Business class can be a real disappointment
With my work I occasionally fly business class. Sometimes there is a substantial difference with the much greater amount of space, seats that almost become beds, and gourmet dining with cocktails and fine wines.
However, business class varies greatly from airline to airline. Singapore Airlines is often cited as one of the best (although I’ve not tried it), while a flight I took from Los Angeles to London with American was decidedly lacklustre.
Middle Eastern airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Oman and Qatar are often amongst the best and seem to be keen to throw lots of cash at their business and first class products in an effort to secure market dominance. Indeed, both Emirates and Etihad even offer suites with showers to first class passengers - which isn’t really showing that they may have read the climate change memo about taking steps to reduce carbon emissions.
Middle Eastern airlines may have a good reputation for their business class offerings, however business class flights I took from London to Dubai in an Airbus A380 and then Dubai to the Seychelles in a Boeing 777-300 with Emirates a while ago could have been rather better.
It was certainly a lot more comfortable than economy but in the A380 I was by the bulkhead and the TV screen was too far away to watch comfortably and the seat recliner didn’t work. They ran out of the complimentary men’s amenity kits and I was given a woman’s one, with a cheap plastic folding comb, and cheap-looking hotel-style toiletries. The menu grandly said we’d be receiving fine chocolates, and while this turned out to be true, it was a little box containing just two tiny chocolates.
Ok, on the scale of human suffering, that experience probably won’t get near the top, but it does indicate that you don’t always get what you pay for - especially with business class.
On those flights the Heathrow business lounge was very comfortable, but the one we were given at Dubai was really pretty grim, like a vast 1950s Soviet-style waiting room with cafe areas in an almost hospital canteen style.
On the Seychelles to Dubai leg, we were treated to metal cutlery and Royal Dalton chinaware, but it was a pity that the breakfast put on this included insipid chicken sausages and a rubbery omelette. There was also a spoon of spinach, a spoon of mushrooms and three cherry tomatoes, accompanied by weak coffee.
Last week I flew economy with Emirates from London to Dubai and the food was considerably more impressive. The main meal choice I had - lamb biriani - was surprisingly good. It initially looked pretty pasty with a scattering of what looked like scabs a bored four-year-old had pulled off a grazed knee. However, it was actually tangy, juicy, perfectly cooked and very tasty.
Note that in the photo of this meal there are two drinks - tomato juice and red wine. Most people only ask for one drink when the flight attendants come over, there’s this widespread mentality that asking for two in economy class is greedy or will be refused.
But I’ve never experienced any annoyance from a flight attendant when asking for two drinks. You’re likely not to be asked again or for a long while whether you’d like another drink, it’s not a big ask.
Indeed, I once flew British Airways to Los Angeles in economy and the flight attendants couldn’t have been more keen to pour us all extra glasses of wine. They no doubt just wanted us to drink enough to all fall asleep and give them a break.
On last week’s Emirates flight in economy there was a choice of wines, and the flight attendant even showed me the bottle before pouring, as if I was in a posh restaurant. (Before this sounds like I spend all my time in the air cadging glasses of wine, I know you should avoid alcohol when flying, and usually I do avoid it.)
In 2023 the food was disappointing on a business class flight I took with Sri Lanka Airlines. The beef was tough, the cheese selection consisted of a small hunk of Cathedral City cheddar, and only one red wine was available.
The demographic of business passengers has changed quite a lot in recent years, and holidaymakers now outnumber corporate travellers overall for those who choose it. The airlines have increasingly been responding by reducing what’s on offer, for example charging extra for lounge access.
Short haul business class often means having normal economy seats but with the middle of three seats left empty. Therefore, if the person in front reclines their seat, you’ll be cramped just as much as you would be in economy. This is what happened when I took a 45-minute KLM flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. The ticket, if I’d paid, would have been £460 compared to £110 in economy.
You get a slightly better breakfast flying business class to Amsterdam, than in economy, but nothing amazing. It was served with metal cutlery (if you can’t get a metal knife through security, why can you get one on the plane?) and a china plate, coffee in a china mug, and a free newspaper from a very small choice. Because the flight was so short, there was barely enough time for the flight attendants to dish out breakfast and the newspaper.
That was all you got, flying business short haul, for more than four times the price. It was completely mad.
However, the huge difference in price yet lots of instances of lack of value for money doesn’t seem to put people off. A recent survey by Skyscanner found that nine per cent of British travellers intend to upgrade their flight to business or first class in 2024.