Use your travel rewards to book the best business-class seats

There was once a time when flying business class meant sitting in a recliner-style seat that was ever so slightly more spacious than economy. But ever since British Airways launched the first lie-flat business-class seat in 2000, the gap between business class and first class has continuously shrunk. Now lie-flat business-class seats are not only standard on international flights, but they’ve become common offerings on domestic flights as well.

We’re now entering a new era where airlines are introducing even more first-class perks into their business-class cabins in order to lure frequent travelers. And, better yet for travelers who may otherwise be unable to afford the luxuries of business class, there are ways to fly at the front of the plane for a fraction of the price. Thanks to travel rewards, you can redeem your points and miles for nearly free flights — you’ll just be on the hook for paying the taxes and fees on your ticket.

From fully lie-flat beds to fully enclosed suites, here are eight of the best business-class seats you can book with points and miles.

Since Qatar Airways introduced its famed Qsuite product in 2017, it’s become the gold standard in business-class seating. With the launch of Qsuite, Qatar Airways became the first airline to launch a fully enclosed business-class seat — and it remains one of the best options out there today.

Between the chic color palette and sleek finishes, the Qsuite is stylish yet functional. But what makes it unique is that the seats are incredibly versatile in the way they can be configured. Couples traveling together can choose to have adjoining seats combined into a single suite with a double bed.

Or families can choose the middle section with seats that can swivel into a “pod” for four people to dine together. It’s a feature unique to Qsuite, making it a worthwhile splurge on a long-haul flight, especially if you’re traveling with a group.

Qatar Airways’ Qsuite seat can be found on various routes operated by the airline’s Airbus A350-1000s as well as some of its Airbus A350-900s, Boeing 777-200LRs and Boeing 777-300ERs. Research your route and aircraft to determine if the flight you’re interested in features a Qsuite cabin. Generally speaking, you can find the Qsuite flying on routes from Doha (DOH) to cities like New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX) and more.

How to book Qatar Qsuite with travel rewards

Travelers with frequent flyer rewards to spend will be pleased to know that despite offering arguably the best business-class seat, the Qatar Qsuite is still attainable using travel rewards. Both Qatar Qmiles and partner program American AAdvantage require 70,000 miles, plus taxes and fees one way for a flight to the Middle East. (As of 2022, Qatar has replaced its own Qmiles currency with Avios, which is the loyalty currency used by British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling.)

To search, you’ll want to head to American Airlines’ website and search for award tickets. Find a route and a date with availability that works for you. If you’ve got enough American AAdvantage miles in your account, you’ll be able to book the Qsuite and just have to pay the taxes and fees on the ticket.

You can nearly earn enough miles for a one-way flight from the US to the Middle East just from the sign-up bonus offer from either of the following credit cards:

All information about the AAdvantage Aviator Red card has been collected independently by CNN. The AAdvantage Aviator Red card is not currently available through CNN.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has a relatively new business-class product called “The Room,” which gives Qatar’s Qsuite a run for its money. The Room lives up to its name with spacious, fully enclosed suites. The suites are nearly 3 feet wide and rival even the most aspirational first-class seats on some of the world’s best airlines. Travelers can relax in the privacy of their sanctuary while enjoying world-class cuisine from either a Western or Japanese menu.

The cabin of the aircraft is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, and seats alternate throughout the cabin between forward- and rear-facing. If you’re traveling with a companion, you’ll want one of the two middle seats where you can share a space, whereas if you’re traveling alone, you’ll want one of the seats flush against the window so you have more privacy.

ANA’s The Room is available on some of the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft. Flights between Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and London (LHR), Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and Chicago (ORD) and Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and New York (JFK), among others, tend to operate with The Room.

How to book ANA’s The Room with travel rewards

You can book ANA’s The Room for as few as 75,000 miles, plus taxes and fees round trip for a low-season award from the US to Tokyo directly through ANA’s Mileage Club program. High-season awards increase to as much as 88,000 miles, plus taxes and fees round trip. Especially at the lower end of the spectrum, this is a fantastic deal for a round-trip award ticket, considering programs like United MileagePlus charge at least 70,000 miles, plus taxes and fees one way for a business-class ticket to Japan.

Perhaps the best news of all is that it’s incredibly easy to get miles in your ANA Mileage Club account. That’s because ANA is a 1-to-1 transfer partner of the Amex Membership Rewards program. In other words, you can transfer your Amex points right to ANA for this sweet redemption.

Better yet, it’s easy to rack up American Express Membership Rewards points from welcome bonus offers that come with the issuer’s credit cards. Consider any of the following American Express credit cards:

Japan Airlines’ Sky Suite has been around for years — it even won an award as the best business-class seat in 2013 — but it continues to get high marks for comfort. That’s because the lie-flat seat offers Airweave mattresses and pillows for passengers to sleep in comfort while they’re cruising through the skies.

