How first class became more like a ‘personal apartment’
From seats to suites to private studios…
Flying in first class has always, by definition, been about treating passengers to the very best – even as business class steadily closed the gap, beginning with the world’s first business class flatbeds way back in 2000.
First class quickly evolved to double-down on its inherent exclusivity by becoming truly private spaces.
Etihad’s A380 superjumbos were crowned by first class Apartments and the three-room Residence.
Emirates took the cues for its new Boeing 777 first class from old-world railway cabins and modern yachts, while Singapore Airlines most recently re-imagined its superjumbo first class as a Skyroom – almost a boutique hotel room above the clouds.
But years before that, in 2014, this first class concept from JPA Design channeled what the firm described as “a personal apartment approach.”
Named Domus, after the Latin for ‘home’, the open suites were shaped by a decidedly residential approach.
The extra-wide seats with overlapping side-tables, marble-patterned coffee tables, ottomans and cinematic video screens – if you deconstructed those elements, they could each be items from an upmarket home furniture catalogue.
JPA Design says Domus “took a premium hospitality inspired approach to first class.”
"When the design was developed in 2014, Domus might have looked a step far beyond commercial first class…. but since then the latest generation of first class interiors, such as those from Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad, have made it a realistic proposition.”
Brazilian carrier TAM (now part of South America’s LATAM) adopted a similar approach with its 2012 Boeing 777 first class cabin.
This was more than just a seat, the airline said – it was a “living room in the sky.”
(It was also very short-lived, with TAM scrapping its 777 first class after just two years.)
While some airlines persisted with the open suite approach to first class – most notably Qatar Airways’ A380 first class, which debuted in 2014 – Air France embraced the home-inspired vibe with its Boeing 777 La Premiere first class, introduced in late 2014.
With a 3m² footprint carefully dressed and finished in luxurious style, a standout feature is the use of soft curtains instead of a sliding door, while the bedside lamp brings an additional ‘just like home’ touch.
It’s no accident, then, that Qantas’ forthcoming A350 first class has been likened to a cosy studio – one with a separate armchair and bed – and it now remains to be seen how the next generation of first class suites from Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines might advance this trend even further.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 768
Given the carbon emissions by private jets, perhaps it makes sense to offer these uber-expensive seats as an alternative to the cost of private jets, particularly for long haul flights?
01 Dec 2011
Total posts 34
For me, it's completely over the top and a waste of money. I'm prepared to pay for business class, but I'd rather pay the difference between that and first class on better hotels.
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 45
I've only flown on Singapore Suites class once, but Rita, I'm pretty sure if you give it a try, you'll think twice.
Absolutely sublime.
03 May 2013
Total posts 685
Rita if you needed to travel internationally, numerous times a year for work, even business class can become too busy. Sometimes it's just the solace and space of F which help keep your sane.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on How first class became more like a ‘personal apartment’