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Fewer and fewer airlines around the world are offering first class. The fare class has disappeared from North and South America, while more airlines are phasing it out in other parts of the world. The strongholds for first class are East Asia (plus Singapore), the Middle East, and Western Europe. In these regions, airlines are investing in first-class suites for their next-generation aircraft and for refreshed cabin interiors, although they are often trimming back. Even Emirates isn’t introducing it on its latest A350s.
Which first-class suites are the most comfortable is often more of a personal taste than something that can be measured empirically with inches and mattress softness. Still, Singapore Airlines is often named the best, while Emirates now dominates the fare class. Here are some things to know about which airlines have the most comfortable first-class suites in 2026.
The List Is Narrowing
Over the last few decades, the aviation industry has been turning away from first-class fares. Flying is no longer “special” or the pastime of the wealthy; it is no longer the status symbol it once was. Instead, passengers have turned to business class, which is good enough for most elites flying on commercial airlines. Additionally, premium economy has emerged as a sweet spot between comfort and fiscal responsibility for many travelers.
This has squeezed first class. It has become a dying class and has now gone extinct in some regions. With American Airlines now phasing out the last of its first-class offerings, first class is disappearing not only from the US commercial aviation market but across the entire Western Hemisphere. This doesn’t mean first class is disappearing entirely, but it does mean it is in retreat and becoming increasingly confined to certain hold-outs.
Since 2000, airlines that scrapped first class include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines (by 2018), Turkish Airlines, Iberia, China Southern Airlines (2022), Air Canada, Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, South African Airways, Air New Zealand, LATAM, and many others. It’s worth noting that while China-based airlines have mostly removed first class, at least a part of the tale has been to rebrand the class following China’s 2010s anti-corruption and “common prosperity” campaigns.
What Airlines Even Offer First Class?
A list of the “ten best first-class airlines” is now at risk of simply listing all the airlines that offer first class. Only around 10 to 16 airlines are considered to offer first class. The number varies somewhat by definition, and some airlines’ first-class offerings are now extremely limited to specific routes. The airlines that offer true first class on a significant portion of the long-haul fleet include Air France, ANA, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss.
Additionally, there are airlines like Asiana, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, and Thai Airways with some first class offerings. Of these, Asiana is being absorbed by Korean Air. Korean Air is developing an all-new first-class suite expected to debut in 2028, making Korean Air the latest airline to announce a future first class. Notably, it will be rolled out in its A350s, 777s, and 787s, not its A380s and 747s, which are on their way out.
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Top ten airlines for first class seating (per Skytrax) |
Aircraft types with first-class seating |
|---|---|
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Singapore Airlines |
A380, 777 |
|
Emirates |
A380, 777 |
|
Air France |
777 |
|
Cathay Pacific |
777 |
|
Lufthansa |
A340, A350, A380, 747 |
|
ANA All Nippon Airways |
A380, 777 |
|
Japan Airlines |
A350, 767, 777, 787 |
|
SWISS International Air Lines |
A330, A340, 777 |
|
Qatar Airways |
A380, 777 |
|
British Airways |
A380, 777, 787 |
China Eastern and Garuda Indonesia’s first class routes are very limited, while Qatar Airways is replacing first class, leaving it restricted to their limited fleet of Airbus A380s and a select few 777s. Those A380s will be phased out in the coming years. Cathay Pacific is removing first class from its Boeing 777-300ERs by 2027. This article will focus on those investing in the future of first class.
Why American Airlines Doesn’t Want Flagship First Class Anymore
In 2022, the airline confirmed that it would eliminate its so-called Flagship First class.
Singapore Airlines Is Considered The Best
Skytrax listed Singapore Airlines as first in its “World’s Best First Class Airlines of 2025” award. Interestingly, Skytrax lists 20 airlines with first class, including Kuwait Airways, which offers Royal First Class cabins on its Boeing 777-300ERs. Skytrax says, “Singapore Airlines wins the 2025 award as the World’s Best First Class Airline, also winning awards for the Best First Class Onboard Catering and their A380 Suites winning the Best First Class Airline Seat title.”
