Are first-class flights dying? Why airlines are increasingly choosing to replace high-end cabins

Whether you’re a frequent flyer in first class or it’s a distant dream, the experience may soon be coming to an end worldwide.

Oman Air has announced it’s doing away with first-class cabins once and for all, and instead opening up a new Business Studio cabin.

The move follows similar ones on the likes of Turkish Airlines and Air New Zealand.

Although based in Muscat, Oman Air will run many flights featuring the Business Studio in London, as well as Bangkok.

What is the appeal of removing first class from planes?

While the number of airlines getting rid of first class has grown lately, it’s actually been going on since 2000.

That year, as budget airlines cornered the cheaper end of the market, British Airways was the first to add lie-flat beds to its business class cabins. Soon, many rivals followed suit, which quickly devalued first-class offerings.

Since then, perks in business class have got better and that’s meant that the quality gap between first and business class has been narrowing.

While the name of Oman Air’s Business Studio suggests the new cabins might be replacing traditional business class, that’s actually not the case.

They will be in addition to existing business seats, despite being rather more expensive. They are, however, set to be slightly cheaper than first class seats, which could appeal to some looking for a high-end experience on a relative budget.

And it will certainly be luxurious, with each cabin boasting an 82-inch seat pitch, privacy walls as standard, a 23-inch personal screen and free Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as à la carte dining.

“In the eyes of most passengers today, the difference between first and business class is in name only,” Ben Mutzabaugh, senior aviation editor at The Points Guy, told Thrillist.

“Especially on long international flights, most of these cabins have seats that convert into lie-flat beds - some with sliding doors that turn the passengers’ space into a private pod. Whether you call it ‘first’ or ‘business,’ passengers on most big airlines will find these seats pretty posh.”

UK-based Virgin Atlantic recently launched a new Airbus A350 service, with significantly fewer business-class seats than on previous crafts. While it could be assumed that the airline is trying to get more people on each flight, which is how low-cost airlines are able to make a profit, they’ve taken a different approach to keep wealthy passengers happy.

Which airlines are bucking the trend and improving their first class offerings?

Virgin Atlantic, which calls its first class offering ‘upper class’, has made the most of the smaller amount of business class seats on its A350 by improving its top tier service.

It launched ‘The Booth’, a semi-private space with seating for just two people. Well-heeled passengers can enjoy a wine tasting experience, or a cognac tasting with chocolate pairings, as well as a private dinner, or ‘game time’, which is simply playing card games, but with Virgin Atlantic playing cards.

It’s not clear exactly how much this experience costs, as it can only be booked onboard but, given that return flights across the Atlantic can cost thousands, it’s not likely to be cheap.

‘The Booth’ is in addition to Virgin’s ‘The Bar’, on Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 services, and ‘The Loft’, on A330neo and selected Airbus A350 aircraft. While only available to those passengers travelling in ‘upper class’, they are less exclusive than ‘The Booth’, as everyone in the top cabin can make use of the spaces.

This focus on extra services for first class is certainly unusual in today’s aviation climate.

Which airlines still offer first class?

Most US carriers have already abandoned first-class seating over the previous decade but, at Virgin and in much of Europe, it’s another case altogether.

Today, there are only a handful of carriers maintaining both first and business class on long international routes, with Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France leading the pack.

While British Airways launched its fancy new first class suite on some of its Boeing 777 routes at the end of last year, Air France has chosen to invest even more in its most elite product.

The French airline’s new ‘La Première’ cabins are being sold as "the longest on the market” and they are certainly sizable.

Each individual suite features up to five windows as well as two TV screens and a wireless seat control tablet.

Passengers can also use three modular living spaces, which encompasses a separate seat, sofa and lie-flat bed, alongside a floor-to-ceiling partition for maximum privacy.

Currently only available on its 777 crafts, Air France says it plans to roll out the suites to more planes in the near future.

German flag carrier Lufthansa is also firmly leaning into first class. It’s recently launched its upgraded long-haul top end cabins, known as ‘Allegris’.

Each suite is made up of a double-spaced cabin which offers ceiling-high walls for privacy as well as a large table and two substantial seats which can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required.

If these airlines have their way, it doesn’t seem like first class is going to be a thing of the past any time soon but, with constantly improving amenities, it may become significantly more exclusive and inaccessible to many of us.