Scores of airlines offer a business class product on their Australian flights, but only a handful of offerings are truly top tier. What does it take to be the best and which airlines make the grade?
Direct aisle access, privacy (bonus points for sliding doors), a comfortable lie-flat bed, tasty food and a proactive beverage offering, personable and professional flight attendants, and a calm cabin ambience are the baseline criteria for separating the airline also-rans from the standouts.
For DMARGE’s money, we reckon the best all-round business class products in the Australian market are provided by Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines, China Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Finnair.
Short for time? Here’s what you need to know
| Airline | Flight Cost From Australia To New York (Google Flights, One Way) | Seat Dimensions (Pitch x Width) | Best Seat | |
| Best Overall Business Class | Qatar Airways | A$11,883 | 79×21.5″ | 3A |
| Best New Business Class | Turkish Airlines | A$8,997 | 78×22″ | 2A |
| Best Trans-Pacific Business Class | Delta | A$9,650 | 76-81×22-24″ | 2A |
| Best Asian Business Class | China Airlines | A$8608 (incl. Qantas leg) | 78×22″ | 11A |
Two new business-class cabins in Australian airspace
The debut of Turkish Airlines flights to Melbourne in March brought a top-tier business class product into the Australian market. The Stelia-manufactured seat on the Turkish A350s flying out of Melbourne is the same as the Singapore Airlines A350 regional product, so it will be familiar to many Australian travellers.
Turkish doesn’t offer sliding doors in business class but its excellent food and beverage offering, along with polished service and a full range of amenities, helps give this cabin an edge. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul via Singapore. Once in Istanbul, the airline’s expansive network can get you almost anywhere.
Another new entrant in Australian airspace is Finnair, now flying A330-300s between Sydney, Singapore, and Bangkok for Qantas. Onboard, the zero-recline AirLounge Collins AeroSpace designed business class seat is more like a sofa at home than a traditional business class seat in the sky.
You still get a lie-flat bed, plenty of cushions to lounge on, and traces of Qantas, including QF pyjamas, catering, and IFE. But DMARGE thinks the stylish Finnair business cabin, the seat shells with their ample privacy, and the Nordic cabin crews are tops. Additionally, Finnair is a Oneworld member offering good connections to Europe.
Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines business class – both hard to fault
Qatar Airway’s near faultless Q Suites are one of the best business class products in the sky and available on flights into Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Alas, Qatar uses A380s on services to Sydney and Perth, which offer premium passengers a bar and first class, but no Q Suites.
The Q Suites ticks many boxes — sliding doors, dine-on-demand, PJs, classy cabins, and attentive if somewhat stiff service. Hopefully, the FAs might relax now Al Baker is gone. Add in a global network, excellent lounges, and Oneworld and Velocity redemption opportunities, and you get a compelling business class product.
The Singapore Airlines business class product continues to prove a hit with Australians. Why? Let’s start with product consistency and network reach. Singapore doesn’t have the most cutting-edge business product in the skies, but they do have a well-above-average seat and (barring Hobart) they fly into every Australian capital plus Cairns.
Throw in solid lounges, cabin crews that are good even on a bad day, a respectable wine list, and extras like ‘book the cook’, and it’s easy to work out why Singapore Airlines business class rates well. Plus, transiting through Changi is (usually) a breeze.
Delta One Suites the pick on trans-Pacific flights
Flying to North America, the Delta One Business Suites on its A350s out of Sydney (and Brisbane over the 2024/25 summer) are the pick of the trans-Pacific business class products.
A 32-passenger cabin offering a customized version of the Thompson Aero’s Vantage XL seat, the Delta Suites have a lot going on. Sliding doors? Yep. Westin bedding? Done. Pillows I want to take home? Tick.
Delta, a SkyTeam member, flies daily from Sydney to LAX. From there, it is a single hop to most points in North America. Delta is also currently status-matching Qantas and VA elites.
China Airlines A350 business class is a sleeper hit
Taiwan’s China Airlines is an underrated gem of a carrier. The SkyTeam member uses an A350-900 to link Sydney to Taipei, with onward connections to 73 airports. DMARGE likes the 32-seat business class cabin’s use of wood veneer and classy mood lighting. The seats utilise the reverse herringbone Collins Aerospace Super Diamond platform.
While there are no PJs, there is a ‘book the cook’ service, Piper champagne, warm service, quality bedding, decent privacy, a mini sky lounge, and much attention to detail. This terrific business class product is easily among the best in the Australian market.
Which airlines almost made the grade?
We have respect for United’s Polaris product. BA would have made the grade if they hadn’t recently swapped out their B777s with their newest business seat for the inferior product on the B787s now flying to Australia. Qantas, when they have their act together, can shine. Land the right aircraft type on an Emirates flight, and it’s hard not to enjoy a business class flight. EVA Air is always worth a look too.
Lists are subjective, but one thing is not: flying business class on almost any airline sure beats the back of the bus. Pick the right business class cabin, and flying becomes a pleasure.