Doors in business class suites? An unnecessary gimmick as far as I am concerned, based upon my travels and experiences onboard.
Business Class Doors – Who Needs Them?
American Airlines and United Airlines have hinted they may introduce new business class suites with doors which close, ostensibly providing more privacy and creating a more premium feel. But I’d caution that while these doors may sound glitzy, they are impractical and unnecessary.
I’ve flown many airlines with doors in business class, including:
British Airways
Delta Air Lines
Etihad Airways
JetBlue Airways
Qatar Airways
My conclusion is very simple: they are a waste of space.
First of all, they are usually thin and flimsy. The door on my Delta A350 flight wobbled like it was about to fall off. Second, they only provide limited privacy, since they are not all that high and have an opening at the bottom. Third, they often do no stay shut, instead rolling back even when supposedly latched. Finally, they can be claustrophobic and the current generation of business class seats are designed to be fairly private without doors. Better option: Apex Suites, like you see on Gulf, Korean, and JAL. But that’s not even necessary, as the current seats are just fine.
When it comes to American Airlines and United Airlines, I’d much rather see both carriers invest in a better soft product that an unnecessary door for the business class seat. Offer a la carte meals (meaning an extra flight attendant would be necessary), improve the quality of the wine, or even add some pistachios and macadamia nuts to the cashews and almonds.
Any of that would be better, as far as I am concerned, than doors.
CONCLUSION
We’ve heard rumors this week that both American and United are considering new business class seats with doors. My response is that the current seats are just fine and instead the focus should be on improving the soft product.
Couldn’t disagree more. They make a world of difference!
Do elaborate please.
Disagree. While they definitely are not designed for full privacy, they are amazing for creating space and providing a level of protection against folks walking in the aisle.
Better to focus on communications for premium flyers when there are irrops
I don’t agree. If there is a reasonable amount of privacy, the doors aren’t a major enhancement. However, in certain configurations, particularly those which are staggered, there is very little privacy from the aisle, particularly when sleeping.
I agree with you Matthew 100%. The does don’t do anything. When someone is walking down the aisle, they can easily still see over the door, with how short it is it really doesn’t add any privacy.
I agree as well. On a recent BA biz class flight, I felt like an animal in a pen.
Says the guy who’s previous post was about rubber ducks in a first class lounge ;).
I can take or leave the doors on daytime flights, but I like the privacy on overnights.
Completely disagree!! The door is huge. I sleep way better with the door. Especially in the age of covid. Door closed, mask off, sleeping like a baby.
I would gladly trade a few inches of space for a door.
I don’t stay in hostels for the same reason. I want my own space. The door at least gives some degree of privacy.
hummmm … the door doesn’t stop covid. I totally agree with Matt, the door is annoying!
My assumption was that the poster was suggesting that the door being closed made it less likely that someone would make a fuss about a mask being off while sleeping.
Thank you.
And so many people love when there’s no overhead bins to “make it feel claustrophobic” – which they don’t, and the lack of them necessitates putting your stuff somewhere else than conveniently nearby. And in the same breath they’ll go gaga over doors that make the space feel more claustrophobic on purpose.
Wouldn’t care if the seat had a door or not if the seats were angled the other way, placing me closer to the window and away from the aisle – I wouldn’t be woken up by people walking past my seat.
I’m with the majority – provided that you come in with the right expectations. I wouldn’t consider the door as a “door” as such, as it doesn’t ever provide full privacy, even in F! But more often than not I sit in products with privacy partitions, like EVA’s 787, and think “if only this could go all the way”. I’ve flown QSuites and BA’s Club Suite, and think the “door” is an extended privacy partition that does make a difference especially when lying down. Admittedly I’m quite small (in both build and height) so I don’t miss the small reduction in space as much as others might, though I do find it a valuable, if not absolutely necessary addition.
They make a huge difference because you can actually jerk off on a long flight to relax before sleeping or take nsfw cabin pics without fear of getting caught too much. That’s the main reason why everyone loves them, maybe you’re too innocent minded.
Lol. For the OnlyFans generation, I’m sure.
