• Singapore Airlines business class seating. It topped the Bounce business class ratings survey, with a score of 9.57. Reuters
    Singapore Airlines business class seating. It topped the Bounce business class ratings survey, with a score of 9.57. Reuters
  • Business class with Qatar Airways. The airline came second in the survey, with a score of 9.29. AFP
    Business class with Qatar Airways. The airline came second in the survey, with a score of 9.29. AFP
  • Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific was placed third, with an overall score of 9. Photo: Cathay Pacific
    Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific was placed third, with an overall score of 9. Photo: Cathay Pacific
  • Staff serve a business class meal on a Turkish Airlines flight. Turkey's flag carrier came fourth in the survey. Getty Images
    Staff serve a business class meal on a Turkish Airlines flight. Turkey's flag carrier came fourth in the survey. Getty Images
  • Business class with Etihad. The Abu Dhabi airline was praised for its cabins and seating, cuisine and service. Photo: Etihad
    Business class with Etihad. The Abu Dhabi airline was praised for its cabins and seating, cuisine and service. Photo: Etihad
  • Emirates business class. The Dubai airline scored particularly highly for airport experience, entertainment and amenities. Emirates and Etihad tied in fifth place. Photo: Emirates
    Emirates business class. The Dubai airline scored particularly highly for airport experience, entertainment and amenities. Emirates and Etihad tied in fifth place. Photo: Emirates
  • Business class with Japan Airlines. Bloomberg
    Business class with Japan Airlines. Bloomberg
  • All Nippon Airways tied with its Japanese rival in seventh place. AP
    All Nippon Airways tied with its Japanese rival in seventh place. AP
  • Business class on Air New Zealand. AFP
    Business class on Air New Zealand. AFP
  • Staff cleaning business class seats on a Thai Airways aircraft. EPA
    Staff cleaning business class seats on a Thai Airways aircraft. EPA
  • Sleeping arrangements in Virgin Atlantic business class. Photo: Virgin Atlantic
    Sleeping arrangements in Virgin Atlantic business class. Photo: Virgin Atlantic
  • Business class aboard a Delta Air Lines aircraft. Photo: Delta
    Business class aboard a Delta Air Lines aircraft. Photo: Delta

Airlines

The world's best business class airlines revealed

Emirates and Etihad both made the list with the same score

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau

April 25, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Business class on a flight may not always be an option — but when it is, it’s certainly hard to pass up. However, with so many airlines offering their take on flying business, which do it best?

A new study by Bounce has compiled a list the top airlines with the best business class. This is based on reviews from Businessclass.com, with the rankings compiled considering factors such as airport experience, cabin and seat, meals, beverages, service, entertainment and amenities and facilities. Scores were out of 10.

Scroll through the gallery above to see some of the top business class cabins.

Singapore Airlines led the ranking, with an overall score of 9.57, followed by Qatar Airways (9.29) and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific (9).

“Singapore has been synonymous with luxury since taking to the skies almost 50 years ago and had near-perfect scores across the board,” says the study.

“As well as scoring 10 out of 10 for both its cuisine and beverages, Singapore also gained a perfect score for its service and entertainment too.”

Also on the list are Emirates and Etihad Airways ― tying in fifth place with the score of 8.71. Emirates scored higher in airport experience, entertainment and amenities and facilities, while Etihad did better in cabin and seating, meals and service.

Here's a list of the best business airlines

1. Singapore Airlines, 9.57

2. Qatar Airways, 9.29

3. Cathay Pacific, 9

4. Turkish Airlines, 8.86

5. Etihad Airways, 8.71

5. Emirates, 8.71

7. Asiana Airlines, 8.57

7. Japan Airlines, 8.57

7. All Nippon Airways, 8.57

10. Air New Zealand, 8.43

10. Thai Airways, 8.43

10. Hainan Airlines, 8.43

10. Virgin Atlantic, 8.43

10. Delta Air Lines, 8.43

Scroll through the gallery below to see Emirates' business class cabins

  • Emirates has unveiled a brand new Business Class cabin and configuration on its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. Courtesy Emirates
    Emirates has unveiled a brand new Business Class cabin and configuration on its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. Courtesy Emirates
  • The new Business Class cabin also features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. Courtesy Emirates
    The new Business Class cabin also features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. Courtesy Emirates
  • Economy class seats onboard the 777-200LR have also been refreshed to the latest colour palette of soft greys and blues. Courtesy Emirates
    Economy class seats onboard the 777-200LR have also been refreshed to the latest colour palette of soft greys and blues. Courtesy Emirates
  • The newly refurbished Emirates 777-200LR aircraft is set in a two-class configuration which offers 38 Business Class seats. Courtesy Emirates
    The newly refurbished Emirates 777-200LR aircraft is set in a two-class configuration which offers 38 Business Class seats. Courtesy Emirates

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

While you're here
More from this package
if you go

The flights

Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes

The package

Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January

The info

Visit www.gokorea.co.uk

Updated: June 22, 2023, 12:11 PM
AirlinesEmirates AirlinesEtihad Airways