Business & First Class flights to Asia

Asia is where premium cabins earn their keep. The shortest crossing — Los Angeles or San Francisco to Tokyo — is 10½ to 11 hours. Seoul and Taipei are 12–13. Hong Kong and Bangkok run 14–17 hours from the West Coast, and the nonstops from New York and Newark to Singapore, at 18 hours or more, are among the longest flights operated anywhere. The difference between a flat bed with a duvet and an economy seat on these routes is the difference between arriving on day one and arriving on day three.

Airlines and cabins. The carriers here are the reason people fall in love with business class. ANA (The Room, a business seat as wide as many First cabins) and Japan Airlines (new A350-1000 suites on New York–Tokyo) both fly First and Business from the US. Singapore Airlines operates the ultra-long nonstops from New York, Newark, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cathay Pacific flies First and Business to Hong Kong from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the new Aria Suite rolling out. Korean Air serves Seoul from a dozen US cities. EVA Air and Starlux compete on Taipei; Air India's new A350s fly nonstop to Delhi and Mumbai; Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Philippine Airlines connect Southeast Asia. United and Delta fly Polaris and Delta One from their West Coast hubs, and American from Dallas and Los Angeles. For Bali, the Maldives, India and much of Southeast Asia, a one-stop on Emirates, Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines is often the best cabin and the best price.

First Class. ANA and JAL both fly First Class from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Tokyo. Cathay Pacific flies First from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Korean Air offers First on selected routes. Singapore Airlines' Suites fly on its A380, which reaches the US via Frankfurt on the New York route, not on the nonstops. Emirates and Qatar Airways add Gulf-routed First and Qsuite options to India, the Maldives and Southeast Asia.

When to go, when to book. Japan has two peaks: cherry blossom (late March–mid April) and autumn color (November), plus Golden Week (late April–early May) when domestic travel fills every seat — book Japan three to six months ahead for spring. Lunar New Year (late January–February) tightens fares across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam. Bali's dry season is May–September; the Maldives' is November–April; India is best October–March. The cheapest months across most of the region are September, and mid-January through February outside Lunar New Year.

Gateways. San Francisco and Los Angeles have the most nonstops and the shortest flight times. Seattle serves Tokyo and Seoul nonstop. New York and Newark fly nonstop to Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Delhi and Mumbai, and Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Boston and Atlanta each have direct service to at least one Asian hub. From the East Coast to Southeast Asia, expect one stop — the question is whether it is in Tokyo, Doha or Dubai, and we will price all three.