What is a business class suite?

A business class seat with a door or high walls that close it off from the aisle, for more privacy.

Business class suite, explained

Many newer business class seats come with a sliding door or partition. Airlines market them under their own names, and the seat inside is a lie-flat seat with direct aisle access.

Not every aircraft of an airline has its newest seat. The aircraft type and the airline's seat map show which seat a flight has.

A door adds privacy rather than space: the seat inside can be the same size as one without a door. Doors usually stay open for taxi, takeoff and landing and can be closed in flight. They are most common on each airline's newest long-haul aircraft, so the aircraft on a given flight decides whether you get one.

On a business class trip

Two airlines flying the same route can both sell business class, one with a door and one without; the seat is part of the comparison.

Related terms

Lie-flat seat
A business class seat that turns into a fully flat bed, 180 degrees, so you can sleep lying down on a night flight.
Direct aisle access
A seat layout where every business class seat opens onto the aisle, so no one climbs over a neighbor.
First class
The cabin above business class on some long-haul flights: fewer seats, more space and more service. Many airlines no longer offer it.
Widebody aircraft
A plane with two aisles, such as the Boeing 777 and 787 or the Airbus A350 and A380. Most long-haul business class cabins are on widebodies.
Angled lie-flat seat
A seat that reclines to a long flat surface tilted at an angle, not level, so you tend to slide down it while sleeping.