Regarding first class on long flights, airlines adopt very different strategies. While other airlines believe business class is adequate, some airlines still see a significant market for this and continue to invest in the product. This is indicative of a larger change that has occurred in recent years regarding the quality of the business class, which has significantly improved.
Regarding the future of first class (or lack thereof) at the airline, Qatar Airways CEO has said some interesting things.
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The Qsuites business class on Qatar Airways, which is widely regarded as the best in the world, is particularly well known for providing excellent passenger experiences. Interestingly, the airline has a different strategy for long-haul first class because it doesn’t have first-class installations on the majority of its aircraft.
First class is not available on any of Qatar Airways’ recently delivered long-haul aircraft, including Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 models. Currently, Qatar Airways only operates the following aircraft in long-haul first class:
- All Airbus A380s, which the airline intends to retire by the end of this decade. During the pandemic, the airline had originally planned to retire these aircraft but brought them back due to a shortage of aircraft.
- Several Boeing 777s were acquired by Qatar Airways from Cathay Pacific, and the airline only cared for the cabins that were already on those aircraft.
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When delivered starting in 2025 and onward, the 40 Boeing 777-9s that Qatar Airways has ordered will serve as the airline’s flagship aircraft. It has long been unclear whether Qatar Airways would add first class to these aircraft because they will be used on some of the airline’s busiest routes, including those to London, Paris, and other major cities.
Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, previously said that the company was looking into adding a first-class cabin to some Boeing 777-9s. However, it appears that’s no longer a possibility. According to Danny Lee at Bloomberg, airline CEO Al Baker has stated categorically that first class has no place at the company and that Qatar Airways has no intention of adding first class to its upcoming Boeing 777-9 aircraft.
