The 6 Best Business Class Flights I Flew in 2025

Although I traveled less in 2025 than in previous years, I still logged nearly 70,000 miles in the air, many of which were in business class.

Much of this total centered around my business class Star Alliance Round the World award, which was among the best redemptions I’ve made using points and miles. The award allowed me to revisit some favorite airlines and try out a few new ones along the way.

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time for reflection on the past year and my favorite uses of points and miles that stood out among the rest. Here’s a look at the 6 best business class flights I took in 2025.

My Favorite Business Class Flights of 2025

1. All Nippon Airways (ANA) The Room Business Class

Singapore Airlines remains my favorite airline, and I had the opportunity to fly with the airline again in business class this year. However, it was just a quick trip from Bangkok (BKK) to Singapore (SIN), taking less than 2 and a half hours. It was a bit too short to fully enjoy the experience.

It was a different story in All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) The Room business class, which I flew from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Tokyo Narita (NRT). ANA is one of my favorite airlines and best business class products, and it once again delivered an exceptional, thoroughly enjoyable experience.

As expected, the seat, fully lie-flat bed, and service were tremendous. I especially loved the wide seats, which provided ample space, and the sliding doors, which ensured maximum privacy.

The inflight dining experience was the highlight of the flight. I opted for the Japanese menu, which featured a variety of seafood, including crab meat, fish roe, duck, smoked salmon, yellowtail, steamed rice, and miso soup.

Although I have flown ANA in premium cabins a few times now, I am not sure I will fly with them again in the near future, opting instead to try out more business class products. However, I plan to fly ANA’s The Room FX business class suites when they become available for booking.

2. EVA Air Royal Laurel Business Class

Although I consider ANA to have the best overall business class experience, EVA Air Royal Laurel business class is a close second. Although the flight between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Taipei (TPE) is under 4 hours, it was operated on a 787-10 Dreamliner, which provided the full business class experience.

Since it had been more than 5 years since I last flew EVA Air in a premium cabin, this was a highly anticipated business class flight. As expected, EVA Air delivered.

The 1-2-1 seat configuration ensured direct aisle access. The window seats alternate between being closer to the window and closer to the aisle. I selected one of the actual window seats for maximum privacy.

EVA Air is considered one of the best airlines in the world for inflight catering, and the onboard dining experience was indeed fantastic. I utilized EVA Air’s preselected meal service and opted for the Japanese eel kabayaki, which was delicious and among my favorite meals in business class.

3. Turkish Airlines A350 Business Class

Although I had flown Turkish Airlines’ business class before, that was on a special Airbus A350-900, initially intended for Russian airline Aeroflot, with a completely different business class cabin.

While that product was tremendous, I was eagerly waiting to fly Turkish Airlines’ typical business class product, which I found on a subsequent flight on the same aircraft type.

Turkish Airlines is recognized as one of the world’s top airlines for several reasons, and this flight exemplified why. 

Like the EVA Air Dreamliner, the Turkish Airlines A350-900 features a staggered 1-2-1 seating configuration, with some window seats being closer to the window and others being closer to the aisle.

The seat was spacious, despite the narrow path, with ample amounts of storage and solid privacy. The seat also reclined into a fully lie-flat bed, which provided a good amount of comfort.

What really stood out was the inflight meal service. Since this flight was over 8 hours, a dedicated onboard chef was provided, which lent itself to an elevated, personalized dining experience.

The food selection was excellent, and everything was freshly prepared. For the main course, I opted for tagliolini with burrata, cooked in slow-roasted tomato sauce.

I still remember how I felt when eating the pasta, as it was among the best meals I have had on any flight. It’s easy to see why many consider Turkish Airlines’ inflight dining to be the best.

4. Japan Airlines Sky Suites Business Class

I visited Japan twice in 2025. Although the second trip was part of my Star Alliance Round the World journey on ANA, I also had the opportunity to fly with Japan Airlines, the other major Japanese carrier.

Although I have flown Japan Airlines business class several times before, I always look forward to flying with them again, as each experience has always been fantastic.

Despite the business class cabin featuring a 2-3-2 configuration, all business class passengers had direct aisle access due to the design of the Sky Suites (Japan Airlines’ name for Apex Suites).

The seats also offered a high level of privacy, thanks to the dividers that separated them. The seats also turned into fully lie-flat beds. Combined with the provided duvet and a thick mattress pad, I had a fantastic rest on the flight across the Pacific.

I plan to fly Japan Airlines again in the near future. However, this next experience will be on the newer Japan Airlines A350-1000, which features an updated business class product.

5. Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class

Although I flew Thai Airways Royal Silk business class for the first time in 2024, I was not impressed with the experience. The Thai Airways Boeing 777-300ER was visibly outdated, lacked Wi-Fi, and the seats lacked storage and any privacy.

I wanted to give it another try, so I booked a long-haul segment on my Round the World award. Although I was expecting a relatively similar business class product (and overall experience), I was pleasantly surprised. My seat was in a business class cabin that I did not know Thai Airways had in its aircraft lineup.

The reverse-herringbone seats, angled towards the window, provided significantly more privacy than the more common Royal Silk business class cabin.

The inflight dining experience was also solid with an excellent variety of food available. I especially loved the main course, which was salmon-stuffed minced prawns in chu chee curry. Those paired well with Thai Airways’ signature Thai iced tea with grass jelly, which is among my favorite drinks in the sky.

6. South African Airways Business Class

I flew South African Airways business class for the first time on the A330-300 between Cape Town (CPT) and São Paulo (GRU). While the airline was not very high on my list of business class products to try, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

The business class cabin was beautiful, with a nice blend of design and color choices that created a rather luxurious atmosphere. The seats were also spacious and private, which significantly enhanced the overall experience.

The most surprising aspect of the South African Airways experience was the diverse menu. There was an excellent selection of food, and the food was generally quite tasty.

The highlight was the light meal served before landing, which consisted of a tandoori chicken kebab accompanied by garlic and herb paratha, salsa, and tandoori sauce. There was an excellent blend of flavors, and it was cooked well.

Final Thoughts

Even though I traveled less than usual in 2025, I still flew in business class about a dozen times. Most of those flights were with airlines I already knew well, and many of them rank among my favorites worldwide.

While certain airline business class products may be superior to others, the satisfaction of booking each of these flights entirely with points and miles remains consistent.