Privacy is a key feature of the JAL Sky Suite, as it offers a motorized partition to close off access to your neighbors. With a 1-2-1 cabin configuration, every seat has direct aisle access, offering privacy and ease of mobility throughout the cabin.

The JAL Sky Suite is available on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft. You can find the product on routes between the US and Tokyo from cities like Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Dallas (DFW) and more.

How to book JAL’s Sky Suite with travel rewards

A Japan Airlines Sky Suite business-class award between the US and Japan starts at 50,000 miles, plus taxes and fees each way. This rate can increase substantially if you’re booking a PLUS award, which means you’ll be asked to pay more for a ticket that would otherwise be unavailable for redeeming miles.

You can also book Sky Suite using miles in partner airline programs. For example, American Airlines’ AAdvantage program and Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program are both partners with JAL, and awards with both to Asia start at just 60,000 miles, plus taxes and fees each way. Alaska even allows a free stopover on one-way awards, enabling you to make Tokyo your stopover and then continue to a second destination in Asia.

You can cover a one-way flight with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, which currently offers 50,000 bonus miles plus a companion fare after you spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of account opening. Alternatively, you can pick up two AAdvantage credit cards to cover a round-trip flight at the 50,000-mile each-way mark. Consider one of the following:

All information about the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN. The Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card is not currently available through CNN.

Foodies, take note: One of the most notable features of flying Turkish Airlines business class is access to a “flying chef.” Not only does Turkish Airlines have some of the best catering in the air, but on flights of eight hours or longer, the airline also staffs the flight with a chef who prepares meals onboard.

And not only does Turkish Airlines offer some of the best catering you’ll find at 35,000 feet, but its business-class seat on the Boeing 787 aircraft is also renowned for its luxurious comfort. The cabin offers 30 seats, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning each passenger has direct access to the aisle. Passengers also have a good amount of privacy along with modern amenities like in-seat power outlets, a lie-flat seat and a large entertainment screen.

If you fly Turkish Airlines business class from Istanbul, you’ll also have the privilege of visiting its lounge at Istanbul Airport. Considered one of the better airport lounges in the world, it offers expansive meal options, a golf simulator, a tea garden, a massive kids play area and much more.

You’ll find the Turkish 787 on several routes between the US and Istanbul (IST), including Atlanta (ATL), Dallas (DFW) and Washington, D.C. (IAD), among others.

How to book Turkish Airlines business class with travel rewards

While it may seem strange, one of the cheapest ways to book a Turkish Airlines business-class award is via the ANA Mileage Club, as they’re both members of the Star Alliance. A round-trip award flight between the US and Europe will set you back just 88,000 miles when booked via ANA Mileage Club.

As mentioned above, ANA miles are relatively easy to come by, thanks to the fact that ANA is a 1-to-1 transfer partner of the Amex Membership Rewards program. The welcome bonus offers from the following credit cards offer enough points for a round-trip transatlantic flight in Turkish business class:

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program requires just 45,000 miles, plus taxes and fees each way for a business-class ticket from the US to Turkey. Miles&Smiles is a 1-to-1 transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou program, meaning the ThankYou points earned from Citi cards can transfer to Turkish to get you a nearly free flight. With the Citi Premier® Card, you can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. That’s not quite enough for a round-trip ticket to Turkey, but it is enough to cover a one-way ticket.

Singapore Airlines is the world’s most awarded airline and offers some of the best business-class seats in the air. Onboard Singapore’s A380, you’ll find a podlike business-class product with hand-stitched leather seats.

If you’re traveling with a companion, you can turn any two middle seats into a double bed. Meanwhile, if you’re traveling solo, you’ll get a great amount of privacy, thanks to the sculpted wings around the top of the seat.

Until May 2023, Singapore Airlines is flying this double-decker A380 to New York (JFK). The plane flies nonstop from NYC to Frankfurt (FRA) before continuing on to Singapore (SIN), its final destination. New York is your only option for finding this A380 business-class seat from the US, but you can also find it on several routes from Singapore (SIN) to Asian cities such as Shanghai (PVG) and Beijing (PEK), among others.

How to book Singapore Airlines business class with travel rewards

Singapore Airlines awards are some of the most accessible for travelers looking to redeem rewards, and that’s because the Singapore KrisFlyer program is a transfer partner of all of the major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

One of the best ways to experience Singapore Airlines’ A380 business class is from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA). This route operates a terrific value at just 72,000 miles, plus taxes and fees each way if you can find availability directly through Singapore Airlines.

