Best - Top 10 Business Class Airlines | Gayot

Best
Business Class Travel Per YahooTravel/ Gayot






Long gone are the
days when business class simply meant slightly larger seats and an extra
pillow. Today's top business class airlines are pulling out all of the stops to
make sure that passengers arrive at their destinations well-rested, well-fed
(you can forget that microwaved airplane meal), and looking forward to a
comfortable ride back home. With once-enviable amenities like fold-flat seats
and in-flight films becoming the standard for
intercontinental travel, more and more air carriers are looking
to distinguish themselves through luxurious cabins that incorporate on-board
lounges, personal entertainment systems and high-altitude haute cuisine. Read
on to discover which airlines really mean business when it comes to giving
their business class passengers the top-tier treatment.

Down Under with Air New Zealand Business Premier

New Zealand may be one of the most
geographically-isolated nations in the world; however, this Kiwi air carrier
will have you feeling right at home with its comfy 22-inch leather armchairs,
premium on demand audio and video, and convenient self-service refreshment
areas. An amenity kit provides passengers with travel basics such as eye cream,
lip balm and moisturizer, socks, eyeshades, toothbrush kit, earplugs and a pen.
Feel the need for some company on your long-haul flight? Your separate ottoman
footrest also doubles as a "visitor's seat," making it easy to invite
a guest over for a glass of fine New Zealand wine.
After a dinner focusing on fresh New Zealand produce and regional flavors,
recline your chair to its fully lie-flat position, put on your complimentary
noise cancellation headphones, and get some much-needed rest before your big
adventure Down Under!

Gourmet
Dining Onboard Delta BusinessElite

While
heightened security measures, routinely overbooked flights and the collective
belt-tightening of the airline industry in response to rising fuel costs have
all conspired to make American air travel a pain, at least one airline is doing
its part to pamper frazzled passengers. With Delta's BusinessElite class,
guests are given the luxury treatment from check-in to baggage claim, with
accelerated security, priority boarding and expedited luggage retrieval all designed
to minimize the hassle of travel. On board, kick back in front of one of 250
available movies or 150 TV programs, or, on domestic flights, stay connected
with in-flight Internet service. Multi-course dining menus come courtesy of top
toques Michelle Bernstein (Michy's, Sra. Martinez) and Michael Chiarello (Bottega), and feature wine pairings from
Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. Once you're stuffed, dream easy with
complimentary noise-cancellation headphones and a full-size pillow.

132
Destinations and More at Emirates Airlines

When it
comes to high-altitude, high-class travel to Dubai and 131 additional destinations, Emirates Airlines literally soars above the
competition. Live it up on your long-haul flight with massaging seats,
complimentary Champagne and gourmet canapés and meals.
Forget the flimsy plastic food tray — five-course lunches and dinners come
served on bone china tableware with fine linen and flowers. After dinner, head
over to the onboard lounge for cocktails and conversation with your fellow
travelers. However, should you become too engrossed in one of the 1,400
entertainment channels playing on your personal widescreen TV, feel free to
grab a cold drink from your seat's built-in mini bar.

Luxury
in the Sky Onboard Etihad Airlines Business Class

The
national airline of Abu Dhabi boasts all of the luxury amenities that one would
expect from the flag carrier of the oil-rich emirate. The 1-2-1 seating
configuration, available on all of the airline's wide-bodied aircrafts, gives
direct aisle access to each guest, while a privacy shell around every flat bed
seat ensures uninterrupted rest and relaxation. For dinner, consult the Food
and Beverage Manager for dining options and wine pairing suggestions. Brought
in from the world's best restaurants, these highly-specialized individuals
undergo extensive training in order to become intimately familiar with the
onboard menu. Luckily, the luxury treatment doesn't end when the wheels hit the
tarmac. Upon arrival, Pearl Business Class guests receive the added convenience
of complimentary door-to-door limo service, complete with a personal chauffeur.

