The Top 5 Weirdest Premium Cabins In The World

While first and business class cabins are usually luxurious, some could best be described as strange.


Photo: Azman Air

With first class slowly fading away in the aviation industry, business class has become increasingly luxurious and the go-to premium seat choice. However, some such cabins are atypical and might not be able to provide the best passenger experience despite their higher price.

5 United Airlines Boeing 767 PolarisUnited Airlines' Boeing 767 business class, dubbed "Polaris," features a unique 1-1-1 layout

United Airlines has several business class layouts on its aircraft, ranging from the classic 1-2-1 cabin on its Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787s to the 2-2 configuration on the carrier’s narrowbodies. However, all of the airline’s Boeing 767s, including the 767-300ER and 767-400ER, feature something unique: a 1-1-1 layout, seating three passengers in three separate seats in a row.

In total, United Airlines has three different Boeing 767-300ER cabin configurations. One has 30 business and 184 economy (including premium economy) seats, while the other has 46 business, 22 Premium Plus, and 99 premium and economy class seats. The last one has all four, namely 30 business, 24 premium, 32 economy plus, and 117 economy class seats. Meanwhile, the Boeing 767-400ER has a single cabin configuration featuring 34 business, 24 Premium Plus, 48 premium economy, and 125 economy class seats. Does the layout make the seat worse than its rivals or other aircraft in the airline? In a pre-pandemic review of the seat, Paul Lucas wrote for Simple Flying that the “product whispers “quality,” everything felt well-made and sturdy, including the table.”

4 United Airlines Boeing 777-200 FirstUnited Airlines has domestic-only 777-200 examples whose premium seats are in a 2-4-2 configuration

While United Airlines markets these seats, which are found on its domestic route-only Boeing 777-200s, as United First, the seats are actually the same business class seats the airline used in the early 2010s. And even if some airlines resort to using older seats, including most recently due to supply-side related shortages, what makes these seats unique is the odd 2-4-2 layout.

Yes, in total, the first class cabin seats eight passengers per row, with 336 economy class seats, including 102 Economy Plus, in the back. The airline also has one cabin configuration that seats 32 business class, 124 Economy Plus, and 206 economy class passengers.

3 Air New Zealand’s Business Premier seatAir New Zealand’s current business class offers little privacy

Air New Zealand’s business class product, which is marketed as Business Premier, is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration on the Boeing 777 and 1-1-1 on the Boeing 787, with the seats facing forward at a 45-degree angle. While the airline has marketed the seats as the “best sleep in the sky,” the seats have virtually no privacy, as they have no physical divider between the aisle.

However, the airline unveiled a new seat in business class in June 2022. At the time, the Kiwi airline said the new seats would arrive with new Boeing 787s in 2024, with the new Business Premier Luxe seats offering “more space and privacy.”

“A luxury experience with all the features of Business Premier, but with a fully closing door and space for two to dine.”

In addition to the new business class seats, the airline introduced changes to the other cabins. Economy passengers will now have the option to book the ‘Skynest,’ sleeping pods that would enable travelers to lie fully flat on a flight even without flying in business class. Air New Zealand will launch Skynest on its ultra-long-haul routes.

2 British Airways’ old Club World seatWhile British Airways is in the process of refitting its business class cabins, some aircraft still have the old Club World seat

British Airways has named its business class as Club World. While the seat does not suffer from the same privacy issues as Air New Zealand, with privacy dividers between seats helping passengers feel more at home, the old Club World cabins are similar to that of United Airlines’ Boeing 777-200s, as they are configured in a dense 2-4-2 layout.

Some aircraft, like British Airways Boeing 787-8 and 787-9, have a 2-3-2 configuration, while the 787-10’s business class is configured in a more modern, 1-2-1 manner, providing direct aisle access to every passenger without disturbing neighbors. In February 2023, Simple Flying’s Justin Hayward flew from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) with British Airways’ Boeing 787-9, which still has the old business class seat.

“The seat is comfortable and feels spacious, considering the dense layout. There is also plenty of space with a fully flat bed recline and a folding down footrest. The major difference between Club Suite and other business class products is the lack of a fixed table or storage area.”

1 Azman Air’s two business class seatsEasily one of the weirdest cabins in the industry, it features only two business class seats on the ex-Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600

If you ever wanted to feel special, sitting in the only two business class seats onboard Azman Air’s Airbus A340-600 aircraft might do the trick. The Nigerian airline, which took delivery of an ex-Virgin Atlantic quadjet, has introduced one of the most unique cabin configurations, which features a pair of business class seats in front of 411 economy class seats.

However, the airline’s plans to fly the aircraft internationally were short-lived, with Azman Air operating flights out of Nigeria to other countries in Africa and the Middle East lasting for no longer than a few years. Sadly, the carrier has also suspended operations due to reported maintenance issues with its aircraft, resulting in the Airbus A340-600, registered as 5N-AAM, operating its last flight on July 31st, 2023, arriving at its destination, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on August 1st.