Tag Archives for first class.
SWISS is introducing two distinct, fully enclosed First Class suites – rolling out first on the Boston – Zurich route at the start of 2026, and already bookable.
American has become very aggressive in making upgrade offers, especially on flights that don’t appear to be selling in domestic first class. But it’s not just buy ups where American has gone down market. Looking for a one-way trip from Washington DC to Austin that I need in the coming weeks, the first 9 options all had first class just $100 more than coach.
While many airlines walk away from true first class, some – like Air France, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines – lean into it. The same is true for Emirates. The market for spending far more than business class isn’t a large one, but it’s lucrative.
Delta Air Lines says they see weak demand for coach travel right now, but no decline in premium cabin demand. Their executives believe that once passengers fly first and business class, they’ll do anything possible not to go back.
An American Airlines first class passenger was the only one not to get a meal on their flight, and she’s taken to social media saying it’s because she’s Black.
Emirates has one of the world’s best first class products. However booking these awards has become very challenging. A new restriction goes into place Monday, but there are three workarounds.
First class cabins are shrinking around the world, even as airlines add more premium seats to planes. Business class has gotten better. But the traditional narrative about the end of the first class is wrong, and not just for airlines like Air France that remain committed to the product. In fact, Air France is among the smaller players with first class, dwarfed not just by Emirates but even by Lufthansa and BA.
Cheap ‘first class buy ups’ can be a great deal even as they make elite status so much less valuable. I recently purchased a couple of them and it caused me to refresh my thinking around how much I’m willing to pay.
Is it time to eliminate hot nuts in first class? They’re boring and they do not distinguish the product. It’s like airlines aren’t even trying. And that’s why coming up with a replacement seems like a real opportunity to wow customers with something different.
There won’t be doors. Instead, like the current seat, there’s a privacy curtain for the seat. What’s nice is that the center seats feature a “full-height, electric sliding partition” for total separation or allow passengers to more fully travel together.
They’ve removed overhead bins from the cabin – something other carriers do in first class, as well, to create a more spacious feel. For storage there’s a sliding drawer that holds carry-ons, a drawer for footwear, and a compartment for personal items and a wardrobe.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
