American Airlines Says First Class Is Dead. JetBlue Just Made the Opposite Bet

Two airlines are making opposing moves in premium seating, but both are part of the same trend.

EXPERT OPINION BY PAULA CONWAY

Photo: Courtesy American Airlines

Four years ago, on American Airlines’ Q3 2022 earnings call, a reporter asked whether the airline was retiring first class on its 777s. In response, Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja made a relatively monumental announcement: “The first class will not exist on the 777 or, for that matter, at American Airlines for the simple reason that our customers aren’t buying it.”

Raja then explicitly contrasted first class with business........

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