Just a little feedback. I think since you touched on the topic of product consistency. Qatar doesn't just have 1 qsuite product for business class. It has the a320, it has the 787-8 and 787-9 product, it also is slowly phasing out but still exists...the a330 2-2-2 product. So ...not much consistency there. So I feel Qatar should drop down to A tier. HAHA
absolutely Qatar is misleadig at best its customers with its products, best consistency so far long haul Etihad. EU carriers I know LX/LH total crap, did not test new Air Chance, sorry Air France product, could be something if no strikes. BA of course of fmy list already for more than 15 years
There are a lot of issues with the ranking itself, but also the criteria that was established earlier on. For example, the accessibility criteria itself should mean some of the top business class products should not be at the rank they are at. Then yes there's product consistency, Qatar does a lot of equipment swap, they are also notorious for not loading enough food in J so if you have something you want, chances are it'll run out by the time they're taking your order. Also, some of the A tier airlines do not have good regional and short/medium haul products at all compared to others in the same tier.
The longer the flight the more the hard product matters relative to the lounge/soft product. If I had to choose I would pick a spacious seat with a crappy meal over bougie service in a seat so tight my muscles cramp up.
I traveled in Qatar's Q Suites a couple of times and the experience was phenomenal. The Al Mourjan Lounge is one of the best in the industry as I spent about 15 hours there and wanted to stay there for longer. Once you fly with Qatar its hard to go back to the rest.
It is misleading to only talk about Qatar Airways QSuite when they are notorious for swapping equipment to all their other, more often than not obsolete, business class products. Such a paid promo :/
It is indeed hard to fathom how several airlines are specifically criticized and downgraded for inconsistent hard products throughout their fleet, and then Quatar is very actively and deliberately sheltered from that criticism by including the seat brand name in the airline name. How come? What is the reasoning / justification for that?
@@PrinceofTravel didn't know their entire Business class was called "Q suites". You didn't name any other airlines business class a certain name. Can't blame people for being suspicious.
You promote the Qatar Q Suite but neglect their 2+2+2 product which you might get Qatared onto for your long haul flight. And you do not mention that if you visit the Garden al Mourjan lounge you may find the kitchen closed during peak hours. So I disagree with your ranking for Qatar.
Rightly said about the Cathay Pacific lounge experience. The unified designs created by Ilse Crawford is thoughtful for travellers (calm, low-to-the-ground design to add to the airiness, the noodle bar was created so that there are no food aromas wafting around when you have a buffet set-up) and very cleverly executed so that they always look well-maintened, because the lounges don''t close (wood furniture, no carpets, etc). The other thing I love about Cathay Pacific is their two-tier loyalty programme. Asia Miles is for redeeming flights, and can be accumulated through your credit card. But the Marco Polo membership motivates you to keep spending with CX, because only Marco Polo points get you the perks (lounge access, priority check in and luggage tag, easy upgrades)., and the barrier is realistically set. With your Marco Polo status, you get the business class experience even if you are flying economy. Is it only CX that has two programmes like this?
Besides accessibility, I think you can also include the risk of an equipment swap into consideration. Some airlines would not have that risk, e.g. all the long haul aircraft on Delta offer similar business class seats, and there is no way they would put a 767 with domestic business class seat onto your flight to Europe. But there are airlines which outrageously would pretend an A330 with long haul business class seat is the same as an A330 with regional business class seats. I have got Cathay Pacific swapping my A330 flight with a plane with regional business class seat (a recliner vs. a full lie flat) 2 hrs before departure. I have also got Air Canada swapping, again, my A330 flight with an ex-SQ A330 that has 2-2-2 business class seating (vs. the original AC signature 1-2-1 seating) 6 hrs before departure. That risk ought to be reflected in the scoring.
+ considering the quality of customer service! I totally agree with you. That's why I give priority to Finnair. It's always the same seat and planes. Same with starlux. All new 3 style airplanes. No risks to get an old messy plane
Agree - there's a definite lack of coverage of the OneWorld airlines, or understanding of them. The JAL explanation isn't informed and given the Thai ranking, unless there's a really outstanding Business experience with boarding, I would expect the Do&Co experience BA provide along with the sheer number of lounges you have access to in OneWorld, including the Al Safwa lounge for Emerald members, to put them at least on par. They're also one of the easiest to book with points imo and the fare is accessible too, making them for sure a notch and a half above United, which in my experience comes with a 'don't care at all' hard and soft product. The other airline worth a mention is Hawaiian as well, and where are the South American and Spanish speaking airlines like Latam and Iberia?
@@Katieforty4 OneWorld Emerald doesn't get access to Al Safwa. Catering company matters less than people think, while the catering budget matters a lot more, so just saying Do&Co or GateGourmet doesn't really say as much about the quality of catering as people think.
Great video, some noteworthy airlines missing but I guess it's because he hasn't flown them. No American, Iberia, Malaysian, Korean, Fiji, Qantas, Air New Zealand? Regardless, fantastic video and very helpful
I was waiting for Iberia, AeroMexico, Copa, LATAM. Avianca, American Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Maroc, & Air New Zealand to see how they would compare with the ones seen in the video. =D
Having flown both EVA and China Airlines across the Pacific many times all x YVR, it really is a toss up. Both provide excellent service and food. I don't see one performing better than the other possibly with the exception of no PJ's on offer with CI. Both EVA and CI are excellent airlines. Wonder if YVR will ever see Starlux?
