The Airline With The Best First Class In The World In 2026

Published Oct 9, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Based in the UK, Josh is a keen writer with a degree in Military History. Having worked previously as a financial journalist, he has covered the aviation industry extensively, reporting on airlines' results and monthly passenger statistics in the aftermath of the pandemic, alongside the likes of regulation around sustainable fuels, and the prospects for hydrogen-powered commercial flight. He joins Simple Flying with a lifelong love of all things aviation. Air France has just reaped the rewards after years' worth of work developing a new first-class product. Having rolled out the offering for its most premium passengers in 2025, the carrier nabbed the title of the World’s Best First Class Airline at last month’s Skytrax World Airline Awards. Thanks in part to its refreshed La Première suite, Air France beat Singapore Airlines’ offering to first place — an impressive feat in itself, given the city-state’s flag carrier had held the title for the best part of a decade. But the French airline’s lounges and amenities also helped secure the win. So what has Air France received accolades for specifically, and how has it knocked Singapore off its perch as the best for first class? Who Won What At The Skytrax Awards Skytrax’s awards are widely considered to be among the most prestigious for airlines globally. Held this year on September 18 in London, the results were determined by a survey of about 24.8 million customers across more than 100 countries, run over the past year. As carriers commonly call it, the event is the “Oscars of the aviation industry." Overall, Singapore prevailed, being voted the World’s Best Airline for the year. Qatar Airways then came in second, ahead of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, and Turkish Airlines to complete the top five. Awards are then subcategorized, with Qatar being named World’s Best Business Class Airline, EVA Air claiming victory as the World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airline, and Singapore also securing World’s Best Economy Class Airline. Select Skytrax World Airline Awards rankings: Ranking World’s Best Airlines Best First Class Best Business Class Best Premium Economy Class Best Economy Class 1 Singapore Airlines Air France Qatar Airways EVA Air Singapore Airlines 2 Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Emirates Cathay Pacific Airways 3 Cathay Pacific Lufthansa Cathay Pacific Airways Singapore Airlines Qatar Airways 4 All Nippon Airways Emirates All Nippon Airways Cathay Pacific Airways EVA Air 5 Turkish Airlines Cathay Pacific Airways Hainan Airlines Virgin Atlantic All Nippon Airways That is not all, though, with other categories including titles such as World’s Cleanest Airline — won by STARLUX Airlines — and World’s Best Low-Cost Airline — AirAsia this year — to name a few. Within these, airlines can claim a string of more specific awards. For Air France, the first-class segment was particularly fruitful. Air France Claims Four Titles Clinching the spot as the World’s Best First Class Airline naturally meant Air France ranked highly across the board within the category. That is, airlines were ranked for their lounges, physical seats, onboard catering, lounge dining, and amenities. Of these, Air France claimed the top spot for two: Lounge dining and Amenities. Among the others, Air France was ranked third for its first-class lounges, third for physical first class seats, and second in terms of onboard catering within its most premium cabin. Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, based at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), topped Lufthansa and Air France for lounges. For seating, Singapore and Emirates claimed first and second, ahead of Air France. Lufthansa then won for onboard catering. Air France and Singapore Airlines' individual rankings in Skytrax first class awards segment: Award Air France Singapore Airlines World’s Best First Class Airline First Second Best First Class Airline Lounge Third Fifth Best First Class Airline Seat Third First Best First Class Onboard Catering Second Third Best First Class Airline Lounge Dining First Third Best First Class Airline Comfort Amenities First Fourth Outside of the first class specific category, Air France also claimed first place for Best Airline in Western Europe for a sixth successive year, bringing its total to four awards at the event. Alongside this, the carrier climbed to seventh from eighth in the overall list of World’s Best Airlines. Overall, the first class category results put Air France in first place ahead of Singapore, which had claimed top spot in consecutive years dating back to 2018, bar 2020 when the pandemic saw Skytrax cancel the event. Either way, becoming the first new airline to steal the top spot for its first class offering in eight years is worthy of attention. Air France First Class Lounge Dining In terms of the specific rankings, Air France topped the first class lounge dining award related to its La Première lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Located within its primary hub, the food served in the flagship lounge is said to come from a menu created by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, according to Air France. Beyond food, lounge access lets travelers book spa treatments, reserve a private suite within the lounge, use enclosed work areas, and more. Access itself, as expected, can come at a cost, though. La Première and standard or flex business class fare holders get complimentary entry with their tickets, according to Air France’s website. Gold and platinum members of Air France’s Flying Blue loyalty program also get free access, alongside those with Elite Plus status under the SkyTeam alliance scheme. Outside of that, paid entry is available but only under certain circumstances. That is, starting three hours before departure, and only if space is available. In any case, Air France notes online that travelers can spend $105 or 18,000 miles to wait in the area and enjoy a snippet of the perks it offers its first class passengers. Air France First Class Amenities Indeed, Air France has also received recognition through awards for the wider array of amenities it offers first-class passengers. This means La Première passengers are offered — depending on location — a private chauffeur service to the airport, and continued privacy from check-in and security through the lounge and even up to the aircraft. When onboard, an amenity kit in a leather gift box is offered exclusively to La Première customers. This includes an array of hand creams and moisturizers sourced through a partnership with cosmetics brand Sisley. Air France also includes a pen, comb, earplugs, and night mask in the gift box. Food for those in first class on Air France’s aircraft is also said to mirror that of the lounges, with menus “created by leading names in contemporary French cuisine”. Alongside that, wines and champagnes are offered that have been picked out by Air France’s own sommelier. In all, Air France appears to have spared little expense on its soft product. It is arguably in the physical onboard suite, however, where airlines are really judged. Air France’s All-New La Première Suite Air France’s charge for the title of World’s Best First Class Airline came on the back of its introduction of a new hard first class product last year. This, according to the airline, was developed over three years to create a suite with a seat and separate chaise lounge that converts into a bed. Four La Première suites are available at a time on Air France’s aircraft, arranged in a single row across the front of the planes’ cabins. In total, La Première passengers get almost 37.7 square feet (3.5 square meters) of personal space within their cabin, which, in Air France’s words, is a 25% improvement on its previous offering. Within this space, the chair can be adjusted for takeoff, landing, dining, or relaxation, while the chaise lounge opposite can be extended into a bed measuring around six feet, seven inches (two meters) in length and two feet, six inches (0.75 meters) in width. To top it off, a floor-to-ceiling curtain can be pulled across for complete privacy, while the suites at either end of the row boast five windows along the other side—a feature Air France says is exclusive to it. Those in the middle, meanwhile, share an electric sliding partition for duos traveling together, and all suites also include entertainment systems. As to which aircraft specifically the product is on, the realistic answer is relatively few. La Première Exclusively On Boeing 777-300ER Air France exclusively runs La Première on a select few of its Boeing 777-300ERs. That means relatively few route options for those looking to try the new offering. As of this summer, new La Première suites were installed on aircraft covering 13 routes from Paris Charles de Gaulle, seven of which were to cities in the United States. Meanwhile, some 19 aircraft have been earmarked for the new suites. With 43 examples in its fleet, based on Planespotters.net data, however, choosing a 777-300ER flight to experience the latest version of La Première would seem like a gamble. That said, Air France is retrofitting its 777-300ER fleet to roll out the product more widely, so opportunities to catch it should only grow. Air France was approached for comment.