LIFESTYLE | BUSINESS TRAVEL
The evolution of corporate travel policies at large companies is one of the main reasons for the decline of international first-class travel
Vik Krishnan Partner and Leader of the Travel and Aviation Practice at McKinsey & Co
have ditched the service , with the latter ’ s Group CEO , Akbar Al Baker , stating in June that it made little financial sense .
The sophisticated evolution of business class When considering the decline of first-class international travel , it ’ s difficult to look past the extraordinary evolution of airlines ’ other premium offerings .
Vik Krishnan Partner and Leader of the Travel and Aviation Practice at McKinsey & Co
It could be argued that BA ’ s gamechanging introduction of lie-flat seating in business class at the turn of the millennium represented the very first nail in the coffin for the first class section which , it must be emphasised , has not been covered in soil and buried just yet .
But , take into account numerous additional improvements made over the ensuing quarter of a century , and the modern-day business class offering resembles something similar to our traditional idea of first class , while premium economy looks more like the old business class .
“ Fully lie-flat seats were considered innovative in the 2000s and are now table stakes for a business-class product ,” says Vik Krishnan , Partner and Leader of the Travel and Aviation Practice at McKinsey & Co .
“ The next evolution in business class in the late 2010s saw privacy dividers and 100 % aisle access from every seat – no more climbing over someone to go to the bathroom .”