Travel on first class On long distance flights, with a glass of champagne in hand, it is a dream that gradually becomes rare. Companies like American Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines have been decreeing the end of this premium experience on international flights.
In the constant search for maximizing profits, these companies came to see the executive class – with increasingly sophisticated seats – like the future, making the first class unnecessary.
“We will not have first international class at American Airlines, simply because our customers are not buying,” Vasu Raja, former recipe director of the company, told CNN in 2022.
But not all think so. Some companies, such as Air France, Emirates and Lufthansa, are making the opposite movement: reinforcing their bets in the first class and improving their services to meet passengers willing to pay for a personalized luxury experience.
“First class is still extremely important for us,” Tim Clark, president of Emirates, told Skift in 2023.
In March, Air France and Lufthansa presented the new versions of their most exclusive products. Air France bets on a complete luxury experience that the CEO of the Air France-KLM group, Ben Smith he described as “as close as possible to a particular jet.”
The new La Première suite includes exclusive service at the company’s main airport in Paris, as well as an elegant and tailored service on board. The novelty will debut on flights to JFK, in New Yorkthis spring. In total, 19 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be equipped with the product.
Lufthansa’s new first class Allegris focuses on privacy and, according to the company’s director of customer experience, Heiko Reitz, “individuality”. Passengers can control everything – from the seat position to temperature and air flow – to the touch of a button.
“We wanted to create a refuge above the clouds,” Reitz said during a presentation. “This space is not a seat, it is a living room – an environment where you feel comfortable and welcomed.”
The premium trips boom
Companies invest heavily in the premium classes for a clear reason: even representing only 3% of passengers, Executive and first class booths generate about 15% of total revenue according to IATA (International Air Transport Association).
This segment has grown rapidly. IATA data show that between January 2023 and May 2024, the number of premium travelers increased almost double compared to those of the economy class.
This growth drives a wave of new investments. The Allegris project represents an investment of € 2.5 billion (about R $ 16.6 billion) over several years to Lufthansa. Partner Swiss will also receive her version of Allegris later this year.
Emirates is also investing billions in its cabins, including the renewal of the first class. Other companies, such as Air France and the American Airlines itself, are allocating millions (unclogged values) to improve their premium products.
“People are in the mood to travel – and willing to pay more for a premium experience,” said Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines at Allegris’s presentation event.
Still, the first class remains an exclusive space, frequented mainly by high -purchasing leisure travelers or people who use miles for a luxury trip. Corporate policies generally limit employees to the business class on long flights.
But even less, these passengers are willing to pay dearly, and the airlines respond to it.
“First class remains a space where companies can dare and create unique experiences,” says Seth Miller editor of Paxex.aero website, specializing in aviation.
According to him, Allegris stands out from competition with resources such as “Suite Plus”, a suite for two people located in the center of the cabin.
Pampering on board
When boarding one of Lufthansa A350 Airbus A350 equipped with Allegris First Class, the passenger finds an almost private environment on the front of the plane. There are four seats distributed in three suites – with the middle being the suite plus – with walls almost to the ceiling, in a finish that mimics wood, offering a lot of privacy.
The suites have shades of navy and beige, with a small vessel and red flower that soften the most sober environment.
Privacy – or exclusivity – “on a new level”, as Heiko defines. For those who want even more, there are navy curtains that completely isolate the space.
Each suite has up to 43 inches entertainment screen, a table that resembles a dining room, wardrobe and hand luggage compartment.
In addition, they also offer iPad environment control, bluetooth noise cancellation headphones, Porsche Design, Rimowa and Sinn Amenities kits and Van Lack pajamas for long flights.
On the menu, options such as entry sushi, cooked veal or Lucio’s fillet. And yes, there is champagne!
Allegris’s onboard service (so -called Soft Product), for now, remains similar to the current one. This is because Lufthansa is preparing a complete reformulation in celebration of its centenary in 2026.
“We are rethinking the whole service – from economy to first class – including dishes, cutlery, pillows, blankets, amenity kits, entertainment system … Everything,” said Heiko.
Asked why not yet implement the changes, he explained that part of the decision has to do with the centenary celebration, but also with the idea of waiting until a significant number of aircraft is equipped with Allegris.
Lufthansa estimates that 30% of its long -distance fleet will have Allegris by 2026. This includes new A350s, Boeing 787s and, with luck, the delayed Boeing 777X. Of the 19 Boeing 747-8, many will receive the new cabins on the main deck later this summer, while the top deck will keep the current executive class.
Already part of the Airbus A380 of the company will undergo modernization from next year. Older models, such as the Airbus A340 and Boeing 747-400, are being retired and will not receive the new cabin.
For now, Allegris is present at just eight A350 – a number that should go to ten to summer – on routes from Munich to five cities: Bengaluru, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco and Shanghai. Soon, the flights to Charlotte and Newark will also have the new product.
Delays in aircraft, seat delays
Supply chain problems, which affect industry from pandemic, have been postponing the premium booth modernization plans.
“The problems are still the seats,” said Kelly Ortberg, CEO of Boeing in February. “It’s not the production itself, but the certification. And the problem is not even the seat itself, but the compartments and doors of the first and executive booths, which are very complex systems.”
American Airlines and Lufthansa are among companies that continue to operate with old premium products while waiting for new seats. The newbie Riyadh Air of Saudi Arabia even postponed its launch due to the delay in the delivery of the aircraft.
Lufthansa, for example, has about 15 Boeing 787 parked at the Boeing factory in South Carolina, awaiting certification, according to Jens Ritter. He expects these deliveries to start in summer, allowing the expansion of routes with Allegris.
These were not the only setbacks. Allegris should have debuted in the brand new Boeing 777x in 2020, but the model suffered successive delays and perhaps only arrived in 2026.
Some of these delays, however, are the responsibility of Lufthansa herself. Product installation – with its walls to the ceiling and custom features – requires specific procedures on each plane model. And all projects need to approve the regulatory authorities to ensure security.
Still, experts say the investment is worth competing for high standard passengers.
“If Lufthansa did not invest in the first long -distance class, it would end up losing part of its more valuable customers to other companies,” said Henry Harteldt, an air industry analyst and president of atmosphere Research.
Without a new product, Lufthansa and others would have to resort to discounts to fill first -class booths – something that, he said, is not ideal.
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Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
