World's best first class and business class airline seats

It's one of the questions most asked of frequent flyers: which airline has the best business class seat, the best first class seat or even suite?

We've all got our favourites, of course.

But according to the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards, the honours fall to Cathay Pacific and Oman Air, with Air New Zealand picking up the gong in the growing premium economy market

Cathay Pacific was chosen as the world’s best first class seat (a cut-away diagram shown above), rated higher than the lush private suite offerings of Etihad and Singapore Airlines – at least, in the minds of the "over 18.8 million airline passengers from 100 different nationalities" who voted in the Skytrax awards.

The world’s best business class seats are found in an Oman Air plane, according to the Skytrax survey – and a glimpse at the photo below may help you guess why these came in ahead of the business-class benches of runner-up Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways (in third place).

Air New Zealand’s innovative Space Seat (which Australian Business Traveller reviewed earlier this year) was recognised as the world’s best premium economy seat , ahead of Turkish Airlines and Qantas’ Marc Newson-Recarro A380 designs.

Emirates took home a trophy for best inflight entertainment, with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific also on the winner’s podium.

The world’s finest first class in-flight catering is served up by Etihad Airways, according to Skytrax, with Singapore Airlines in second place and Qantas in third.