Flying economy class for business purposes can be quite an ordeal, particularly when flying long-haul. It isn't just the fact that you're usually stuck in a seat that isn't exactly roomy. The food that is served sometimes leaves something to be desired and, on the more crowded planes, your ears ring to the sound of wailing children and scolding parents for most of the flight.

You arrive at your destination bedraggled, tired and very probably short tempered or grumpy. Not the best way to land in a city where you hope to do business.

Why more and more companies see the benefits of flying their executive and business development people Business Class:

Space to stretch - or even to just sit in a normal position - is often at a premium in economy class. Let's take as an example the seating on the Boeing 747s. As these planes are mostly used for long-haul flights, seat space should probably be studied before booking a ticket.

According to the SeatGuru website , the average amount of room between your Qantas 747-400 economy seat and the one in front of you - known as seat pitch - stands at 31 inches, which is barely enough room to stand in, never mind bend your legs so you can perch on the seat. Qantas business class pitch is 60 inches.

Differences in seat width are also notable, although not quite to the same extent. Economy flyers get 17.2 inches of space to squeeze into, while those in business class get 21.5 inches. In addition, while the close quarters of economy class mean that it is impossible to fully recline your seat without hitting someone on the head, these days most business class cabins include seats that can comfortably go fully flat as standard. The Qantas ‘Skybed' is an example. These seats also offer you more room to work on your laptop or read documents with some form of privacy.

Outside of your immediate vicinity, there is also generally more room to walk about in as the aisles tend to be wider than those in economy and less risk of whacking your head on the underside of low-slung baggage compartments.

Business class toilets have less people utilising them so therefore are more pleasant to use, especially for female travellers, plus there are hardly ever any queues!

Other Additional Benefits apart from Comfort....

1. Many airlines allow business class passengers to carry more luggage in terms of weight than economy passengers, sometimes 10-20kg more. So if you need to carry brochures, samples etc this is a real bonus. 
2. Access to the airline's exclusive lounges that offer respite form a busy airport and often have a business centre with internet, faxes and printers for no extra charge. 
3. Being in business class means you can board the plane last and leave first with your luggage receiving priority when coming off the plane. This means you get to your meeting or hotel quicker and can recover from a long haul flight faster. Many also have meeting facilities so you can use them rather than a hotel meeting room. 
4. Business class passengers can often receive ‘fast track' immigration benefits which mean they have their own passport/security lane and therefore get through the process much quicker. A real bonus at airports like Heathrow, Bangkok and Dubai. 
5. You can network with your fellow passengers. Most company executives fly business class and it is often the case that business cards are swapped and even deals are done at 35000ft! 
6. Because you are better rested you arrive in better shape to do business and be more effective for your company. 
7. Flying economy may mean booking into a hotel for one or two nights prior to your meeting so you can recover and be effective for your company. 
8. Your executives lose productivity efficiencies if they need to rest more to recover from a long haul flight. 
9. Sending your staff all over the world in economy is not showing that you value them. These days in Australia staff retention is a priority for many companies and high achieving executives are hard to find. Better to treat them with respect and spend a little more on their travel then lose them through being less aware of their needs.
10. Flying your executives business sends a message to your customers - ‘we value our staff and respect their need for comfort and rest to do business effectively' - good PR. 
11. Business class qualifies for more frequent flyer points. So you can accumulate enough for another business trip - saves the company paying for a fare. 
12. Some airlines offer free transfers fort arrival and departure (eg Emirates), another cost saving on taxi fares etc.