alpinevm

which business class seats are best transatlantic

simpsonc510

Do you have a particular airline in mind? I flew business class on Swiss on a non-stop from Zurich to Chicago back in December. It was a very pleasant experience. The seat was "flat" for sleeping; service was very good.

Gardyloo

"Transatlantic" is a pretty broad term. NYC - London? Chicago to Israel? A lot will have to do with your route - you probably don't want to take Aeroflot to Madrid.

As for "best," it's very subjective. Many people feel British Airways' Club seats are "best" because they lie flat; however if you're especially tall or don't like facing the rear of the plane (half the business seats do) then they might not be "best" for you. Most major US and European airlines now have some sort of "flat bed" product, with the majority being "beds" that are at a slight angle over horizontal, but an increasing number offering horizontal beds. Note however that having a horizontal bed does not necessarily mean the seat is the "best" for sitting.

A few airlines flying TATL have so-called "herringbone" or "pod" seating plans, in which the seats are set at an angle to the aisle, with high sidewalls separating the seats. These are very private, but suffer (IMO) from (a) not being able to visit with your seatmate if you want to, or (b) being able to look out the window, as it's behind you and over your shoulder. I also find them extremely claustrophobic and narrow, like flying in a coffin. Air New Zealand, Air Canada, and Virgin Atlantic offer this seat type, maybe others.

You might want to visit this website: http://www.flatseats.com/ for listings and reviews of the various seats.

rkkwan

If you mean US-Europe, then probably Singapore's 777-300ER from Houston to Moscow. [Their 744 on JFK-FRA don't have the new flat bed in business.]

If you include Middle East and beyond, then various Emirates flights to Dubai; and Etihad to Abu Dhabi.

Momliz

check seatguru.com for details on each seat on most airlines.

rkkwan

Seatguru's main use is to find the best specific seat after you've decided on an airline. Not very useful to find out which has better seats, and there's no info about service.

travelgourmet

While some of the comments here are "true", I also think that they border on the pedantic. I think that, when most people say Trans-Atlantic, it is clear they mean US/Canada-Europe. To that end, the best seats on any significant number of routes, for now, are probably on either BA or Virgin. Yes, there are drawbacks to the flat beds used by both, but I still think you will find that most people would prefer them to most of the other options.

To be fair, the one Singapore flight mentioned above is probably the best, but unless you are flying that particular route... Similarly, the Jet Airways flights to Brussels also feature a flat bed, which I believe is the same as on the Air New Zealand flight from LAX to London, or on Air Canada.

There are, however, some other airlines that may prove contenders. I haven't been on the new United seat, but it looks promising. Also, Delta and Swiss will be rolling out a new business class seat that looks interesting, and might actually alleviate some of the cramped feeling that other seats suffer from. Continental has also announced a new seat, but it could be a while before it is on many trans-Atlantic routes.

Among the non-flat seats, I like the Air France seats and the Lufthansa/SAS/Swiss A340 seats. Below that would be the Northwest seats and (probably, since I haven't sat in it) the American seat. The recliners (Delta, Continental, etc) bring up the rear, along with the KLM seat, which is a pretty poor implementation of the lie-flat seat. Friends don't let friends pay for "business class" on US Air or Icelandair, so we can forget about them for now.

Patty

I tend to get claustrophobic on planes anyway so was really dreading my first herringbone seat experience and found it not so bad (and this was on Cathay which from what I understand is the worst in terms of coffin like feel). As mentioned, it does have its drawbacks but sleeping flat won me over.

alpinevm

Thanks for all you wisdom.
Yes I did mean Lax/Zrh sorry I didn't mention that.
I flew Swiss business last year and keep sliding down the seat. It was awful. Wish I could fly Singapore but that is a long way around.

rkkwan

Seems like you want a flat bed. Best bets are probably BA or VS non-stop LAX-LHR, then a connection to ZRH.

mrwunrfl

If you really want a flat bed, then United 936/937 IAD-ZRH has them. Biz class bucket seats are available on transcons (UA 946/947) to connect with those flights (among other options). Could take the Swiss nonstop on the return since it is a daylight flight. Swiss/United are partners so you could book the trip at united's website.

travelgourmet

I would second the suggestion to book on BA or VS and just connect in London. The problem with the United flights would be that you spend almost as much time flying a domestic service as you do an international one. Yes, the seat is pretty good, but the food and service won't be up to the same standard. Also, shorter flights across the Atlantic really crimp your sleep time.

frogoutofwater

I was spoiled flying business class on BA and Cathay for a number of years (work-related travel). More recently, my new employer has favored Continental. While a lie-flat bed is great, Continental is very good, too. I also like Air Canada.

TrvlBuddy

Hi, I saw this blog entry about guide to getting best seat on a plane mainly deals with economy class http://cheapostay.wordpress.com/2009...at-on-a-plane/

But suggests, some other websites to have a look at besides seatguru.com which Momliz suggested. Others mentioned are SeatExpert.com and LoveMySeat.com