LIFESTYLE | BUSINESS TRAVEL
Flying first class was once one of life ’ s true definitions of luxury . Whether travelling for business or pleasure , passengers could sit back ( or lay down , for that matter ) and relax in private , comfortable surroundings , knowing for certain they would be receiving the very highest level of service as they cruised over the Atlantic from New York to London .
That ’ s not to say first class no longer retains its supreme standards – far from it , in fact . Airlines have continued to up the ante , raising the stakes in their never-ending battle to offer the ultimate experience at 35,000 feet . Plush double beds and the very finest food and drink money can buy , not to mention an overwhelming feeling of exclusivity , go a long way towards achieving this insurmountable goal .
However , there can be little doubt that , during the past couple of decades , first-class travel has progressively been disappearing from the long-haul market .
A significant moment for the industry came in 2022 , when American Airlines announced it was scrapping first-class seats on international flights , becoming the last of the big three US carriers to do so . United Airlines had already phased out long-haul first class in the mid-2010s and Delta did the same several years prior .
At the time , CCO Vasu Raju said demand was plummeting , adding : “ First class will
American Airlines Business Class
not exist on the 777 , or for that matter at American Airlines , for the simple reason that our customers aren ’ t buying it .”
Figures show Delta and United have actually been dropping their own first-class capacity for about 15 years while , across the pond , American Airlines partner carrier British Airways has joined the crowd and even abolished it when ordering new aircraft .
Elsewhere , Air New Zealand , South African Airways , Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways are among scores of companies to
88 September 2023