First-Class Flying Emerges from the Deep Freeze

Travelers love business class and for good reason: A dedicated check-in lane, fast-track airport security, and vintage champagne in the lounge. The problem? Business class has gone mainstream. 

Fly business class on British Airways’ Boeing 777-300 from London Heathrow to New York JFK and you’ll be sitting in one of 76 Club Suites. The cavernous cabin covers around half of the onboard real estate. Comfortable, yes. Exclusive? Not even close. 

The rapid democratization of business class is leading some airlines to dust off a dormant format. First class isn’t just back on the radar in 2025, it’s approaching at speed and scale.

But with business class cabins already offering sliding privacy doors, lie-flat beds, and caviar (yes, really), just how much more premium can you go? 

This new generation of first class is reimagining luxury and sophistication. Blurring the boundaries between commercial aircraft and private jets, the goal is to bring back the elegance tossed aside in the wholesale homogenization of business class. 

In November, Singapore Airlines announced it would make the world’s most exclusive (and longest) flight even more swanky, by installing a first class cabin.

Meanwhile, speaking to Skift in October, Patrick Healy, the chairman of Cathay Pacific, said the airline’s new first class will be “mindblowing,” hinting at a product that will leave even the most frequent of flyers amazed.

While Singapore Airlines and Cathay are injecting new life into existing first class cabins, Qatar Airways is bringing it back from the dead. Speaking to Skift earlier this year, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways’ new CEO, defended a major U-turn. His outspoken predecessor, Akbar Al-Baker said he “didn’t see the necessity” for first class. “Why should you invest in a subclass of an aeroplane that already gives you all the amenities that first class gives you?” Al-Baker asked.

Fast forward to 2025, and Qatar Airways will be putting the final touches to a game-changing cabin that promises to do to first class what its QSuite product did to business class. 

A First Class Problem?

For this new generation of first class products, copy-and-paste won’t cut it. Airlines are pushing the traditional boundaries of what is possible in a narrow metal tube. High-sided walls, double beds, and restaurant-style tables for two are the order of the day. 

A case in point: In September, it was revealed that Switzerland’s national airline is having to install extra metal weights to counter new first class suites at the front of the plane. The next-gen designs look impressive, but disrupt the balance of the jet. It’s a timely reminder that even if a project is approved by the finance director, physics will have the final say.

Convincing passengers to upgrade from the comfort of  business class could be a challenge. With this in mind, airlines are thinking beyond the airplane to make the first-class proposition as compelling as possible. Not content with a new first class cabin, Air France is taking things one step further. The carrier’s new La Première Lounge at its Paris Charles de Gaulle hub looks more like a boutique hotel than a departure lounge. 

Despite the lounge spanning more than 10,000 square feet, it has just 15 seats. The idea is to offer a level of comfort and privacy unthinkable in the main terminal. However, for the most discerning passengers, an even more exclusive option is available – three completely private pre-departure suites. Each spans almost 500 square feet and is located adjacent to the ‘main’ La Première space. For groups or families, two of the three suites can be connected to create an even larger space. Each has a living area, double bedroom, bathroom, and outdoor patio. 

A dedicated butler is on standby at all times to ensure the champagne flutes never run dry. 

With so much investment in new first class offerings, a curious question arises. Could it ever go the way of business class? The short answer is no. The carriers doubling down on the concept are unlikely to lose sleep over the dilution of business class. If anything, this acts as a driver to trade up. Money talks, but it also likes to fly.