There will come a day I can make a list so extensive! Happy to see that of the airlines I've flown, the ratings are pretty on par.. Definitely have to try out QSuites someday, but given most places I go are in Asia, the long way around from the West coast is always a tough one... Same with AF even with their good availability through CDG. And of course The Room or JAL's new cabins! As with my list, EVA (787, flew from SEA instead of YVR just for it!) => SQ > ANA (Old) > AC >> United (772) >>>> Ethiopian on that TYO/ICN route.
Air New Zealand is C tier. Notoriously difficult to find award seats, and their herringbone configuration with seats facing the aisle lacks privacy and is very outdated
@@onionslaps That makes it D. If British Airways with its avios flexibility, ease to earn status and upgraded club suites are in D tiers, the criteria you mentioned about ANZ makes it even worse than British Airways
Flew ANA in October from Narita to Chicago. The only positive difference between it and United (flew San Francisco to narita) was the crew came around more. Other than that United was infinitely superior. Just my two cents
Just recently flew on Singapore airlines A350 from Sin-AMS overnight. It was my first time flying them and all the reviews said bulkhead is the way to go. Because the cabin was quite empty, I got to try the “normal” seats also. TBH, the normal seats are as good as the bulkhead ones since at 5’11” I still needed to sleep diagonally as the seat was not long enough. Also the TV is maybe a bit too far in the bulkhead. Anw… first world problems
When it comes to OVERALL business class experience, I would agree that Qatar Qsuites (if you don't get Qatar'd) is number one. The ground experience (lounges and check-in process in Doha) is unbeatable. However, when it comes to Hard Product category (seat and technology alone), ANA the Room is number one for me. When it comes to soft product (customer service and food), in my opinion, Singapore airlines is number one. How about Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Qantas and ITA Airways business class? What are your thoughts on it? I'm excited to try EVA Air and Starlux in the future.
Great video Ricky, however I don't agree with a point, Singapore has a great fleet consistency (way better than Qatar), and equipment swaps are quite rare (as opposed to Qatar Airways where you get "Qatar'd" quite frequently - meaning that your aircraft gets changed at the last minute and instead of getting a Qsuite you end up on an inferior product). I get your point on the different layouts depending on the plane, but that's not really a fleet consistency issue. It's just that SQ has a regional layout and a "long-haul" layout if I can call it that, just like JAL for example who has a specific domestic layout on their widebodies. But I do agree that the seats on SQ have become dated and are due for a change and SQ has hinted at a refresh. The issue is that they might wait until they receive their 777-9 before any update as it has been the case for many airlines (Lufthansa, Cathay, Emirates etc) who in the end decided to stop waiting and introduce the new products on current aircraft.
Awesome video! Q suites really is a cut above the rest ( as long as you don’t get an equipment swap, which they have improved on the last 2 years!) the new q suite being rolled out soon will definitely increase the gap!
Yea I couldn't think of any other airlines that could topple QR. I would also put SQ in S tier if they have their new generation of Business class seats, their current ones are getting "old" now ~Cris
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos, and it's very interesting and informative; I also like the categories you use. Obviously people will disagree, but I was surprised to see BA below Lufthansa and Air Canada; their food is variable, but when it's good it's very good, and their drink offerings are pretty good too (much better than any North American carrier in my view). And their cabin crew are almost always superb (unlike say Finnair and the North Americans), although booking is hard and the fees are a disgrace. I also think Thai is better than C class and that Oman is superb. But as I say, people will disagree. Thanks very much, and I will follow your channel.
Only the thing I don’t like about Japanese airlines is that JAL and ANA lounge in Haneda are always busy and really crowded coz premium economy has lounge access and you can use JAL lounge when you pay, as well as high frequent mile holders can use the lounge.
I am frequent flyer of EK , but I am surprised you gave them B category despite what you mention about there 777 business class seat , and you forget to mention the skyward program got so expensive by raising the required miles to use for upgrade or travel that’s was raised two years ago
I think its really hard to grade BC. Is it short haul or long haul? Are they same aircraft. In Europe you cant beat Turkish Air BC short haul. Long haul Emirates A380. Flown the below in BC and over all how happy we were. Emirates Turkish Oman Singapore Qantas Garuda JAL Cathay Malaysian would rather not fly them at all ever again.
I always find interesting the dynamic between business class and first class it seems like more airlines are investing more in business class. It's the new first class because some Airlines don't even offer first class anymore
Emirates is definitely a F tier with 2-3-2 and a majority of them being angled lie flat, unacceptable in 2024 and their new renovated cabins are not ground breaking at all
I see, this Tier List is mostly Star Alliance as foundation to comparison, I wonder how is Oneworld & Skyteam will think about it, like Australia Qantas & Korean Air. Always love to have wise man to help us learn more about Airlines & Credit. Thanks
I’m flying to Africa early next year. I purchased Aeroplan points at a discount with an AC promo. The fact is, ET and Egypt Air were the only airlines I could get 100% of the international flights on. I’m looking forward to it and hope I differ from your D rating! Not very impressed with AC Aeroplan booking availability, though!
You missed the Etihad partner with Air France points. Recently booked a business class seat from India to Canada for 108k Amex points which is pretty reasonable compared to Etihad’s own redemption.
Very interesting video! I was just a bit surprised that you haven’t mentioned the fact that Qatar Airways has several business class seats other than the QSuite, which means that although the service/catering is almost always great, there is an inconsistency in the hard product. Additionally, I would have ranked Swiss higher because I do think their soft product is superior to Lufthansa’s. Nevertheless, this was an excellent video!
