Guys, I was so close to flying every first class product in the world. But now Air Peace, the Nigerian airline run by a guy who has been indicted in the United States for bank fraud, money laundering, and obstruction, apparently decided that it has first class as well even though it doesnt actually have first class? Let me explain
2 birds with one stone: Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.
I think you're also missing the First class of "Domestic Airline". It is the national domestic airline of Algeria.
if anyone ever doubts your dedication just link them this article LOL
you have my permission to skip this one btw. would be entertaining for sure but I don't think it counts as 1st IMO
I have decided that the front passenger seat of my car is First Class and will now charge accordingly, although you do get a full forward view and a bottle of water.
I think I define first class as, "better than business class in terms of both hard product and soft product". More specifically, I think first class seats have direct aisle access, and have their own space rather than overlapping with the seat in front.
I am inclined to embrace a "business plus" seat with an elevated soft product as "first class", but I can understand those who feel that a first class seat should not have overlap with the seat behind them, thus maximising the width available for the entire length of the seat's compartment.
I reject Air Peace's "first class" due to it seemingly not having a better hard product than their business class.
do it... do it... do it...
Use your imagination. If Air Peace only offers an imaginary first I see no reason to experience it in any other way.
Well if I was a cash-strapped airline, I’d see Ben’s quest to fly every first nominal class product as free money too lol
Could you perhaps elaborate on your logic behind "flying every first class in the world" because what metric do you account for? I presume current available commercial First Class products?
@ E39 -- Every "true" first class, which I'd typically define as a product above business class. This is intended to separate it from airlines that just market the forward cabin on a plane without business class as first class.
I won't count StarLux's "first class" as first class as well. Unless you think Jetblue Mint suite is first class too.
@ Hill Sama -- I sort of hear you, but I'm curious, why specifically? The soft product is significantly different, both on the ground and in the air. That's very different than the first row JetBlue Mint product.
That's why I never think Korean Air's old A330's so called "First class" (Same seat, different meal) is first class too. In order to be a "First Class" you have to have a different enough seat, and different service. It's "and", not "or" (btw, after 18 years of reading your blog every single day,I am so glad we finally had our first conversation )
You should definitely do it. Not only will you be the first person to review it but you might very well be the first person to have ever paid to fly it. Please take pictures of the vintage champagne and caviar service.
I think this depends on how you are scoping "First Class" in the context of your goal. If by reviewing every "First Class" you primarily mean every first class *seat* then maybe you should not include it. However, if you view "First Class" in general as encompassing any food, service, cabin privacy, attendant-to-passenger ratio or any distinguishing aspect other than the seat then maybe you should include it. It would seem to me that the objective of a review itself would be to uncover what the price differentiation between business and first really buys.
A quest to fly first class does not require you to fly an inferior business class masquerading as first, IMHO. I can't imagine I'd think anything afterwards other than I threw away $s to help fund that. It is dismal modern J (2-2-2!) that says "pay use 40% more and we'll call it F." (Admittedly, I want you to do it because I suspect what little extra you get will be funny.)
How disappointed you are depends entirely on the expectations you go in with…
There's no rule dictating that the seat needs to be different for a cabin to be marketed separately. KLM, Finnair et al have long been selling 2-2 business class on the Embraer, I think that SAS even offer it on the Braathens ATRs!
Why don't you just email Air Peace to ask them what exactly the differences between the two cabins are? It could be some vague combination of slightly expanded food options and a few additional miles or something more elaborate including dedicated helplines, VIP airport services, book-the-cook dining etc.
Yeah, that use of 'business' class is a farce, though. 3-3 (or 2-2) economy seats should ever really be called 'business' even if a middle seat is blocked. I actually prefer the Aerolineas Argentina method of referring to 'recliners' as 'premium economy.' Because, business should be lie-flat. First should only be used when there's a separate business class also on board. I know, semantics.
Yeah, that use of 'business' class is a farce, though. 3-3 (or 2-2) economy seats should ever really be called 'business' even if a middle seat is blocked. I actually prefer the Aerolineas Argentina method of referring to 'recliners' as 'premium economy.' Because, business should be lie-flat. First should only be used when there's a separate business class also on board. I know, semantics.
I'm not saying the 2-2 arrangement is any good - just that it's established practice.
I suspect that the Aerolíneas (and LATAM, and more recently Gol) approach to premium economy is because they don't have m/any lounges of their own and don't want to pay for contract ones; they'd probably happily sell it as business class if lounge access was included.
@Ben, if I recall correctly (and you can research) the SQ 777-300s (non ERs) used to have first class cabin and they were also 2-2-2 (maybe different seats from biz; e.g., lie flat vs angle lie-flat). They were only flown for Asia regional. That might explain..
@ Trey -- You have great memory, and you're correct. However, that was a different first class product, and that was a generation before these angled flat seats were installed. So Singapore Airlines had actually reconfigured this particular regional 777 before it went to Air Peace, to introduce the product standard we see in the video.
All three of these (Starlux, Peace and Côte d'Ivoire) seem not to have a First Class product, so I would guess the question is mute. If Ben wants to review all marketed as F he needs to fly all three, if he wants to fly all actual F products he doesn't have to fly any of them.
Can't speak for everyone but I'm sure you'll get a pass on this one 🙂