First class is slowly disappearing around the world, and the decrease in supply is allowing the carriers that remain committed to it to charge increasingly higher prices as a result. With airlines now also dynamically pricing award tickets, this means that it’s far harder to book first class seats with miles. This shift, of course, has allowed carriers to fill these seats more easily at higher prices as they increasingly position first class as an exclusive luxury experience for the ultrarich.

But while first class has generally become more exclusive and more expensive, there are still a handful of airlines that offer relative bargains to fly in their top cabins. Of course, these are on shorter routes where there’s less value in upgrading, and some of these carriers still only offer first class on select aircraft, while others deploy first-class-equipped aircraft network-wide. This is a list of the five airlines that are known to offer comparatively low fares for first class tickets.

American Airlines

Available on select Airbus A321s & Boeing 777s

Credit: Shutterstock

American Airlines is the last US airline to offer an international first class (all US airlines market their short-haul premium offering as first class), which is available on all 20 of its Boeing 777-300ERs as well as on 15 Airbus A321-200s. The A321-200s are fairly unique in the industry in offering true first class, and they fly exclusively between New York-JFK and Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orange County, as well as from Los Angeles to Boston and Miami. However, these planes feature the Safran Cirrus II found in Flagship Business on the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ERs, while the 777s have a true first class seat designed by Safran.

While the A321s only operate transcontinental routes, the 777-300ERs fly to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Haneda, Sydney, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, as well as Athens for the 2026 summer season. In addition, these planes do operate select domestic routes, although these operations are more variable than their international route selection. On some routes, American charges roughly double its business class pricing, which is less than the surcharge that some airlines place on their first class prices, which means that you can find round-trip fares on American Flagship First for under $5,000 on select routes.

However, American Flagship First is hardly known for being the world’s most luxurious first class product. The seat on the 777-300ER has received criticism for its lack of privacy, and while the service is upgraded compared to Flagship Business, the catering and amenities are not necessarily at the same level of quality as other airlines with first class. The biggest differentiator is that American Flagship First is gaining access to special lounges at American’s hub airports. It’s worth noting that American has begun retrofitting its 777-300ERs with new interiors without a first class cabin, while its A321-200s will be refurbished into a standard domestic layout.

British Airways

Available on Airbus A380s, select Boeing 777s and 787s

Credit: British Airways

While some airlines have either phased out first class completely or only offer it on a small number of aircraft, British Airways is all in. The carrier offers First on all Airbus A380-800s, some Boeing 777-300ERs, all 777-300ERs, all 787-9s, and all 787-10s. These aircraft have between eight and 14 first seats, and they’re all deployed from London Heathrow Airport (British Airways also operates some Boeing 777s out of London Gatwick Airport, but none with its first cabins).

Because British Airways has such a large fleet of aircraft with First, this means that there are several routes that the carrier serves where it doesn’t have unlimited demand for first class. Its route from London-Heathrow to New York-JFK is particularly known for having comparatively low first class fares, because although the market is extremely large, British Airways operates a massive schedule on this route. It’s therefore not uncommon to see fares under $5,000 one-way between these two cities.

Admittedly, British Airways First is not known for being the very best first class product in the world. While the suites are large and spacious, the seat angle resembles reverse-herringbone business class seats, and the service is not as differentiated from business class as on other airlines. British Airways, however, will introduce a new First Suite on its Airbus A380 fleet later in 2026, and the new seats will also be available on the carrier’s future Boeing 777-9 deliveries.

Thai Airways

Available on select Boeing 777s

Credit: Thai Airways

Thai Airways has a very limited Royal First offering, with the seats only being available on just three out of its 17 Boeing 777-300ERs. As such, Royal First is only available on the carrier’s routes from Bangkok to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita, and Osaka. Thai Airways formerly had a much larger first class network, but it retired its Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s that previously offered first class. The three 777-300ERs with first class were delivered after the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the route from Bangkok to London-Heathrow, it’s not unusual for one-way fares to creep down under $6,000, which is a relative bargain considering that the route can take over 12 hours, while the routes to Tokyo and Osaka regularly have first class fares under $3,000. Thai Airways also routinely undercuts Japan Airlines on the Bangkok to Tokyo route, as JAL’s fares for its first class product can be one-and-a-half times or double what Thai Airways charges.

Thai Airways’ Royal First hard product is fairly standard, consisting of eight spacious open suites in a four-abreast layout, but the carrier truly shines with its onboard service. Thai Airways is known for having friendly, attentive staff and high-quality catering, which are the areas where it truly shines. Ultimately, however, this bargain first class product will be disappearing, as Thai Airways intends to phase out Royal First and instead replace it with a front-row business class plus product.

Emirates

Available on Most Airbus A380s & Boeing 777s

Credit: Shutterstock

Emirates is famous for its glamorous first class offering that includes showers on the Airbus A380 and floor-to-ceiling walls on the ‘Game Changer’ suite found on select Boeing 777s, an experience that often comes with an eye-watering price tag. However, Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of first-class-configured widebodies, installing it on most A380s and 777-300ERs, and this means that there are several markets where Emirates has to charge far lower fares than the five-figure prices that are often associated with the product.

Emirates operates a number of fifth-freedom routes where its first class fares are relatively reasonable. Bangkok to Hong Kong is one of the most famous examples, as its first class tickets often run for under $1,000 on this admittedly short sector. Emirates often charges under $7,000 on many of its six-to-seven-hour routes, while upgrades from business class can also be priced reasonably. Meanwhile, some destinations are known to offer reasonable premium cabin tickets across the board, with Emirates first class tickets from Cairo to Dubai often coming in at under $3,000.

Emirates currently has two first class products. The Game Changer suites are configured in a three-abreast layout, and feature floor-to-ceiling privacy walls, virtual windows for the two center suites, in-suite mood lighting and temperature controls, and a zero-gravity function. This product, however, is only available on nine Boeing 777-300ERs. The remaining 777-300ERs with first class, as well as all first class-configured A380s, feature an older suite configured four-abreast, although it’s still an excellent product.

Lufthansa

Available on all Airbus A340-600s, select A350s, all A380s & 747-8s

Credit: Shutterstock

Lufthansa operates a fairly large fleet of first-class-equipped widebodies, as it offers the cabin on its five Airbus A340-600s, eight Airbus A380-800s, and 18 Boeing 747-8s, while new Airbus A350-900s are being delivered with its new Allegris first class (prior A350-900s did not have a first class cabin). The product is therefore available on several routes out of both of Lufthansa’s hubs.

Lufthansa first class fares out of its hubs tend to be pricey, but as with any airline, choosing the correct origination point with a layover in either Frankfurt or Munich can lead to lower ticket prices. What’s most remarkable about Lufthansa’s first class, however, is that the carrier tends to have much higher award availability than other airlines using partner programs, with Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles, and United MileagePlus typically offering the best value.

Lufthansa’s A340s, A380s, and 747s operate with its classic, albeit aging, open first class seat. While these seats lack privacy partitions or sliding doors, they’re known for being large, spacious, and comfortable, while Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal in Frankfurt is practically unrivaled in the industry. Meanwhile, the A350s feature Lufthansa’s new Allegris First Class, which comes with full floor-to-ceiling privacy partitions and sliding doors, along with a larger center suite for couples. However, the Allegris seats cannot be redeemed with points from partner programs.