I encourage you to try ANA’s the room for yourself-I found it to be way overhyped and actually quite uncomfortable While it’s good in bed mode, and a bit awkward in seat mode, it’s completely uncomfortable for the in between transition states, if you want a lounging position. I’ll take a narrower JAL seat over it any day Otherwise I agree with your rankings! At least when one is able to get the desired equipment. Qatar randomly swaps planes last minute
I think the Problem with QR is even worse than EK... They have too many aircrafts and business class layouts, and with regular last minute aircraft changes, you may end up on the old layout 777 even though you booked a QSuite on another aircraft... That's really a bummer and a huge lack of product consistency considering you aim for the best ranking in the world... For Those reasons, definitely not a S category
It's the unfortunate effect of becoming more dependent on Mainland China as traffic to HK from everywhere else fell off a cliff after the COVID crackdowns, along with all the profits from those foreign visitors going elsewhere. Hence CX is becoming more "domestic" in its offerings.
S-tier is a gaming term to rank characters, at least from where I used to be around, fighting game community typically feels out a new game and ranks all the characters from A-D or something like that, and then people realized there are really strong/broken characters that are almost impossible to beat, which are then called S-tier, super I think. And later they even use SS tier, SSS , etc. But basically tiers above A, and then terms like are also used to describe products after it went mainstream.
Why do you say that Qatar Q-suites isn't in Toronto yet? I've got an upcoming Qsuites booking for Feb (Thank you for all the guidance in booking that! Wouldn't have happened without this channel!) but now I'm curious if it's not a Q-suite enabled plane?
Am not so sure about QATAR. I flew in Suites in March, yes great seat, hard product, however their non Q Suite seats my return flight from HKG-DOH was just so so
You forgot Royal Air Maroc when you covered the African airlines. It offers 1-2-1 lay flat seating in their recent planes + it's definitely better than EgyptAir.
Not speaking for Ricky, but for me (Cris), I would rank Qantas around C tier, and ANZ around C+. I would rank ANZ higher if they have better business class seats. their current one is just not competitive in today's crowded market ~Cris
How can you place AC in C category? I dont find ACs business class is any good. Both domestic and international Food is mediocre Service at times is so so Onboard experience can be super but mostly so and so. The quality of AC product has gone down due to shareholders demand of more profit
But did you notice that you can always get an AC flight any day you want? Understand that many people who gain their status the organic way, i.e. flying a low, will also have tons of aeroplan points. So when they want to redeem their flights in any day they want, they have this flexibility. People who have millions of miles don't mind paying 200k or 300k for a business class ticket. This is a crazy high amount of points for you and me because we don't get organic travel and getting organic points. Hence, we are not the target customers for these high priced tickets. Hope that makes sense. ~Cris
@@PrinceofTravel Did not make sense. I am SE and cant even get e-upgrade on most cross Canada flight. I have 300++++ points but not willing to use it. I am trying to be strategic choosing my flights and maybe 10% lucky with my choice.
I wish you had put Qatar's non Q-Suites in the rankings. Isn't Qatar infamous for equipment swaps? You never know what you are going to get. EVA Air's soft product is very good, the lounge in Taipei notwithstanding. Their hard product is hit or miss. The Dreamliner seats are great, but the 777 reverse herringbone seats are pretty meh, especially if you get an older plane.
I think Qatar needs to be adjusted, mate. Q Suites is a GREAT product, only if you get to fly in one. More often than not, you'll be "Qatar-ed" into their inferior 2-2-2 product - that is more abundant. You spoke about the inconsistency within the Emirates product, I think you should apply the same to Qatar. Maybe drop a tier to A, definitely not S-tier.
So I am not ricky, I'm Chris, you have probably seen me in our IG. From my experience, getting "Qatar'd" is getting less and less, of course it still happens, but not as bad as before anymore. Be mindful that, the news of someone getting qatar'd is going to have an amplified volume than a flight that went on as planned. I have flown 10+ QR flights myself, and so far, only 1 got changed to the 2-2-2, and twice i got reversed qatar'd, changed from their 787-9 business class (1-2-1 also) to q-suite. While it is fair to say they swap plane a lot, it's not always negative. ~Cris
No Korean airlines? Asiana business class lounge in ICN has a cool feature where your beer glass fills from a hole at the bottom. According to the server in the lounge when I asked about what I thought was a gimmick… It’s so that less air in introduced in the pour, and helps keep passengers from passing gas inflight! Now THAT’s pampering a customer!
interesting BUT most people do not have air miles....so forced to pay by credit card/cash....and i have never understood why people would eat in a lounge before a flight knowing you would be fed on the flight......??????? sounds like a case of poor weight maintenance
@@Tttb95 That's definitely a drawback, I agree. Although I've had flights where I'm the only person in business. Their lounge is lowkey better than qatar's imo.
@@matteo.tremblay If Turkish had only the 1/2/1 product (which is phenomenal) easily an A tier. Agreed Qatar is kinda overrated. QSuites is S tier but the rest is nothing that special.
EVA air has terrible IFE. Extremely limited offerings...almost a joke. I personally do not like their lounge design in Taipei. It"s not just like a spaceship, but also like a cheesy nightclub with neon lights. Having said that, their shower rooms were excellent, and the on board service was very good. I would not put EVA in the 'A' category because their IFE is really backward, if you compare it to Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, or Emirates. I'm really surprised you did not take IFE into consideration when ranking.
