British Airways Removing First Class Cabins In New Planes

Guardian:

The airline, stung by a slump in premium bookings that helped push the company into its worst-ever loss of £401m, has removed first class accommodation from four of its new long-haul planes, and is to review seating plans for other new aircraft.

Read the whole story: Guardian

Comments

[AZterritory]

06:12 PM on 05/24/2009

After working overseas for many years and flying virtually all the big carriers, we have decided US airlines have ONE class . . . animal class.

[bola47]

09:49 AM on 05/24/2009

i used to fly on pan am from new york to tokyo non stop on the 747sp. this was at minimum 5 x per year. the first class cabin was like being in a 5 star hotel and the service was superior. the only other airline that comes close is cathay pacific. domestic airlines should learn from their foreign counterparts what service and accommodation means. domestic first class is like flying in the toilet of foreign airlines. the prices today for first class travel are almost double what they were five years ago and unless your company is printing money then forget flying up front. i'm glad that i am retired and do not ever have to fly again.

[wordvarc]

04:01 PM on 05/24/2009

The doubled first class fares and the inconvenience of post 2003 public airport airports has made co-ops and private or charter aircraft attractive for any necessary travel for execs and the wealthy.

[Banjoplayer]

07:37 AM on 05/24/2009

2 years ago I had a opportunity to fly Virgin first class rt from Orlando to London. WOW! That was the nicest experience I ever had flying. Also, I have flown BA 1st class before and, although not bad, no where near the experience. Also, many of the other European airlines, Lufthansa, KLM and the old Swissair I also thought had superior 1st classes. Now your Delta, American, United, etc.. are not even worth mentioning and did the right thing by eliminating 1st class for just a business class.

[Defunct]

12:17 AM on 05/24/2009

They can install "NO CLASS" which has been the norm on US airlines for years.

[wordvarc]

04:06 PM on 05/24/2009

Yes. Our public air transportation is as far from luxury as a chicken carrying public bus in the Andes foothills.

[davidwayneosedach]

05:26 PM on 05/23/2009

British Airways of Britain where an arrogant class society exists to this very day.

I'll fly Virgin.

[yankee452]

05:35 PM on 05/23/2009

Vent somewhere else please !

[Ihadjellotoday]

02:41 AM on 05/24/2009

You needn't get so huffy.

[v eyepete]

04:48 PM on 05/23/2009

What about equality for all, where everyone gets a little more room and less claustrophobia accompanied by air rage. There really should be laws that govern the amount of room people get. Perhaps if air travel were more comfortable, more people would do it.

[Michael Connor 1]

07:45 PM on 05/23/2009

If you want equality for all, why don't you fly on Aeroflot? There are more than enough people flying due to already cheap airfares and competition between airflines which is reflected by the seat pitch in coach. In our new found zeal to regulate everything, we can go back to airline regulation and pay sky-high fares like we used to do. People used to dress in business attire to fly back in those days because only the most affluent could afford it at all. It is all about business - you lower the price point and the frills go unless you are proposing a government subsidized airline industry. So far as air rage goes, people need to take responsibility for their own behaviors. I am not buying into this notion that the airlines are to blame.

[vandegrasse]

07:57 PM on 05/23/2009

I flew Aeroflot and i thought I was going to die. The pilot, obviously not a proponent of gradual ascent, took that plane up like a rocket and left my stomach behind. I'll never fly that airline again.

[Tom95134]

03:55 PM on 05/23/2009

BA is revamping the seat layout because they are getting ready to be bought out by Pacific Southwest Airlines (which has only a single class of seating).

Now we can see how far this rumor gets spread. :)

[Tom95134]

02:31 PM on 05/23/2009

I suspect that most of the people flying First Class were burning frequent flyer miles to upgrade and BA was not making anything on most of those seats. I know when I traveled a lot on business that is what I use to do. Now thy'll just have to fight with the paying passengers for Business Class seats.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

01:53 PM on 05/23/2009

BA First Class rocks! I love BA in general; it's always my choice when flying to the UK. Occasionally I've been bumped because of overbooking or other problems, and gotten comped with an upgrade to business class or additional flyer miles or stuff, but once we got given first class for London to Dallas. Huge seats, multi-course tasty meals, free quality booze, constant attention.

