Business Class (is it worth it?)

Business Class — what is it and is it worth it?

Where from?

Where to?

Fecha de salida

Return date

Pasajeros

1 Adult, Economy/Coach

Why Alternative Airlines?

People really love booking with us

Don't just take our word for it, join countless others and discover why we have become the preferred choice for travellers globally.

Business

Is it worth upgrading to Business Class?

Find out information on the Business Class, whether purchasing Business Class is worth it and compare the Business Class cabin by airline with our comparison table.

What is Business Class?

Business Class is a type of cabin class. The Business Class cabin is considered one of the more premium cabin classes, with an exceptional, personalised service. The Business Class cabin has a number of complimentary services and amenities, such as high-quality food and drink, larger and more comfortable seating, a personal workspace, travel kits and more. What's included with a Business Class ticket differs from airline to airline, with some more extravagant than others.

As well as the premium services that Business Class passengers receive in-flight, there's also a range of benefits for passengers on the ground too. For example, many airlines offer fast-track check-in, boarding and disembarkation to its Business Class passengers, as well as access to exclusive Business Class lounges.

As the name states, originally, the Business Class cabin was created for business travellers that needed the space, comfort and privacy to work during their travels. However, in recent years, the Business Class cabin has taken a shift and offers a level of service that is more similar to First Class.

What's the difference between Business Class and First Class?

Business Class has traditionally been the cabin class between Economy Class (the lowest tier of cabin class) and First Class (the highest tier of cabin class). However, today, many airlines don't offer a First Class cabin and as a result, the Business Class cabin has adopted many of the services, benefits and amenities that can be found in First Class.

If an airline offers Business Class and First Class, you can expect the Business Class cabin to be a slightly lesser version of that airline's First Class cabin. However, if the airline doesn't offer First Class and offers only Business Class, you can be confident that the Business Class cabin is the airline's highest-standard cabin class with the most complete level of service.

Is Business Class expensive?

In general, Business Class is quite a bit more expensive than Economy Class. However, there's a big difference between the level of service and you get what you pay for. Some airlines will offer a more affordable Business Class ticket, however, this might mean that the service isn't as luxurious as what you might find on other airlines. So, it's important to check exactly what is included in each airline's Business Class cabin before purchasing a Business Class ticket.

Is Business Class worth it?

This completely depends on your reason for travel and your budget.

Business Class is fantastic if you need to be well-rested when you arrive. Business Class seats are always much more comfortable than those in Economy and many airlines offer seats that transform into fully-flat beds, so you can actually lie down and sleep during the flight.

Business Class is also great if you're travelling for a special occasion, such as a honeymoon, wedding or a significant birthday. This is because the services in Business Class are so much better than in Economy Class. Flight attendants are much more attentive, food is of higher quality and there's a lot more space, comfort and privacy. Not to mention all of the additional perks that you receive both on the ground and in-flight when travelling Business Class.

Another great reason to travel Business Class is if you're actually travelling for business. As mentioned earlier, the original idea behind the Business Class cabin was to give space and privacy to passengers travelling for business so that that they could still get on with work in the hours that they're travelling. Business Class seats often come equipped with work-desks and reading lamps, plus most airlines offer free WiFi on flights to Business Class passengers, which means you can keep connected with emails and your colleagues.

It's all about weighing up what you want from the flight, seeing what's included in your Business Class ticket and evaluating whether the cost of the ticket is worth it for you.

To help you out, below, we've created a table that shows what's included within Business Class on some of the most popular airlines and how the price compares to Economy.

Business Class Airline - Comparison Table

This table shows what some of the most popular airlines in the world offer with a Business Class ticket and the price difference when compared to Economy.