Or maybe other just know how to behave, you prurient oik. Now, go crawl up some stewardesses skirt and snap a pic.
I agree with the others in the comments that feel the doors are super important, because they feel unsafe without having doors between them and other humans. That’s why I currently bring wrapping paper and duct tape on my flights and wall off my seat, giving myself the secure, first class experience I deserve. I can only imagine the terror you men feel that don’t have the foresight to bring wrapping paper and duct tape.
I have never flown a seat-with-door product, but honestly can’t see it being any better than the standard flat seats in the 1-2-1 configuration offered by the likes of TAP (A330neo) and Avianca (787). As that configuration has a lowish density and the cabin is off limits for Y pax, aisle traffic isn’t really a problem (maybe it could be if you are unlucky enough to travel in a full cabin and there are also one or more restless small children who enjoy running around the cabin).
I agree – doesn’t add a lot – would rather better food / beverage and staffing
Agree 100%. The doors do nothing for me. Better food & beverage and better service in general would add a lot more value IMO.
Totally agree. The wine in particular is in desperate need of an upgrade. Please spare us the $15 plonk in biz class!
I like sleeping with my mask off during this pandemic, and doors help obfuscate this fact. Hopefully this is still not an actual benefit after 3 weeks.
The entire higher-end J and F experience is an a literal unnecessary gimmick, much like your 2010 Doms, little dutch houses and brand-name amenity kits.
But I agree, UA and AA is hopeless and no amount of doors/privacy could help them catapult to a top airline if their indifferent service stays.
Could not disagree more. When the door is closed I get the illusion of privacy (you’re right that it’s not all that real) when lying down and trying to fall asleep. It feels like I’m tucked into my own cubby. Mentally, this helps me feel a little more secure falling asleep on the plane.
100% agreed!
I don’t need a door and fully agree that soft product is way more important. Having said that, I do like closing the door on BA suites when watching a movie. It feels private and kinda fun to be focused on movie in a more private setting. Couldn’t care less about privacy when sleeping. A plane is a form of public transportation. People can see you. Get over it or just don’t sleep.
I disagree with you Matthew. The door is important to feel and have a sense of privacy and most of all distance to other pax! Less interaction with fellow pax, less noise pollution int the cabin etc. Personally, the higher the partition aound the suite, the better. I travel to relax, enjoy the catering and service, I am not flying to entertain other pax have a great flight. I am a paying customer and not an airline employee!
I agree. On the majority of aircraft, the doors are just silly. There might be exceptions but you nailed it. I’d rather they put more space in economy and I usually fly first or business.
Doors protect against Covid. I welcome any measure to keep me protected while on a plane.
Nice.
I oppose the doors, because they also keep the tooth fairy out. I’m prone to loosing teeth on business class cuisine and have been shorted at least three whole US dollars by these doors over the years.
Agree. The only exception would be a generous F class pod like I flew on ANA. I also flew long-haul UAL, Qantas, AA, JAL, Cathay, and Qatar in F, all without doors and it was perfectly fine. I prefer the older (e.g. TK 777-300ER and even LOT J cabin) open J cabins instead of the rabbit warren/hutch layout which is too claustrophobic.
I fear we must part company on this issue, Matthew. I prefer the added privacy of the doors, even if they’re not that tall. If you don’t like the doors, you can just keep yours open. Love the Qsuites!
Disagree!
I’ve never understood the privacy arguments. It sounds a bit perverted to me. What sort of privacy do you need? I’ll condone the COVID arguments. I get jarred when FAs tap at the door or peek over. I prefer no door.
Have you ever read any of the The Points Guy reviews? Those people freak out if they make 3 seconds of eye contact with a random passenger.
If the marketplace is rewarding carriers that offer doors, that means the marketplace is saying that doors aren’t an unnecessary gimmick. As for a la carte meals, wouldn’t it be easier and less labor-intensive for passengers to simply preorder their meals online when they buy their tickets or a few days before the flight’s scheduled departure? Pre-ordering meals would allow for a wider selection of items as well as less waste.
When did you fly on Eithad’s new business class suite? Were you on the inaugural flight?
I never knew there was a site devoted to such silliness. These doors are as pointless as this review.
