While flying business class is something that many travelers will never get to experience, it can make for a nice treat for a special occasion.
But which airports offer the best experience for business class travelers?
New airline industry study has ranked the top global airports for business class travel, based on factors such as number of lounges, number of destinations served, percentage of on-time flights and airport rating to reveal the best (& worst) airports for business class travel in the world.
The best business class airports in the world
Rank | Airport | Country | Lounges | Destinations served | Annual on-time flights | Airport rating /5 | Business class score /10 |
1 | Heathrow Airport | United Kingdom | 43 | 239 | 75.4% | 4 | 7.10 |
2 | Haneda Airport | Japan | 27 | 109 | 86.4% | 5 | 7.03 |
3 | Changi Airport | Singapore | 20 | 175 | 82.0% | 5 | 6.83 |
4 | Frankfurt Airport | Germany | 25 | 375 | 71.3% | 4 | 6.35 |
5 | Charles de Gaulle Airport | France | 26 | 301 | 70.8% | 4 | 6.22 |
The airport that has the highest overall business class score is Heathrow Airport, with a score of 7.10 out of 10. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world, operating flights to a large number of locations, with over 230 unique destinations around the world. The airport has by far the most business class lounges with 43 for passengers to enjoy.
In second place is Haneda Airport, with an average score of 7.03 out of 10. The airport has traditionally dealt with the majority of Tokyo’s domestic international travel although it has increasingly expanded its international operations too. The airport has the best on-time performance, with 86.4% of flights departing on time.
The worst business class airports in the world
Rank | Airport | Country | Lounges | Destinations served | Annual on-time flights | Airport rating /5 | Business class score /10 |
1 | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | Philippines | 14 | 101 | 59.6% | 3 | 0.88 |
2 | Gatwick Airport | United Kingdom | 12 | 200 | 67.8% | 3 | 1.82 |
3 | Newark Liberty International Airport | United States | 12 | 200 | 69.4% | 3 | 2.03 |
4 | Orlando International Airport | United States | 6 | 152 | 76.6% | 3 | 2.10 |
5 | Indira Gandhi International Airport | India | 12 | 141 | 76.2% | 3 | 2.30 |
6 | Harry Reid International Airport | United States | 6 | 167 | 78.6% | 3 | 2.43 |
7 | Kuala Lumpur International Airport | Malaysia | 18 | 144 | 73.5% | 3 | 2.50 |
8 | Charlotte Douglas International Airport | United States | 6 | 187 | 79.2% | 3 | 2.84 |
9 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | United States | 8 | 153 | 80.2% | 3 | 2.97 |
9 | Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport | Spain | 5 | 194 | 71.5% | 4 | 2.97 |
The airport that has the lowest overall business class score is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with a score of 0.88 out of 10. Being the main gateway to the Philippines, Manila’s airport was the worst scoring for three different categories: its number of destinations, on-time performance, and rating from Skytrax.
In second place is Gatwick Airport, in the UK, with an average score of 1.82 out of 10. While London’s Heathrow ranks amongst the best airports for business class travel, the opposite is true for Gatwick. As well as a score of just 3 out of 5 from Skytrax, Gatwick was among the worst airports when it came to the on-time performance of its flights, with just 67.8% being deemed to be on-time.