Adria Airways

Seat: 3 x 3 formation. Middle seat vacant. Pitch: 30–31", Width: 17–18"
Entertainment: Newspapers and magazines.
Food: Complimentary food and drink.
Lounge Access: Business Class lounge access at Ljubljana Airport.
Price (Economy vs Business): Ljubljana to London return trip - €223.99 EUR (Economy Class), €447.99 EUR (Business Class)

Aegean airlines

Seat: 3 x 3 formation. Middle seat vacant. Pitch: 30"
Entertainment: AEGEAN in-flight entertainment system STEAM can be accessed via personal electronic device.
Food: Complimentary food and drink. Snack on domestic flight. Hot meal on international flight.
Lounge Access: Business Lounge (x2) and Public Lounge at Athens Airport. Business Lounge at Thessaloniki Airport. Business Lounge at Larnaka.
Price (Economy vs Business): Athens to London return trip - €141.99 EUR (Economy), €513.99 EUR (Business Class)

Aer Lingus

Seat: 6.5 ft fully-flat bed. Width: 22"
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system on 16-inch HD touch screen TV.
Food: Full Business Class menu with complimentary food & drink.
Lounge Access: Aer Lingus Lounge at Dublin Terminal 2. Aer Lingus Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2. Aer Lingus Lounge at New York JFK Terminal 5.
Price (Economy vs Business): Dublin to New York City return trip - €370 EUR (Economy), €1,597 EUR (Business Class)

Aeroflot (B77 long-haul)

Seat: 2 x 2 formation. Horizontal adjusting seat. Pitch: 59"
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with large screens on each seat.
Food: Complimentary food & drink with hot meals served on china and in glassware.
Lounge Access: Multiple Aeroflot lounges at various terminals.
Price (Economy vs Business): Moscow to Hong Kong return trip - 26694 ₽ RUS (Economy), 79090 ₽ RUS (Business Class)

Aerolíneas Argentinas

Seat: 2 x 2 x 2 formation. Seat reclines 160 degrees. In-flight entertainment system with screen fitted to each seat.
Food: Complimentary food and drink. Meal differs depending on time of day flown.
Lounge Access: Salon Cóndor at Ezeiza Terminal C.
Price (Economy vs Business): Buenos Aires to Madrid return trip - 19,836 ARS (Economy), 90,335 ARS (Business Class)

Air Astana (B767)

Seat: Fully-flat bed seats.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with TV screen fitted to each seat. Newspapers & magazines.
Food: Complimentary food and drink, with an extensive Business Class menu.
Lounge Access: VIP Lounge Astana Airport at Astana. Air Astana Shanyrak Business Lounge at Astana Terminal 2. Various other lounges at multiple airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): Astana to Frankfurt return trip - 2,000 AED (Economy), 9,310 AED (Business Class)

Aire canadá

Seat: 1 x 2 x 1 formation. Large seats with extra recline and legroom.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with personal TV fitted to each seat.
Food: Complimentary food and drink.
Lounge Access: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is available at multiple airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): Toronto to London return trip - $763 CAD (Economy), $6036 CAD (Business Class)

Aire china

Seat: Fully-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with a personal TV.
Food: Complimentary food and drink served on chinaware and glass.
Lounge Access: Air China V3 Business Class Lounge at Shanghai Terminal 2. Air China Business Class Lounge at Chongqing Terminal 3A. Air China Premium Lounge at Wuhan Terminal 3. Various other lounges.
Price (Economy vs Business): Varies by route.

Aire Francés

Seat: Seat transforms into a 6.5 ft fully-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with a personal TV.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with an a la carte menu.
Lounge Access: Various lounges across the world.
Price (Economy vs Business): Paris to New York return trip - €461 EUR (Economy), €1,650 EUR (Business Class)

Aire nueva zelanda

Seat: Lie-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with a personal TV.
Food: Complimentary food and drink prepared by world-renowned chefs and fine New Zealand wines.
Lounge Access: Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge at multiple airports. Air New Zealand Regional Lounge at multiple airports. Air New Zealand International Lounge at multiple airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): Auckland to Dubai return flight - $1,073 NZD (Economy), $4,448 NZD (Business Class)

Todas las vías respiratorias nippon

Seat: Seat that transforms into a lie-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with a personal 18" TV and noise-cancelling headphones.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with a fine-dining menu inspired by Japanese and Western cuisine.
Lounge Access: Business Class lounges at multiple airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): Tokyo to London return flight - 152035 JPY (Economy), 744722 JPY (Business Class)

American Airlines

Seat: Flat bed seats. 1 x 2 x 1 formation. Width: 21", Pitch: 60".
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with personal TV.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with premium dining.
Lounge Access: Flagship First Lounge at multiple airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): New York to London return flight - $411 USD (Economy), $5938 USD (Business Class)

Avianca

Seat: Full flat seats on wide body aircraft. Reclining seats on narrow body aircraft.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with a personal TV.
Food: Complimentary food and drink.
Lounge Access: Gold International and National lounge at Bogota.
Price (Economy vs Business): Varies by route.

