The Benefits of Business Class - Part 6

Welcome to Part 6 of our blog series - The Benefits of Business Class - where we explore the advantages of spending a little extra money to elevate your travel experience to a whole new level.

This week we’re discussing the onboard services and features that are available to you when you flying Business Class. Although we may have touched on some in earlier articles, here we’ll go into more depth and show you some of those which you might not always think about. 

First and foremost, let’s say that most Business Class cabins are smaller than those for Economy. For example, British Airways operate a variant of the Airbus A380 in a four-class configuration with 97 in Club World (what they call Business Class) versus 303 in Economy. This is a rather large difference and as you can see from the seat map below, Business Class is divided into three smaller cabins by utilising two decks. 

This provides a quieter environment, making your luxurious lie-flat bed easier to fall asleep in. It also means you get an enhanced, more personal service from the crew as they’re not stretched between too many passengers. Whether that be a faster meal service, keeping your glass topped-up or keeping the cabin tidy so you can recline and relax, the crew are there for you. 

Amongst many, Qatar airways provide their Business Class passengers with slippers and pyjamas to change into. This is a wonderfully practical perk as it saves you from creasing your clothes during your flight, but it also allows for a more comfortable experience in the air. Lufthansa offers a similar selection with slippers at your seat followed by long-sleeve sweatshirts handed out by the crew before departure. 

Forget the flimsy uncomfortable earbuds you’ll be given in Economy; in premium cabins, the majority of airlines provide each passenger with a quality set of noise-cancelling headphones to better enjoy their inflight entertainment. This means a more enhanced viewing experience with a combination of better sound and the increased screen size in Business Class. The perks continue with multiple USB ports & power sockets for charging your multitude of devices. Another 21st Century innovation is WiFi at 36,000ft, allowing airlines to provide this service to all the passengers. Whilst this can often be somewhat on the pricey side, flying upfront usually gifts a token amount of time, or sometimes even free access for the entire flight. Whether you need to reply to emails or want to binge-watch your favourite show on Netflix, you can. 

Travelling in Business Class generally saves you from having to queue, both in the airport on board the aircraft. No more long line waiting for the bathroom, as each premium cabin has a number of dedicated bathrooms, for your use only. The crew make sure it’s kept clean and tidy throughout but also provide amenities such as hand cream, moisturiser, combs and razors. This compliments the amenity kit you’ll find at your seat upon boarding. These kits are often sizeable and not to be missed - they’re like a Pirates bounty for travel enthusiasts, sometimes even collector's items. Countless airlines partner with high-end brands such as Elemis, Saks, Molten Brown and even Versace, meaning the contents and packaging itself are extremely high quality. During a long-haul flight, the ability to freshen up, wash your face, put on some moisturiser and brush your teeth before landing, really does make the world of difference.

All of these somewhat small, additional benefits of treating yourself to Business Class blend to make the experience as relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable as possible and is often why people choose to spend that little extra. 

Get in touch with our Personal Travel Consultants today to splash out on your next trip!

(Contributed by Alex Dickinson)