Economy class has become increasingly competitive over the past decade, with airlines recognizing that travelers expect comfort, reliability, entertainment, and consistent service even without premium fares. In 2025, Business Traveller readers voted for the carriers that delivered the best long-haul and short-haul economy experience, focusing on cabin comfort, meals, technology, service quality, and the ability to create a pleasant journey from start to finish.
This year’s results highlight both familiar leaders and subtle innovations shaping the economy travel landscape. The following list reflects passenger sentiment and overall experience rather than fleet size or route networks, making it an insightful ranking of airlines that genuinely value economy passengers.
Qatar Airways: Setting the Standard
Qatar Airways once again takes the top spot, maintaining a reputation for delivering a premium-feeling product even in its most affordable cabin. Travelers consistently mention spacious seating, supportive headrests, and a cabin layout that avoids feeling cramped on long journeys. The airline’s Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft are particularly admired for their quiet interiors and clean air circulation systems that reduce fatigue.
One of the standout features is the Oryx One entertainment system, which remains among the most comprehensive in the world. The interface is smooth, and the collection of films, series, and live TV channels surpasses most competitors. Qatar’s in-flight Wi-Fi, while variable across aircraft, performs better than many global carriers and is handy on long-haul routes.
Meal service is another consistent strength. Qatar Airways places real emphasis on well-portioned dishes with balanced flavors, and passengers frequently comment on how the catering quality feels closer to premium economy on certain flights. Combined with attentive and multilingual cabin crew, Qatar Airways continues to set the standard for what modern economy class should offer.
Singapore Airlines: Excellence in Detail
Singapore Airlines remains synonymous with excellence, and its economy cabin reflects the same detailed focus found across its premium products. Seats are ergonomically refined, offering excellent support even during ultra-long-haul sectors. The adjustable footrests, supportive cushions, and clever seat contours make long journeys feel easier on the body.
Passengers consistently praise KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’ award-winning entertainment platform. With a vast catalog of content, responsive screens, and easy navigation, the system often outperforms many business-class equivalents. Cabin lighting and air quality are managed to help passengers rest better, showcasing their strong engineering-driven approach to comfort.
Meals are high quality, often with Asian-influenced options that stand out for authenticity and taste. Crew service is polished, warm, and remarkably consistent across different routes. Singapore Airlines performs exceptionally well with families, solo travelers, and business travelers flying economy alike.
Emirates: Consistency Across the Fleet
Emirates secures the third position thanks to its broad fleet consistency and strong passenger satisfaction scores. Known for comfort across both its Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, its economy seats offer generous width and a clean, modern cabin design. The A380 remains a favorite among travelers thanks to its quiet environment and more spacious configuration.
The airline’s most defining feature continues to be the ICE entertainment system, which is regularly acknowledged as the best in-flight entertainment platform in the world. With thousands of hours of content, superior screen quality, and intuitive controls, ICE sets the benchmark others attempt to follow.
Meals onboard Emirates are hearty and thoughtfully presented, often exceeding the expectations typically associated with economy travel. The airline performs particularly well on long-haul routes to Europe, Asia, and the Americas, where consistent food quality and friendly cabin crew contribute to positive reviews.
Cathay Pacific Airways: Subtlety and Refinement
Cathay Pacific’s approach to service has always been subtle and refined, which resonates strongly with frequent travelers. In 2025, its updated long-haul economy seats gained significant praise for lumbar support, increased ergonomic comfort, and enhanced storage space for personal items. Wider armrests and improved cushioning make the cabin more comfortable during lengthy journeys.
The airline’s StudioCX entertainment platform offers strong content variety and clear display quality. Passengers particularly value the calm and professional service style of Cathay’s cabin crew, which creates a peaceful in-flight environment. Cathay Pacific also performs strongly in catering, offering meals with balanced flavors and reliable portion sizes. Asian-influenced dishes, especially those on routes connecting Hong Kong with North America and Europe, receive particularly positive feedback.
Air New Zealand: Innovation and Warmth
Air New Zealand continues to innovate in the economy travel space, and its Skycouch, a row of seats that converts into a sofa-like surface, is a well-known favorite among couples and families. Even without Skycouch, the airline’s standard seats are well-designed, offering good cushioning, clear IFE screens, and adequate legroom.
Passengers highlight the airline’s friendly, humorous service culture as a defining element of the travel experience. The crew’s approachable style and uniquely New Zealand personality add a memorable dimension to the journey. Meal quality is strong, with fresh ingredients and regionally inspired dishes that travelers often enjoy. Entertainment options are solid, and the airline has invested significantly in maintaining a consistent experience across its long-haul fleet. Air New Zealand’s combination of comfort, creative seating options, and warm hospitality helps it secure the fifth position in 2025.
Conclusion: A New Era for Economy Class
The 2025 ranking of the best economy class airlines by Business Traveller reflects a global shift towards elevating the economy experience. As competition grows, these airlines demonstrate that economy passengers can still enjoy a sophisticated, comfortable, and memorable journey, even on the world’s longest flights. With ongoing investments in new aircraft and cabin enhancements, the standard for economy travel in the years ahead is set to rise even further.
