1. Air Canada
As if flying Business Class with Air Canada couldn’t get any better, the company recently introduced the fully-enhanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to its international fleet. Upgrades include the new Executive Pod on International Business Class flights, which lie flat. International Business Class service also provides complimentary kits filled with luxurious spa products, and, on board, there’s mood lighting that’s in sync with times zones to help alleviate jet lag.
All Business Class passengers have access to the Maple Leaf Lounge, located in major airports across Canada and in select international cities, where they receive top-notch service. Onboard features include personal touch-screen TVs that are loaded with hours of entertainment, and menus offering gourmet cuisine, as well as premium wine and spirits.
2. Kiwi air
New Zealand may be one of the most geographically isolated nations in the world; however, this Kiwi air carrier will have you feeling right at home with its comfy 22-inch leather armchairs, premium on-demand audio and video, and convenient self-service refreshment areas.
An amenity kit provides passengers with travel basics such as eye cream, lip balm and moisturizer, socks, eyeshades, a toothbrush kit, earplugs, and a pen. After a dinner focusing on fresh New Zealand produce and regional flavors, recline your chair to its lie-flat position, put on your complimentary noise-cancellation headphones, and get some much-needed rest before your big adventure Down Under!
3. Emirates Airlines
When it comes to high-altitude, high-class travel to Dubai or more than 140 additional destinations, Emirates Airlines soars above the competition. Live it up on your long-haul flight with fully adjustable seats, complimentary Champagne and gourmet canapés, and meals.
Forget the flimsy plastic food tray — five-course lunches and dinners come served on bone china tableware with fine linen. After dinner, head over to the onboard lounge for cocktails and conversation with your fellow travelers. However, should you become too engrossed in one of the 2,000 entertainment channels playing on your widescreen TV, feel free to grab a cold drink from your seat’s built-in mini-bar?
4. Etihad Airways
The national airline of Abu Dhabi boasts all of the luxury amenities that one would expect from the flag carrier of the oil-rich emirates. The 1-2-1 seating configuration, found on all of the airline’s wide-bodied aircraft, gives direct aisle access to each guest. For unparalleled privacy and comfort, Etihad’s Business Studios offer special mattresses, adjustable mood lighting, and 18-inch touch-screen TVs.
For dinner, consult the Food and Beverage Manager for dining options and wine pairing suggestions. Luckily, the luxury treatment doesn’t end when the wheels hit the tarmac. Upon arrival, Business Class guests receive the added convenience of complimentary door-to-door limo service, complete with a personal chauffeur.
5. Korean Air
Travel in Prestige Business Class with Korean Air, and you’re in for an inimitable flight experience. Receive excellent service on the ground: advanced seat selection, KAL lounge access, exclusive check-in counters, priority boarding, and use of showers and sauna at the Grand Hyatt Incheon Hotel at no additional cost. Once inside the aircraft, relax in your Prestige Suite — a private space on board outfitted with a fully flat, adjustable chair, an in-seat power supply system to conveniently charge your tech gear, and direct aisle access.
Additional perks while in-flight include wake-up service, a luxury amenity kit, mood lighting, and a world-class dining menu paired with top-quality wines. Passengers flying First Class or Prestige Class aboard aircraft A380 can enjoy the chic Celestial Bar and mingle with colleagues.
6. Oman Air
Oman Air was the first airline in the world to provide both mobile phone and Wi-Fi Internet service to its passengers. But the reason this airline made our list is because of the state-of-the-art business class seats found on the Oman Airbus A330.
These 77.5-inch long, lie-flat chairs offer electronically controlled backrests, leg rests and seat-depth adjustors while the 1-2-1 seating layout of the cabin allows every passenger direct aisle access. In regards to in-flight entertainment, 17-inch entertainment monitors installed in each seat’s front partition are fully compatible with personal electronic devices, so passengers have access to their private movie collections on their seat displays!
7. Qantas Airways
In Barry Levinson’s 1988 film, “Rain Man,” Dustin Hoffman’s quirky title character will only fly Qantas — and for good reason. Not only is the Australian air carrier consistently named one of the world’s safest airlines, as the simple yet sagacious Rain Man points out, but it is also one of the most flyer-friendly.
Boasting an onboard lounge and a sumptuous dinner menu created in conjunction with Rockpool, Australia’s most awarded restaurant group, Qantas International Business Class takes our favorite on-land luxuries (literally) to new heights. After dinner, make sure to settle in for the night with your on-demand entertainment system and a quick massage courtesy of your fully-adjustable, fold-flat “sky.”
8. Singapore Airlines
Start your Singapore vacation off right with a flight aboard the tiny Asian city-state’s luxurious national air carrier. On board, passengers are pampered with an eclectic array of entrées and snacks, Champagne Taittinger Prelude “Grands Crus” and coffee drinks such as espresso and cappuccino.
Featuring an elegant seasonal menu created by an international panel of chefs including Suzanne Goin, Singapore Airlines’ meal service ranks among the best in the skies, with gourmet dishes providing passengers with an extra-special in-flight experience.
9. Swiss International Air Lines
Old World hospitality meets new school design and innovation aboard Swiss International Air Lines. Each business class seat doubles as a spacious workplace complete with a power outlet, USB connection, movable light, and an LCD screen that can display tablet and smartphone content. When it’s time for a nap, your chair folds flat into a 78-inch bed with adjustable firmness and a massage function.
Flights departing from Switzerland offer guests a taste of the country’s rich culinary heritage, with a rotating menu celebrating the cuisine of different regions. However, no matter where you fly from, you can always count on complimentary Swiss chocolate to make your travels a little more pleasant.
10. Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Group founder/multibillionaire mastermind Sir Richard Branson is intent on changing the way we view luxury travel — and if Virgin Atlantic’s posh Upper-Class cabin is any indication of what he has in mind, we say bring it on!
Offering first-class amenities at a business-class price, the appropriately-named Upper Class provides guests with their private suite, complete with a large center table, multidirectional 10.4-inch TV, and ottoman/guest seat. Feel like stretching your legs? Head over to the onboard bar to enjoy a drink and mingle with friends and colleagues.