Best First Class Airlines and Seats in 2026

Air France has the best first class in 2026 by the Skytrax measure: its La Première won World’s Best First Class on 18 September 2026, the first time Air France has won it. Singapore Airlines’ A380 Suites won Best First Class Seat for the second year running. Each is on one aircraft type, so the aircraft decides what you get.

Facts below are as of 9 October 2026.

First class compared

Airline	Product	Aircraft	Suites per aircraft	Door	Double bed	Shower or bar	Status
Air France	La Première (2025)	777-300ER	4	No, floor-to-ceiling curtain	No	–	In service
Singapore Airlines	A380 Suites (2017)	A380	6	Yes	Yes, Double Suites	–	In service
Singapore Airlines	First (2013)	777-300ER	–	No	–	–	In service
Lufthansa	Allegris First	A350-900, A350-1000	–	Yes	Yes, Suite Plus	–	In service; A350-1000 from winter 2026/27
Emirates	Game Changer First	9 777-300ERs	6	Yes, floor to ceiling	–	–	In service
Emirates	A380 First	A380	–	Yes	–	Shower Spa and bar	In service
Cathay Pacific	First (2007)	Fewer than 10 777-300ERs	6	No	–	–	Being removed as 777s are refitted
SWISS	SWISS Senses First	A350-900	3 (2 Single Suites, 1 Suite Plus)	Fully closable walls	Yes, Suite Plus	–	In service
Japan Airlines	A350-1000 First	A350-1000	6	Yes	Double-bed mode	–	In service
ANA	The Suite	10 of 13 777-300ERs	8	Yes	–	–	In service
Qantas	A380 First	A380	–	–	–	–	In service until A380 retirement in 2028
Qantas	Project Sunrise First	A350-1000ULR	6	Yes	–	–	From October 2027
Qatar Airways	A380 First	A380	8	–	–	Bar shared with business; no shower	In service
Etihad	The Residence and First Apartments	A380	1 Residence, 9 Apartments	Yes	Yes, Residence	Shower	In service
British Airways	New First	Refitted A380	12	Not confirmed	Divider opens between centre pair	Mini bar in each suite	First aircraft “in the coming months”

A dash means the airline does not publish it and we could not confirm it from another source.

Skytrax first class awards, 2025 and 2026

The 2026 top 10 for first class was Air France, Singapore, Lufthansa, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, SWISS, JAL, ANA, Qantas and Qatar. The sections below follow that order. Skytrax results come from a passenger survey, and Skytrax does not publish how many people rated each category.

1. Air France La Première

Air France unveiled its new La Première suite in March 2025. There are four per 777-300ER, each about 3.5 m². The two side suites span five windows and are more than three metres long. Each suite has a seat and a separate chaise longue that becomes a two-metre bed, plus two 32-inch 4K screens. There is no door: each suite closes with a floor-to-ceiling curtain, and the centre pair has a full-height electric partition.

Air France lists La Première routes from Paris to New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, São Paulo, Abidjan, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Tokyo.

On the ground:

• Chauffeur: free in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse, within 80 km of the airport.
• Check-in: a private check-in lobby at Paris CDG.
• Lounge: the La Première lounge, with a menu by Alain Ducasse and optional private suites.
• Boarding: a car to the aircraft.

Staying in Paris before or after? See our best luxury hotels in Paris.

2. Singapore Airlines Suites

Singapore’s A380 Suites, launched in 2017, sit on the upper deck, six per aircraft. Each has a sliding door, a separate bed and swivel armchair, a 32-inch screen and a wardrobe. In the Double Suites the divider lowers to make a double bed. One Mile at a Time, which ranks it fourth, found the bed “not particularly big”.

For winter 2026/27 Singapore flies the A380 from Singapore to Auckland (from 25 October 2026), Delhi, London Heathrow, Melbourne, Mumbai, Shanghai and Sydney. Frankfurt has the A380 only until 24 October 2026, then switches to the 777-300ER. Other first class routes use the 777-300ER, with a 2013 first class seat that has no door.

