First class is back, baby (but does it make sense for airlines?)
The arrival of non-stop flights to London is a chance for Qantas to expand its premium suites. Its competitors are doing the same. Will it be a winner?
First-class suites are making a comeback, including at Singapore Airlines.
More and more, The Age reported in 2018, “airlines are chucking their first-class seats out the door”. Travellers were perfectly happy with business cabins, and airlines were competing aggressively on the lowest prices. Almost a decade later, that competition is firmly in the pointy end.
Case in point? Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliners, shuttling back and forth to Europe, do not have a single first-class seat. When the airline’s then-chief executive, Alan Joyce, announced Project Sunrise, non-stop travel to London and New York, in 2019, he said the new planes would have four first-class seats. When they were finally unveiled, Qantas’ new Airbus A350-1000s had six first-class suites (and more than 50 business-class seats).
Ayesha de KretserSenior reporterAyesha de Kretser is a senior reporter with The Australian Financial Review covering the aviation and tourism sectors. She has previously reported on banking, mining and commodity markets. Connect with Ayesha on Twitter. Email Ayesha at ayesha.dekretser@afr.com.au
