Even before the pandemic, those thousand-dollar charges for first-class seats on international flights were a hefty fee. Don’t get me wrong, wide seats and unlimited drinks do come in handy on an 8-10 hour flight. However, COVID had us in our homes for two years and now customers will get on an economy plane with their Louis Vuitton luggage and be none the wiser. Looks like American Airlines has come to the same realization. Moving forward, they will no longer offer first-class seats on international flights.
A replacement?
Instead, American Airlines will pull the first-class seats and offer more business-class options. American Airlines CCO, Vasu Raja stated the demand for first-class has diminished on international flights and business-class seats are more in demand. Therefore there was no point to continue to offer first-class seats that no one wants to buy.
“The quality of the business class seat has improved so much. And frankly, by removing [first class] we can provide more business class seats, which is what our customers most want or are most willing to pay for,” stated Vasu Raja.
Business class vs first class
Aviation consultant Mike Boyd states that the business class of today was considered the “first class” twenty years ago. And American Airlines is only just revamping their marketing strategy when it comes to selling seats for the better cabins on international flights.
With American Airlines introducing their latest business class product “Flagship Suites,” Mike Boyd’s analysis was spot on. The Flagship Suites will introduce lie-flat seats with a chaise option and a privacy door. The new wave of business class seats will be introduced on the airline’s Airbus 321XLR and Boeing 787-9 in 2024.