SURVEY: The Decline of International First Class
Mar 17, 2018, 7:02 am
#16
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By decline, I mean in terms of fewer airlines offering first class...either doing away with it or scaling back.
Particularly so in Asia... I'm hoping to see
Particularly so in Asia... I'm hoping to see
Last edited by JY1024; Mar 17, 2018 at 12:54 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts
Mar 17, 2018, 11:01 am
#17
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There's also the question of preferences as rosenfole stated up thread re the Air France La Premiere offerings. As a couple Mrs L and I always choose the 380 cabin when possible because we both like open cabin feel rather than the more cramped 777 with only 4 seats. So my judgement, when I filled in the Questionnaire, was slanted with that in mind. It seems fine if you wanted subjective answers, but then I suppose that's all you are going to get here the way the questions are framed. Be good to hear what conclusions you come to based on them however.
Mar 17, 2018, 11:32 am
#18
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OTOH, at least on the leading airlines, international business class is now vastly superior to what 1st class cabins offered in the 1990s. Most weren't even lie flat and had 2-2-2 seating. Or even 2-3-2, as I remember from EK on their A310s ca. 2002.
Mar 17, 2018, 11:40 am
#19
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You might find William Stadiem's Book
interesting.
Mar 17, 2018, 3:28 pm
#21
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You might find William Stadiem's Book Jet Set: The People, the Planes, the Glamour, and the Romance in Aviation's Glory Years interesting.
There's also the question of preferences as rosenfole stated up thread re the Air France La Premiere offerings. As a couple Mrs L and I always choose the 380 cabin when possible because we both like open cabin feel rather than the more cramped 777 with only 4 seats. So my judgement, when I filled in the Questionnaire, was slanted with that in mind. It seems fine if you wanted subjective answers, but then I suppose that's all you are going to get here the way the questions are framed. Be good to hear what conclusions you come to based on them however.
Indeed that's true and those of us lucky enough to be able to fly F (rarley in my case) experience something more exclusive as a result. I see Air France's La Premiere in the 777 (4 seats) as a truly premium product yet the product in the A380 (9 seats in an open cabin) is pretty ordinary. Prices are similar for both yet the 777 is far better value.
I'm not sure what conclusions you're expecting to get from the questions in your survey by the way. Are you trying to determine if fewer people are flying first by their own choices or are you trying to determine if airlines are making it more difficult to do so?
I'm not sure what conclusions you're expecting to get from the questions in your survey by the way. Are you trying to determine if fewer people are flying first by their own choices or are you trying to determine if airlines are making it more difficult to do so?
Last edited by JY1024; Mar 20, 2018 at 5:30 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts - please use multi-quote function
Mar 19, 2018, 6:32 pm
#22
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Mar 20, 2018, 3:21 am
#23
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 335
Filled it out (and Alumni 
).
You may also find this article of use, if you haven't already seen it; https://www.ft.com/content/6fbfe642-...8-7a9fb7d6163e
You should have access by signing up using your University credentials.
).You may also find this article of use, if you haven't already seen it; https://www.ft.com/content/6fbfe642-...8-7a9fb7d6163e
You should have access by signing up using your University credentials.
Mar 20, 2018, 10:46 am
#25
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Wasn't bad whenit was introduced. Lie flat business seats were almost unheard of back then. The genius Lufthansa managers thought that that feature should be reserved for 1st class only for years to come and considered it a stupid move.
But now it's high time to introduce a new version.
But now it's high time to introduce a new version.
Mar 20, 2018, 11:14 am
#26
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Sad that Int'l F seems to be on the way out. UA is getting rid of it, DL already has and AA offers it on very few routes. None of the S.American carriers offer it, I don't think any African carriers do either. We're left with mediocre BA and AF, LX and LH (declining # of F routes) in Europe, Qantas and the ME and Asian carriers. Even in Asia it seems odd to me that airlines like CX don't have F to Oz and they've slashed intra-Asia F options like BKK-HKG or HKG-MNL.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Mar 20, 2018, 1:21 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 26
Filled it out (and Alumni ).
You may also find this article of use, if you haven't already seen it; https://www.ft.com/content/6fbfe642-...8-7a9fb7d6163e
You should have access by signing up using your University credentials.
).You may also find this article of use, if you haven't already seen it; https://www.ft.com/content/6fbfe642-...8-7a9fb7d6163e
You should have access by signing up using your University credentials.
Mar 20, 2018, 1:42 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Sad that Int'l F seems to be on the way out. UA is getting rid of it, DL already has and AA offers it on very few routes. None of the S.American carriers offer it, I don't think any African carriers do either. We're left with mediocre BA and AF, LX and LH (declining # of F routes) in Europe, Qantas and the ME and Asian carriers. Even in Asia it seems odd to me that airlines like CX don't have F to Oz and they've slashed intra-Asia F options like BKK-HKG or HKG-MNL.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Flying TAAG Angola?s New 777 First Class - One Mile at a Time
Mar 20, 2018, 5:02 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 26
Sad that Int'l F seems to be on the way out. UA is getting rid of it, DL already has and AA offers it on very few routes. None of the S.American carriers offer it, I don't think any African carriers do either. We're left with mediocre BA and AF, LX and LH (declining # of F routes) in Europe, Qantas and the ME and Asian carriers. Even in Asia it seems odd to me that airlines like CX don't have F to Oz and they've slashed intra-Asia F options like BKK-HKG or HKG-MNL.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Yes a lot of business is 1-2-1 and spacious and comfortable and gets you there rested, but it makes traveling comfortable and functional, not a pleasure like top tier F.
Mar 21, 2018, 9:37 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 26
Wasn't bad whenit was introduced. Lie flat business seats were almost unheard of back then. The genius Lufthansa managers thought that that feature should be reserved for 1st class only for years to come and considered it a stupid move.
But now it's high time to introduce a new version.
But now it's high time to introduce a new version.