Singapore announced a new first class for its A350-900ULRs in November 2024, originally for the first quarter of 2027. In May 2026 Mainly Miles reported that it had been pushed back with no new date. Singapore’s Suites and First passengers use The Private Room at Changi Terminal 3.

3. Lufthansa Allegris First

Allegris First comes in two forms:

• Window suites have a door, a bed over two metres long, a seat almost a metre wide and a wardrobe.
• The centre Suite Plus has ceiling-high walls, a lockable door and two seats that form a double bed.

Allegris First has flown on Munich A350-900s since 2024, and 10 A350-900s had it by June 2025. The A350-1000 is expected to enter service with the winter schedule from late October 2026, with Newark, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo Haneda planned. Lufthansa had not announced its delivery by 9 October 2026. Lufthansa’s 747-8s, A340-600s and A380s keep the older first class seat.

Lufthansa’s first class menu, which won Skytrax’s 2026 catering award, is developed with two-Michelin-star chef Christoph Kunz. In September 2026 Lufthansa said Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame is now its permanent first class champagne.

On the ground, the Frankfurt First Class Terminal is open only to Lufthansa Group first class passengers and HON Circle members. Lufthansa drives first class passengers to the aircraft from the terminal, and from its Frankfurt and Munich first class lounges when the flight leaves from a remote stand.

4. Emirates

Emirates has two first class products:

• Game Changer first class, on the 777-300ER: fully enclosed suites with floor-to-ceiling doors and “zero-gravity” seats. The middle suites have virtual windows that show the view outside. Nine aircraft have it, and One Mile at a Time reports no plan to fit more.
• A380 first class: suites with sliding doors, the onboard Shower Spa and access to the onboard lounge bar.

Emirates announced a new A380 first class based on the Game Changer in June 2025 but has not given a date.

Emirates first class includes a free chauffeur in most cities, within a mileage limit (up to 50 miles in the examples Emirates publishes). Emirates was second for first class seat and fourth for first class at Skytrax in 2026.

5. Cathay Pacific

Cathay’s first class dates from 2007. It has six seats in a 1-1-1 layout with no doors, and a wide bed that One Mile at a Time rates among the most comfortable in the sky. It is now on fewer than ten 777-300ERs. Each 777 refitted with the Aria Suite business class loses its first class cabin. A Cathay executive told Executive Traveller in June 2026 that the airline will “have to gradually reduce the number of first class flights”.

Cathay does not publish a first class route list. Travel sites reported in April 2026 that it flies to London, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Tokyo Haneda. A new first class is planned for the 777-9, targeted by the end of 2027.

The Wing, First lounge in Hong Kong reopened on 22 April 2026 after a redesign and won Skytrax’s best first class lounge award for 2026.

6. SWISS Senses First

The SWISS A350-900 has three first class seats:

• Two Single Suites: walls that close fully, a bed of 2 m by 0.86 m and a 32-inch 4K screen.
• One Suite Plus: two seats and a bed of 2 m by 1.23 m.

A Single Suite and the Suite Plus can be booked together as the “Grand Suite” with a private aisle.

It flies Zurich to Boston and Seoul, adding Johannesburg and some Shanghai flights from winter 2026/27. The SWISS 777-300ER keeps the older first class seat.

7. Japan Airlines A350-1000

JAL’s A350-1000 first class has six suites with doors, a 43-inch 4K screen, headrest speakers and a bed that converts to a double. It flies from Tokyo Haneda to:

• New York, twice daily
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Los Angeles
• London, twice daily from 1 October 2026 to 27 March 2027
• Paris, from 1 September 2026

JAL’s Haneda first class lounge has a sushi counter run by Sushi Tsurutei.