Unerringly accurate summary I’d say. I fly business so I can work on arrival. So do I get a unobtrusive crew and a decent sleep.? How comfortable is that bed.? Korean airlines for instance, a pillow,a blanket and a rock hard “bed” Singapore airlines, not a comfy bed either. Flawed design.Lufthansa, dreadfullyuncomfortable. Emirates, overrated. EVA Air,Air France, Qatar just lovely. You’d be Suprised just how many do not even offer a mattress pad.
You are more than likely being on one of those dreadful 777 or 330 with Turkish Airline and good luck with Lufthansa on their Allegris cabin, since only two A359 are equipped 😂😂From my personal experience, Singapore Airline has to be the safest and most well-balanced airline to book, given all 4 criteria. Great Silverkris lounge at Changi T3, Book The Cook is amazing if departure from Singapore. Most importantly, their worst seats are also the best seats Turkish Airline has to offer at the moment, but not include those rebranded Aeroflot cabin 🤣🤣So even if you got unlucky with equipment swap, you will still in good hands no matter what
Beg to differ, my experience on TK in the 777 biz class hard, soft and all in between product was phenomenal (including free layover in IST at the insane lounge both ways) food, service, comfort, attention and diversity/discovery and this was back in 2015. Far from 'dreadful'.
@@RobinMajumdar Kudos to TK, their IST lounge is top notch and Do&Co catering might be better than SQ's BTC on some dishes. But In today's age if you still have a chance to be stuck in a middle seat in business class with zero privacy, I would be avoiding it at all cost, especially if paying with hard earned points. Same story goes for Emirates 777, too. But great to hear both of them are start reinfurbishing their 777s in the coming years with direct isle access seats😁😁
Bro, Egypt Air ? Really ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Are they supposed to be on this list just for attendance or to fill up the F tier ? Might as well skip the F tier and place an E tier to include American Airlines, Latam airlines, Iberia, Air India, Philippines Airlines and Malaysia Airlines Might as well include South African Airways, Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius which is super easy and cheap to book business class via aeroplan or Air Austral from the African continent region and these airlines are surprisingly as good as Lufthansa, Iberia, British Airways Egypt Air is a total disaster, should not even be mentioned among the most mediocre airline out there
Just a little feedback. I think since you touched on the topic of product consistency. Qatar doesn't just have 1 qsuite product for business class. It has the a320, it has the 787-8 and 787-9 product, it also is slowly phasing out but still exists...the a330 2-2-2 product. So ...not much consistency there. So I feel Qatar should drop down to A tier. HAHA
Agreed. Also since last min equipment swaps to a very much less desired configuration is very possible... It's actually risky...
@@Silverelfz yes that too! To be "qatar'd"
The amount Qatar pays Skytrax to be #1 is probably VERY CONSISTENT
absolutely Qatar is misleadig at best its customers with its products, best consistency so far long haul Etihad. EU carriers I know LX/LH total crap, did not test new Air Chance, sorry Air France product, could be something if no strikes. BA of course of fmy list already for more than 15 years
There are a lot of issues with the ranking itself, but also the criteria that was established earlier on. For example, the accessibility criteria itself should mean some of the top business class products should not be at the rank they are at. Then yes there's product consistency, Qatar does a lot of equipment swap, they are also notorious for not loading enough food in J so if you have something you want, chances are it'll run out by the time they're taking your order. Also, some of the A tier airlines do not have good regional and short/medium haul products at all compared to others in the same tier.
The longer the flight the more the hard product matters relative to the lounge/soft product. If I had to choose I would pick a spacious seat with a crappy meal over bougie service in a seat so tight my muscles cramp up.
I traveled in Qatar's Q Suites a couple of times and the experience was phenomenal. The Al Mourjan Lounge is one of the best in the industry as I spent about 15 hours there and wanted to stay there for longer. Once you fly with Qatar its hard to go back to the rest.
It is misleading to only talk about Qatar Airways QSuite when they are notorious for swapping equipment to all their other, more often than not obsolete, business class products. Such a paid promo :/
I can assure you Prince of Travel is not sponsored by Qatar Airways. Sponsored videos are always disclosed.
-Steve
Iberia also has an aircraft option where the seats almost turn into a bed in the sky.
It is indeed hard to fathom how several airlines are specifically criticized and downgraded for inconsistent hard products throughout their fleet, and then Quatar is very actively and deliberately sheltered from that criticism by including the seat brand name in the airline name. How come? What is the reasoning / justification for that?
@@PrinceofTravel didn't know their entire Business class was called "Q suites". You didn't name any other airlines business class a certain name. Can't blame people for being suspicious.
You promote the Qatar Q Suite but neglect their 2+2+2 product which you might get Qatared onto for your long haul flight. And you do not mention that if you visit the Garden al Mourjan lounge you may find the kitchen closed during peak hours. So I disagree with your ranking for Qatar.
Rightly said about the Cathay Pacific lounge experience. The unified designs created by Ilse Crawford is thoughtful for travellers (calm, low-to-the-ground design to add to the airiness, the noodle bar was created so that there are no food aromas wafting around when you have a buffet set-up) and very cleverly executed so that they always look well-maintened, because the lounges don''t close (wood furniture, no carpets, etc). The other thing I love about Cathay Pacific is their two-tier loyalty programme. Asia Miles is for redeeming flights, and can be accumulated through your credit card. But the Marco Polo membership motivates you to keep spending with CX, because only Marco Polo points get you the perks (lounge access, priority check in and luggage tag, easy upgrades)., and the barrier is realistically set. With your Marco Polo status, you get the business class experience even if you are flying economy. Is it only CX that has two programmes like this?
