Best airlines for business class

Story highlights These 10 airlines go above and beyond in business class All the carriers listed have fully flat beds in business class cabins Luxury food and beverage service set many of these airlines apart CNN — “Nowadays, business class is a lot better than first class used to be.” Or so says Philippe Kjellgren, cofounder and CEO of Hotel Insider – a resource for upscale travelers to research, book and experience luxury hotels. “It makes a big difference when airline staff know what travelers want and are prepared to customize.” And the world’s best airport is … In compiling this list Executive Travel established certain baseline criteria, like fully flat beds, something each of the airlines on the list offers. The carrier’s lounges also garner top marks – the Heathrow Club World Lounge nabbed the third slot in the 2012 World Airline Awards Best Business Class Lounge category – with special mention going to the Galleries Arrivals lounge, which features an Elemis Travel Spa, 94 shower rooms, cabanas with infinity bathrooms and a garment-pressing service. “The seating configuration is one of our favorite options right now,” writes Robeel Haq on the well-regarded travel blog The Aviation Writer, “providing privacy when you need it and the ability to travel and talk with a partner if you desire, plus it solves the dreaded ‘step-over-a-sleeping-stranger’ maneuver for the usual 2x2x2 seating configuration.” swiss.com Virgin Atlantic Business travelers love this perennially popular carrier for all the reasons you’d imagine – modern planes, an upbeat staff and loads of perks in the cheekily named “Upper Class” like 22-inch-wide beds that convert to 33 inches when it’s time to sleep.