I've flown business class on dozens of airlines. The seat I used to avoid is now my favorite as a parent.

I used to go for pod-style suites when flying business class, but as a parent, I now prefer older configurations.

Bloomberg

After nearly a decade of flying in premium cabins, I thought I had business-class travel figured out. Then I became a dad.Over the past 18 months, my wife and I have traveled extensively with our son from our home on Vancouver Island, Canada, taking advantage of policies that let children under two fly free or at a steep discount.It's been a major shift from my more than a decade of flying solo. Back then, I cared most about things like direct aisle access, uninterrupted sleep, and working my way through elaborate onboard menus.But after countless hours of family time at 35,000 feet, my priorities have flipped. The private suite-style pods I once sought out are no longer my favorite — the older seats I used to avoid are.What those older cabins lack in privacy, they more than make up for in floor space, wider beds, and the ease of entertaining my son during long flights.So far, he's joined us on 29 flights to nine countries, including France, Georgia, Australia, and Japan. We exclusively use points for long-haul business class tickets, which means we pay a fraction of what can easily run $5,000 to $10,000 per seat.Cabin layout matters more than the seat itselfAs a family, we've flown business class on Air Canada, LOT Polish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Japan Airlines, and one thing has consistently defined the experience: the cabin layout.