8. ANA The Suite

ANA’s The Suite has eight suites per 777-300ER, each with a sliding door and a 43-inch 4K screen. It is on 10 of ANA’s 13 777-300ERs, which fly from Tokyo Haneda to London and New York, and to Chicago on some days. ANA also sells first class on its A380 between Tokyo Narita and Honolulu.

9. Qantas

Qantas first class today is on the A380, from Sydney to Dallas, Johannesburg, Los Angeles and Singapore/London. Qantas has brought A380 retirement forward to 2028.

Its new first class is on the A350-1000ULR built for Project Sunrise, with six enclosed suites. Each has a sliding door, a two-metre bed and a separate armchair, a 32-inch screen and a full-length wardrobe. The first aircraft is due in April 2027. Daily Sydney to London flights start in October 2027 (tickets on sale February 2027), and Sydney to New York from mid-2028.

10. Qatar Airways

Qatar sells first class only on the A380: eight seats over two rows, with an upper-deck bar shared with business class and à la carte “Dine Anytime” meals. A380 routes include Bangkok, London and Paris. Qatar’s business class Qsuite (see our business class guide) is on its A350s, 777s and 787s, not the A380. A new first class is planned for some 777-9s, with no seat map, route or date.

In Doha, first class passengers use the Al Safwa First Lounge, which has a 250-seat restaurant and a spa.

Etihad: The Residence and First Apartments

Etihad was not in the Skytrax 2026 first class top 10, but its A380 has what Etihad calls the world’s only three-room suite in the sky:

• The Residence: a three-room apartment with a living area, a double bedroom and an ensuite shower, for up to two guests. It is booked as an upgrade from a first class ticket.
• First Apartments: nine per A380, each with a privacy door, a separate armchair and an 80-inch ottoman bed. Apartment guests share a dedicated shower room.

Etihad’s A380 routes have changed during 2026. Its A380 page lists London, Paris, Singapore, Toronto and Tokyo, and the A380 takes over the daily Bangkok flight from 25 October 2026, so check the aircraft for your date. Residence and first class guests get a free chauffeur in the UAE, and Residence and First Deluxe tickets also include a global chauffeur service at selected airports.

British Airways: new First on the A380

BA revealed a new first class seat in November 2024:

• a seat 36.5 inches wide
• a 79-inch bed
• a 60-inch curved privacy wall
• a 32-inch 4K screen
• an ottoman for a guest to dine with you
• a divider that slides open between the centre pair

Each refitted A380 will have 12 of them, with a mini bar in every suite. BA has published an image captioned as the suite’s door, but its specifications do not mention one. The first refitted A380 was originally due in mid-2026. On 5 October 2026 BA said it is expected “in the coming months”. BA’s A380s currently fly from London Heathrow to Johannesburg, Miami, San Francisco and Singapore.

Other airlines that still sell first class

Airline	First class
STARLUX	4 suites with sliding doors on the A350-900 and A350-1000
Korean Air	Kosmo Suites on the A380, 747-8i and some 777-300ERs; the A380 flies only Seoul Incheon to New York JFK. On select flights a first class seat is sold as an add-on to a Prestige (business) booking
Thai Airways	Royal First on the 777-300ER only
Saudia	First Suite on the 777-300ER, 12 suites with doors (trade report)
Air India	First on the 777-300ER, including Delhi to Melbourne in summer 2026; a new first class is planned for the A350-1000 around 2030

Who has cut first class

• Garuda Indonesia stopped selling first class in April 2026; One Mile at a Time reported it could be temporary.
• Riyadh Air began flying in October 2025 with no first class; its top cabin is Business Elite.
• Cathay Pacific is removing first from its current 777s until the 777-9 arrives.
• Qatar Airways sells first class on the A380 only.

Airbus told Runway Girl Network in May 2026 that the average first class cabin has fallen from eight seats to five since 2021, while demand for first class is stable. In the same period Air France, Lufthansa, SWISS, JAL, BA and Qantas have all launched or committed to new first class suites.

What launches next