First class
The smallest and most exclusive cabin, staffed at the tightest ratio and usually reserved for the most senior and best-assessed crew.
Definition
First class is the top-tier cabin found on a shrinking number of long-haul carriers, typically a handful of enclosed suites at the front of the aircraft with dine-on-demand service. Many airlines have dropped it in favour of a better business class; the ones that keep it — Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France among them — treat it as a brand flagship.
What it means for you
First class is the top of the cabin ladder and almost always a selected position: a promotion or internal assessment, extra service training and a higher grade of pay. Your day is a handful of passengers, each expecting a name-by-name service, and a purser watching the detail. It is also where a mistake carries the most weight, because these are the passengers most likely to write in.
In practice
Emirates crew reach First Class as Grade I FC after Economy and Business, and the A380 First cabin with its shower spa is one of the most photographed workplaces in aviation.
Related terms
3 terms- Business classAircraft & cabinThe premium long-haul cabin with lie-flat seats and plated dining, worked at a low passenger ratio by crew who have earned the position.
- Cabin classAircraft & cabinThe service tiers a cabin is split into — economy, premium economy, business, first — each with its own seat, service and crew ratio.
- Senior cabin crewRoles & ranksUnder EASA, the qualified crew member in charge of the cabin (SCCM); more loosely, any experienced crew above the entry grade.