It worked so well in 2025 that I’m embracing my status as “free agent” this year, which will make it easier than ever to review new products, but also make the effective use of miles and points all the more important. Here are 10 business class products I hope to review for Live And Let’s Fly in 2026, some of them quite exotic.
10 Business Class Products I Hope To Try In 2026
This is not an exhaustive list, but I would place these 10 products towards the top of the list.
Lufthansa A350-900
I’m shocked it has been more than a year since I’ve stepped onto any Lufthansa aircraft (first time in 20 years….). It’s time to try Lufthasna Allegris and see how the carrier’s latest business class product stacks up against the competition.
Austrian 787-9
I miss Vienna so much and also want to try Austrian’s latest business class product on the 787-9, maybe on the same trip?
Qantas A330-200
I flew Qantas in premium economy and first class in on Qantas a couple years back, did not visit Australia in 2024 or 2025. However, I would like to fly business class on Qantas in 2026 and fly from Perth to Sydney on an A330 as part of a larger adventure…stay tuned.
SWISS A350-900
Sticking to the Lufthansa Group theme, I need to try the new “SWISS Senses” A350 business class as well, modeled after Lufthansa Allegris.
Brussels Airlines A330-300
The last time I flew Brussels Airlines in business class, I ended up with a Lufthansa interior. It’s time to check out the Belgian flag carrier and Star Alliance members once again, but on an actual Brussels A330…not an ex-EuroWings/Lufthansa one…
United Airlines 787-9 Polaris Studio
The new United Polaris Studio on the Dreamliner will be unveiled this year and I’d very much like to give it a try.
American Airlines A321XLR
AA just launched its new A321XLR on select flights between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) and I hope to try it soon.
Air France A350-900
Air France has a great all-around business class product and I’d very much like to give it a fresh look this year.
ITA Airways A350-900 + A321neo
ITA Airways, formerly Alitalia, flies A350 jets to Los Angeles and Buenos Aires and A321neos on shorthaul routes. Both have lie-flat seats. The soft product (with a beautiful appetizer, pasta course, meat or fish course, cheese, and dessert) looks amazing and the carrier is now part of the Lufthansa Group and will eventually join Star Alliance.
Iberia A350-900 + A321XLR
I last reviewed an Iberia longhaul flight (an Airbus A330 from Madrid to Los Angeles) eight years ago. It’s time for an updated review on two of Iberia’s newest aircraft, even though the business class seat has not changed on the A350. Ideally, I’d review the A321XLR in one direction and the A350 in the other. I recently had the chance to review the A321XLR, but flew Aer Lingus instead since it took more nonstop to Los Angeles.
BONUS: Air Senegal A330-900neo
The chicken or the egg? Do I want to visit Senegal to fly Air Senegal A330-900 or do I want to fly Air Senegal to visit Senegal? Both are true. Air Senegal no longer flies to New York, but I’d like to give it a try…and maybe United in the other direction before it ends service in March?
BONUS: Cubana IL-96
I may have missed the boat on this, but Cubana (supposedly) still has one operational Ilyushin Il-96 (returned to Cuba a couple of years ago after refurbishment in Russia for the flag carrier of Cuba). I would like to fly it while I still can…but it does not appear to have operated lately.
There will be plenty of United Airlines flights this year, but likely a much greater domestic mix as I purchase based on price and schedule rather than simply not looking beyond United. As much as I want to review the products above, I suspect there will be a lot of SAS flights in the mix too, as I burn down my miles…
CONCLUSION
There’s a lot going on behind the scenes toward striking the right balance between this blog and my other endeavors, but I am confident everything will fall into place and you will be treated to some fascinating reviews this year. That said, it would not surprise me if I come up short on my list this year…but I’m still setting goals.
What business class products are you looking to fly in 2026?
Do beware with the QF Int’l fleet stretched so thin, the A330s on PER-SYD/MEL are often swapped for 737s. Only the redeyes seem guaranteed (and those are particularly painful at only 4 hours or so of flight time)
I think the AA A321XLR is going to be a letdown. Domestically the business class cabin will have coach passengers tromping up and down the aisle to use the loo and internationally there should be more meal and beverage services that clog up the aisle. Hope I’m wrong on this.
Upstairs on a 747 in business class is pretty special. I’m hoping to fly this on Lufthansa in 2026.
A321XLR is still a treat because it’s 1-1 lie-flat with a door. However, I think jetBlue A321neo and A321neoLR are better layouts, namely because of lavatory location.
AA went with one in front, three in back; so, ironically, it’s less that Economy is coming upfront, and more that when Business has a line, they’ll head back.
JetBlue did it right; 2 in front, 2 in back for the LR; 1 in front, 1 in middle, 2 in back for neo. This is the way.
Thats always gonna be the case with passengers. These things are sometimes unavoidable. Its not the airline. Its the entitlement of people and the culture of the people. A culture with no respect and class.