British Airways

Seat: Seat that transforms into a fully flat bed on long-haul international flights. Reclinable seats on European flights.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with 10.4-inch screen and noise-cancelling headphones.
Food: Three-course meal and full drinks menu. All complimentary.
Lounge Access: Free access to various lounges across the world.
Price (Economy vs Business): London to Dubai return flight - £643 GBP (Economy), £2288 GBP (Business Class)

Delta Airlines

Seat: 180-degree flat-bed seats.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system that comes with noise-cancelling headphones.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with meals prepared by professional chefs.
Lounge Access: The Delta Sky Club lounge is available at various destinations across the world.
Price (Economy vs Business): Detroit to London return flight - $1,769 USD (Economy), $13,859 USD (Business Class)

emiratos

Seat: Fully-flat seat/bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with 23-inch TV screen and HDMI input.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with three courses on offer. Served on china plates.
Lounge Access: 35 Emirates lounges around the world.
Price (Economy vs Business): Dubai to New York return flight - 4,072 Dh (Economy), 17,718 Dh (Business Class)

Etihad

Seat: Fully-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment with personal 15.4-inch TV. Noise-cancelling headphones provided.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with an a la carte.
Lounge Access: 10 Etihad lounges across the world.
Price (Economy vs Business): Abu Dhabi to New York return flight - 5,501 Dh (Economy), 21,769 Dh (Business Class)

Gulf Air

Seat: Seat that transforms into a fully flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with Western and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Lounge Access: Falcon Gold lounges in Bahrain, Dubai, and London.
Price (Economy vs Business): Beirut to London return flight - 484624 LBP (Economy), 3457489 LBP (Business Class)

Aire de Omán

Seat: Seat that transforms into fully flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system.
Food: Complimentary food and drink.
Lounge Access: Oman Air Business Class lounge at Muscat and Bangkok.
Price (Economy vs Business): Dubai to Muscat return flight - 989 Dh (Economy), 3,051 Dh (Business Class)

Philippine Airlines

Seat: Seats recline 15 degrees. In-flight entertainment system with 15.4-inch TV screen, USB port, and charging points.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with Filipino, Japanese, and Western cuisine.
Lounge Access: Business Class lounges across the world, including in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, London, and New York.
Price (Economy vs Business): Manila to Sydney return flight - 37569 PHP (Economy), 128619 PHP (Business Class)

Aerolíneas de Singapur

Seat: Seat/full flat bed. Width: 34"
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with 15.4-inch TV screen and noise-cancelling headphone.
Food: Complimentary food and drink.
Lounge Access: SilverKris Lounge at Singapore Changi and various other airports.
Price (Economy vs Business): Singapore to London return flight - 1,596 SGD (Economy), 6,774 SGD (Business Class)

Turkish Airlines

Seat: Seats that transform into a fully-flat bed.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system with USB port.
Food: Full complimentary meal served with drinks and optional snacks.
Lounge Access: Turkish Airlines Business Class lounge at Istanbul.
Price (Economy vs Business): Dubai to Istanbul return flight - 1,999 Dh (Economy), 9,884 Dh (Business Class)

Aerolíneas Unidas

Seat: Seats that transform into flat beds on wide body planes. Reclinable seats on narrow body planes.
Entertainment: In-flight entertainment system. This can be accessed via personal seatback TV screen on most aircraft or by personal electronic device on others.
Food: Complimentary food and drink with a restaurant-style menu.
Lounge Access: Varies by route.

Book Business Class Tickets with Alternative Airlines

If you'd like to book business-class flights today, you can do so here at Alternative Airlines! Simply fill out our search form at the top of the page and make sure to select 'Business' as your preferred cabin class. Then enter your destination and we'll show you all available business-class flights based on your search!

Looking for business-class flights to New York or Dubai? Take a look at our guides below - we go into great detail about which airlines you can fly in Business with to these cities and what kind of experience you'll get in the Business Class cabin!

Book Business Class Flights to New York

Book Business Class Flights to Dubai