Business class vs first class – which is better?

You know you’ve made it when you board a flight and turn left. The question then becomes, do you stop in business class or continue to the lofty luxury of first? Depending on the airline, plane and route, the differences between business class versus first class can be significant. Not least of all, the price you pay.

Here I’ll break down the differences between business and first class, including data-backed strategies on when to score the cheapest tickets.

What’s the difference between business class and first class?

The difference between business class and first class is a question of hierarchy based on space, service, comfort and exclusivity. While the business class experience is a world above economy and premium economy, first class is another giant leap in luxury and comfort.

Classes are arranged from economy at the rear up to first class at the front of the plane. Typically, you’ll turn left on boarding to access the business and first class cabins.

Business class cabins give each passenger enough space to stretch out with lie-flat (or near as) seats, limited privacy, and a far better level of service and comfort than economy.

First is as close to a private plane experience you’ll get while flying commercially. Cabins typically offer separate rooms or suites for near total privacy with personalised service and exceptional amenities.

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect in business class versus first class:

Bare in mind that business and first class aren’t always available on all routes. Knowing which airline offers what will help you decide wether it’s really worth shelling out for that ultra-premium, ultra-expensive first class ticket.

What is business class?

The business class experience varies greatly depending on airline, route and the age of the plane you’re flying on. Different types of plane have different layouts that can affect every aspect of your trip, especially comparing short and long haul.

Flying business class on a shorter route in Europe, expect a significantly paired down experience compared to long haul. On the ground you’ll get the same priority service and lounge access, but it’s a different story onboard.

You’ll get more legroom and better, complimentary food and snacks than in economy. A window or aisle seat is also guaranteed, as the centre seat will be kept open. But don’t expect a lie-flat seat, any privacy or entertainment systems. The smaller short-haul planes can’t accommodate anything like what you’ll find on a long-haul model.

Ground experience and lounge access

When you book a business class ticket, the luxury experience begins at the airport. Expect priority check-in, security and boarding. Your ticket will include a significant baggage allowance – usually two check-in bags as well as a carry-on.

Airside, you’ll have access to dedicated business class lounges serving complimentary buffet-style food, premium label drinks and, on occasion, shower cubicles.

Seats

Business class seats are a huge upgrade from economy, especially in long-haul cabins. Expect more room to spread out with a good size table, bigger TV screen and direct aisle access. With far fewer seats in the cabin, the atmosphere is generally calmer and quieter too.

Sliding privacy doors and seats that fully recline into beds are the new norm on many airlines’s latest planes. British Airways, Air France, Delta, Etihad, KLM and Lufthansa all offer them – just be sure to check the plane model before you book.

Service

Flight attendants in business class know their customers — well-travelled, highly discerning and willing to pay for a premium experience. And you can expect service to reflect that, with dedicated cabin crew who are friendly and efficient.

Food and drink

A big upgrade from economy, with multi-course meals and menus curated by notable chefs, served on real crockery with real cutlery. Meals are paired with curated premium wine lists and signature cocktails.

Amenities

Expect an amenity kit with ear plugs, skincare products and a dental kit, many from beauty top brands, as well as other miniature treats like perfume, lip balm and aftershave.

Price

In general, you can expect to pay around three to five times more for a business class than an economy ticket. That will vary greatly by route, airline and demand. For short haul flights, the price difference may not be worth it – unless the company’s paying of course! Long haul flights represent better value.

While the price is significantly more than economy, it’s still possible to score good deals on business class tickets. The payoff is a significantly improved travel experience and arriving at your destination ready to go rather than ready for bed.

Availability

Business class cabins usually have a few dozen seats, depending on the airline, aircraft configuration and route. The longer the flight, the more seats are usually available. On shorter routes, the business class cabin may only have a handful of seats.

What is first class?

First class is the pinnacle of commercial air travel. A premium experience from booking to landing, it’s as far from flying economy as you can imagine but comes at eye-watering cost.

Flying from Europe, you’ll typically only find first class available on long haul routes. In the US, you’ll also find it on some domestic flights, although significantly different to the full luxury long-haul experience.

In recent years the first class cabin has become a bit of a battleground between some airlines. With each desperate to outdo the other, the quality of offering has skyrocketed.

This has created a serious gulf in first class quality between different plane models, even within the same airlines. If you are paying out thousands for a ticket, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.

Some airlines are leaning the other way and phasing out first class altogether. A lack of demand on many routes and sky high pricing has pushed it out of reach of all but the very wealthiest.

