For this week’s Face-off, we’re going to look at the mighty Middle East 3 (ME3) first class products, specifically the seats. When it comes to bling, the ME3 all bring it, featuring insanely ornate and fancy seats in first class. This will be an interesting face-off, because how do you compare amazing, industry-setting, over-the-top suites? Can you find reviews which actually don’t like these products? We’ll find out when we look at who has the best first class seat — Emirates, Etihad, or Qatar?
As a reminder, Premium Travel Insider aggregates reviews from around the web and scores them on a 1-3 scale. A 3 indicates that a given category exceeded reviewer expectations, a 2 indicates it met expectations, and a 1 failed to meet expectations. We evaluate a variety of categories, the most important of which we call the “Big 5” that are most important to a premium travel experience: seat, food, drink, service, and in flight entertainment. You can learn more about our methodology here.
Top Line Scoring of the Best First Class Seat
| Airline | Number of Reviews | Aggregated Seat Score |
| Emirates | 13 | 3/3 (Perfect) |
| Etihad | 15 | 2.93/3 (Superb) |
| Qatar | 10 | 2.70/3 (Excellent) |
By the numbers, Emirates is our winner, scoring a shockingly perfect 3/3 — meaning that all 13 of the reviews raved over the seats. Etihad was right behind with a score of 2.93/3, brought down from perfection from a very honest review from Matthew of Live and Let’s Fly that talks about some of the Etihad apartment’s shortcomings. We’ll get into that below, but kudos to Matthew for pointing out flaws in the product. Qatar trails in third, brought down by the fact that its first class product, while very comfortable, is not a true suite, and in some ways lags its own business class product! But let’s dive into the details for the best first class seat – Emirates, Etihad or Qatar – and see the best and worst reviews for each.
Emirates First Class Seat – Best and Worst
Emirates – The Best
Emirates scored a perfect 3/3, so you know you’re going to be rolling in ultimate luxury. Let’s see what the bloggers had to say about their experiences!
The Luxury Travel Expert, in his 777-300ER suite experience from Dubai to Brussels, noted: “The suites are so large that they have ample space to change in the privacy of your suite, even after the bed has been made.”
Nick Ellis of The Points Guy, flying from New York to Dubai in the “old” suites on the A380, said: “When it was fully flat, the bed measured in at just about 6 feet, 7 inches — more than enough space for me, at 5 feet, 10 inches, and just enough for TPG, who stands 6 feet, 7 inches. There were absolutely no concerns with cramped footwells here — I was able to spread out and toss and turn as much as I pleased.”
Emirates – The worst
There was no “worst” for Emirates… only perfection.
Etihad First Class Seat – Best and Worst
Etihad- The Best
Etihad came in second – barely – to Emirates, due to one review. However, the review had excellent points, which we’ll get to in a moment. When you’re flying first class on the ME3, you expect perfection.
Michele from Turning Left for Less, on her trip from Dubai to London, had this to say: “The apartment had the ‘wow’ factor in buckets when I walked in. At 45 sq feet, this is some big space to have to yourself! … The bed was one of the largest I have seen on board an aircraft with the exception of Etihad’s The Residence. It easily slid out into almost a single bed size sleeping area at 6-feet, 10-inches long.”
Zach Honig of The Points Guy, traveling from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, had a great take: ” I had spent plenty of time looking at marketing photos and reading trip reports during the weeks leading up to the flight, but photography really doesn’t do this suite justice. It’s far roomier than anything I’d previously experienced on an airplane, with meticulous attention to detail. The design is fantastic.”
Etihad – The Worst
There’s not really a “worst” for Etihad, but Matthew at Live and Let’s Fly – one of my favorite bloggers because of his perspectives on what first class should be – pointed out some flaws that other reviewers either didn’t see or overlooked. Either way, I find his take interesting because when something comes up all perfect, I’m always suspicious. Kudos to him for giving his honest take.
Matthew of Live and Let’s Fly, traveling from London to Abu Dhabi, had the following critiques: “The suite itself is among the most spacious and private first class suites in the air, though it is actually not one of my favorites….I found the C and H seats to be mildly annoying because the seat is so far from the window….While there is plenty of legroom, I did not find the bed all that comfortable and found the lack of personal storage space a bit annoying. I was traveling with my Rimowa cabin rollerboard and it did not fit in the storage compartment under the bench/bed”
Qatar First Class Seats – Best and Worst
Qatar – The Best
While Qatar finished “last” – in this clash of titans, last place still puts you ahead of most other products. The Qatar first class product has several things going for it.
The Luxury Travel Expert, traveling from Doha to Paris, had several positive things to say about the seat: “The seat is extremely comfortable and has very generous dimensions, with a width of 23 inches (59 cm) and a length of 83 inches (210 cm). In front of the seat, there is a large ottoman, a large TV screen, and a design lamp. The ottoman has some storage space underneath, and can be used an extra seat when you want to dine with a companion….In fact, this was the best bed I’ve ever slept in at 40,000 feet. The Qatar Airways cabin crew told me it’s the largest bed in the skies. Not sure whether that is correct, but it felt very spacious indeed.”
Keith of Point Hacks, traveling from Sydney to Doha, praised the seat’s comfort and size: “The seat is, as you’d expect, massive – but fairly open to the cabin around you….The seat converts into an 81-inch-long bed….It was exceptionally comfortable.”
Qatar – The Worst
Again, when it comes to the luxury airlines, there’s not really a “worst” – but rather a “not as good.” Many reviewers, perhaps missing the suites of Etihad and Emirates, were less impressed with the Qatar seats. Let’s see what they had to say.
Greg Stone of Upgraded Points, flying from Sydney to Doha, critiqued the seat: “The hard first class product isn’t competitive: the seat offers limited privacy and storage.”
Ben of One Mile at a Time, going from Doha to London, had this to say: “The cabin has a total of eight seats spread across two rows. I tend to think the cabin is quite sleek, though at the same time it’s really not competitive with what’s offered by Emirates and Etihad in terms of privacy. Then again, the longest route on which Qatar operates the A380 is about seven hours, so perhaps they feel that’s not needed….However, I find the first class cabin to be rather underwhelming compared to the offerings of Emirates and Etihad.”
Conclusion: Best First Class Seat – Emirates, Etihad or Qatar
First, let’s keep it real. This is a #firstworldproblems face-off. That said – if you’re in a position to be shelling out for first class on the ME3 – whether with cash or miles – you want to get your money’s worth. The good news is, you’re not going to pick a BAD seat. But there are definite winners and losers – so do your research! And the seat is just a small part of the story – make sure to check out our full aggregated reviews for the entire ME3 first class experience:
Not happy with those carriers? Check out all of our first class reviews to find a carrier more to your liking. Or perhaps you’d like to save some money and downgrade to business class? No matter how you fly, Premium Travel Insider has you covered.