Singapore Airlines offers six first-class suites in its A380s and four in its Boeing 777-300ERs. On the A380s, they feature a bed and a relaxing chair, with the option of double suites for those traveling as a couple. Singapore Airlines says, “Travelling with a loved one? In our Double Suites, the centre divider between rooms makes way for a luxurious double bed. Your world just got bigger.” The suites resemble a hotel room in the sky.
The suites come with a massive 32″ HD touchscreen monitor, fine dining, and spacious lavatories. The first class suites on the Boeing 777-300ERs are smaller than those on the A380s. They come with extra wide, hand-stitched leather seats, Singapore Airlines’ best service, and more. Passengers can reserve their main course up to 24 hours before the flight. The HD display on the 777s is 24″.
Emirates Is Ranked Second
Coming second in Skytrax’s ranking is Emirates. Emirates offers 14 first-class suites on all of its A380 Superjumbos, except for the high-density 388J configuration, which has 58 business-class seats and 557 economy-class seats. Emirates operates half of the world’s A380s, with around 100 examples in service. Emirates is also the largest operator of the 777-300ER and 777-200LR.
Except for some high-density configurations, Boeing 777s are configured with six or eight first-class suites. Emirates is also taking delivery of its Airbus A350-900s, although these are not configured with first-class suites. The first class suites on the A380s come with privacy doors, fine dining, an onboard shower spa, and the famous A380 lounge bar. Emirates describes the first-class experience on the Boeing 777s as a “true luxury with your own private hotel room in the sky.”
But where Emirates really shines through is that it has at least 40% and up to 50% of the world’s first-class suites. This depends on how first-class suites are counted; not all airlines that claim they have first-class really qualify as true first class. More on that below. First class suites are also often more spacious on the A380s, and here Emirates dominates. Singapore may offer top-notch A380 first-class suites, but it only has 12 Airbus A380s remaining in inventory; Emirates has ten times that number.
Why Is Premium Economy So Popular?
The story behind how premium economy is pushing out first class.
Other Excellent First Class Airlines
Other high-ranked airlines with first-class suites are Air France, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, ANA, Japan Airlines, SWISS, Qatar, and British Airways. This completes Skytrax’s top ten list. Lufthansa is in the process of rolling out its new Allegris interiors, although with reduced-capacity suites. Air France has a few first-class suites (restricted to the 777-300ERs), and these are being upgraded to La Première suites. Japan Airlines is one of the few airlines fitting first-class suites into its Airbus A350s.
It’s worth noting that for its size, SWISS International Air Lines has a large number of first-class suites. It is a boutique-style carrier within the Lufthansa Group and maintains first-class cabins on every long-haul aircraft. The new SWISS First Grand Suite was unveiled in 2025. SWISS has four or eight first-class suites on its A330-300s, eight on its A340-300s, four on its A350-900s, and eight on its 777-300ERs.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that the first-class experience is not all about the suite on the aircraft. Skytrax awards Lufthansa’s Frankfurt Lounge the Best First Class Airline Lounge award. Meanwhile, Air France won the Best First Class Lounge Dining and the Best First Class Airline Onboard Amenities awards.
Emirates Dominates In First Class Routes
One of the big factors that many articles fail to mention when talking about first-class seats is how many an airline has. It’s great if Singapore Airlines has the best first-class offerings, but it’s another matter if they offer first class on the flight one is actually going to take. The sheer size and scale of the Emirates A380 fleet and 777 fleet mean there are many routes to fly first class, and often multiple flights on the same day.
Emirates is notable for having by far the most first-class suites. According to Planespotters.net, Emirates currently has 116 A380s in its inventory, of which 95 are active. According to AeroLOPA, only two are 388J configurations without first class. This means the Emirates A380 fleet offers around 1,302 first-class suites (93×14). Add in those of the 777s, and this grows to over 2,000 first-class seats.
By comparison, the British Airways fleet offers around 600–700 first-class suites, Lufthansa around 400, and SWISS around 200. Others like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, ANA, and Air France all have fewer than 200 first-class suites. Put another way, it means Emirates is far more likely to have first-class seats on its flights, and it offers first class to most of its destinations.