American Airlines, Delta, Thai Airways and United have already or are currently dropping first in favour of a more premium business class product.

Ground experience and lounge access

The airport experience is VIP every step of the way. with the likes of Lufthansa, Air France and Emirates, that means a chauffeur service to the airport and sometimes from the gate to the plane with a dedicated check-in.

Then there are first class-only lounges, whose amenities can include spa treatments, restaurant-quality meals, and nap rooms with beds.

Some airlines go one step further, like Lufthansa, which offers an entire First Class Terminal at its base in Frankfurt Airport.

Seats

Or rather, suites. Increasingly, major carriers are rolling out spacious first class suites that offer separate areas for sleeping and dining. These suites in the sky are the crème de la crème of commercial aviation, with some designed to accommodate two passengers flying together.

Features include individually controlled heating and cooling, and state-of-the-art tech from large TV screens to charging capabilities. And, of course, they offer plenty of room to spread out in total privacy. Some even have their own showers: perhaps most famously, Emirates’ First Class suite.

Service

Expect the very best in service both on the ground and in the air for the duration of your journey. Onboard, flight crew will greet you by name and provide personalised gold-star service for the duration of the flight. Often, you’ll have a single dedicated attendant whose sole job is to cater to your needs on board.

Food and drink

First class passengers are treated to an à la carte fine-dining culinary experience. Menus created by celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs, sommelier-curated wine and spirits pairings, and tasty snacks available whenever a craving strikes.

While champagne and caviar are the norm, comfort food also has made a big comeback in first class – especially in the US. Several carriers have introduced burgers onto their first class menus. And Delta has become a fan favourite with Americans for its partnership with Shake Shack, serving the chain’s popular cheeseburgers on select flights.

Amenities

Amenity kits often feature products from luxe wellness and designer brands. They usually include premium pyjamas, slippers, high-end skincare and noise-cancelling headphones.

Price

Those private suites, fancy amenities and five-star levels of service usually come with an incredibly hefty price tag. You can expect a first class ticket to cost significantly more than a business class ticket – typically somewhere around two to three times as much.

This can become even more pronounced on the longest routes, especially with the highest-end offerings. The price of a premium private suite with the likes of Singapore Airlines or Etihad’s ‘The Residence’ suite, for example, can climb into the tens of thousands of pounds.

Availability

Depending on the level of luxury, a first class cabin can have anything from 12 seats to a just handful of suites. The newest generation of first class cabins on airlines like Lufthansa and Etihad lean toward the latter, focusing on just a few ultra, ultra high-end experiences.

With some airlines phasing out first class altogether in favour of a better business class offering, first class may not be available at all on certain routes.

Business class vs first class – which airlines offer what?

The question, then, is which airlines offer business and first class services, and what’s the difference between them?

British Airways (BA)

British Airways has two business class, and on most long haul flights, a first class offering. Seating and layout varies between routes.

Business class – aka Club class

• Seat layout: 1-2-1 Club Suite on many long-haul aircraft with direct aisle access for every passenger and lie-flat 183 cm (6 feet) long seats with lumbar support.
• Privacy: Semi-private seats with a sliding privacy screen on new A350s and some Boeing 777s and 787s. Good privacy standard for business class.
• Some older models (being phased out) have a 2-3-2 layout, no privacy screens and more dated seat designs.
• Amenities & service: On the ground, lounge access and priority boarding. In the air, multi-course meals, classic British afternoon tea, in-seat power sockets, 12-inch IFE screens, noise-cancelling headsets and The White Company amenity kits.

First class – aka First Suite

• Seat layout: True first-class suites (including the new First Suite being rolled out) are enclosed with doors, very large seats that convert to full beds and big 4K screens.
• Privacy & exclusivity: Far fewer seats in a very small cabin, full doors/privacy walls, much higher staff attention ratio.
• Amenities & service: Premium à la carte dining, luxury bedding, dedicated premium lounges and fast-track everything. Temperley London loungewear, amenity bag and slippers and Elemis luxury skin and body care kit. BA describes its service level as “exceptional, elegant and British”!

British Airways business class vs first class

• The business class Club Suite is a strong, modern business product with good privacy and excellent service.
• The new First Suite is positioned above it as a distinctly private, luxury suite with dedicated ground services and higher exclusivity for an almost private-jet feel.

American Airlines (AA)

American Airlines offers both business and first class on its long haul international flights. Change is afoot though, and it is focusing on improving its business class and phasing out its first class cabins.

