Is First Class Dying? How Business Class Changed Airline Luxury

Originally published 19 April 2014. Updated October 2026.

For decades, airlines have been predicting the disappearance of first class. Yet while some carriers have eliminated their most expensive cabins, others are investing in increasingly luxurious private suites.

The apparent contradiction has a straightforward explanation: business class has taken over much of what first class once offered, while first class itself has moved further upmarket.

When FlightChic first examined this trend in 2014, lie-flat business-class seats were becoming increasingly sophisticated. Aircraft seat manufacturers were finding ways to offer greater comfort and privacy while fitting more premium passengers into the available cabin space.

More than a decade later, that trend has continued. But first class has not disappeared.

How business class became the new first class

The transformation began well before 2014.

Virgin Atlantic helped challenge traditional premium-cabin conventions with its Upper Class product, while British Airways introduced fully flat business-class beds in 2000.

These developments changed passengers’ expectations. Features previously associated with first class gradually became standard in competitive long-haul business-class cabins.

By 2014, American Airlines was introducing a redesigned Boeing 777-200 cabin without international first class. Its new business-class seats offered fully flat beds and greater privacy than many earlier first-class products.

The removal of a cabin label did not necessarily mean passengers were getting a less comfortable seat.

It also reflected airline economics. A larger business-class cabin could accommodate more premium passengers, while avoiding the space requirements of a separate first-class section.

For corporate travellers, business class was also generally easier to justify under company travel policies than a first-class ticket.

The result was a gradual convergence between the two products.

What aircraft seat designers were predicting in 2014

At Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in 2014, FlightChic examined two seating concepts that illustrated how manufacturers were approaching the changing premium market.

Both offered lie-flat comfort, but their priorities were very different.

Iacobucci Venezia: bringing first-class privacy to a smaller space

Italian manufacturer Iacobucci presented its Venezia first-class suite with an electrically operated privacy divider.

The concept combined features associated with traditional first-class seating and the increasingly sophisticated business-class pods appearing on long-haul aircraft.

Its privacy screen was particularly interesting. Airlines were beginning to recognise that passengers wanted more than a comfortable bed. They also wanted separation from neighbouring travellers.

At the time, FlightChic noted the resemblance between Venezia and Etihad Airways’ Pearl Business Class product.

Although Iacobucci marketed Venezia as first class, its features raised a question: could a product designed for first class become the next generation of business class?

That question has become increasingly relevant as enclosed business-class suites have entered airline service.

Recaro CL6710: making lie-flat business class more efficient

Recaro approached the same market from a different direction.

Its CL6710 business-class concept concentrated on using cabin space efficiently without sacrificing a fully flat bed or direct aisle access.

The manufacturer described a configuration offering a bed length of up to 82 inches with a seat pitch of 46 inches.

During FlightChic’s examination of the seat at the 2014 show, the sleeping surface appeared to have a slight slope, despite Recaro specifying a fully flat, 180-degree bed.

The more important development was its use of space.

By reducing the cabin area needed for each premium passenger, designs such as the CL6710 could make lie-flat business-class seating economically attractive to more airlines.

The two concepts illustrated the industry’s competing priorities: greater privacy and luxury on one hand, and more efficient use of cabin space on the other.

Both continue to shape premium cabin design.

Why first class has not disappeared

The rise of business-class suites has made it harder for airlines to distinguish first class through seating comfort alone.

Many modern long-haul business-class products offer fully flat beds, direct aisle access and substantial privacy.

To justify a separate first-class cabin, airlines increasingly need to offer something more.

That may include considerably more personal space, greater privacy, more flexible seating and sleeping arrangements, personalised dining, and exclusive airport services.

Air France provides a clear example.

Its new La Première cabin, introduced in 2025, features just four suites on selected Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Each occupies nearly 3.5 square metres and includes a separate seat and chaise longue that converts into a two-metre bed.

The airline also offers dedicated ground services and an exclusive airport experience.

Lufthansa has taken a different approach with Allegris First Class, offering enclosed suites with doors and a Suite Plus configuration designed to accommodate two passengers.

These are not simply business-class seats with a different name. They are products designed to provide additional space and exclusivity.

Is business class replacing first class?

On many aircraft, yes.

A modern business-class suite may offer a better sleeping environment than first-class seats from previous decades. For airlines, removing a separate first-class cabin can also release space for additional business-class or premium-economy seats.

But that does not mean first class is disappearing everywhere.

Airlines serving markets where passengers will pay substantially more for privacy, space and personalised service can still make a commercial case for it.

The distinction is increasingly about how much additional space and exclusivity a passenger receives, rather than whether the seat converts into a flat bed.

What has changed since 2014?

Looking back at the 2014 Aircraft Interiors Expo, the direction of premium cabin development was already becoming clear.

Manufacturers were trying to reconcile three competing demands: passenger comfort, privacy and efficient cabin layouts.

The technology and design have advanced, but those priorities remain.

The original question was whether business class had effectively killed first class by adopting its most desirable features.

The answer in 2026 is more nuanced.

Business class has replaced traditional first class on many aircraft, while the surviving first-class products have become more exclusive.

The names may remain familiar, but the experience behind them continues to evolve.