Airlines like Qatar and Turkish are upgrading their business seats as competition for the best premium cabin heats up

Qatar’s original QSuite has sets of four seats that can face each other by dropping the wall, creating a large space for dining or chatting.

Qatar has added the option to its window seats. This means people traveling together can face each other and enjoy the view.

The 22-inch television can be used as a privacy divider to turn them into solo seats.

Turkish was recently named the world’s 10th-best airline for business class by Skytrax, thanks to its Boeing 787 and A350 cabins. But the airline’s dated Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 cabins are still behind the times. The former will be replaced with the new “Crystal” business class.

Meanwhile, Korean Air’s old long-haul “Apex Suite” is famous for its insanely spacious window seats, but privacy for the aisle was lacking. Its newly announced “Prestige Suites 2.0” will introduce modern upgrades.

Sliding doors have become the expectation rather than the exception in business class, with carriers including Lufthansa, Air India, British Airways, and American Airlines announcing new door-equipped seats in recent years.

Turkish’s new door-equipped seat will be installed on its 777 planes and its newly delivered A350-1000s, which are expected in 2026. It’s unclear if the new Crystal product will replace Turkish’s existing Boeing 787 or A350-900 business class.

The Apex Suite is Korean Air’s standard long-haul cabin. It is known for its unique 2 × 2 × 2 layout, which provides direct aisle access via a unique walkway and nearly endless space for the window seat.

BI found it almost like flying on a private jet if you were on the Boeing 747’s upper deck.

However, the configuration is not the most efficient, and the aisle seat didn’t get the same privacy or space as the window. The new cabin, which will debut on Korean Air’s upcoming Boeing 787-10s and eventually its Boeing 777-300ERs, appears more balanced with its 1 × 2 × 1 layout.

Korean Air’s planes have historically featured pastel blue cushions, which complemented the same color scheme worn by flight attendants and painted across the fuselage.

However, the Prestige Suites 2.0 boasts browns, tans, and beiges, suggesting a move away from the airline’s traditional color patterns.

Business class is among the biggest money-makers for airlines. The Motley Fool reported in December the lucrative cabin could represent 75% of a flight’s profits, though just 12% of an airline’s passengers book business class.

Further, post-pandemic business demand is continuing to rebound.

It’s no surprise these modern, min-hotel-like cabins are on the rise as airlines vie for a piece of the market — though Qatar’s fan-favorite QSuite will be hard to beat.