On my recent BA flight, the door fell off the rails when the crew was activating it after takeoff. It then became stuck with a gap that I could just barely squeeze through when I needed to get up. Five different crew members of varying sizes all struggled to fix it before everyone had to give up to focus on the service. The had to move me for landing as the door was a safety issue. I don’t think it added a lot for all the problems it caused for both me and the crew (and afterwards the maintenance teams)
Perhaps you don’t like the bad quality of the doors. My first flight with doors was on a 777 Qatar recently refurbished with Q Suites, the door always stayed closed, height was appropriate to where I couldn’t see over when sitting and laying down was perfect. Yes of course soft product is important but I book business for a good night of sleep not for “good” airplane food (even tough qatar was quite good).
I think gimmick or not most people preffer it with doors, companies do extensive market research before launching new seats, and this time arround it appears that’s what the customer wants it, and so do I.
IME as premium seats have become more ‘private’ they have also become a lot less comfortable and they are much harder than they used to be. I don’t really understand the need for all this privacy which is a nonsense in any case because I have yet to see one in business class that no one standing in the aisle can see over the top of so privacy is a nonsense because they aren’t.
As for privacy, well, it’s all relative in any case. Almost every day, I go to the gym, when I’m there I change in a locker room full of other men and after my session, I join maybe 20-30 other men, naked for a shower, it really doesn’t bother me so falling asleep on an aircraft in front of a similar number of people while I’m dressed isn’t even worth a thought.
I still like Turkish and their old, comfortable seats on the A330 and the 777, give me them over the tight space of a mini cabin with a door that is probably too short for my height and in which there’s no way or turning over any day.
I disagree. I have flown the new BA product with doors, and yes, it makes little difference while seated. But when sleeping it makes all the difference as it blocks out sound and visual disturbances of folks in the aisle. For BA, the one thing they could do to improve service is to clean their planes. The newly installed suite I flew in February on a 777-200ER could not have been more than a month old and it had very little signs of wear. However, it was absolutely fility with crumbs everywhere.
I could not agree more. They are just silly.
They do not offer real privacy. You can look over the top of the door if you wish. And what are you doing on the seat which requires so much privacy? Yes, I can understand if you have a first class Singapore suite where you might remove all your clothes to change into pyjamas, but that is not an option in bus class.
You see, it is easy to buy “stuff” to make an experience luxurious. But real luxury is service. To go get you a glass of orange juice NOW when I want it. It is not the TV, it is not the caviar, its not the doors, stupid! When you have everything your really need, then it is the soft product. Smiles, courtesy, and helpfulness should not be exclusive to the Asian airlines!
The doors are cool, but United really needs to improve their Soft product. They had made vast improvements before Covid, but they used Covid as an excuse to provide lousy food and even more terrible service.
Door or not some of the seats in 1-2-1 configs are already claustrophobic. SQ and TK seats come to mind. There is so little space, and you can’t see your travel companion. Bring back a 2-2-2 option with loads if space. To me, space is better than privacy.
You’d think that, with all this cramped door demand, the capsule building in Japan would be easily saved
Strongly disagree, Matthew. I’ve only experienced the door on QSuite, but I find it to be a game changer. When seated, it completely blocks your view of anyone else and lets you slip into your world. I’ve done 25+ flights in QSuites and I find that I sleep better, am more productive, and arrive more ready to commence work. Can’t speak as to how other airlines arrange it, but Qatar manages to deliver both doors and a very high level of service.
Agree and disagree. Love the doors on ANA and Qatar but both offer excellent hard and soft products all around. AA and United have a lot more to fix, particularly when it comes to service and food, and agree that they should spend resources there before adding doors. Non-US carriers are simply in a different league to their US counterparts.
I was just thinking the same thing this week reading about American. Does their seat really need a door?! At the expense of other things? It would just feel more cramped imo. The seat is currently good and fairly cocooned. You barely see anyone else.
I just flew on Saturday to lhr on the 787-9 and thought it was pretty good. Tons of storage which I really like.
In regards to us v non us carriers I would prefer American over most carriers (I much preferred it to the old Ana biz that I flew last week).