Wow this video is amazing haha, still watching but I've always wanted to know this as close to apples to apples as possible.
Besides accessibility, I think you can also include the risk of an equipment swap into consideration. Some airlines would not have that risk, e.g. all the long haul aircraft on Delta offer similar business class seats, and there is no way they would put a 767 with domestic business class seat onto your flight to Europe. But there are airlines which outrageously would pretend an A330 with long haul business class seat is the same as an A330 with regional business class seats. I have got Cathay Pacific swapping my A330 flight with a plane with regional business class seat (a recliner vs. a full lie flat) 2 hrs before departure. I have also got Air Canada swapping, again, my A330 flight with an ex-SQ A330 that has 2-2-2 business class seating (vs. the original AC signature 1-2-1 seating) 6 hrs before departure. That risk ought to be reflected in the scoring.
+ considering the quality of customer service!
I totally agree with you.
That's why I give priority to Finnair. It's always the same seat and planes.
Same with starlux. All new 3 style airplanes. No risks to get an old messy plane
So I guess I was unlucky to be on a Delta "domestic" 767 to Berlin this year.....
Wow! First video of yours that I‘ve seen . You know your stuff. Thank you.
Thanks for this super informational video. Would love to see a similar video for First Class, Prem.Economy, and Economy.
You won’t find that on this channel. He’s a prince, not a peasant 😆
Cathay Pacific - re-rank once you have experienced the Aria suites!
There’s a few glaring omissions here: American, Asiana, Qantas, Korean. These aren’t small airlines by any means.
Agree - there's a definite lack of coverage of the OneWorld airlines, or understanding of them. The JAL explanation isn't informed and given the Thai ranking, unless there's a really outstanding Business experience with boarding, I would expect the Do&Co experience BA provide along with the sheer number of lounges you have access to in OneWorld, including the Al Safwa lounge for Emerald members, to put them at least on par. They're also one of the easiest to book with points imo and the fare is accessible too, making them for sure a notch and a half above United, which in my experience comes with a 'don't care at all' hard and soft product. The other airline worth a mention is Hawaiian as well, and where are the South American and Spanish speaking airlines like Latam and Iberia?
@@Katieforty4 OneWorld Emerald doesn't get access to Al Safwa. Catering company matters less than people think, while the catering budget matters a lot more, so just saying Do&Co or GateGourmet doesn't really say as much about the quality of catering as people think.
American? Seriously? Nobody wants a 30/30 flight crew. Qantas is American with a funny accent.
Great video, some noteworthy airlines missing but I guess it's because he hasn't flown them. No American, Iberia, Malaysian, Korean, Fiji, Qantas, Air New Zealand? Regardless, fantastic video and very helpful
I was waiting for Iberia, AeroMexico, Copa, LATAM. Avianca, American Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Maroc, & Air New Zealand to see how they would compare with the ones seen in the video. =D
Having flown both EVA and China Airlines across the Pacific many times all x YVR, it really is a toss up. Both provide excellent service and food. I don't see one performing better than the other possibly with the exception of no PJ's on offer with CI. Both EVA and CI are excellent airlines. Wonder if YVR will ever see Starlux?
Very interesting and insightful vid. I'm just left wondering where you would place the 2 major Korean carriers in the list, Korean Air and Asiana?
Seems like it's time for you to try Cathay Pacific's new Aria Suite!
There will come a day I can make a list so extensive! Happy to see that of the airlines I've flown, the ratings are pretty on par.. Definitely have to try out QSuites someday, but given most places I go are in Asia, the long way around from the West coast is always a tough one... Same with AF even with their good availability through CDG. And of course The Room or JAL's new cabins!
As with my list, EVA (787, flew from SEA instead of YVR just for it!) => SQ > ANA (Old) > AC >> United (772) >>>> Ethiopian on that TYO/ICN route.
❤best video u ever ever made. No one else in youtube has the guys to say all fhiz. Keep it up man❤
very good thorough review of lots of airlines
Any thoughts on Qantas or ANZ?
Air New Zealand is C tier. Notoriously difficult to find award seats, and their herringbone configuration with seats facing the aisle lacks privacy and is very outdated
@@onionslaps That makes it D. If British Airways with its avios flexibility, ease to earn status and upgraded club suites are in D tiers, the criteria you mentioned about ANZ makes it even worse than British Airways
Qantas...
Seats: B
Meals: D
Crew: C (extremely variable)
Lounges: E
Customer service: F
Inflight connectivity: F
Award availability: E
Oh this has made me very excited for my ANA flight back from Tokyo in March!
Flew ANA in October from Narita to Chicago. The only positive difference between it and United (flew San Francisco to narita) was the crew came around more. Other than that United was infinitely superior. Just my two cents
@rickp5022 Ive never flown United Im British lol
Just recently flew on Singapore airlines A350 from Sin-AMS overnight. It was my first time flying them and all the reviews said bulkhead is the way to go. Because the cabin was quite empty, I got to try the “normal” seats also. TBH, the normal seats are as good as the bulkhead ones since at 5’11” I still needed to sleep diagonally as the seat was not long enough. Also the TV is maybe a bit too far in the bulkhead. Anw… first world problems
I think the rankings are pretty fair. I have on most of the top tier airlines (except ANA, JAL and Starlux ) and agree that they are the best.
