Imma be super real with you up front and say that my ability to truly judge what is “worth it” is a little impacted by the fact that I did not have to personally pay for any of these flights.
One of the perks of being in a large corporate organisation. Well, partly “perk” and to be honest, partly wholly necessary due to the tight itinerary we had on a recent around-the-world lap we embarked on for a key project.
More on the trip itself and the few days I managed to squeeze in for myself in Paris towards the end to come – but for now, this post means business. The business of business class that is.
My destinations were MEL > NYC, NYC > Paris, Paris > Melbourne.
For the first and last leg of course, connecting flights are needed.
On the way over I had a stop-over in Dallas Texas before flying into JFK Airport in NYC (long flight followed by the short flight).
On the way home, I had a stop-over in Dubai before heading back to Melbourne (short flight followed by the long flight).
So I truly managed to do a lap the whole way around the world. I didn’t plan it that way intentionally, but how fun?
So three flight legs with three different airlines, and very blessed (though trust me when I say, there was truly no other way, given the tight itinerary and lack of sleep in a real bed!) to fly business class for every leg.
Seriously we had one evening where we flew out of NYC to Paris – a 6 hour flight – knowing that we had to land in Paris at 6:30am and be on our fleet until after dinner wrapped just before midnight… if we didn’t get some shut-eye on the plane, it would have meant trouble!
So let’s dig into what you can expect on each airline if you get the chance to secure yourself a business class ticket.
Qantas Business Class Review
Plane: 787-9
As our home airline I thought I’d be a little biased and think Qantas would be my #1 (spoiler, it wasn’t) but it was truly a lovely experience from the moment I stepped onto the plane.
As the first leg too, I was certainly the most excited for this trip. There’s always the awkward moment where you’re trying not to catch the eyes of folks walking past you into economy “If I could share I would… my eyes try to communicate…”
I sit down to find a spacious little space with what feels like a working sized desk to my right (I had a window seat) with space to house my phone, iPad, kindle and adult colouring book with coloured pencils (I am the master of personal flight entertainment). There is a remote to the left should you feel like moving forward and using the touch screen on your TV is too difficult (honestly I’ve never cared to use the remote) although I’m told they double as a game controller if that’s your sort of thing.
I’m greeted with a glass of Champagne (unknown label, possibly not a true Champagne but an Australian brut) but I gratefully accept along with salted warmed nuts and my menu to peruse and choose my breakfast.
I will come to find that unlike the other airlines, on Qantas I need to choose my breakfast right away. If you’re not really a Type A person and prefer to “see how you feel” you may not appreciate this. In a strange way I think it was better for me, as I tend to think more about the health and wellbeing of “future Kate” more than I do “present Kate”. So I choose the egg-white omlette (when tired, post sleep Kate may have been tempted to choose the pancakes)!
Movie and TV show choices were “okay” but only because likely the titles are easily licensed in my home country – so I’d seen all the recent movies and shows like “Materialists” and “The White Lotus”. I did enjoy that they had a range of classics and actually decided to use the downtime to watch a bucket list movie; The Picture of Dorian Grey over dinner, which was a beautiful classic.
Qantas does have the ability to peruse their entertainment options on their website so you can take a look yourself here before you fly.
They do the same with their in-flight dining menu however I can tell you the options listed here did not appear on my menu so be prepared to be flexible. I’m sure they change more frequently due to seasonal produce availability and the alike and may not be able to update the website in a timely manner (ahhh marketing content operations, boy do I understand).
The seating went entirely horizontal which made for the perfect 6-7 hours of shut-eye and I personally loved the Qantas PJ’s to keep me feeling comfy for the journey. I’ve since had them stolen by hubby… (but it’s okay, I kept the Emirates ones… but we’ll get to that)!
| Category | Score / 10 |
| Spaciousness | 7 |
| Seat/Bedding Comfort | 8 |
| Entertainment | 7 |
| Meals | 6 |
| Snacks | 7 |
| Freebies | 7 |
| Airport Lounge | 7 |
| Plane Lounge | 7 |
Air France Business Class Review
Plane: 777-200
It’s important to note up front that being a shorter leg, I’m not convinced we saw the full Air France experience. Given the timing too, flying direct from NYC overnight and needing to be fresh for a day ahead of consulting work upon waking in Paris, I simply had to sleep so that certainly limited the experience I could have made from the flight itself.
Even still, there were a few standouts (and a few notes) from the Air France airline.
