The 10 best business class airlines in the world

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Qatar Airways Q Suite business class.

• Every year Skytrax names the airlines with the best business class offerings.
• Airlines are moving away from costly first-class cabins replacing them with more plush business class products.
• As a result, business class is becoming more and more luxurious.
• The top 10 are dominated by airlines from Asia.

Every year, leading aviation consumer website Skytrax compiles a list of the highest rated business class offerings in the world. The Skytrax rankings are based on the impressions of 19.87 million travelers from 105 different countries. The survey, which covered more than 320 airlines, measured 49 parameters ranging from boarding procedures to seat comfort to the quality of service.

Business class has, in recent years, changed dramatically. The standards for service, comfort, and accommodations have increased to a level unseen since the golden age of commercial aviation in the 1960s. These days, lie-flat seats, personal entertainment systems, and menus crafted by gourmet chefs are becoming the industry norm. That's because, even though business class comprises a small number seats per plane, it's pricier fares and premium clientele are important profit drivers for the airlines.

In addition, as airlines move away from expensive to operate first-class cabins, business class has taken over as the premium cabin of choice for many major carriers.

The 10 airlines that made the final list all offer exemplary service, state-of-the-art aircraft, and generous accommodations. Amazingly, eight of the top 10 spots went to airlines from Asia, while the other two spots are occupied by European carriers. In fact, no airline from North America even cracked the top 20. However, with the arrival of Delta One and United Polaris, expect US carriers to make a move up the rankings.