With new first class suite, Air France hopes to lure travellers from rivals, private jets
Air France this week unveiled a new first-class suite as it expands efforts to lure wealthy travellers from business jets and lend a 'French touch' to the tussle for premium revenue.
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The CEO of parent Air France-KLM, Ben Smith, said the investment aimed to place Air France at the top of the European league in airline luxury, signalling a battle with
British Airways and
Lufthansa
'A large percentage of the customers are flying for business reasons … many of them have the choice of a private jet or flying in first class,' Smith said. 'What is new for us over the last few years is a marked increase in the number of luxury customers that are flying for leisure purposes.'
The air travel industry is locked in a battle for high-fare-paying customers as it recovers from
the pandemic but is split over the value of investing in first class, with many carriers focusing on steady improvements in business-class seating.
A passenger in an Air France La Première first-class suite. The suites span five windows and have both a seat and a chaise longue, which also converts to a flat bed. Photo: courtesy of Air France
Air France's latest first-class cabin, laid out in four pairs of grey, red-accented beds and seats on select planes, follows a years-long effort to reinvent a once loss-making product since Smith joined the national carrier in 2018.
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