By 
“Air France has just unveiled its new luxury first-class section, which the airline describes as a “”haute couture”” experience. The suite features a seat that reclines into a bed measuring 6 feet 7 inches long and 30 inches wide, making it one of the most spacious first-class offerings in the world. A total of 76 of these luxurious seats will be installed across 19 of the airline’s Boeing 777-300 jets, with the entire upgrade costing $70 million.
Frederic Gagey, Air France’s CEO, explained that in 2012, the company committed to identifying and enhancing key products to elevate Air France to the ranks of the top airlines. The significant investment was necessary to achieve this goal. Gagey expressed confidence in the new first-class suite, stating that while it’s ultimately up to customers to judge, the company is very proud and confident in the result. He emphasized that these improvements extend across all classes, not just first class.
First class represents a small segment of the air-travel market, with Air France serving 52,000 first-class passengers annually, which accounts for just 0.3 percent of total long-haul travelers and 1.8 percent of long-haul revenue. However, according to Bruno Matheu, head of Air France’s passenger business, the high ticket prices—averaging 9,000 euros ($12,500) for a return ticket—make these seats highly profitable. Matheu noted that the revenue generated from these luxury seats surpasses what could be earned by filling the same space with economy or business-class seats.”