As for the meal its an A321. These planes have very limited storage areas to store food and beverage thats why they are only good for The east coast to short European routes. There is only so much galley space to store food
Not stepping on a LH flight for a year is a good thing! Surely a carryover from my 20s as a Star Alliance flyer, I always held a strange affection for LH. But I’ve recently come to realize that they offer nothing. No wifi, no entertainment, no power, uncompetitive lounges and long-haul product, prohibitively strict carry on rules… The list goes on. I’m in Germany all the time, but the Flying Crane doesn’t take me there.
Having flown Qantas on the A330 in 2024, I was a little let down. Wobbly seat, no wi-fi, broken set of headphones before replacement was found, and a somewhat basic meal service. What food there was tasted good and the service and bedding were good as well. I think they are doing some kind of refurbishment soon?
And if you’re going to fly widebody on Iberia, might as well be on one of their “suites with doors” J products.
Best of good luck to ITA Airways within the highly ambitious Star Alliance! AZ’s business class on its 6 A350-900s and 7 A321neos looks set to attract considerable interest this year…
Hoping 2026 means we can finally have a lunch or dinner in Sydney!
Just had a great experience on Air India A350 if you’re looking to add another to your list. Incredibly comfortable seat and amazing bedding.
I should have included Air India on my list. It’s on there too…
I’ve been eye-balling it, too. My only concern is whether they swap it for one of the older 777s…
The route to London seems somewhat safe as they have a 2x A350 frequency on the route…
That said I did get a plane swap at the airport… to another A350. Phew!
PHEW! You lucky duck!
I flew the Air India A350 DEL-LHR a few months ago, very impressed. The aircraft were apparently originally for Aeroflot but switched to AI. The seat was excellent, super amenity kit and the food & service were decent too.
Return was to BOM on the old B777, totally different experience, at least as for the seat!
Great list! I’d be happy to get to try anyone of them!
Did you meet the goals you set last year for trying new First and Business class products?
Absolutely not:
https://liveandletsfly.com/business-class-products-2025/
Cubana IL-96!?! Choose life!
There really is nothing to look forward to with the QF A330 in J, except if you want to feel a blast from the past. The AF A359 (newer version) is excellent, and you can still snatch those bulkhead suites with extra space for no extra fee TATL. However, I found the extra space psychologically pleasant as opposed to providing actual benefits.
Alas, a huge number of the veteran cabin crew who used to make a trip in Qantas premium cabins into something memorable were laid-off during the pandemic and never returned. It’s true that the food portions are on the smaller side, but if you’re behaving yourself they’ll keep giving you booze until you’ve had your fill, and the beds are big and comfy, particularly in first on the A380. Business class is, as it is often said, all about the seat, and while the Qantas product lacks the privacy doors and wifi that everyone seems to have an inexplicable wide on for these days, it’s still a comfy product.
To this day, I’ve never had a bad Qantas flight. I do want to fly Qantas, but I also really want to visit Perth.
Matthew, QF flys (at least this time of year) an A330 between AKL and PER. NZ uses a B777 on the same route. A number of years ago, some well traveled Perthlings told me THE way to get to PER from North America was by connecting in AKL. It’s an international transfer (though now, I think, you need an electronic pre-approval for international connections). I did it years ago to connect to ADL, and it was painless. The big advantage is NorthAmerica-SYD-PER requires passports/customs before your connecting flight. Get randomly flagged for a further check in SYD? Stand in a line that sometimes won’t move and miss your connection. Fly NA-AKL-PER, you do the process at the end of the trip in PER. Obviously, a PER-AKL-HOME doesn’t present the same advantsge over PER-SYD-HOME. But, the latter does have you change terminals and go through exit border procedures in SYD rather than at the start in PER.
I’ve only been in widebody J once on QF. So, my comment was directed at the A330, which I flew MEL-PER in 2022. There was nothing memorable about the meal. The service met any reasonable standard. But, the hard product feels from another era (at least one with 1-2-1 J). Matthew expressed a desire to fly that plane and visit Perth. I cannot offer any observations about QF J on other widebodies.
BTW, I’ve read (unconfirmed) that they won’t let you reserve (or will remove your seat reservation) in seats 10A and 10K, the first (bulkhead) row of J aft of door 2 on those newer models if you don’t have a child. Those are the only two seats with bassinets in J. That may create an opportunity, maybe. If those seats remain unreserved, I wonder if you could snatch them at check-in.
Air France has really stepped it up on their hard product, specifically wide-body J, not only with a350 (which are lovely), but also the upgraded 773, now with suite/door. Ample space, even if not in bulkhead.
And AF/KL occasionally upgrades Delta elites on intra-Europe flights. Even though it’s just front of cabin in an economy seat with extra legroom and a blocked middle you also get a meal. Worked well for me on a recent AMS-LCY flight.