Business class

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Business class (also known as club class or executive class) is a high travel class available on some commercial airlines and raillines. The level of accommodation in business class is higher than economy class but lower than first class. Business class passengers have a lavatory reserved for their exclusive use. Recently on airplanes, first class and economy class passengers were barred from visiting the business class cabin due to newly enforced security regulations. Business class quality, service, and comfort is continually on the rise at many airlines.

Some airlines rename their business class. Northwest Airlines and KLM for instance calls that class World Business Class, Philippine Airlines usually calls its business class Mabuhay Class, Air Pacific Tabua class, British Airways calls its business class Club World, Aerolineas Argentinas Club Condor, Japan Airlines Executive Class Seasons and Etihad Airways Pearl Zone.

The first business class seats were offered by Qantas in 1979. On November 1, 1981, Scandinavian Airlines System introduced EuroClass with a separate cabin, dedicated check-in counters and lounges for full-fare passengers. Simultaneously, first class disappeared from their European fleet.

There is a substantial difference between long haul and short/medium haul business class. Short/Medium haul business class seats in many parts of the world are not much different from economy class seats and on some airlines may be exactly the same seats with just a curtain to separate business class from economy class. Alternatively, airlines (such as Lufthansa) use convertible seats that seat three people across in economy or adjust with a lever to become two seats with a half seat length between them for business class use. Most airlines (such as British Airways) still offer different seats in short/medium haul business class to economy class and these are wider and have more leg room. On airlines offering one kind of seat with a moveable curtain there is often more leg room to the seats towards the front of the plane, economy class passengers sitting in those seats will get to enjoy the extra legroom for free although the change in seat pitch is not marked on aircraft seat plans.

Business class has started to disappear from some short/medium haul routes, to be replaced with full fare economy and discount economy (KLM and SAS). On these routes, the seats are the same for all passengers, only the flexibility of the ticket and the food and beverage service differs. On shorter routes (typically less than one hour) many airlines have removed business class entirely (e.g. BMI on many routes) and offer only one class of service.

Long haul business class seats are substantially different from economy class seats and many airlines have moved "lie flat" seats from first class back into business class.

There are essentially three types of long haul business class seats:

Cradle seats (Delta, Continental, Air India, Garuda, Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas, United, BMI, Aer Lingus.
Angled lie flat seats (Singapore Airlines, Air Algerie, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, JAL, ANA, Qantas, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, Emirates, SAS, Finnair, Swiss, Thai, Malaysian).
Fully flat seats (BA, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Air New Zealand, LAN, Air Canada, Royal Brunei Airlines).

Fully flat seats are often regarded as "superior". Airlines with First Class often install such seats for first class, but have angled lie flat or cradle seats for business class, to differentiate between products and fares.

Even airlines that do not offer lie flat business class seats offer substantially more leg room in long haul business class compared to the economy section. The appearance of lie-flat seats in business class has made it increasingly difficult for many passengers to justify, either to their employers or themselves, the added expense of a first class fare. Consequently, many airlines (such as Northwest Airlines on its 747s, Malaysia Airlines on their Boeing 777s, Scandinavian Airlines, Finnair and Iberia and Air New Zealand on all aircraft) have removed their first class products from some or all flights, and made business class their highest premium offering. Philippine Airlines also plans to remove their first class, but instead introduce cocoon-type seats and AVOD on their long-haul business class sets.

Business class is usually not offered on domestic flights within North America, except certain transcontinental flights between New York and the west coast. First class is the premium air service often offered in North America, while business class is the rough equivalent in Europe. Intra-European business class is usually an enhanced economy seat with better service, while first class in North America is usually a separate cabin with much wider seats and superior food and beverage offerings.^{[citation needed]}