengers greater headroom. Like Qsuite, Singapore Airlines’ business-class suites feature side panels for maximum privacy. Aboard the carrier’s long-haul aircraft, expect each business class seat to have direct aisle access.
To keep you entertained while you enjoy the comfort of Singapore Airlines’ business class, passengers can make use of the KrisWorld IFE system, packed with films, TV, and music. Your ability to connect to inflight WiFi will depend on the type of aircraft that you are traveling on.
Alongside an impressively spacious seat, Singapore Airlines is also known for its impressive business-class soft product. Use the “Book the Cook” system to choose from a selection of specialty dishes inspired by regional cuisine.
All Nippon Airways Business Class Seats – The Room
All Nippon Airways earns its Starlux recognition because it does all the basics of business class right. This includes lie-flat seats, privacy doors, large LCD widescreen monitors, excellent dining options, decent storage space, a range of beverage options, and more. All Nippon Airways’ flagship business class product is ‘The Room’. Available aboard select Boeing 777-300ER, ANA claims these seats “provide the highest level of privacy and comfort available in Business Class.”
Meanwhile, you will find Business Staggered seats aboard ANA’s 787-9s, 787-10s, some 787-8s, some 777-300ERs, and its A380s. Expect Safran SkyLounge III seats in a 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 alternating pattern. They include a seat width of 19.5 inches (50 cm) and a pitch of 44 inches (112 cm). In lie-flat mode, these seats have a length of 75 inches (190 cm). If you are hopping aboard a shorter ANA flight, it may still be worth taking the premium option, as the business class seat is the ANA Business Cradle. Although they don’t convert to lie-flat, they do have a width of 22 inches (56 cm) and a pitch of 59 inches (150 cm).
ANA’s business class seats come with sparkling reviews, named “pure Japanese excellence” by Callum Elsdon of Turning Left for Less. Elsdon commented, “It’s so wide that you could comfortably fit two people side by side here.” However, he did offer one major criticism regarding the seat’s firmness.
Should All Nippon Airways Retire The Airbus A380?
On Thursday, I reported that All Nippon Airways’ Airbus A380s flew nearly half empty to Honolulu on average last year. The Tokyo Narita to Honolulu route is the only service the A380s
Cathay Pacific Business Class Seats
The latest Cathay Pacific’s business class product is the Aria Suite. Launched in February 2025, it was the first new Cathay Pacific business-class cabin since the one designed for the A350 in 2016. The carrier operates them on select Boeing 777-300ER, initially on services between 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and 
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The seats have a pitch of 43 inches (110 cm), a width of 21 inches (53 cm), and a length of 78 inches (200 cm) when lying flat.
At the launch event, Brian Tsoi, the airline’s Regional General Manager for Europe, commented on the product.
“This seat is really an iconic seat. It showcases how much we treasure design and how much we put effort into human-centered design. There are so many small elements in that suite that, when you try it you will realize we have thought of so many different small details.”
However, it doesn’t seem the carrier will further expand its Aria offering as it has something new planned for its 777Xs when they finally arrive.
Aboard regional flights, the carrier offers smaller 2-2 configured seats that don’t lie flat. These seats are available on aircraft, including the A321 and A330.
Air France Business Class Seats
Aboard the carrier’s A350-900 aircraft, you can expect seats that are 21 inches (53 cm) wide and can lie flat to create a bed that is 74 inches (187 cm) long — plenty of space to get some rest. Such seats are available aboard the renovated 777-300ERs and A350s, which have a 1-2-1 seating configuration.
Before booking Air France business class, consider that it can be an inconsistent experience. Some of the carrier’s older aircraft lack the privacy features that business-class passengers have come to expect.
Unsurprisingly, given that France is the food capital of the world, Air France’s business class has world-leading in-flight dining options. The carrier has alternating menus, each created by a Michelin-starred chef. Expect an experience akin to Parisian dining. Highlights that have appeared on the menus include lobster tartlets and confit lamb shoulder. These dishes are paired with delicious wines. The experience is of similarly high quality in the carrier’s Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Terminal 2E 3000-square-meter lounge. The lounge includes an excellent gourmet menu, as well as a self-service wine cellar.
