Tips on plane travel: Where the best seats in business class are

It's all sweetness and light when your boarding pass says "business class", right? At least on a long-haul international flight. But not all business classes are created equal. If you want to make your business class flight as good as it can possibly be, choosing a top-flight airline is a no-brainer. However, aircraft type and seat choice also feed into the mix.

For example, aboard the triple-class A380 that Emirates operates to Australia, 7A could be the sweet spot – or not. At the front of the main business class cabin on the upper deck, this seat has even more footwell space than most in business class, since there's no seat in front. This seat also has a wider aisle beside it and the only traffic will come from the galley in front.

See: Airline review: Emirates A380 business class

Seat 7K opposite is a possible hot contender but there's a toilet in front of it, and thus more commotion. However, both seats in row seven involve a gamble. The bulkhead seats in the row in front, 6D and 6G, come with a bassinet fitting. Score an unruly infant and you could wish you were elsewhere, and for that reason alone I'd be looking further back in the cabin.

Behind the main business cabin on the upper deck of this Emirates A380 is a smaller business-class cabin with just five rows, numbered 22 to 26. Seats 22D and 22G at the front have more leg room and this is a low traffic zone. There are bassinet fittings on the bulkhead in front but for a couple, this would be a premier position. This mini cabin could also be a good choice if you're looking to socialise since the bar is right behind, but seats in row 26 might be a little too close to the drinks for comfort if you're looking for a quiet flight.

Aircraft type matters, and the A380 is the aircraft of choice for long-distance business flyers, prized for its quiet, smooth ride, roomy cabin and separate business-class deck. Upper deck window seats on the A380 come with extra storage thanks to the big side bins. New aircraft are more likely to have the latest seats and inflight entertainment systems, which puts the Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the winner's circle.

Although different airlines might operate the same aircraft type, there is no guarantee their seat arrangement is going to be the same.