The best flight routes and seats from Australia to the US, including Qantas and United Airlines

1. United Airlines Polaris Business Class offers the most generous ride in terms of space, with a seat measuring approximately 56cm wide and 198cm long when fully flat. Polaris is easy to use and gets the job done. The bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue is also a nice touch.
2. the Qantas The 787-9, which flies direct from Auckland to New York and has comfortable seats designed by David Cowen, is also a great choice for the pointy traveler. Just let's hope you don't want Wi-Fi. (Qantas swears it's coming.)
3. Packing American Airlines is also a favorite Australian pastime Delta It is also the main target. But many corporate types are pricing Delta One business class suites on Delta A350s, not least because this type of aircraft has an average age of just five years — much younger than Delta's overall fleet. Delta also offers great connectivity for domestic flights across the US once you get there. The seats are so incredibly narrow at 52cm wide – compared to 55.9cm on the Air New Zealand 787-9 – that passengers complain they feel cramped. But we give Delta a bronze because of the more accommodating cabin configuration that offers more privacy than the old, awkward angle of the seats on Air New Zealand, which results in many passengers facing each other across the aisle.

The distinguished economy of the United States

1. Qantas Gold takes a very generous seat specification. On the A380, the seat is 49.5 cm wide, with a recline of 24.1 cm, and a pitch of 106.7 cm (the distance is the distance from the back of the seat to the seat in front). On the 787-9 Dreamliner, the seat is 52.1 cm wide, with a tilt of 24.1 cm, and a pitch of 96.5 cm. Many airline executives say premium economy is the most competitive cabin over the next few years. Qantas is betting big with its king-sized seats. Then again, the question when flying premium economy on a long-haul direct flight is: Can you land feeling vaguely functional after sitting upright for the 16 hours and 15 minutes it takes to fly from Auckland to New York City?
2. Air New Zealand It comes in second place with the next most generous recline at 22cm. Seat width is 49 cm and court area is 104 cm.
3. Delta Airlines The seat is 47cm wide, with a tilt of 18cm and a pitch of 97cm. You may want to skip the dessert sundae or this chair may become a great fit.

Thanks to our travel experts who helped prepare this guide, Anna Burgdorf and her team at Travel Associates; Chairman of Flight Center Travel Group Graham 'Skroo' Turner, as well as Haydn Long and Grant Payne; Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler; Fiona Dalton of Virtuoso and James and Hayley Baillie of Baillie Lodges.