Splitting the Adriatic coastline from thirty thousand feet never gets old, and getting there in comfort requires a bit of routing savvy since there's no nonstop option between Colorado and Croatia. There is no direct business class from Denver to Split, so the smartest itineraries connect through United's hub network into a European gateway before Croatia Airlines (OU) picks up the final leg into SPU, or you route via a major East Coast or European hub on American Airlines. My preferred build is United out of DEN in Polaris business — a lie-flat seat with direct aisle access on widebody aircraft — connecting through Newark or Chicago to a European hub, then transferring to a Croatia Airlines regional jet for the last hop; that final segment is short and typically operated with a recliner-style business cabin rather than a true flatbed, so treat it as a shuttle rather than the main event of your trip.
American Airlines routings work similarly, funneling through their Philadelphia or Charlotte hub with Flagship Business (on 777 or 787 aircraft) before a European interline connection down to Split. The key insider tip here: book the transatlantic long-haul segment as the priority for comfort and points value, and treat the Croatia Airlines connector as a formality — don't expect lounge access or elaborate catering on that short hop, but do request an aisle seat since the regional cabins are narrow-body configured. Split's airport is compact and efficient, so arrival logistics are painless even after a long journey; just budget extra connection time if you're routing through a hub during peak summer congestion.
April, May, September, and October are the sweet spots for this itinerary, both for weather along the Dalmatian coast and for award/premium fare availability, since summer sees leisure demand spike and business seats vanish fast. Given the multi-carrier complexity of this routing, fares and award space shift often — setting up fare alerts for the Denver-Split corridor is the easiest way to catch a business class release the moment it opens up.