Is Business Class Worth It?
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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.
| AIRLINE NAME | ASIENTO | ENTRETENIMIENTO | Comida | ACCESO AL SALÓN | PRICE (ECONOMY VS BUSINESS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adria airways | 3 x 3 formation. Middle seat vacant. Pitch: 30–31" Width: 17–18" |
Newspapers and magazines. | Complimentary food and drink. | Business Class lounge access at Ljubljana Airport. | Ljubljana to London return trip: €223.99 EUR Economy Class €447.99 EUR Business Class |
| Aegean airlines | 3 x 3 formation. Middle seat vacant. Pitch: 30" |
AEGEAN in-flight entertainment system STEAM can be accessed via personal electronic device. |
Complimentary food and drink. Snack on domestic flight. Hot meal on international flight. |
Business Lounge (x2) and Public Lounge at Athens Airport Business Lounge at Thessaloniki Airport. Business Lounge at Larnaka. |
Athens to London return trip: €141.99 EUR Economy €513.99 EUR Business Class |
| Aer Lingus | 6.5 ft fully-flat bed. Width: 22" |
In-flight entertainment system on 16-inch HD touch screen TV. | Full Business Class menu with complimentary food & drink. | Aer Lingus Lounge at Dublin Terminal 2. Aer Lingus Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2. Aer Lingus Lounge at New York JFK Terminal 5. |
Dublin to New York City return trip: €370 EUR on Economy €1,597 EUR on Business Class |
| Aeroflot (B77 long-haul) |
2 x 2 formation. Horizontal adjusting seat. Pitch: 59" |
In-flight entertainment with large screens on each seat. | Compimentary food & drink with hot meals served on china and in glassware. | Aeroflot lounge at Sochi Terminal D. Aeroflot lounge at Moscow Terminal D. Aeroflot lounge at Saint Petersburg Terminal D. Aeroflot lounge at Galaktika Terminal E. Aeroflot lounge at Classic Terminal F. Aeroflot lounge at Zvezdny Terminal F. Aeroflot lounge at Rublev Terminal B. |
Moscow to Hong Kong return trip: 26694 ₽ RUS Economy 79090 ₽ RUS Business Class |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | 2 x 2 x 2 formation. Seat reclines 160 degrees. |
In-flight entertainment system with screen fitted to each seat. | Complimentary food and drink. Meal differs depending on time of day flown. | Salon Cóndor at Ezeiza Terminal C. | Buenos Aires to Madrid return trip: 19,836 ARS Economy 90,335 ARS Business Class |
| Air Astana (B767) |
Fully-flat bed seats | In-flight entertainment system with TV screen fitted to each seat. Newspapers & magazines. |
Complimentary food and drink, with an extensive Business Class menu. | VIP Lounge Astana Airport at Astana. Air Astana Shanyrak Busines Lounge at Astana Terminal 2. Various other lounges at: Almaty, Amsterdam, Antalya, Baku, Bangkok, Beijing, Bishkek,Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kiev,Kuala Lumpur, London, Moscow, Paris, St.Petersburg, Seoul, Tbilisi, Tehran, Urumqi, Yekaterinburg |
Astana to Frankfurt return trip: 2,000 AED Economy 9,310 AED Business Class |
| Aire canadá | 1 x 2 x 1 formation Large seats with extra recline and legroom. |
In-flight entertainment system with personal TV fitted to each seat. | Complimentary food and drink. | Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is available at: Calgary, Edmonton, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York JFK, New York – Newark, Ottawa, Paris, Regina, Saskatoon, |
Toronto to London return trip: $763 CAD Economy $6036 CAD Business Class |
| Aire china | Fully-flat bed | In-flight entertainment with a personal TV. |
Complimentary food and drink served on chinaware and glass. | 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. |
1,990 CNY Economy 13,860 CNY Business Class |
| Aire Francés | Seat transforms into a 6.5 ft fully-flat bed. |
In-flight entertainment with a personal TV. | Complimentary food and drink with an a la carte menu. | Various lounges across the world at: Bordeaux, Lyon, Paris Berlin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Munich, Stuggart Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington Bangkok Cairo, Dubai, Douala Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Reunion |
Paris to New York return trip: €461 EUR Economy €1,650 EUR Business Class |
| Aire nueva zelanda | Lie-flat bed. | In-flight entertainment with a personal TV. |
Complimentary food and drink prepared by world-renowned chefs and fine New Zealand wines. | Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge at Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Air New Zealand Regional Lounge at Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Tauranga, Wellington Air New Zealand International Lounge at Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Nadi, Melbourne, Perth, Rarotonga Wellington |
