Emirates President Says First Class is Here to Stay
Photo Caption: Emirates plans to further "refine" its first class product in the coming years. Emirates
Skift Take
First class on long, intercontinental flights is slowly disappearing at most airlines. But not everywhere, with Emirates and Lufthansa keeping the posh offering.
First class travel is not going anywhere despite recent moves by several airlines to cut the posh seats from planes that fly long, intercontinental routes.
"It remains hugely important to us," Emirates President Tim Clark said at the annual meeting of aviation trade group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Istanbul Tuesday. More than 80 percent of the Dubai-based carrier's 250-plus airplanes is outfitted with the luxury product, and plans are in the works to further "refine" it, he added.
Clark's comments come days after Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker told Bloomberg his carrier would not install first class seats on its next generation of long-haul aircraft. Al Baker indicated that the airline's business class seats were sufficiently luxurious and generated greater returns on investment for the airline.
Long-haul first class – or turning left when you board a widebody jet as many frequent fliers know it – is a gradu
