Summary

  • Throne seats offer passengers traveling alone a spacious and private experience in the premium cabin, with extra table space, aisle access, and a window view.
  • Swiss, JetBlue, Finnair, TAP Air Portugal, Malaysia Airlines, and Singapore Airlines all offer throne seats in their business class cabins.
  • While throne seats often come at an additional cost, they can sometimes be selected for free close to departure if not pre-booked, making them a sought-after option for savvy travelers.

Flying upfront in a premium cabin is usually a great experience, and selecting the right seat can make the experience even better. Couples may prefer seats together, and many travelers have a preference for the window. However, passengers traveling alone can get much more space with a so-called 'throne seat' on some airlines.

What is a throne seat?

We're referring to a premium cabin seat (usually business class) in a row of just one. Unlike single seats by the window in a 1-2-1 configuration, which is relatively common with many airlines these days, throne seats are typically found in alternating rows of two and one seat. This layout gives impressive amounts of space on either side of the seat - usually with private tables on each side - creating a throne effect.

A passeneger sleeping in a business class throne seat.
Photo: Nina Lishchuk | Shutterstock

Such seating configurations have come about as business class has gradually improved over the years. The concept of business class as a separate cabin with improvements over economy came about in the late 1970s and early 1980s - Qantas was first, with airlines including British Airways, Pan Am, and TWA following soon after.

British Airways would change the business class game for good when it introduced the first fully flat bed in 2000 - since then, this has become the standard of most airlines for long-haul flying. We continue to see airlines introducing new concepts to differentiate and improve the cabins.

An aerial view of a business class cabin with throne seats.
Photo: Thomson Aero Seating

Throne seats are one of these developments, along with a shift to suites and privacy from some airlines. Many passengers look to snag a throne seat as they offer plenty of perks over regular seats - this usually includes additional table space, as well as having both aisle access and a window view. Several airlines have such throne seats, but not always on all their business-equipped aircraft. The following is a selection of the best available.

SWISS - on all widebody aircraft

Swiss was perhaps the first airline to introduce the throne seat, and it has certainly become widespread and popular. Throne seats appear in business class on all its widebody aircraft (B777, A330, A340).

A SWISS Boeing 777-300ER taking off.
Photo: Robert Buchel | Shutterstock

The Boeing 777 is the primary widebody aircraft for the airline, and all 12 examples are configured the same. Business class is arranged five across in an alternating 1-2-2 and 2-2-1 configuration. This gives one throne seat per row - and 12 seats out of a cabin of 62. The A340 and A330 have similar layouts and proportions of throne seats.

The popularity of the seats has one drawback - the airline charges extra for them. However, they are available to select for free close to departure if not pre-booked.

JetBlue - Mint cabin 1.0

US airline JetBlue's Mint business class product has proven a hit with travelers after the first Mint product launched on the airline's A321 aircraft in 2014. The seats are based on the Vantage XL seat but are heavily modified - this features a business cabin with 16 seats, with three rows arranged as 2-2 and two rows as 1-1. These four single seats are like small suites, with the extra space on either side qualifying them as a throne.

JJetBlue then launched a new and improved Mint product featuring 1-1 suite-like seats with privacy doors, doing away with the former throne seat configuration. The airline's upcoming A321XLR aircraft will also have similar Mint seating with no throne seats.

Finnair - on the A330-300

Finnair has a mixed selection of business class cabins among its aircraft. While its newer A350 cabins feature Zodiac Cirrus III seats arranged 1-2-1 - the A330-300s have a different seat and layout. There are still eight A330s in Finnair's fleet, giving passengers a chance to snag a throne seat on a long-haul trip with the Finnish carrier.

Business class on the carrier's A330 is arranged in alternating rows of 2-2-1 and 1-2-1. The 'L' seats on the right-hand side are standard single seats, but the single 'A' seats on the left are throne seats with extra space due to the two seats in front and behind. Depending on the configuration, there are only three or five of these seats.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

TAP Air Portugal - A321LR and A330-200

TAP Air Portugal is another airline operating quite a variety of business cabins. One of these configurations is found on the A330-200 and has throne seats. It uses the Thompson Aero Vantage seat, with alternating rows of two and one seat on the right-hand side. Just two seats are throne-style.

TAP's newer Airbus A321LRs also feature throne seats in its 16-pax business class. There are just four such seats available per flight.

Malaysia Airlines - on the A350

Malaysia's Airbus A350-900 fleet features a staggered configuration on the right-hand side of the business cabin, meaning five throne seats are up for grabs.

A Malaysia Airlines Business Class Throne Seat.
Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

Simple Flying had the opportunity to review MH's long-haul business cabin earlier this year on its service between London and Kuala Lumpur and was lucky enough to get a throne seat. As to be expected, the seat offered a vast amount of table and storage space, as well as a greater sense of privacy.

Singapore Airlines - on the Boeing 737 MAX

In November 2021, Singapore Airlines unveiled a new business cabin onboard its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets, featuring lie-flat beds, amongst other perks.

A Singapore Airlines Boeing 737 MAX Business Class throne seat.
Photo: Singapore Airlines

The front cabin features ten seats in a 2-1-2 configuration, meaning two throne seats are sandwiched between the double-seat rows. SQ's 737 MAX 8 fleet offers passengers a rare chance to enjoy a throne seat on a regional route, as almost all examples are found on long-haul aircraft.

What other airlines offer throne seats that you know of? Which airlines have you flown with in a throne seat? Feel free to share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.