For a little over a decade, doomsayers have been predicting the demise of first class. Yet first class is still very much alive and well in the international airline landscape. "It's true that demand for high-contribution classes has slowed somewhat, but it hasn't disappeared. When I hear some airline executives declare that they no longer want first or even business class on board, I'm personally over the moon," says Tim Clark, CEO of Emirates. As for those who think that the airline industry will be permanently stuck in the crisis year of 2008, they are sadly mistaken. High-contribution traffic is rebounding, and I don't envisage the disappearance of business and first classes.
Four companies in Europe
In 2010, there were just over thirty airlines in the world with a first class cabin. But there are big differences from one continent to another. In the Asia-Pacific region, for example, passengers can choose from around fifteen carriers offering first class. In the Middle East, seven carriers offer first class, including, more recently, Oman Air which, with six seats convertible into 2.20 m beds, giant video screens and exceptional cuisine, has been offering luxury equivalent to that of a private jet since November. A luxury that Paris passengers have been able to enjoy since March. In Europe, only four airlines still offer first class. Unsurprisingly, these are the three giants of the Old Continent: Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa: Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa, plus Swiss. The Swiss airline's reputation for service excellence and the profile of its clientele - businessmen, bankers and international diplomats - justify the presence of a first class cabin. As a result, Swiss invested several hundred million Swiss francs last year in a minimally elegant first class. Of all these airlines, only a handful systematically offer 'total first class' comfort on all their long-haul destinations. This is the case, for example, of Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss, which offer first class on almost all their intercontinental flights. British Airways, for its part, has adapted its offer with a two-class product available on leisure destinations such as Las Vegas and Phoenix.
In France, Air France offers first class on all its Boeing 777s as well as on its new Airbus A380. "This represents 50 % of our long-haul offer. Our recent Airbus A380 is also enabling us to fine-tune our first-class services", explains Véronique Jeanclerc, marketing manager for the first-class product. On board this giant aircraft, Air France has introduced a number of innovations, including a private area that can be used as a dressing room, armchairs that allow passengers to move more freely, and a bar area on the upper deck.
The arrival of new generations of aircraft - of which the Airbus A380 is of course one - is an opportunity for airlines to review the criteria for qualifying first class. One of the problems with the on-board product as it exists today is its increasingly short lifespan," says Fabrice Ebner, Director of France at Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-based airline. And with business classes becoming more and more comfortable, first classes have to outdo themselves more than ever." The kick-off was given last year by Singapore Airlines and Emirates, both operating the A380. The prize for innovation goes to Singapore Airlines, the first airline to systematise the use of true private suites on board its aircraft. Emirates has also adopted the suite concept and has spared no expense in terms of noble materials or the comfort of common areas - use of wood for the suite, a giant bar and toilets worthy of a palace. Highly symbolic: two shower cabins probably represent the absolute in terms of comfort in mid-air. The arrival of the Airbus A380s, at the end of May or beginning of June for Lufthansa and at the end of the year for Korean Air, augurs well for other innovations at the front of the cabins. And it is more than likely that Qatar Airways' Airbus A380 will strive to surpass its eternal rival Emirates in terms of comfort.
Private suites represent a further step up in the race for comfort in first class. The product can be found not only on board Singapore Airlines and Emirates, but also Jet Airways, the Indian airline, which offers eight of them on its routes served by Boeing 777s. Etihad Airways has also just adopted it. The Abu Dhabi carrier's suite is secluded by sliding screens whose design is reminiscent of traditional moucharabiehs. Deep leather armchairs, a giant video screen and fine Egyptian cotton sheets should make all the difference.
However, the suite concept has its detractors. "Our surveys show that European passengers want to enjoy a certain degree of conviviality and do not want to be isolated for several hours. We are taking this into account in the design of our new First cabin", says Christina Foerster, General Manager of Intercontinental Products at Lufthansa. Fabrice Ebner of Etihad is more nuanced: "There is a need for a certain conviviality in flight, particularly among Europeans, especially at mealtimes, but also a real desire for cocooning to watch a film or sleep. And then there are the VIPs, who also want total discretion". On the other hand, the airlines are united in their desire to offer a totally exclusive luxury product. "First class in a way recaptures the glamour that existed from the 1930s to the 1960s, when air travel was seen as a luxury," says Air France. First class is therefore a luxurious showcase for exceptional French-style gastronomy. Hence the signature of great chefs such as Robuchon, Ducasse or Guy Martin for the preparation of specific dishes.
High-class atmosphere
More than by the size or spacing of the seats, airlines assert their difference essentially by the atmosphere that reigns in first class, the perfection of the service, the intimacy and the hushed elegance. Details abound. For example, teak wood covers the shelves of Qatar Airways' seats; Swiss's first class uses only noble, natural materials, offering an elegant minimalist touch with clean lines; the covers of Air France's sleeper seats have been designed using Climatex fabric, which is distinguished by its ability to absorb and release water vapour; an individual wardrobe completes each seat on Cathay Pacific; adjustable electric blinds - a first on an aircraft - and individual lampshade-shaped reading lights recall the golden age of the great ocean liners on British Airways' 'cru 2010' first class.
In the same way, exclusivity must also apply on the ground. In recent years, dedicated terminals have been created for first-class passengers. Lufthansa has a private first class terminal in Frankfurt, the only one of its kind in the world. Qatar Airways also has a premium terminal (first and business) in Doha, while Emirates in Dubai, Etihad in Abu Dhabi, Singapore Airlines in Singapore and Swiss in Zurich have created an area reserved exclusively for first class passengers. Air France says it is considering the idea.
