I flew business class with Qantas, Singapore, and American Airlines. Here's how they compare — and which is my favorite.

Business Insider

2 days ago

Although I typically take at least 50 flights a year, I never turned left when I boarded an airplane until 2024.
That's when I first tried flying business class. Between top-notch service and lie-flat seats, the upgrade made my flights feel like a vacation before my vacation.
I've now gone on business-class flights with three different airlines:
16 hours on Qantas Airlines from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, on an Airbus A380 (and then on a return flight from Sydney back to LA)
13 hours on American Airlines from Dallas to Tokyo on a Boeing 787-8
16 hours on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Los Angeles on an Airbus A350-900
Here's how my business-class experiences compare — and which has been my favorite so far.
Singapore Airlines had my favorite seat.
I liked my seat on the Singapore Airlines flight the best, thanks to the plush bedding and three pillows provided when it was turned into a bed.
My setup was so comfy that I slept soundly in the air for six straight hours.
This seat's storage options also impressed me the most. I had a separate surface to keep my drink out of the way and a spot perfect for storing my Kindle and other in-flight essentials.
Plus, the space included a built-in mirror, which was key to my pre-landing makeup refresh.
My seat on the American Airlines flight was nice, but it didn't have as much storage.
In terms of seats, American Airlines came in second for me.
I liked that the seat was more angled toward the windows, which made it feel more private than the other two.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel I had as many storage options, and the bedding felt a little less plush than what I had with Singapore Airlines.
However, this lie-flat bed setup still felt cozier than the one on my Qantas flights.
I was probably the least impressed by my seat on the Qantas flights.
In my opinion, Qantas's bedding was the least plush of the three.
I had a tougher time getting comfortable with less padding and just one pillow.
That said, there was a really great amount of storage at my seat, which meant I never had to pull things in and out of the overhead bins during my flight.
I got amenity kits on each flight.
All three airlines provided me with an amenity kit.
The contents varied a bit, but often included lip balm, earplugs, an eye mask, socks or slippers, and a dental kit in reusable toiletry bags.
I got headphones on every flight, but I liked the Bang and Olufsen noise-cancelling models from Singapore Airlines and American Airlines the best.
Only one airline gave me pajamas.
Who doesn't love changing into a pair of pajamas for a long-haul flight? Qantas is the only one of these three airlines to provide me with a set, and they were super cozy.
The pajamas were so comfortable that I've even continued to regularly wear both pairs I acquired at home. I'm glad I sized up, as they've shrunk a bit in the dryer.
In terms of amenities, Qantas also stood out by having an in-flight lounge area.
I also liked that Qantas had a lounge area on my deck, a cozy space where business-class passengers could grab snacks and drinks from coolers.
It was also nice to be able to stretch a bit and try different seats — some even had tables.
I felt Singapore Airlines had the most impressive dishes.
For me, Singapore Airlines absolutely wins the food category.
I'd give the airline top marks for the delectable food presentation and a wide variety of menu options — plus every dish I ate was full of flavor.
The Singapore chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten on a plane, and I still think about it months later.
My Qantas Airlines meals were also solid.
I was also happy with the tasty, hearty dishes I had on my Qantas Airlines flights.
The Australian charcuterie appetizer stood out to me as a thoughtful touch when I was traveling to Melbourne. Plus, the breakfast I had before landing was quite satiating, with eggs, sausages, veggies, fruit, and a muffin.
American Airlines' food was probably my least favorite.
When compared to Qantas and Singapore, American let me down with its food. The dishes I had seemed less visually appealing, a bit more bland, and not as unique.
The beef I ate was OK (although it wasn't as hot as I'd prefer), and the broccoli seemed overcooked. I think both could've used more flavor.
My in-air snack also felt pretty carb-heavy and underwhelming: a sandwich with very sparse filling served with pasta salad.
Each airline offered ample entertainment options, but Qantas let me down by not offering WiFi.
Qantas doesn't offer WiFi on international flights. (That said, a representative from the airline told me it plans to start offering it on select aircraft sometime this year.)
I was disappointed, and I didn't realize until about an hour into my flight. Although some passengers may have enjoyed the ability to disconnect, I'd been planning on getting work done.
Thankfully, the robust in-seat entertainment kept me busy.
In this category, American Airlines and Singapore Airlines are tied. Both had WiFi (although I had to pay extra for it) and large in-seat screens with plenty of movies and TV shows.
I was impressed by the crew and service on each of these flights.
All three airlines had such impressively friendly and helpful crew members that the service category is a complete toss-up for me.
The Qantas crew offered me a guided tour of the airplane, including a peek into the first class below (business class was on the upper deck) and a secret set of stairs.
The Singapore crew saw me struggling to transform my seat into a bed and quickly stepped in to take care of it.
A member of the American crew noticed I was drinking a lot of water and brought me a huge bottle to enjoy for the rest of the flight, plus a second one to take with me.
Of these three flights, the one with Singapore Airlines was my favorite.
Traveling with Singapore Airlines was a bucket-list experience that exceeded the expectations I'd built up in my head for years — the flight attendants, culinary program, seat, and entertainment were all top-notch.