When it comes to OVERALL business class experience, I would agree that Qatar Qsuites (if you don't get Qatar'd) is number one. The ground experience (lounges and check-in process in Doha) is unbeatable. However, when it comes to Hard Product category (seat and technology alone), ANA the Room is number one for me. When it comes to soft product (customer service and food), in my opinion, Singapore airlines is number one. How about Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Qantas and ITA Airways business class? What are your thoughts on it? I'm excited to try EVA Air and Starlux in the future.
Great video Ricky, however I don't agree with a point, Singapore has a great fleet consistency (way better than Qatar), and equipment swaps are quite rare (as opposed to Qatar Airways where you get "Qatar'd" quite frequently - meaning that your aircraft gets changed at the last minute and instead of getting a Qsuite you end up on an inferior product). I get your point on the different layouts depending on the plane, but that's not really a fleet consistency issue. It's just that SQ has a regional layout and a "long-haul" layout if I can call it that, just like JAL for example who has a specific domestic layout on their widebodies.
But I do agree that the seats on SQ have become dated and are due for a change and SQ has hinted at a refresh. The issue is that they might wait until they receive their 777-9 before any update as it has been the case for many airlines (Lufthansa, Cathay, Emirates etc) who in the end decided to stop waiting and introduce the new products on current aircraft.
Fab post . Very useful, thanks
Redeemed Business Flex rewards have access to Signature Lounges though
I have heard that Q-suites is not on much of the fleet for Qatar airways so what is your ranking for their non Q-suite product…
Awesome video! Q suites really is a cut above the rest ( as long as you don’t get an equipment swap, which they have improved on the last 2 years!) the new q suite being rolled out soon will definitely increase the gap!
Good work, many thanks.
What about Qantas and Air New Zealand?
Swiss Air will soon also have allegris first and business class on their a350s
@ 29:01, the lounge you are refering to when talking about ANA and JAPAN is actually the polaris lounge in LAX. right?
Good eye!!!
~Cris
Awesome video ❤
Agreed with Qatar on S; ANA also due to larger seat. That's my take, I flight them both frequently.
Yea I couldn't think of any other airlines that could topple QR. I would also put SQ in S tier if they have their new generation of Business class seats, their current ones are getting "old" now
~Cris
For Africa, you should definitely try Air Mauritius. Their Business Class in A350 and A330Neo is excellent.
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos, and it's very interesting and informative; I also like the categories you use. Obviously people will disagree, but I was surprised to see BA below Lufthansa and Air Canada; their food is variable, but when it's good it's very good, and their drink offerings are pretty good too (much better than any North American carrier in my view). And their cabin crew are almost always superb (unlike say Finnair and the North Americans), although booking is hard and the fees are a disgrace. I also think Thai is better than C class and that Oman is superb. But as I say, people will disagree. Thanks very much, and I will follow your channel.
Love to know your rankings about Korean Airlines and Asiana Airlines ☺️
Only the thing I don’t like about Japanese airlines is that JAL and ANA lounge in Haneda are always busy and really crowded coz premium economy has lounge access and you can use JAL lounge when you pay, as well as high frequent mile holders can use the lounge.
Good video. Two areas that were not covered, and should have, are free wifi on-board and the entertainment offering
Any thoughts on American Airlines, Qantas, Aer Lingus or AeroMexico?
Nice video!
No comments :)
~Chris
i love the turkish lounge in IST! :) but cannot find any availability SFO MLE 3 months from travel date.
Great video idea
I agree with this ranking in general, although Oman and Gulf have a very limited route network so not sure how well they fit in here.
I am frequent flyer of EK , but I am surprised you gave them B category despite what you mention about there 777 business class seat , and you forget to mention the skyward program got so expensive by raising the required miles to use for upgrade or travel that’s was raised two years ago
I think its really hard to grade BC. Is it short haul or long haul? Are they same aircraft.
In Europe you cant beat Turkish Air BC short haul.
Long haul Emirates A380.
Flown the below in BC and over all how happy we were.
Emirates
Turkish
Oman
Singapore
Qantas
Garuda
JAL
Cathay
Malaysian would rather not fly them at all ever again.
I always find interesting the dynamic between business class and first class it seems like more airlines are investing more in business class. It's the new first class because some Airlines don't even offer first class anymore
The sweet spot for overall ROI and TCO.
Emirates is definitely a F tier with 2-3-2 and a majority of them being angled lie flat, unacceptable in 2024 and their new renovated cabins are not ground breaking at all
We need this list for economy and business class too
do you mean first class?
Yes absolutely
For your next video Could you do South American Airlines please. Great video
Hello Ricky, any idea where Qantas Airlines would fall ? Thanks for your work !
I see, this Tier List is mostly Star Alliance as foundation to comparison, I wonder how is Oneworld & Skyteam will think about it, like Australia Qantas & Korean Air. Always love to have wise man to help us learn more about Airlines & Credit. Thanks
They will be at a similar level as Air Canada
~Chris
I’m flying to Africa early next year. I purchased Aeroplan points at a discount with an AC promo. The fact is, ET and Egypt Air were the only airlines I could get 100% of the international flights on. I’m looking forward to it and hope I differ from your D rating!
