The best seats in ScootBiz on Scoot's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

ScootBiz represents an affordable business class option on flights from Australia to Singapore and beyond, replacing the fully-flat beds of full-service airlines with reclining seats you’d otherwise expect of premium economy, but with plenty of space for the price tag to work, rest or dine.

Now flying on every Scoot service to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Queensland’s Gold Coast, the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners feature 35 ScootBiz seats – we highlight the best for your next cost-conscious business trip or relaxing holiday.

Scoot’s Boeing 787 ScootBiz seats: top picks

Those 35 seats come spread across five rows in a 2-3-2 layout. That means you have two passengers on the left, an aisle, three more passengers, another aisle, and a further two travellers on the opposite side:

Any ‘D’ or ‘F’ seat: When you consider the overall layout, every passenger is either stepping past their seatmate to access the aisle, or is being stepped past themselves.

Choosing one of these aisle seats in the centre group is a strategic move – the middle ‘E’ seats in the cabin are the least popular among travellers, so by planting yourself here there’s a good chance you’ll have nobody next to you unless ScootBiz is full.

Even if somebody does take that central ‘E’ seat and you stretch out for a nap, they could just as easily exit their seat to the opposite side, so if you’re snoozing in 3D when the traveller in 3E wants to hop up, they could hop past 3F and leave you to doze.

Any ‘C’ or ‘H’ seat: Make your next choice an aisle seat in the outer pair. Chances are you’ll have a seatmate here, but you’re still close enough to the windows to enjoy the view and can get up and down as needed – great if your seatmate wants to sleep and you don’t want to wake them.

Row 5, for light sleepers: The last row in business class on most other airlines is usually one to avoid as baby bassinets are frequently mounted straight behind, but ScootBiz instead backs onto a small ‘Scoot in Silence’ cabin for economy travellers where under-12s are banned.

Not only does that mean no crying babies, but as the ScootBiz restroom is located at the front, the only people walking by your seat should be crew members and those from the same row.

Further, with a solid wall behind you, your seat won't be bumped by other travellers getting up and down behind you, allowing you to recline fully without waking until landing.

Rows 2-5, with extra carry-on: The seats in row one have as much legroom as any other row, but as is standard in bulkhead seats, nothing can placed on the floor during take-off and landing. Seats in rows 2-5 all provide this option, which is a great place to stash your laptop bag or purse.

The outer pairs, for couples: In a 2-3-2 layout, choosing a pair of two seats is naturally the best choice for couples and colleagues, so plant yourself in an ‘A’+’C’ pair or in ‘H’+’K’.

Avoid the ‘E’ seats: Smack bang in the centre of each group of three, these seats require you to step past others to access the aisle. The ‘A’ and ‘K’ seats require the same, but at least give you a window to look out of (and to control with the Dreamliner’s groovy digital window switches).

Also read: Review: Scoot’s Boeing 787-9 'ScootBiz' business class seats

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.