Business Class Must-Haves That Airlines Neglect at Their Peril
Photo Credit: Business class configurations that enable direct-aisle access are a must. Pictured is business class on a Cathay Pacific flight on September 21, 2017. Cathay Pacific
Skift Take
As airlines double down on investment in business class, there are some experiential table stakes for customers paying the money to sit up front.
Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel. “On Experience” dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across hospitality, aviation, and beyond.
I wrote recently about the role of first class in the world. Many carriers are emphasizing their dense, moneymaking business-class configurations, and the first-class product is becoming more rare.
It makes sense that they are doubling down, but as a result, there are some new imperatives for first class. It will require more innovation, thinking, and design to justify the price.
All too often today, you can be sitting in a $5,000 dollar seat that doesn’t fully recline to a flat bed, where your meal is served to you in an impersonal assembly line, and where you don’t have aisle access.
Also, for all of the calculated marketing hype behind United's new business class, Polaris, the cabin makes you feel like you’re a sardine in a tin can. On business co
