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Old Aug 1, 2016, 1:42 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: littlevoices
Since this thread started in 2016, along with the last wiki update in 2018, many airlines have significantly reduced their true first class routes, or just given up and rebranded a few seats as Business Suites or similar.

Of the oneworld airlines (now and future announcements), the following offer true first class flights

American Airlines (AA); British Airways (BA); Cathay Pacific (CX); Japan Airlines (JL); Qantas (QF); Qatar (QR)

This means the following oneworld airlines do NOT offer a first class product:

Alaska Airlines (AS); Fiji Airlines* (FJ); Finnair (AY); Iberia (IB); Malaysia Airlines (MH)#; Oman Airlines (OM)*#; Royal Air Maroc (AT); Royal Jordanian (RJ); Sri Lankan Airlines (UL)

*Future member

# Offers a business elite /studio seat

The below is as of 20 January 2025, and the number of flights is typically from around 19 Feb, so winter season

American Airlines/AA

AA offers two types of true first class. An increasingly diminishing Trans-Continental routes using specially designed aircraft, and International First (Flagship First). This explicitly excludes any domestic first class flights that typically offer 2x2 seating. Note AA executives have made statements about removing First, so this list will likely gradually decrease over time.

Routes Transcontinental on custom A321T planes, type code 32B (1-1 layout)
  • Los Angeles (LAX) New York (JFK) -> Multiple times daily (9)
  • San Francisco (SFO) JFK -> Multiple times daily (3-4)
  • JFK Orange County (SNA) -> One flight a day
  • LAX Boston (BOS) -> One flight a day
  • LAX Miami (MIA) -> Appears to have switched to a none transcontinental but is still listed on the website, so now only offers normal domestic first
Routes International, on B777-300ER aircraft (1-2-1 layout)
  • Charlotte International Airport (CLT) London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) -> 1x daily
  • Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) -> 2 x daily
  • New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) -> 1x daily
  • New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Buenos Aires' Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) -> 1x daily
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) -> 1x daily
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Sydney Airport (SYD) -> 1x daily
  • Miami International Airport (MIA) London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) -> 2 x daily
  • Miami International Airport (MIA) Sao Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) -> 1x daily
  • Miami International Airport (MIA) Buenos Aires' Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) -> 1x daily
No longer any First class services from: PHL, BOS

British Airways/BA

BA offers first class on a variety of B777s and the A380. It remains perceived as a the best business class in the sky, excluding Qatar product. But it does go everywhere. The newer generation of planes has fewer seats, but the typical layout has 14 first class seats, so it is hardly private or exclusive.

Between London Heathrow and

North America
  • Atlanta (ATL)
  • Boston (BOS)
  • Chicago (ORD)
  • Dallas (DFW)
  • Houston (IAH)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Miami (MIA)
  • New York (JFK, EWR)
  • San Francisco (SFO)
  • Seattle (SEA)
  • Washington DC (IAD)
Latin America & Carribbean
  • Bermuda (BDA)
  • Barbados (BGI)
  • Mexico City (MEX)
  • Santiago (SCL)
Europe: No First Class flights since Moscow has been suspended

Middle East & Africa
  • Abu Dhabi (AUH)
  • Abuja (ABV)
  • Bahrain (BAH)
  • Cape Town (CPT)
  • Doha (DOH)
  • Dubai (DXB)
  • Jeddah (JED)
  • Johannesburg (JNB)
  • Kuwait (KWI)
  • Lagos (LOS)
  • Riyadh (RUH)
Asia & Far East
  • Male (MLE)
  • Hong Kong (HKG)
  • Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
  • Shanghai (PVG)
  • Singapore (SIN)
  • Sydney (SYD)
  • Tokyo (HND)


Cathay Pacific/CX

Very limited services have resumed after COVID. Many of the First class planes are now on routes and sold as business class with a nice seat for Diamond (top tier) status members. Cathay does have First class planned on their upcoming B777X deliveries, but with delays these may not be available for many years. Offers a 1-1-1 layout

Between Hong Kong, using a B777-300ER and
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 1x daily
  • Tokyo Haneda (HND) -> 1x daily
  • Beijing (PEK) -> 1x daily
  • New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) -> 1x daily
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) -> 1x daily
  • Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) -> Suspended for in late 2024
Japan Airlines/JL

Offered on two aircraft, an older 777-300 (1-2-1 layout), and the new A350-1000 (generally thought of as the best first class in oneworld at the moment with 1-1-1 layout).