Not very impressed with AC Aeroplan booking availability, though!
What happened to Korean Air?❤
What about korean airlines?
You missed the Etihad partner with Air France points. Recently booked a business class seat from India to Canada for 108k Amex points which is pretty reasonable compared to Etihad’s own redemption.
Very interesting video! I was just a bit surprised that you haven’t mentioned the fact that Qatar Airways has several business class seats other than the QSuite, which means that although the service/catering is almost always great, there is an inconsistency in the hard product. Additionally, I would have ranked Swiss higher because I do think their soft product is superior to Lufthansa’s. Nevertheless, this was an excellent video!
I encourage you to try ANA’s the room for yourself-I found it to be way overhyped and actually quite uncomfortable
While it’s good in bed mode, and a bit awkward in seat mode, it’s completely uncomfortable for the in between transition states, if you want a lounging position. I’ll take a narrower JAL seat over it any day
Otherwise I agree with your rankings! At least when one is able to get the desired equipment. Qatar randomly swaps planes last minute
PLEASE do one with all First Class =D
Ethiopian 5th freedom flights: they also have MNL-HKG, SIN-KUL, and HKG-BKK.
Great video! But what about South African Airways?
I think the Problem with QR is even worse than EK... They have too many aircrafts and business class layouts, and with regular last minute aircraft changes, you may end up on the old layout 777 even though you booked a QSuite on another aircraft... That's really a bummer and a huge lack of product consistency considering you aim for the best ranking in the world... For Those reasons, definitely not a S category
mightytravels AI fixes this. Airline Tier List Business Class
I think you are spot on. I've flown most of these. Cathay Pacific is definitely slipping, and you mentioned this.
It's the unfortunate effect of becoming more dependent on Mainland China as traffic to HK from everywhere else fell off a cliff after the COVID crackdowns, along with all the profits from those foreign visitors going elsewhere. Hence CX is becoming more "domestic" in its offerings.
@@doujinflip I agree, it's a real shame.
How is it slipping. Its service and coverage is superior
S-tier is a gaming term to rank characters, at least from where I used to be around, fighting game community typically feels out a new game and ranks all the characters from A-D or something like that, and then people realized there are really strong/broken characters that are almost impossible to beat, which are then called S-tier, super I think. And later they even use SS tier, SSS , etc. But basically tiers above A, and then terms like are also used to describe products after it went mainstream.
Isnt it from naruto?
@@Tttb95 well we've been talking about S-tiers since streetfighter 2, so probably earlier than that.
@@jayzee316 True.
Why do you say that Qatar Q-suites isn't in Toronto yet? I've got an upcoming Qsuites booking for Feb (Thank you for all the guidance in booking that! Wouldn't have happened without this channel!) but now I'm curious if it's not a Q-suite enabled plane?
Just googled it - Toronto Starts December 11th, 2024 at 3x weekly frequencies (Wed/Fri/Sun)
YYZ should get Qsuites, but equipment swaps are always possible.
What about Qantas, Air NZ and Latam
Iceland air has recliner seats (not lie flat) in business which is crazy
Am not so sure about QATAR. I flew in Suites in March, yes great seat, hard product, however their non Q Suite seats my return flight from HKG-DOH was just so so
What about air nz qantas fiji airlines for those of us that fly the longest long haul flights usa to Australia? Not really a complete list.
What about Royal Air Maroc and Air Europa lol I know they aren't great optons but they do fly 787-9's on certain routes.
You forgot to rate Westjet 787 International flight business class!
You forgot Royal Air Maroc when you covered the African airlines. It offers 1-2-1 lay flat seating in their recent planes + it's definitely better than EgyptAir.
he can only review the airlines he has traveled on. At least i hope so.. ."Q suites, Q suites, Q suites"
What would you categorize Lot as?
What about Air New Zealand or Quantas ?
Not speaking for Ricky, but for me (Cris), I would rank Qantas around C tier, and ANZ around C+. I would rank ANZ higher if they have better business class seats. their current one is just not competitive in today's crowded market
~Cris
WestJet? Qantas? Air New Zealand?
How can you place AC in C category?
I dont find ACs business class is any good. Both domestic and international
Food is mediocre
Service at times is so so
Onboard experience can be super but mostly so and so.
The quality of AC product has gone down due to shareholders demand of more profit
But did you notice that you can always get an AC flight any day you want? Understand that many people who gain their status the organic way, i.e. flying a low, will also have tons of aeroplan points. So when they want to redeem their flights in any day they want, they have this flexibility. People who have millions of miles don't mind paying 200k or 300k for a business class ticket. This is a crazy high amount of points for you and me because we don't get organic travel and getting organic points. Hence, we are not the target customers for these high priced tickets. Hope that makes sense.
~Cris
@@PrinceofTravel Did not make sense. I am SE and cant even get e-upgrade on most cross Canada flight. I have 300++++ points but not willing to use it.
I am trying to be strategic choosing my flights and maybe 10% lucky with my choice.
Good video - not sure if you made time to breathe throughout?!
What about QANTAS??
Qantas?
I love Swiss as long as it isn't the a330 business class
I wish you had put Qatar's non Q-Suites in the rankings. Isn't Qatar infamous for equipment swaps? You never know what you are going to get.
EVA Air's soft product is very good, the lounge in Taipei notwithstanding. Their hard product is hit or miss. The Dreamliner seats are great, but the 777 reverse herringbone seats are pretty meh, especially if you get an older plane.
