The World’s Top 5 Strangest Premium Cabins

Business class is becoming more luxurious and is now the most premium seat option in aviation, with first class gradually disappearing. Though they may cost more, some of these cabins are unusual and may not be able to offer the finest travel experience.

United Airlines Boeing 767 Polaris

“Polaris,” the business class Boeing 767 operated by United Airlines, has an unique 1-1-1 layout.

From the traditional 1-2-1 cabin on its Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787s to the 2-2 arrangement on the airline’s narrowbodies, United Airlines offers a variety of business class cabin layouts on its aircraft. A unique feature of all the airline’s Boeing 767s, including the 767-300ER and 767-400ER, is their 1-1-1 arrangement, which arranges three passengers in three different seats in a row.

There are three different Boeing 767-300ER cabin configurations operated by United Airlines. While the other has 46 business, 22 Premium Plus, and 99 premium and economy class seats, the first has 30 business and 184 economy (including premium economy) seats. All four are present in the last one: 117 economy class seats, 24 premium, 32 economy plus, and 30 business class seats. In contrast, the Boeing 767-400ER features a single cabin layout with 34 seats in business class, 24 in premium plus, 48 in premium economy, and 125 in economy. Is the seat’s arrangement worse than that of its competitors or other airline aircraft? Paul Lucas of Simple Flying noted in a pre-pandemic evaluation of the seat that “product whispers “quality,” everything felt well-made and sturdy, including the table.”

United Airlines’ first Boeing 777-200

United Airlines offers domestic-only 777-200 aircraft with 2-4-2 configuration for its premium seats.

These seats are actually the same business class seats that United Airlines utilised in the early 2010s, despite the fact that the airline promotes them as United First and only offers them on its domestic route-only Boeing 777-200s. Furthermore, despite the fact that some airlines are using older seats—most recently as a result of difficulties related to supply—the peculiar 2-4-2 layout of these seats sets them apart from other seats.

Yes, there are 336 economy class seats, including 102 Economy Plus seats in the back, and eight passengers per row in the first class cabin overall. In addition, the airline has a single cabin layout that seats 206 economy class, 124 economy plus, and 32 business class passengers.

Air New Zealand’s Business Premier seat

The current business class of Air New Zealand provides little privacy.

The Business Premier business class offered by Air New Zealand is configured as 1-2-1 on Boeing 777 and 1-1-1 on Boeing 787, with seats angled 45 degrees forward and facing front. The seats offer practically no privacy because there is no physical partition between them, despite the airline’s marketing that they are the “best sleep in the sky.”

In June 2022, the airline did, however, debut a new business class seat. The Kiwi airline stated at the time that the new Business Premier Luxe seats would provide “more space and privacy” and that they will be introduced with new Boeing 787s in 2024.

The airline also made changes to the other cabins in addition to the new business class seats. Now, travellers in economy class can reserve the “Skynest,” sleeping pods that allow them to lie completely flat on a plane without having to upgrade to business class. Skynest will be available on Air New Zealand’s ultra-long-haul routes.

British Airways’ old Club World seat

Some British Airways aircraft still contain the dated Club World seat, despite the airline currently renovating its business class cabins.

Club World is the name of British Airways’ business class. Although the privacy separators between seats make passengers feel more at home, the old Club World cabins are set up in a packed 2-4-2 arrangement, comparable to United Airlines’ Boeing 777-200s. Despite this, the seat does not have the same privacy difficulties as Air New Zealand.

Some aircraft, such as the British Airways Boeing 787-8 and 787-9, are configured in a 2-3-2 configuration, however the business class of the 787-10 is set up in a more contemporary 1-2-1 configuration, giving every passenger direct aisle access without upsetting their neighbours. In February 2023, Justin Hayward of Simple Flying took a British Airways Boeing 787-9, which still had the original business class seat, from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

The two business class seats on Azman Air

The cabin aboard the former Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600 is easily one of the strangest in the industry, with only two business class seats.

Seated in the two business class seats of Azman Air’s Airbus A340-600 aircraft, you could feel exceptional if you ever wanted to. After receiving an ex-Virgin Atlantic quadjet, the Nigerian airline unveiled one of the most unique cabin layouts: two business class seats in front of 411 economy class seats.

Azman Air only operated flights from Nigeria to other nations in Africa and the Middle East for a few years, hence the airline’s goals to take the aircraft outside were short-lived. Unfortunately, the carrier has also stopped operations as a result of recorded maintenance problems with its aircraft. As a result, on July 31, 2023, the Airbus A340-600, registered as 5N-AAM, made its final trip and touched down at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on August 1.