These terminals or private areas generally offer the services of a concierge, who will check passengers in and escort them to the lounge or even to the aircraft's bridge. A separate queue is usually provided for immigration formalities. Private spas in London (British Airways), Bangkok (Thai Airways), Doha (Qatar Airways), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) or Roissy-CDG (Air France), cigar bar and à la carte restaurant in Paris (Air France), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and Abu Dhabi (Etihad), champagne bar in London (terminal 5 British Airways), art gallery in Abu Dhabi, duty free shop in Frankfurt or library in Paris... the list of pleasures available to passengers is far from exhaustive.
Gender confusion
But luxury isn't really what it used to be. And while it's true that first class still exists, it's clear that it's becoming rarer. Its partial disappearance even seems to be a major trend. Over the last ten years or so, the great leap forward made by business class in terms of comfort - notably with the introduction of reclining seats that recline 180° - has somewhat altered the desire of many airlines to retain first class. As for Gulf Air, the introduction of a Golden Falcon business superclass is currently being implemented using the old first class, pending the arrival of aircraft offering the new configuration.
This trend was recently confirmed by the announcement made by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker during a press conference at ITB Berlin, the world's largest tourism trade fair held every year in Berlin. Qatar Airways is one of only six airlines in the world to have been awarded five stars, its highest distinction, by London-based Skytrax - a benchmark for assessing air transport performance. However, out of the 220 or so aircraft on order, Qatar has decided to eliminate first class on board 128 of its future Boeing 777s. "We have taken this decision because we are going to offer an exceptional new business class in 2011", said the CEO by way of explanation. The airline is also planning to abolish its first class on certain Airbus A340s. This decision is all the more surprising given that Qatar Airways is the second airline in the Gulf to partially eliminate its first class. This follows Gulf Air's announcement in February that it would replace its first class with a business superclass. "This decision does not affect the Paris-Doha route, where our two morning and evening flights are operated by Airbus A340-600s with a three-class configuration", says Éric Didier, Director of France at Qatar Airways. In fact, the Qatari carrier feels better equipped to deal with the vagaries of the economic climate by offering different aircraft configurations.
The economic crisis. This is what is tipping the balance today, alongside the competition between first and business classes. The 2008-2009 recession led to a drop in activity in the high-contribution classes, with first class in particular bearing the brunt of tighter corporate travel budgets. "We have mainly seen a drop in passengers travelling for business reasons rather than for private reasons. Generally speaking, this second category is used to first class and cannot conceive of flying anywhere other than first", analyses Christina Foerster at Lufthansa.
In a sign that times are changing, the Indian daily Times of India reported on its front page in September 2009 that Sonia Gandhi had been spotted flying economy class on Air India's domestic routes. As a result, the newspaper explained that a large number of politicians had announced that they were giving up flying first or business class... A trend also observed by Alan Joyce, CEO of the Australian airline Qantas: "Travel in so-called 'premium' classes is changing. Over the long term, we are seeing a decline in demand for first class," he explains, admitting that six out of ten seats in first class remain empty. Maintaining first class is certainly essential for an airline like ours. But we now have to find the right balance between first class, business class and economy premium.
The airline has therefore decided to eliminate its first-class seats on twelve Airbus A380s out of a total of 20 aircraft and to reconfigure nine of its Boeing 747-400s. Qantas will therefore retain its first class where demand still exists, notably between Sydney, Melbourne and London via Singapore or Los Angeles. The reconfiguration of the aircraft is scheduled to take place between the end of 2011 and 2013.
"To be or not to be
To keep or not to keep first class? Many airlines are faced with this Shakespearean question, having to decide between the need to preserve their image as a value-added carrier and the need to adapt to economic realities. According to Gilles Margiliano, Director of Corporate Sales France at British Airways, demand for air travel slowed down somewhat during the crisis. To compensate for this lack of interest, BA has not hesitated to multiply its promotional offers, particularly for members of its frequent flyer programme. During 2009, the airline launched several promotional campaigns for upgrades from business to first class, which helped to fill the gap at the front of the aircraft. And even the CEO of a company as prestigious as Cathay Pacific - whose first class was voted the best in the world by Skytrax in 2008 - recently expressed his doubts. In a speech to the Asian Aerospace Congress in September 2009, Tony Tyler questioned the strategy to adopt if the combined decline in unit revenue and demand for high-contribution classes was not simply a short cycle. "We are looking at all options. This does not mean that we are going to abolish our first class tomorrow or launch into low-cost transport by charging passengers who wish to use the toilets", he declared. He went on to say that high-contribution classes remain an essential part of the full-service carrier's toolbox, but that they probably no longer have a place in all markets.
In fact, we are seeing a decline in demand for first class in Europe and North America. "We no longer offer first class on more than a handful of transatlantic routes, most of which only depart from London," says American Airlines management in Paris. In North America, only American and United Airlines still offer the comfort of first class. The real demand for first class is in Asia, South America and the Middle East. No doubt because it still has social status value and still represents excellence in terms of comfort. Perhaps this is the secret of the enduring appeal of first class. This promise of an art of refinement in travel, a discreet, slightly nostalgic tribute to a not-so-distant era when flying was considered a moment of pure pleasure.
