Summary Over the past few years, airlines have accelerated the removal of first class seats, opting to install more business class seats on their aircraft. Overall, there are more than 40% fewer first class annual scheduled seats in 2024 than in 2019. Still, some airlines have decided to reinvest in their first class cabins While first class has always been the peak of luxury onboard aircraft, over the past few years, airlines have begun phasing out their most luxurious travel class, opting to invest in their business class product.
For example, in the US, out of the big three, namely American Airlines , Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, only the former operates international first class flights outside the country and its territories, opting to deploy business class as the most luxurious option on their respective international routes. According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium , following the pandemic, airlines have removed a lot of annual first class seats. 2019 2024 Change Total yearly seats 5.
7 billion 5.9 billion 3.5% Yearly first class seats 21.
05 million 12.6 million -40.1% Closing the gap One of the reasons why airlines have been phasing out their first class product was that the quality gap between first and business class has narrowed.
With new seats, in-flight entertainment (IFE) technologies, and growing demand for travel, a business class product simply makes more sense. Especially considering that a first class seat was much larger than a business class seat, meaning that carriers could fit fewer premium-heavy spaces on their aircraft, an asset that already had a limited amount of real estate, to begin with. As such, as airlines continued developing their business class products, the need for first class seats has waned, at least in front of global carriers' eyes.
One such example could be United Airlines and its Polaris – business class – product, which the airline unveiled in June 2016. At the time, Oscar Munoz, the then-current chief executive officer (CEO) of United Airlines, stated that Polaris would change the game in international business travel, offering an exceptional level of relaxation and comfort for passengers. According to Munoz, the completely reconceived experience underpinned the new spirit of the airline, including innovation, excitement, and operational momentum.
The carrier, much like its closest competitors, including Delta Air Lines , have kept first class for domestic flights only. However, even American Airlines will phase out its international first class product, currently only available on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which would be phased out by its new Flagship Suites. Currently, its 777-300ERs have eight first class, 52 business, 28 premium economy, and 216 economy class seats.
When the airline announced the new Flagship Suites in September 2022 , it stated that its 777-300ERs would be retrofitted with 70 Flagship Suites and 44 premium economy seats without disclosing the remaining capacity of the aircraft. July 2024 July 2025 Change American Airlines first class scheduled seats 7,936 6,448 -18.8% The granted exemption followed the FAA's approval of American Airlines' Flagship Suite seats on its Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
U-turn of opinions However, not all airlines are moving away from first class cabins, with some even changing their opinions about their flagship products. In June 2023, Akbar Al Baker, the former CEO of Qatar Airways Group, told Bloomberg that investing in first class products could no longer be justified considering the airline's premier business class product, marketed as the 'QSuite.' At the time, Al Baker added that there was no necessity to do so, considering that its QSuites already gave all of the amenities that first class could provide to passengers.
Badr Mohammed Al-Meer replaced Al Baker as the CEO of Qatar Airways Group on November 5, 2023. Al-Meer, who introduced the carrier's new QSuites at this year's Farnborough International Airshow , told CNBC that the airline was developing a new first class concept. "We wanted to combine the experience of flying commercial and flying on a private jet and develop something new.
" However, Al-Meer emphasized that the airline would also introduce a newly designed QSuite, meaning that the new business class product, which was unveiled at the aforementioned industry event, was not Qatar Airways' new first class interiors. Qatar Airways is developing a new first class concept. Investing in first class Lufthansa, for example, chose to keep its first class seats as it has embarked to upgrade its long-haul cabins, now known as 'Allegris.
' "Lufthansa is expanding its premium First Class offering with the "Suite Plus," a separate double cabin with ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required." However, the introduction has not been entirely smooth. Supply chain-related issues had forced Lufthansa to send two, brand new Airbus A350-900s into the desert for storage upon delivery , while the first-ever A350-900 to receive 'Allegris' cabins had a decal on the wall that said that first class was still loading.
Nevertheless, Lufthansa's first commercial flight with the new cabins happened on May 1, with the airline's A350-900 departing Munich Airport (MUC) for Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The aircraft will serve both Vancouver and Toronto this summer as Lufthansa rolls out more new aircraft with upgraded cabins..
