American Airlines Says First Class Is Dead. JetBlue Just Made the Opposite Bet
Two airlines are making opposing moves in premium seating, but both are part of the same trend.
EXPERT OPINION BY PAULA CONWAY
Four years ago, on American Airlines’ Q3 2022 earnings call, a reporter asked whether the airline was retiring first class on its 777s. In response, Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja made a relatively monumental announcement: “The first class will not exist on the 777 or, for that matter, at American Airlines for the simple reason that our customers aren’t buying it.”
Raja then explicitly contrasted first class with business class, saying American could use the freed-up space to provide “more business class seats, which is what our customers most want or most willing to pay for.”
Flash forward to Wednesday
Flash forward to Wednesday. American formally announced its plan to eliminate all eight Flagship First seats on 777-300ER flights for travel beginning November 19. Raja’s core prediction held up. Flagship Business is growing from 52 to 70 seats, while the eight former first-class seats disappear — effectively shifting all the aircraft’s premium real estate toward business class. Simultaneously, it will make that business-class product considerably more premium.
The new 70-seat Flagship Suite cabin gives every passenger a privacy door, direct access to the aisle, more personal storage and—importantly—a chaise-lounge position that lets passengers stretch out beyond the standard lie-flat bed. American itself calls the Flagship Suite “the new first.” What’s left is a trend of branding gone amok.
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In the wake of the once-simple divide between “first,” “business,” and “coach” lies a veritable word salad of ticket designations. Each tier features its own menu of amenities, specifically engineered to make passengers pay a bit more for the experience they value most. All of it can be classified as “premium,” but frequent fliers with a discerning eye are seeing changes to pricing, value, and classifications evolve.
Business class: The new battlefield
American’s latest announcement heightens the battle to redefine
American’s latest announcement heightens the battle to redefine the business class experience in particular.
Delta pioneered privacy-door business class suites in 2017. American introduced its door-equipped Flagship Suite on the 787-9 in 2025. United is now putting privacy-door Polaris suites—its international business-class product—into its long-haul fleet. If Business Class can offer a lie-flat bed, a door, direct aisle access and restaurant-quality food, what additional product does First need to justify its own cabin?
Source: www.inc.com