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

01:11 PM on 05/23/2009

For corporations, flying even their highest executives in coach, particularly discount coach, makes so much sense. First appearance, it looks terrible to lay employees off when the execs are still living the high life. Cost, think of all the jobs that could be retained and families supported if the execs took a few less first class flights. I know many executives say their time is valuable and an extra night in a hotel costs a lot of money but almost $17,000 for one first class round trip from New York to London could buy a lot of nights in a hotel. Three trips a year would save the job of a middle class employee. First class is a relic of our irresponsible corporate past.

[schatsie]

01:41 PM on 05/23/2009

Dream on, the reason they are cutting this out is because the fat and fabulous have their own JETS or belong to a Jet Club.... they would not dream of flying with the hoi polloi....

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

09:55 PM on 05/23/2009

Citibank just got a new corporate jet. Maybe if they spend more time on commercial planes and less time doing silly transactions the country would be in better shape.

[Pete2069]

12:20 PM on 05/23/2009

Why did they receive $4 billion more of our tax money???/ Didn't the other billions enough to help GM in the partnership with foreign countries in which to send more of our jobs overseas..

We do not have any real democrats in the democrat party anymore ,,,, and I now believe that Obama was a republican plant to pacify the democrat voters or a liar..

[v eyepete]

04:51 PM on 05/23/2009

The re pubs did not want to touch the thing the messed up.

[DMGMD]

12:14 PM on 05/23/2009

I must say that I've flown coach class on British Airways from O'Hare to Europe several times and the service is great and the seats were comfortable. I don't see the big deal. The one time that I flew First Class abroad (got upgraded for helping a passenger who was having a seizure--because I'd rather spend money on other things than a seat up front), I didn't think it was that big of a deal...it was very comfortable sure, but 8 hours isn't that long of a time to be a bit uncomfortable. BA, Lufthansa, SAS, and Icelandair have been the best airlines I've ever flown abroad. My father used to work from American Airlines but there service has gone completely down hill from what they were in the 80's and early 90's. Air France--worst service ever, I avoid them if at all possible, which is sad since I really do love going to France.

[poster1122]

01:59 PM on 05/23/2009

Back when the airlines let you upgrade using your frequent flier miles (do any still let you do that on international flights?), I found it to be a lifesaver. If you're an occasional traveler, it's one thing. But if you spend 2 or 3 days of your week on a plane, especially doing international travel, you know how brutal coach can be--especially if you're stuck between two heftier guys.

Imagine being curled up in a ball for 10-13 hours at a time 2 days a week, every week.

[DMGMD]

02:24 PM on 05/23/2009

Yeah, I can see your point, but isn't that what business class is for?

[Artos]

02:49 PM on 05/23/2009

I think that the greatest and best advantage to flying coach is that there isn't so much room. If for example you are in a crash that could be survivable, in coach you have a seat right in front of your face that helps keep the impact less, and if your seat belt give you don't go very far. On the other hand in first class with so much room between the seats, if your belt gives way you will probably be flung out of your seat and bounce all over the cabin which most likely will result in massive concussions and probably death. I would rather be in coach knowing I had a higher probability of survival.

[wordvarc]

04:06 PM on 05/24/2009

Really

[BujuBanton]

12:12 PM on 05/23/2009

but but but.....i thought it was the business class passengers that made the airlines all the money and that the lowly coach passengers were just the beneficiary of their trickle down crumbs?

another lie exposed once again.

[lessbs]

12:38 PM on 05/23/2009

They didn't remove business class--only first class.

[amdezurik]

01:04 PM on 05/23/2009

looks like facts cause allergies for bobo up there

[schatsie]

01:42 PM on 05/23/2009

Maybe FIRST CLASS sounds like class baiting....

[freeenterprisechic]

12:03 PM on 05/23/2009

So how many more seats are going to be jammed into the flying fuselage? Cheryl Mikela

[SwingingFromCenter]

10:53 AM on 05/23/2009

First class: If it's not an option on a long flight, I don't fly that airline. Period. End of story. Non-negotiable. I refuse to spend 8-14 hours being her.ded like ca.ttle while some kid scr.eams behind me and the f.at guy next to me keeps inva.ding my bubble.

[Soulsurfer]

11:39 AM on 05/23/2009

You poor dear.

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

01:01 PM on 05/23/2009

Will you fly business class? Lots of carriers have new business seats that recline to almost 180 degrees....I assume you employer is paying for this. If you flew discount coach a few times a year your employee could retain the job of one more employee and that employee could take care of his or her family. Interesting thought. Also think about teleconferencing. Even more employee jobs could be changed.

[SwingingFromCenter]

09:30 PM on 05/23/2009

You think I'm an "employee". That's cute.