Embarking in First from Italy is super difficult: here's who you can do it with and to which destinations
Globally, the First Class landscape has been increasingly shrinking in recent decades. Most [...]
Emirates
American Airlines
Oneworld
VCE
United States of America
United Arab Emirates
Worldwide, the First Class landscape has been increasingly shrinking in recent decades. Most airlines have preferred to invest in increasingly refined and innovative business class products, rather than keeping the queen class in line.
In this article:
An exception in this regard is Qatar Airways., which after announcing (some time ago) the imminent farewell to First Class and the further upgrade of its QSuites, has retraced its steps, announcing a few days ago (in addition to the revamp of its Business suites) that it is in an advanced stage in the development of an entirely new First seat and cabin.
In Europe remained four airlines still have that type of cabin-British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and Swiss. In North America, the only carrier to offer a First on long-haul flights is. American Airlines. In Latin America and Africa one cannot find one.
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The only continent where First is still found with some frequency is Asia: from the Middle East, where you can book on almost all Emirates aircraft and on some of those from Etihad, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Kuwait Airways and Oman Air, at theFar East, where you can fly in First with Korean Air, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Thai Airways and Garuda Indonesia. Oceania, Qantas offers it only on its A380s.
This view, and the fact that our market is not, in Europe, among those that non-European companies serve with their flagship products (see Qatar Airways no longer having any flights to Milan or Rome with QSuites on board) causes in Italy there are very few opportunities to embark in a cabin of First. To do so, one can choose between only two carriers: Emirates and, as of Monday, April 1, American Airlines.
The Dubai-based company provides its customers with the following. First Class aboard 101 of its 116 Airbus A380s and 117 of its 134 Boeing 777-300ERs.
There are 14 suites on the Superjumbo in a 1+2+1 configuration that are located on the upper floor of the aircraft and have at their disposal two bathrooms equipped with showers. On the 777, however, Prima's suites are 8 in two rows of 1+2+1 each (with the exception of 9 aircraft on which there are only 6 suites in a very exclusive 1+1+1 configuration, which, however, do not fly to Italy).
The Italian destination that has the most first class seats available with Emirates is Milan: Malpensa airport is in fact connected to. twice a day with Dubai and once a day with New York with Airbus A380, so there are 42 seats available every day. Rome, on the other hand, is linked to Dubai by an A380 and a Boeing 777, offering a total of 22 seats (14 on 380 and 8 on 777).
This is followed by Venice and Bologna, which have a daily connection to Dubai operated by 777. Looking at the flights from Venice In the first week of April, it turns out that only 5 of the 7 weekly frequencies include the possibility of booking a First Class seat, while on Bologna First is there seven days a week.
While still dealing with First, the 'hard' product, i.e. basically the seat, is not the same on the two types of airplane: On the 380, in fact, each suite is 220cm long and the seat 59cm wide, while on the 777 the suite measures 178cm long and the seat 52cm wide.
Emirates aside, the only other First available from Italy is. that offered by American Airlines on its daily connection between Rome and New York.
These are. a new entry, in the sense that it is a consequence of the'upgrade of aircraft used on the route by the American carrier., which for the summer season usa (starting Monday, April 1) a Boeing 777-300ER instead of the 777-200ER used in the winter.
Flagship First, so it is called, offers an 8-seat cabin on two rows 1+2+1. Unlike those of Emirates, these are not suites equipped with door, which provide maximum privacy. And the product is somewhat dated. However, the seat dimensions are respectable, with a 55cm wide seat, while the 'pitch' (the distance between rows) is 163cm.
A bit risque (for a First) is the IFE's screen, which is 15.4 inches. And practically half the screen available to Emirates First Class passengers, which measures a whopping 32 inches.
