Originally Posted by
Jalinth
A number of airlines have dropped int'l F for a reason. If your client base or likely base can't support it, why waste the effort and money? All you'll do is encourage the constant "cost cutting" which can erode all of your products, and thereby erode your profitable business segment. Given the general US market, I think F is difficult to build a niche on. Be like NZ where you have a very solid and desirable business product that you can actually sell rather than merely upgrade.
I agree, I don't think FC is necessary at all, just a good Biz product, good food, IFE, nice seats that ideally lie flat. Virgin Atlantic, NZ are great examples. Unforunantly, there are some bad ones too, Aeroflot, AZ, DL, and yes CO come to mind. Personally, CO's current BF offering is just too inconsistant, a different seat on every aircraft type but it's pretty hard to beat CO's meal service, even AF doesn't quite get there.