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.
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.
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.