Qatar Airways has the best business class in 2026 by Skytrax’s passenger-survey ranking: it won Skytrax’s World’s Best Business Class award for the 13th time on 18 September 2026, and its Qsuite won Best Business Class Seat. But the Qsuite is on only some Qatar aircraft. The aircraft you book matters as much as the airline.
Facts below are as of 9 October 2026.
The short list
| Airline | Seat | Door | Aircraft to book | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qatar Airways | Qsuite | Yes | A350-1000 (all), most 777-300ERs, some A350-900s | In service |
 Singapore Airlines | 2013 and 2017 business | No | A350-900, 777-300ER, A380 | New doored seat from Q1 2027 |
 Cathay Pacific | Aria Suite | Yes | Refitted 777-300ER (“77J”) | Rolling out to end 2027 |
 ANA | THE Room | Yes | 777-300ER (nine aircraft) | In service |
 Air France | 2023 business suite | Yes | A350-900 (new layout), refitted 777-300ER | In service, still being fitted |
 Japan Airlines | A350-1000 business | Yes | A350-1000 | In service |
 Emirates | 1-2-1 business | No | Refitted 777-300ER, A380, A350 | Doored suite from mid-2027 |
 Virgin Atlantic | Upper Class Suite | Yes | A350-1000, A330-900neo | In service |
 Delta | Delta One Suite | Yes | A350-900 and others | Next version from early 2027 |
  Lufthansa and SWISS | Allegris / SWISS Senses | Front-row suites only | A350-900, 787-9 (Lufthansa) | Rolling out |
 Etihad | Business Studio | Yes on A350-1000 and new 787-9 | A350-1000, new 787-9 | In service |
 British Airways | Club Suite | Yes | A350-1000 and most long-haul aircraft | A380 version “in the coming months” |
 United | Polaris and Polaris Studio | Yes | New 787-9 | Rolling out |
 Riyadh Air | Business and Business Elite | Yes | 787-9 | Own 787-9 in service since June 2026 |
How this list was put together
The order follows the Skytrax World’s Best Business Class 2026 ranking, a passenger survey run from September 2025 to August 2026 that covered more than 300 airlines. Skytrax does not publish how many people rated each category, so treat it as one input. Seat, door and aircraft details come from each airline’s own pages and press releases, with trade press used where airlines do not publish fleet counts, seat counts or dates.
Hainan Airlines (5th), Turkish Airlines (6th), STARLUX (7th) and EVA Air (10th) also made the Skytrax top 10 and are not covered in detail here. Qantas (14th) is covered under what changes next, because its new business suite arrives in 2027. United and Riyadh Air are not in the Skytrax top 20 and are listed last; Riyadh Air’s own 787-9s entered service in June 2026, near the end of the survey period.
AirlineRatings named Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite the world’s best business class in March 2026, so the two main awards disagree on first place.
1. Qatar Airways Qsuite
The Qsuite has a sliding door, and the panels between seats fold away so that two centre seats become a double bed or four seats become a private group space. It has won Skytrax’s best business class seat award in 2025 and 2026.
The catch is the fleet. As of May 2026, One Mile at a Time counted the Qsuite on all 28 of Qatar’s A350-1000s, 40 of its 57 777-300ERs, 5 of 7 777-200LRs and 11 of 34 A350-900s. It is not on any Qatar 787, A380 or A330. Qatar’s 787-9s have a different, newer seat.
- Wi-Fi: free Starlink on its 777s and A350s, gate to gate at selected airports. Qatar won Skytrax’s new Best Onboard Wi-Fi award in 2026.
- Lounge: the Al Mourjan Garden lounge in Doha was named Skytrax’s best business class lounge in 2026.
- Next: the Qsuite Next Gen, shown in 2024 with a “Companion Suite” for two and digitally controlled dividers, has not flown a passenger. Qatar’s CEO told Euronews in September 2026 that it will be unveiled in summer 2027.
2. Singapore Airlines
Singapore ranked second for business class in 2026 and was named World’s Best Airline overall, but its business seats date from 2013 and 2017 and have no doors. The A350-900 and 777-300ER carry a 2013 seat. The 12 A380s carry a 2017 seat.