Culinary
Delights Aboard Japan Airlines Business Class

After the
hassle of getting to the airport and through security, settle into Japan
Airlines' business class cabin, a step above most thanks to its excellent,
varied dining options and above-par relaxation opportunities. Most seats slide
down into a fully flat bed position and feature a USB port, power outlet,
noise-cancelling headphones and an LCD monitor so you can listen to pop tunes,
play board or video games, and watch movies or traditional Rakugo-style
Japanese comic monologues. Before arrival in select cities, you will be served
a warm breakfast and may choose between a Japanese- or Western-style meal that
varies according to season and flight. Past selections have included simmered
potato and chicken with light soy sauce, carrot mousse and poached lemon
prawns. Ask a flight attendant for an amenity kit so you can freshen up before
your next big adventure with a moisturizing mask, eye mask and eye refresher.

Safety
First with Qantas Airways International Business

In Barry
Levinson's 1988 film, Rain
Man, Dustin Hoffman's quirky title character will only fly Qantas — and for good reason. Not only is the
Australian air carrier consistently named one of the world's safest airlines,
as the simple yet sagacious Rain Man points out, it is also one of the most
flyer-friendly. Boasting an in-flight bar and a sumptuous dinner menu created
in conjunction with leading Australian restaurateur Neil Perry, Qantas takes our favorite on-land
luxuries (literally) to new heights. After dinner, make sure to settle in for
the night with your own personal on-demand entertainment system and a quick
massage courtesy of your fully-adjustable, fold-flat "skybed."

Oman
Air: Leading the Digital Vanguard in the Skies

In 2010,
Oman Air became the first airline in the world to provide both mobile
phone and Wi-Fi Internet service to its passengers. But the reason this airline
made our list is because of the state-of-the-art business class seats
found on the Oman Airbus A330. These 77.5-inch long, lie-flat chairs offer
electronically controlled backrests, leg rests and seat-depth adjustors while
the 1:2:1 seating layout of the cabin allows every passenger direct aisle
access. Besides lie-flat chairs with privacy screens, business class passengers
enjoy an extensive menu of modern and traditional cuisine as well as signature
Arabic dishes. In regards to in-flight entertainment, seventeen-inch
entertainment monitors installed in each seat’s front partition are fully
compatible with personal electronic devices, so passengers have access to their
private movie collections on their individual seat displays!

Unparalleled
Meal Service from Singapore Airlines

Start your
Singapore vacation off right with a flight
aboard the tiny Asian city-state's luxurious national air carrier. On board,
passengers are pampered with gourmet entrées and snacks, Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Champagne and coffee drinks such as espresso and cappuccino.
Featuring an elegant seasonal menu created by an international panel of chefs
including Suzanne Goin, Singapore Airlines' meal service
ranks among the best in the skies, with gourmet dishes providing passengers
with an extra-special in-flight experience.

Thai
Airways Royal Silk Class: Travel Lavishly

Thai Airways' Royal Silk Class invites
travelers to live like a king on long-haul flights to Asia and around the
world. Passengers enjoy restaurant-style, multi-course meals served on
porcelain place settings, and are given an extensive choice of fine wines,
premium spirits and vintage ports
and liqueurs to wash down their delectable
dinners. In addition to enjoying standard in-flight entertainment options,
guests can also brush up on a foreign language or even practice meditation with
the interactive, new audio-video-on-demand system; however, with Thai Airways'
Zen-like business class cabin, the idea of needing a video program to help find
inner peace may seem a bit superfluous.

Upper
Class Flying Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

Virgin
Group founder/multibillionaire mastermind Sir Richard Branson is intent upon
changing the way we view luxury travel — and if Virgin Atlantic's posh Upper Class cabin is
any indication of what he has in mind, we say bring it on! Offering first class
amenities at a business class price, the appropriately-named Upper Class
provides guests with their own private suite, complete with a large center
table, multidirectional 10.4-inch TV and ottoman/guest seat. Looking to get
some rest before the big business meeting? Consider booking in the
specially-designated "Snooze Zone," which features dim lighting and
service designed to minimize interruption for sleepy travelers.
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Always ride business class with Excelsior Limousine in our town cars and SUVs,