Airlines mulling over first-class cabins after success of business beds

[LONDON] The word's top airlines are questioning the need for first-class cabins as flat-bed seats cradle corporate customers in once-unimaginable comfort, making the premium on front-row seats harder to justify.

With fully reclining business berths introduced this year by Air France-KLM Group, the corporate cabins of top operators in Europe, Asia and the Middle East now all offer an experience comparable to that available in first-class cabins for almost two decades.

Among carriers that see limited demand for luxury seats are American Airlines, which is r…