Auckland to Dubai return flight: $1,073 NZD Economy $4,448 NZD Business Class |
| Todas las vías respiratorias nippon | Seat that transforms into a lie-flat bad. |
In-flight entertainment with a personal 18" TV and noise-cancelling headphones. | Complimentary food and drink with a fine-dining menu inspired by Japanese and Western cuisine. | Business Class lounges at: Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Washington DC Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, Vienna Beijing, Chengdu, Chennai, Dalian, Delhi, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Mumbai, Perth, Phnom Penh, Singapore, Sydney |
Tokyo to London return flight: 152035 JPY Economy 744722 JPY Business Class |
| American Airlines | Flat bed seats. 1 x 2 x 1 formation. Width: 21" Pitch: 60" |
In-flight entertainment system with personal TV. | Complimentary food and drink with premium dining. | Flagship First Lounge at Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, London and Philadelphia. | New York to London return flight: $411 USD Economy $5938 USD Business Class |
| Avianca | Full flat seats on wide body aircraft. Reclining seats on narrow body aircraft. |
In-flight entertainment with a personal TV. |
Complimentary food and drink. | Gold International and National lounge at Bogota. | 48 |
| British Airways | Seat that transforms into a fully flat bed on long-haul international flights. Reclinable seats on European flights. |
In-flight entertainment system with 10.4 inch and noise-cancelling headphones. | Three-course meal and full drinks menu. All complimentary. | Free access to various lounges across the world. | London to Dubai return flight: £643 GBP Economy £2288 GBP Business Class |
| Delta Airlines | 180-degree flat-bed seats. | In-flight entertainment system that comes with noise-cancelling headphones. | Complimentary food and drink with meals prepared by professional chefs. |
The Delta Sky Club lounge is available at various destinations across the world. | Detroit to London return flight: $1,769 USD Economy $13,859 USD Business Class |
| emiratos | Fully-flat seat/bed. |
In-flight entertainment with 23 inch TV screen and HDMI input. | Complimentary food and drink with three-courses on offer. Served on china plates. | 35 Emirates lounges around the world. | Dubai to New York return flight: 4,072 Dh Economy 17,718 Dh Business Class |
| Etihad | Fully-flat bed. | In-flight entertainment with personal 15.4 inch TV. Noise-cancelling headphones provided. |
Complimentary food and drink with an a la carte. | 10 Etihad lounges across the world. | Abu Dhabi to New York return flight: 5,501 Dh 21,769 Dh |
| Gulf Air | Seat that transforms into a fully flat bed. |
In-flight entertainment system. | Complimentary food and drink with Western and Middle Eastern cuisine. | Falcon Gold lounges in Bahrain, Dubai and London | Beirut to London return flight: 484624 LBP Economy 3457489 LBP Business Class |
| Aire de Omán | Seat that transforms into fully flat bed. |
In-flight entertainment system. | Complimentary food and drink. | Oman Air Business Class lounge at Muscat and Bangkok. | Dubai to Muscat return flight: 989 Dh Economy 3,051 Dh Business Class |
| Philippine Airlines | Seats recline 15 degrees. |
In-flight entertainment system with 15.4 inch TV screen, USB port and charging points. |
Complimentary food and drink with Filipino, Japanese and Western cuisine. | Business Class lounges across the world, including in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, London and New York. | Manilla to Sydney return flight: 37569 PHP Economy 128619 PHP Business Class |
| Aerolíneas de Singapur | Seat/full flat bed. Width: 34" |
In-flight entertainment system with 15.4 inch TV screen and noise-cancelling headphone. | Complimentary food and drink. | SilverKris Lounge at Singapore Changi and various other airports. | Singapore to London return flight: 1,596 SGD Economy 6,774 SGD Business Class |
| Turkish Airlines | Seats that transform into a fully-flat bed. |
In-flight entertainment system with USB port. | Full complimentary meal served with drinks and optional snacks. | Turkish Airlines Business Class lounge at Istanbul. | Dubai to Istanbul return flight: 1,999 Dh Economy 9,884 Dh Business Class |
| Aerolíneas Unidas | Seats that transform into flat beds on wide body planes. Reclinable seats on narrow body planes. |
In-flight entertainment system. This can be accessed via personal seatback TV screen on most aircraft or by personal electronic device on others. | Complimentary food and drink with a restaurant-style menu. | 48 | 48 |