A new business suite with high walls and a sliding door will be revealed on 7 November 2026. A Singapore Airlines spokesperson said in May 2026 that the first refitted long-haul A350-900 is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Until then, Singapore’s case rests on service (Skytrax ranked its cabin crew second in 2026) rather than privacy.
3. Cathay Pacific Aria Suite
The Aria Suite has a door, a 24-inch 4K screen and wireless charging, with bedding lined with Rohi wool. Each refitted 777-300ER has 45 of them in a 1-2-1 layout. Cathay unveiled the seat in October 2024. It reached Los Angeles on selected flights from 4 April 2026, and both daily London Heathrow flights get it from 25 October 2026. Every Cathay 777-300ER is due to be refitted by the end of 2027.
The refitted aircraft are listed as “77J” when you book. Refitted 777s have no first class, so Cathay’s remaining first class is on a shrinking number of older 777s (see our first class guide).
4. ANA THE Room
ANA’s THE Room has been on the 777-300ER since 2019 and flies on nine of them, according to This Is Luxury Travel (September 2026). Each seat has a door. A newer version, THE Room FX, also with a door and a bed of 194 cm, is going on new 787-9s from late 2026 (reports differ on whether the first delivery is August or November 2026) and on 16 existing 787-9s from 2027.
5. Air France
Air France’s 2023 business seat has a sliding door, a bed about 2 metres long and 53 cm wide, and a 20-inch 4K screen. It first flew on an A350 in July 2023, with 48 seats per aircraft in the new layout. It is on 12 three-class 777-300ERs, and Air France is fitting it to the four-class 777-300ERs that also carry the new La Première first class.
Air France’s older high-density 777-300ERs and 777-200ERs had no refit plan announced as of April 2025. If you are flying to Paris, see our Paris luxury hotels.
6. Japan Airlines A350-1000
JAL’s A350-1000 business seat has a translucent door, headrest speakers, a 24-inch 4K screen and a bed of about 198 cm by 56 cm. The A350-1000 flies from Tokyo Haneda to New York JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, London Heathrow and Paris.
7. Emirates
Emirates business class has no doors on any aircraft today. It is running a US$5 billion programme to refit 219 A380s and 777s, and had finished 100 by 14 July 2026. Refitted 777s have up to 38 business seats in a 1-2-1 layout, replacing the old seven-across middle. The A350 has 32 business seats, also 1-2-1.
What Emirates adds is around the seat:
- A380 onboard lounge: a staffed bar with canapés for business and first class.
- Chauffeur: a free car to and from the airport in most cities for business and first class, within limits (see our luxury airlines guide).
The first 777-9, due by mid-2027, will have doored business suites and a mid-cabin social lounge.
8. Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
Virgin’s Upper Class Suite has a door on the A350-1000 and A330-900neo, with a 22-inch-wide seat and a bed of 6 ft 7 in. The A330-900neo also has Retreat Suites (two or six per aircraft) with screens up to 32 inches, and The Loft social space. The 787-9 still has the older seat without a door. Virgin says it will refit it “from 2028”.
9. Delta One Suite
Delta introduced business suites with doors in 2017. A new version with a bed more than three inches longer (over six and a half feet), a 24-inch screen and Missoni bedding arrives with the A350-1000 in early 2027, which will have 53 suites according to One Mile at a Time. Delta also plans to add doored suites to its A330-200s and A330-300s, and says 90% of Delta One seats will be doored suites by 2030.
10. Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses
Lufthansa’s Allegris business cabin mixes seat types. Only the front-row Business Suite has a door. The Extra Long Bed Seat has a 2.2-metre bed. Allegris has flown on the A350-900 since May 2024, is fully on sale on the 787-9 from 29 March 2026, and comes on the A350-1000 from winter 2026/27. Lufthansa’s A380s are getting a different seat, the Thompson VantageXL, rather than Allegris.