Between Tokyo Haneda and
  • New York (JFK) > New A350-1000, 1x daily
  • Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) > New A350-1000, 1x daily
  • London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) > New A350-1000, 2x daily
  • Bangkok (BKK) > B773, 1x daily
  • Singapore (SIN) > B773, 1x daily
  • Sydney (SYD) -> B773, 1x daily [suspended for the northern summer season after 1 May 2025]
  • Helsinki (HEL) -> B773, 1 xdaily [allegedly according to this article, but not yet showing in ExpertFlyer, summer season 22 April to 29 September 2025]
Qantas/QF

Only offered on the A380, but with Project Sunrise they are planning a new improved first class on ultra long range A350-1000s. Offers 14 seats but they are enormous as set out in a 1-1-1 layout.

Between Sydney and
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 1x daily (via Singapore) -> 1x daily
  • Singapore (SIN) -> 1x daily (travels on to London Heathrow) -> 1x daily
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) -> 1x daily
  • Johannesburg, South Africa, O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) -1x daily
Between Singapore and
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 1x daily
Between Melbourne and
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) -> twice weekly?
Qatar/QR

Offered on two planes a number of A380s (1-2-1) and ex-Cathay B777-300ER (1-1-1) planes (still using the same CX seats). The prior CEO wanted to end First Class, but the new CEO intends to improve and offer a limited First class service. This explicitly excludes any domestic Middle Eastern first class flights that typically offer business class seating and service to locations such as Dubai, Cairo and the wider Middle East.

Between Doha and
  • Hong Kong (HKG) -> 1-2x daily using B77W planes
  • Bangkok (BKK) -> 1-2x daily using A388
  • Maldives (MLE) -> 1-2x daily using B77W
  • Sydney (SYD) -> 1x daily using A388
  • Perth (PER) -> 1x daily using A388
  • Istanbul (IST) -> 0 to 1x daily using B77W [irregular, not every day]
  • Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) -> 0 to 1x daily using A388 [irregular, not every day]
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 2x daily using A388

==> Finally, and just for completeness, noting the business elite products (still book into A/F class), so not true first class, but would earn you the miles!:

Malaysian Airlines/MH

Between Kaula Lumpur and
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 2x daily using A359
  • Tokyo (NRT) -> 2x daily using A359
  • Doha (DOH) -> 1x daily using A359
  • Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) -> 1x daily using A359 [in the summer]
Oman Airways/WY

Retired all of their A330 flights which reduced their network further

Between Muscat (MCT) and
  • London Heathrow (LHR) -> 1x daily using B789
  • Bangkok (BKK) -> 1x daily using B789
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Old Jan 23, 2025 | 9:12 am
  #256  
1M
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Originally Posted by harri
JAL to put 777-300ER to its Helsinki route including first class. First class available from 22 April onwards. 787 return to the route on 30 Sept.
https://www.lentoposti.fi/uutiset/ja...mm_inen_luokka
Interesting, at least at the moment that isn't loaded online - instead it shows as a 788 still in ExpertFlyer. I've added anyway - thanks for sharing.
harri likes this.
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Old Jan 25, 2025 | 12:22 am
  #257  
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Originally Posted by littlevoices
Interesting, at least at the moment that isn't loaded online - instead it shows as a 788 still in ExpertFlyer. I've added anyway - thanks for sharing.
Seems like its now loaded into systems. F available for sale from 22 Apr, but the aircraft with F-suites is on the route from 30 Mar onwards.
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