The best business class seats on the Qantas A380

There are plenty of reasons to look forward to your next business class flight on a Qantas Airbus A380, especially now that the superjumbos have been upgraded with the same excellent Business Suite as featured on the Qantas Boeing 787s.

But as frequent flyers can attest, some seats are better than others when it comes to legroom, convenience and a host of other factors.

Here is your go-to list for the best business class seats on the Qantas A380, from the prime picks to grab the very first chance you have to a few seats which you might want to reconsider...

Qantas A380 business class seats: what you need to know

As part of a multi-million dollar refurbishment, Qantas ripped out the A380’s original ageing and droopy Skybed II seats, replacing them with the latest modern Qantas Business Suite.

There are 70 Business Suites along the upper deck, all arranged in a 1-2-1 layout to provide direct aisle access for every passenger; they also boast more personal space and storage around the seat, plus a large, lush personal video screen to help you while away the inflight hours.

At the very front of the upper deck is an inflight lounge area spread across either side of the staircase connecting the upper and main decks; this serves a as traveller-friendly social space for to business and first class flyers.

Behind the business class cabin is the premium economy cabin – a seperate space of 60 recliners, again using the same design as debuted on the Boeing 787.

One set of Qantas A380 business class washrooms flank the kitchen galley – located at the main exit just ahead of the superjumbo's massive wings – with two more lavs at the rear of the cabin, behind row 28.

Qantas A380: the best business class seats

In a rush? Here’s your cheat sheet to choosing the best business class seats on the Qantas A380.

The best Qantas A380 business class seats for maximum legroom and footspace: 11A, 11E, 11F, 11K, 16A, 16K, 17E, 17F

The best Qantas A380 business class seats for couples: choose any of the paired E/F seats

The best Qantas A380 business class seats if you want to be right next to the window: 11A, 11K, 13A, 13K, 15A, 15K, 16A, 16K, 18A, 18K, 20A, 20K, 22A, 22K, 24A, 24K, 26A, 26K, 28A, 28K

Qantas A380 business class seatmap

Keen to get more granular? Start by scanning this seatmap of the refurbished Qantas Airbus A380’s upper deck business class cabin.

The seatmap for Qantas' refurbished Airbus A380.

Note the smaller cabin at the front, from rows 11 through 15, ahead of the galley and toilets.

This offers a cosier, more intimate vibe compared to the main business class cabin (rows 16 through 28).

The seats in the first row of each of the two business class cabins (specifically, rows 11 and 16) enjoy more legroom and space for your feet when the seat is converted to a bed, as the recess where your feet nestle is a larger space carved into the bulkhead wall instead of needing to fit under the seat in front of you.

Row 11 offers extra legroom and more space for your feet.

The take-away? If you have large feet or simply want a bit of extra wiggle-room, shoot for seats 11A, 11E, 11F, 11K, 16A, 16K, 17E or 17F.

Qantas A380: the best business class seats for avoiding noise

But there’s a downside to those front rows: the potential for noise to interrupt your sleep.

Avoid the galley kitchens, lavs and proximity to the lounges for the best shot at uninterrupted sleep.

Row 11 is directly behind the two new lounge area, while row 16 is located just behind the galley kitchen.

Also note that baby bassinets are at seats 17E and 17F, so the front rows of that larger business class cabin could be subject to the squeals of infants.

More legroom, but you run the risk of there being a baby on board.

Rows 15 and 28 are close to the business class lavs, which always makes for a bit of foot traffic and noise.

If you’re flying with a partner, all of the middle seats (the E and F seats) have a privacy screen which can be pushed down so you can share the journey.

Push down this central divider screen and the middle seats (E and F) are well-suited to passengers flying with a partner..

Qantas A380 best business class seats: window or aisle?

The staggered layout of the Qantas Business Suite presents a few twists compared to a more conventional seating arrangement, which in turn makes it paramount for the savvy traveller to make an informed choice when it comes to the new A380 business class.

Qantas' new Airbus A380 business class cabin adopts the same staggered seating layout as the Boeing 787

Looking more closely at Qantas’ refurbished A380 seatmap below, only half of the window seats are actually located directly next to the window – the others are closer to the aisle.

The seatmap for Qantas' refurbished Airbus A380.

However, because all ‘window’ seats are labelled A and K, there’s no way of knowing without reference to the seatmap if you’ll have the seat’s shelf located between you and the window, or between you and the aisle.

Why does this matter? Many people highly value that view on take-off, landing or any time during the flight.

The actual window seats also feel a little more private because you're a bit away from the aisle.

So if you want a ‘real’ window seat on the Qantas A380, choose an A or K seat in rows 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 or 28.

Only half of the new A380's business class 'window seats' are actually right next to the window.

There’s a bonus here: you will also have access to the deep stowage bins sitting under the A380’s upper deck windows.

They’re the perfect place to stash your pillow and blanket, shoes, a small bag and the like.

Window seats also provide extra storage in these under-window bins.

The caveat is that sitting directly next to the window means the seat's shelf is between you and the aisle, and plus-sized passengers can find it a little uncomfortable squeezing past that shelf and the rear shell of seat in front of them, every time they leave and return to their seat.

Some business class seats on Qantas' upgraded Airbus A380s are located away from the window.

If you’re happy to sit at the aisle and away from the window, select an A or K seat in rows 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 or 27.