Missing LATAM, Avianca and COPA -- South America (and Central America) seem to be part of this great world . . .
I think Qatar needs to be adjusted, mate. Q Suites is a GREAT product, only if you get to fly in one. More often than not, you'll be "Qatar-ed" into their inferior 2-2-2 product - that is more abundant. You spoke about the inconsistency within the Emirates product, I think you should apply the same to Qatar. Maybe drop a tier to A, definitely not S-tier.
So I am not ricky, I'm Chris, you have probably seen me in our IG. From my experience, getting "Qatar'd" is getting less and less, of course it still happens, but not as bad as before anymore. Be mindful that, the news of someone getting qatar'd is going to have an amplified volume than a flight that went on as planned. I have flown 10+ QR flights myself, and so far, only 1 got changed to the 2-2-2, and twice i got reversed qatar'd, changed from their 787-9 business class (1-2-1 also) to q-suite. While it is fair to say they swap plane a lot, it's not always negative.
~Cris
Qatar & Q Suite is still the best overall.
I enjoyed this video. I will say American Air carriers their business class tends to be very underwhelming
No Korean airlines? Asiana business class lounge in ICN has a cool feature where your beer glass fills from a hole at the bottom. According to the server in the lounge when I asked about what I thought was a gimmick… It’s so that less air in introduced in the pour, and helps keep passengers from passing gas inflight! Now THAT’s pampering a customer!
Asiana are wonderful, even in economy I felt a little spoilt
interesting BUT most people do not have air miles....so forced to pay by credit card/cash....and i have never understood why people would eat in a lounge before a flight knowing you would be fed on the flight......??????? sounds like a case of poor weight maintenance
What are your rankings for First Class flights?
Turkish Airlines could definitely be A tier
100%.
Not with 2-2-2 configs
@@Tttb95 That's definitely a drawback, I agree. Although I've had flights where I'm the only person in business. Their lounge is lowkey better than qatar's imo.
@@matteo.tremblay If Turkish had only the 1/2/1 product (which is phenomenal) easily an A tier.
Agreed Qatar is kinda overrated. QSuites is S tier but the rest is nothing that special.
@@Tttb95 QSuites is fantastic. Although the business lounges in Doha don't have beds looool. Overnight layovers can be rough.
i have flown business class from vancouver to kathmandu on both philippine and turkish(superior)
How the hell is Swiss below Lufthansa...
VS B tier is a bit generous considering the coffin seats on the Dreamliner. I think UA bedding is good enough to bump it up to C tier. Fun list!
EVA air has terrible IFE. Extremely limited offerings...almost a joke. I personally do not like their lounge design in Taipei. It"s not just like a spaceship, but also like a cheesy nightclub with neon lights. Having said that, their shower rooms were excellent, and the on board service was very good. I would not put EVA in the 'A' category because their IFE is really backward, if you compare it to Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, or Emirates. I'm really surprised you did not take IFE into consideration when ranking.
Finding Qatar availability is horrible
Unerringly accurate summary I’d say. I fly business so I can work on arrival. So do I get a unobtrusive crew and a decent sleep.? How comfortable is that bed.? Korean airlines for instance, a pillow,a blanket and a rock hard “bed” Singapore airlines, not a comfy bed either. Flawed design.Lufthansa, dreadfullyuncomfortable.
Emirates, overrated. EVA Air,Air France, Qatar just lovely. You’d be Suprised just how many do not even offer a mattress pad.
How about Korean air and Asiana? One of a top choices in Asia for flying experience.
Nothing compares to Asian especially EVA Air and StarLux
You are more than likely being on one of those dreadful 777 or 330 with Turkish Airline and good luck with Lufthansa on their Allegris cabin, since only two A359 are equipped 😂😂From my personal experience, Singapore Airline has to be the safest and most well-balanced airline to book, given all 4 criteria. Great Silverkris lounge at Changi T3, Book The Cook is amazing if departure from Singapore. Most importantly, their worst seats are also the best seats Turkish Airline has to offer at the moment, but not include those rebranded Aeroflot cabin 🤣🤣So even if you got unlucky with equipment swap, you will still in good hands no matter what
Beg to differ, my experience on TK in the 777 biz class hard, soft and all in between product was phenomenal (including free layover in IST at the insane lounge both ways) food, service, comfort, attention and diversity/discovery and this was back in 2015.
Far from 'dreadful'.
@@RobinMajumdar Kudos to TK, their IST lounge is top notch and Do&Co catering might be better than SQ's BTC on some dishes. But In today's age if you still have a chance to be stuck in a middle seat in business class with zero privacy, I would be avoiding it at all cost, especially if paying with hard earned points. Same story goes for Emirates 777, too. But great to hear both of them are start reinfurbishing their 777s in the coming years with direct isle access seats😁😁
Bro, Egypt Air ? Really ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Are they supposed to be on this list just for attendance or to fill up the F tier ?
Might as well skip the F tier and place an E tier to include American Airlines, Latam airlines, Iberia, Air India, Philippines Airlines and Malaysia Airlines
Might as well include South African Airways, Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius which is super easy and cheap to book business class via aeroplan or Air Austral from the African continent region and these airlines are surprisingly as good as Lufthansa, Iberia, British Airways
Egypt Air is a total disaster, should not even be mentioned among the most mediocre airline out there
where's American? they should be IN F or D at best
AA is probably D+ or C-, don't forget they have an amazing airlines program still.
~Chris