Not so long ago, soaring aviation fuel prices kept airline executives awake at night. Now, the industry faces a different, but equally vexing problem: does first class have a future?
Airline executives are increasingly asking themselves that question as more corporates opt to send their executives business rather than first class, saying the gap between the two is narrowing.
'A new norm has arisen in the airline industry since the economic crisis erupted,' an executive from an Asian airline, who declined to be named, said.
Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways and Qatar Airways recently announced plans to eliminate first-class seats on some short-haul and medium-range routes, reflecting shrinking demand.
United Airlines, the Chicago-based carrier, has also decided to cut its first-class seats by 20 per cent in the revised configuration of its wide-body aircraft, including its Boeing 747, B767 and B777 planes.
Glenn Tilton, the chairman and chief executive of United, said the airline was not eliminating the service, just 'thoughtfully' reducing it 'to make it more unique'.
Tilton said reducing the number of seats enabled the airline to give more space to individual first-class seats, making them more like a train berth in terms of privacy.