Business – aka Flagship Business

• Seat layout: Flagship Business on Boeing 777-300s typically comes with a 1-2-1 layout and lie-flat seats. AA is rolling out and refreshing cabins with updated lie-flat suites across its long-haul fleet.
• Privacy: Good privacy with some retrofit seats including doors and direct aisle access.
• Amenities & service: Flagship Lounges, premium dining, amenity kits from brands like Joanna Vargas and Relevant, priority services on long-haul international routes.

First class – aka Flagship First

• Seat layout: Lie-flat Flagship Suite seats are available on certain international routes flying Boeing 777-300s and 321Ts.
• Privacy & service: Where available, Flagship First offers larger suites/extra space, private check-in and enhanced ground services.

American Airlines business class vs first class

• AA is expanding its business class and reducing its first class cabins on some aircraft to create a larger premium business product. That makes first class rarer, limited to specific routes.

Lufthansa

Business class

• Seat layout: The new Allegris cabin introduces staggered 1-2-1 and suites in some rows. Expect fully lie-flat beds with direct aisle access as standard on long-haul. Business Class Suites include options like extra long beds or double seats, heated and cooled seats, personal minibar and wardrobe. They measure 2.2 to 2.5 square metres.
• Privacy: Improved privacy with new Allegris cabins, some with sliding partitions or suite-like shells.
• Amenities & service: Classic European formal service, multi-course dining, and good quality bedding.

First class

• Seat layout: The new Allegris First offers fully enclosed suites in new cabins which can be shared by guests travelling together. They features personal wardrobes, large dining tables, full-suite-width screens, heated and cooled lie flat seats and wireless charging.
• Privacy & exclusivity: First suites offer are fully enclosed for total privacy. On the ground, first class lounges and even the dedicated Frankfurt First Class Terminal take exclusivity to the next level.
• Amenities & service: High-end dining, luxury amenity kits, personal escort/assistance and premium ground handling.

Lufthansa business class vs first class

• Lufthansa puts notable emphasis on ground experience and brand prestige, with a significant difference between business and first class. Its new Allegris rollout narrows the gap by introducing suites in business and more enclosed suites in first.
• Currently, Allegris is available on limited routes but is expanding fast. With it, Lufthansa First is much more exclusive, with better services and amenities both on the ground and in the air.

Emirates

Business class

• Seat layout: On the flagship A380 widebodies, 1-2-1 layouts offer direct aisle from lie-flat seats. Boeing 777s also offer lie-flat seats but with a busier configuration and more outdated features.
• Privacy: Business seats are roomy with decent privacy screens but not fully enclosed.
• Amenities & service: High service level with multi-course dining, premium drinks, Bulgari amenity kits, loungewear, and access to Emirates lounges.

First class

• Seat layout: Fully enclosed suites with sliding doors on many A380s and some Boeing 777s. Expect a large personal area with separate seat and bed in some configurations.
• Privacy & exclusivity: Total privacy in enclosed suites with access to an onboard lounge on the A380.
• Amenities & service: Exceptional. Chauffeur service and first class lounges, à-la-carte dining anytime, luxury amenity kits and even a dedicated spa and shower room on select A380s!

Emirates business class vs first class

• Nowhere is the gulf between business and first class bigger than with Emirates. With its premium A380 offering, first class offers true enclosed suites, a dedicated onboard lounge and shower spa, and a notably higher level of exclusivity and pampering.

How much does business class vs. first class cost – and when can you find the best deals?

Because airlines have different products for first and business class, price comparisons across airlines often aren’t a helpful metric when trying to compare deals. But the timing of your booking can impact price in a big way.

The KAYAK team analysed recent data around the average cost of international long haul business and first class airfares from the UK to help you find savings on these premium tickets. Here’s what we found:

Disclaimer: These insights are based on searches made on KAYAK.co.uk and associated brands between 1 January and 24 July 2025, for travel dates between 1 January and 31 December 2025.

Business class vs first class – which is better?

Needless to say, if you’re debating the merits of business class vs first class for your next flight, you’re already in for a travel experience that’s memorable for all the right reasons. But if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, business class gets the vote.

With it, you’ll get all the upgraded perks that make premium cabins such a treat. Priority check-in, security lines and boarding, lounge access, lie-flat seats (most of the time), and an upgraded culinary experience, just to name a few. All without paying the kind of money a first class ticket costs.

On the rare occasion you can snag a first class flight for just a little more than business class, go for it. But otherwise, I’d recommend saving your travel budget for other expenses – perhaps even splurging on a fancier hotel to round out your luxury experience. 

Business class vs first class FAQs