As mentioned, Singapore KrisFlyer miles are easy to earn, thanks to Singapore KrisFlyer’s 1-to-1 transfer partnership. You can transfer points earned from the following cards — along with others — right to Singapore.

American’s Flagship First and Business offer an elevated flying experience. In fact, the Flagship business product provides more privacy than the first-class cabin on the same Boeing 777-300ER aircraft — in fact, many flyers agree that business class on that aircraft is better than first class. Business-class passengers can enjoy a lie-flat seat with a Casper sleep set and a three-course meal.

Flagship business-class travelers also get access to American’s famed Flagship Lounges, which offer premium amenities like shower suites, chef-curated meals and expansive wine and cocktail menus.

American Airlines Flagship business class is available on various domestic routes, including Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) on the A321T, though those seats are configured differently than the internationally equipped aircraft. Internationally, you can try this fantastic product on routes to Europe (New York to London), South America (Miami to Buenos Aires) and Asia (Los Angeles to Hong Kong), for example.

How to book American Flagship business with travel rewards

Domestically, you can fly Flagship business class for just 25,000 AAdvantage miles each way. You can earn enough miles for a round-trip ticket — for example, between New York and Los Angeles — after just one welcome bonus. The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card currently offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening.

If you’re looking for more time in the air, you can book a one-way award ticket in Flagship business class for just 57,500 miles each way, plus taxes and fees from the US to Europe and parts of South America. With the welcome bonus from two AAdvantage credit cards, you’ll have nearly enough to cover a round-trip itinerary.

For a few years, JetBlue Mint has arguably been the best domestic business-class seat on the market, yet the airline outdid itself with the introduction of its new JetBlue Mint Studio on its newer, longer-range aircraft. There are just two Mint Studio seats on the longer-range A321LRs, and they feature stylish lie-flat seats in the first row, while the other seats in the cabin are called Mint Suites.

The Mint Studio is currently available on both domestic and international routes, including Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK), and New York (JFK) to London (LHR).

The spacious seat converts into the largest bed on a US airline and comes with Tuft & Needle bedding, plenty of storage, wireless charging and more.

How to book JetBlue Mint Studio with travel rewards

JetBlue TrueBlue points can be redeemed in line with the price of a cash ticket. If you’re redeeming TrueBlue points toward a Mint seat, they’re worth about 1.01 cents each, so a $2,505 flight would cost 247,500 TrueBlue points, plus taxes and fees.

JetBlue has two credit cards you can earn these points with: The JetBlue Card and the JetBlue Plus Card. The JetBlue Plus Card offers a welcome bonus of 40,000 TrueBlue points after spending $1,000 and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days.

While the JetBlue Plus offers a solid bonus, it won’t be enough to get you into the Mint Studio cabin. That’s where transferable rewards come in. You can transfer points from the Citi ThankYou and Chase Ultimate Rewards programs, both at a 1-to-1 ratio. Several credit cards affiliated with these programs offer higher welcome bonuses than the JetBlue Plus card. For example, consider any of the following:

All information about the JetBlue Card and the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by CNN. The etBlue Card and the JetBlue Plus Card are not currently available through CNN.

There was a time when fully lie-flat business class seats were revolutionary. Delta turned that notion on its head in 2016 with the announcement of Delta One suites, offering fully enclosed “suites” with direct aisle access. Until that point, fully enclosed suites were featured only in the world’s best first-class cabins, making Delta One an anomaly. (Qatar Airways later beat Delta to become the first to implement and offer the first fully enclosed business-class suite by the way of its Qsuite product.)

Today, Delta is one of only a handful of airlines offering seats with doors that close and provide the utmost privacy. If you want to give the Delta One suite a spin, it’s available on the airline’s Airbus A350-900 and Airbus A330-900neo fleet of aircraft.

How to book Delta One suite with travel rewards

If you want to book a Delta One suite with travel rewards, the logical first choice is to use Delta SkyMiles. However, Delta uses dynamic award pricing, meaning the exact miles required for a Delta One suite depends on demand. Delta charges pretty astronomical rates for premium cabin awards regardless of how tickets are priced.

A better option is to use Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club, which requires fewer than 100,000 Virgin Points round trip, plus taxes and fees for a Delta One business-class award between the US and UK. Since Virgin Atlantic partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou points and Capital One miles, earning enough miles is fairly easy.

The following cards offer enough points via the welcome bonus offers to help you cover one round-trip Delta One award ticket to Europe when booking via Virgin Atlantic:

Ultimately, if you’re looking to fly business class, travel rewards are your best option for affording a seat for a fraction of the price. While there are some other great business-class seats out there — British Airways Club Suite, Etihad Studio, United Polaris and others — these are some of our favorites. Many of these business-class products cost thousands of dollars to fly, but by using your rewards points and miles, you can fly at the front of the plane almost for free.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.