SWISS Senses business, on the SWISS A350-900, follows the same idea with eight doored Business Suites per aircraft. It flew Zurich to Boston and Seoul in summer 2026, and from late October 2026 it is on Zurich to Johannesburg and some Zurich to Shanghai flights.
11. Etihad Business Studio
Etihad’s Business Studio has a privacy door on the A350-1000, which flies from Abu Dhabi to Atlanta, Chicago, Milan, New York JFK and Sydney, and on newer 787-9s with a 78-inch bed. Etihad provides a free chauffeur within the UAE for Business Comfort and Business Deluxe fares, and a global chauffeur service at selected airports for Business Deluxe bookings made on or after 26 February 2026.
12. British Airways Club Suite
The Club Suite has a door, a 79-inch bed and a 1-2-1 layout. BA says it is on more than two-thirds of its Heathrow long-haul aircraft, with the 787-9 refit in progress.
On 5 October 2026 BA showed an updated Club Suite for its refitted A380s: 106 seats across the whole upper deck, which BA calls the world’s largest business class cabin. The first refitted A380 is expected “in the coming months”.
13. United Polaris and Polaris Studio
United’s new 787-9 has 56 Polaris suites with doors and 8 larger Polaris Studios with a 27-inch OLED screen and a companion ottoman. It launched on San Francisco to Singapore and London, with Sydney from December 2026. The doors were locked at launch. One Mile at a Time reported on 5 August 2026 that the FAA had certified them for use, and that unlocking them across the fleet could take weeks.
14. Riyadh Air
Riyadh Air’s first revenue flight on its own new 787-9 was Riyadh to London Heathrow on 10 June 2026. It had flown the route since October 2025 with an ex-Oman Air 787 during a soft launch. Its 787-9 has 28 business seats with sliding doors and headrest speakers, including four front-row Business Elite seats with a 32-inch screen. It also flies to Dubai, Cairo and Jeddah. Riyadh Air serves no alcohol.
What changes next
| When | Airline | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 2026 | Cathay Pacific | Aria Suite on both daily London Heathrow flights |
| 7 Nov 2026 | Singapore Airlines | New business suite revealed |
| Late 2026 | ANA | THE Room FX on new 787-9s |
| “Coming months” (from Oct 2026) | British Airways | First refitted A380 with 106 Club Suites |
| Winter 2026/27 | Lufthansa | Allegris on the A350-1000 |
| Q1 2027 | Singapore Airlines | First refitted A350-900 with doors |
| Early 2027 | Delta | New Delta One Suite on the A350-1000 |
| Mid-2027 | Emirates | 777-9 with doored business suites |
| Summer 2027 | Qatar Airways | Qsuite Next Gen unveiled |
| Oct 2027 | Qantas | A350-1000 Project Sunrise, Sydney to London, with doored business suites and an 80-inch bed |
| End 2027 | Cathay Pacific | All 777-300ERs refitted with Aria Suites |
| From 2028 | Virgin Atlantic | 787-9 refit |
Turkish Airlines announced its Crystal business suite in July 2024. We found no report of it in passenger service by October 2026.
Free Wi-Fi in business class
| Airline | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Qatar Airways | Free Starlink on 777s and A350s; full flight with a free Privilege Club log-in, otherwise 45 minutes |
| Air France | Free Starlink in all cabins with a Flying Blue log-in; fleet-wide by end 2026 (planned) |
| Emirates | Free Starlink being fitted to all 232 aircraft by mid-2027 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Free Starlink on the A350 since May 2026; 787s and A330neos follow |
| British Airways | Free Starlink in all cabins from April 2026, being fitted |
| Delta | Free for SkyMiles members |
| Singapore Airlines | Free for business class; Starlink from Q1 2027 |
How to make sure you get the seat
- Check the aircraft type on the flight before booking. Airline booking pages show it, usually under flight details.
- Match it to the “Aircraft to book” column above. For Qatar, every A350-1000 had the Qsuite as of May 2026; a 777-300ER is likely; a 787 or A380 is not.
- For Cathay, look for “77J”. For Air France, check the seat map for the new business cabin.
- Check again a few days before departure. Airlines swap aircraft, and a swap can move you to an older seat.