Firstly, the food in the lounge was actually incredible. I wasn’t too hungry but did take myself a little tasting plate of potato gratin, a little fromage and a nibble from a Madeline. I mean, I had to get in the mood for Paris starting right at JFK airport…
Upon boarding I found the plane was a an older one and so was the fit out of the seating and minibar area. Even still, everything you would expect. Space to tuck away your things during take off and landing, TV, mattress, duvet, pillow.
I was offered a welcome drink of either Champagne or a green or orange juice (I chose the green juice this time) and was handed a menu.
The food by far was the standout – and the service for that matter. Given I simply had to sleep but never one to want to miss out on food, I chose items I could eat cold and asked if they would leave them by my shelf area if I was asleep. Worked out perfectly as I woke up part way, had a nibble and went back to sleep. Just before arriving in Paris I had time to get myself ready with a bit of a “plane shower” (travelling with body wipes is an absolute must in case you ever have a work trip this stacked) and came back to find a delicious three course breakfast waiting for me. Coffee, croissant, yoghurt, granola and fruit salad. Literally perfection.
Freebies left a little to be desired, with only an offering of an eye mask, slippers, and a light amenity kit (Clairns branded moisturiser is a tick) though as my travelling colleague pointed out “no pyjamas”, though I think this was due to the length of the flight.
| Category | Score / 10 |
| Spaciousness | 7 |
| Seat/Bedding Comfort | 6 |
| Entertainment | 4 |
| Meals | 8 |
| Snacks | 5 |
| Freebies | 6 |
| Airport Lounge | 8 |
| Plane Lounge | NA |
Emirates Business Class Review
Planes: A380-800 (first leg), 777-300ER (second leg)
Whether it was that I was truly ready to come home to see my main men (hubby and my feline fur-baby, Smith) I was looking forward to Emirates the most. I was also made aware from my plane-loving father-in-law that my second flight (the longer one) had a recent refurbishment – promising a fit-out good enough for the most elite executive.
He wasn’t wrong. Both flights of course had a gorgeous fit out (it is Emirates after all) but the second flight in particular was truly lush. New leather seating, extra padding, gold hardware – just lush!
So it’s not so surprising that Emirates came out on top. The mini bar was stacked full with a sparkling water and two bottles of Evian. Pre-prepared snacks in the mini bar. Sweet (M&M’s) and savoury (salted nuts).
The private bar at the back was decked out with sweet treats, packets of crisps, more nuts and fresh fruit.
The menu was top tier – and unlike Qantas one thing I appreciated was that the staff asked what you would like just moments before preparing it. No need to attempt to think ahead to the next day what you might like for breakfast, you can wake up and see how you feel.
My preferred entree was unavailable, suggesting they do have limited numbers (and clearly it was such a brilliant option many others wanted it) but I had the mezze platter which was entirely delicious. The chicken and polenta was “okay” but the chilli prawns and cheese platter were absolutely delicious so on balance, quite thrilled with the food.
The freebies were by far the best from all the airlines. I’m offered pyjamas made from a jersey-knit natural fibre. Believe me when I tell you they are lush. I am still sleeping in them today I love them so much. This paired with the beautiful Bvlgari amenity kit kept me one happy gal. The perfume is such a beautiful, light floral scent (not usually my style) but again, I’ve been wearing it since returning. I also particularly appreciated the addition of a hair tie. Thanks Emirates you think of everything!
Perhaps a small note but I also adored the fresh flowers that were adorned throughout the cabin. When you’re spending the best part of a full day and night in an enclosed cabin (with the dry cabin pressure) there’s something about a little nature that brings some joy to the soul.
Suffice to say, since I also am able to claim the Emirates points on my Qantas card, I’ll be booking Emirates if I get the chance to travel business class again. Note: You won’t receive status points when flying with a partner airline unfortunately, but the trade off for Emirates is worth it IMO.
| Category | Score / 10 |
| Spaciousness | 9 |
| Seat/Bedding Comfort | 9 |
| Entertainment | 9 |
| Meals | 8 |
| Snacks | 9 |
| Freebies | 10 |
| Airport Lounge | 10 |
| Plane Lounge | 10 |
Overall, Emirates comes out on top (not so surprisingly) really given they are by far the wealthiest airline. I’m truly grateful for the experience (thanks corporate job) and now I know, if I have to fly overseas for work and there’s an Emirates option, who I’ll be choosing to fly…
Would you like to hear about my “travelling for work” travel tips and “must have purchases”? Drop a comment letting me know if that’s something that you would enjoy and I’ll add it to the blog post list…