Although private "suites" are now offered by most modern, long haul airlines in business & first class, older planes in the fleets still have side by side seating like this. The center arm rest here is shared. Most people, paying the high ticket price, prefer individual pods. Unfortunately, unless your travel dates are flexible enough to pick & chose which plane is available on a specific airline and a specific route on a specific date, this isn't always possible. The flat beds on the duel seating are as comfortable as with the pods. But unless you are traveling with a family member, you are still sleeping very close to a stranger. Another negative is that water bottles on the center console can easily get confused as to which bottle belongs to which passenger. Not good when you're sitting with a stranger.