As we start 2026, I really have very little idea of how this year will shape up in terms of international travel. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding my work, and I may end up being fortunate just to take a couple of family trips to Germany. Even so, there are a number of first class products I do hope to try (or-retry) in 2026, which are not very exotic, but many are long overdue for a fresh review.
7 First Class Products I Hope To Try In 2026
This is not an exhaustive list, but I would place these seven products at the top of the list.
Emirates A380-800 + 777-300
It has been many years since I’ve flown Emirates or showered on a plane, but I plan to fly Emirates First Class on a fun trip with two segments…stay tuned!
Lufthansa A350-900
Allegris First Class debuted in 2025 and I look forward to trying it…last month I had planned to try and at the very least fly on the A380 First Class to enjoy a goose dinner onboard and get a Christmas duck in the First Class Terminal, but those plans fell through and I’ll have to try again this year.
SWISS 777-300ER
Sticking in the Lufthansa Group family, I have not flown SWISS First since late 2017 and I need to give SWISS First Class another try, ideally with a long connection in Zurich such that I can make use of both the Schengen and non-Schengen first class lounges. Why not SWISS Senses First on the A350? Maybe…
Etihad A380-800
I’d like to give Etihad another try in first class from Abu Dhabi to Toronto (or even a shorter route from London). As much as I despise Etihad’s loyalty program, 200K miles to fly from YYZ-AUH is not horrible and it has been nearly a decade since I’ve flown it.
British Airways 777-300
I firmly believe that British Airways offers a very undervalued business and first class product and I had planned to fly the 777-300 in first class from London to LA last November, but ended up flying Aer Lingus and Finnair instead. I could have flown the A380 in first class, which is a nice product, but I’ll wait until I can fly on the 777.
ANA 777-300 First Class
After a great flight on JAL onboard the A350-1000, it’s time to fly ANA on its flagship 777 in first class.
Air France 777-300 New First Class
Air France debuted its new first class seat in 2025 and I’d love to give it a try this year. La Premiere is world’s most exclusive first class products and the question of when I fly is not if but when.
CONCLUSION
While I always set travel goals each January, I do wonder how this year will turn out in terms of travel. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes toward striking the right balance between this blog and my other endeavors, but I am confident everything will fall into place and you will be treated to some fascinating reviews this year, though probably more like last year with just a small handful of pure review trips.
What first class products are you looking to fly in 2026?
Do you have American miles? Last year there was a lot of apartments space from Abu Dhabi to London for 50k miles.
I do and if the space opens (even the 115K from YYZ), I’ll grab it. But it has been very rare the last several months.
Saw the new La Premiere from Business Class… it looked really freaking nice.
AF’s new La Première First Class is utterly unlike any other First Class in the world…
The last thing us frequent LP flyers need is bloggers hijacking the tcabin with nonstop photos, performative ordering to “maximize” the experience, and zero self-awareness of the crew and other passengers.
The last thing I need when I fly in first class is a wanker for a seatmate like you.
Giving Flagship First one last go before it gets retired? I’m sure it doesn’t compare to any of these but I’ll miss it for the easy access to the Chelsea Lounge
You’re certainly not setting low goals.
I’d like to see a SWISS Senses vs Lufthansa Allegris comparison, same hard product, but which airline is better!
How about QANTAS?
I mean, the A350-1000 from SYD-LHR would be a dream in 2027, but no need to fly the A380 again this year (not that I would turn it down).
Mini-review here:
https://liveandletsfly.com/qantas-a380-first-class/
Does anyone actually want a goose dinner? Serious question
It’s a fun idea in a Christmas song but in reality?
My German grandmother made goose every Christmas. Delicious!
AF is in an interesting position with their LP product at the moment (from what I’ve heard from others and my own personal experiences). The older product is great, but is really facing some issues due to age – non functioning/reclining seats, broken window shades, and general wear and tear. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about the new product (and am looking forward to trying it in February), but it too has been plagued by issues, primarily tech/hardware. It is not very fun to pay $10,000+ (or 250K+ miles) only to have a broken seat. I’d say I’ve encountered a broken seat on about 50% of my AF LP flights. So hopefully in the next year they can get the entire fleet reconfigured AND figure out the tech/hardware issues so that they can offer a flawless LP experience.