{"id":535831,"date":"2025-11-12T14:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T03:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=535831"},"modified":"2025-11-12T15:00:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T04:00:49","slug":"why-great-airlines-suck-at-luxury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/why-great-airlines-suck-at-luxury","title":{"rendered":"Why Great Airlines Suck At Luxury"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a strange paradox in aviation right now: some of the best run airlines in the world can\u2019t seem to nail their premium experience. <\/p><p>They\u2019re operationally slick, punctual, financially sound, and their crews couldn\u2019t be friendlier, yet when it comes to Business and First, you\u2019re still staring at a 10 inch screen, eating reheated pasta, and wondering why your \u201clie flat\u201d seat slopes like a hinterland farm stay carpark.<\/p><p>The reason isn\u2019t incompetence. It\u2019s strategy. And money.<\/p><p>Many of these airlines, think <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/tag\/qantas\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Qantas<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/baggage-handler\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Airlines<\/a>, United, Air New Zealand, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/singapore-airlines-business-class-review\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Singapore Airlines<\/a>\u2018 regional subsidiaries, or Japan Airlines\u2019 domestic routes, know exactly what they\u2019re doing. They\u2019re prioritising efficiency, yield management, and fleet utilisation over cabin glamour. In other words, they\u2019re good at being airlines, not luxury hotels at 40,000 feet.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-2130414360\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1840923834 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1840923834 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[300,250],[320,100],[320,180],[336,280],[640,360]],\"incontent-2130414360\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1840923834.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-2130414360\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1840923834);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"content-subscribe\">\n        <div class=\"subscribe-box\">\n            <p class=\"subscribe-title\">Curated news for men, <br\/>delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n            <form class=\"subscribe-form\" method=\"POST\">\n                <div class=\"subscribe-input\">\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"subscribe-email\">Email:<\/label>\n                    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" id=\"subscribe-email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" required class=\"form-control\" autocomplete=\"on\" \/>\n                    <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button button-primary subscribe-button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"source\" value=\"article\" \/>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"_wpnonce\" name=\"_wpnonce\" value=\"e2df992756\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535831\" \/>                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"form-result\"><\/div>\n            <\/form>\n            <p class=\"subscribe-copy\">Join the DMARGE newsletter \u2014 Be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive stories on style, travel, luxury, cars, and watches. Straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p>In the premium cabin game, product refresh cycles can run a decade or more. What looked cutting edge in 2014 is practically archaeological today. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-535832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/old-united-business-class-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">United Airlines\u2019s old coffin cabin. Maximising ever single square inch.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>When management finally signs off on a new seat, it has to survive endless rounds of engineering, certification, and supplier delays, often across multiple aircraft types. <\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-793439\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1613833754 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1613833754 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-793439\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1613833754.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-793439\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1613833754);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>The result? By the time that shiny new suite actually flies, it\u2019s competing with a competitor\u2019s newer, better version.<\/p><p>Then there\u2019s the bean counting reality. <\/p><p>A fully refreshed business cabin costs millions per aircraft. For many carriers, the math simply doesn\u2019t work when most of their routes are under eight hours or when premium traffic isn\u2019t consistent year round. It\u2019s why you\u2019ll find cutting edge seats on a flagship <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/qantas-first-class-a380-review\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sydney to London route<\/a> and the same tired recliners on a Sydney to Singapore hop.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1929831512\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1682972403 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1682972403 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1929831512\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1682972403.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1929831512\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1682972403);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>Brand philosophy also plays a part. <\/p><p>Some airlines, particularly legacy flag carriers, see premium travel as a necessary evil, not a profit driver. <\/p><p>They know the money\u2019s in the middle: corporate travellers on discounted business fares, high yield economy passengers, and freight. I feel most American airlines fall into this black hole but we\u2019re seeing this change thanks to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/delta-unveils-revolutionary-new-seat-for-wheelchair-users\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Delta\u2019s very cool business cabin<\/a>. <\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1482528921\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1707824801 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1707824801 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1482528921\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1707824801.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1482528921\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1707824801);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"932\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-1400x932.jpg\" alt=\"Qatar's QSuite business class\" class=\"wp-image-505806\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-1400x932.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-960x639.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Qatar-QSuite-2024-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Qatar QSuite \u2013 Still the best in the sky. Image: Luc Wiesman\/DMARGE<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>So instead of rolling out suites and caviar, they quietly spend on what matters more to them, fuel efficiency, staff retention, and fleet reliability.<\/p><p>Contrast that with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/emirates-premium-economy-sydney\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emirates<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/qatar-airways-qsuite\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a>. These carriers treat Business and First as the core of their brand narrative, a billboard at 35,000 feet. They\u2019re not just selling a seat; they\u2019re selling an identity. You remember the Dom P\u00e9rignon, the sliding doors, and the pyjamas. <\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-751820799\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1219001058 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1219001058 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-751820799\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1219001058.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-751820799\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1219001058);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>For airlines like Qantas or United, that kind of theatricality doesn\u2019t align with their culture of pragmatic reliability. They want to be good, not OTT glamorous. That said, I would not exactly put QF in the same box as UA when it comes to the premium cabins. <\/p><p>The irony is that customers remember glamour. When you drop ten grand on a ticket, you expect a story worth telling, not a good spreadsheet. And that\u2019s where the world\u2019s \u201cgood\u201d airlines often stumble. They\u2019ve mastered the logistics, the safety, the punctuality, but they\u2019ve forgotten the fantasy.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-1400x933.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-480871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-1400x933.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-960x640.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-640x427.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/emirates_firstclass-480x320.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First class on Emirates A380. Image: Emirates<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>At a time when private jets, boutique carriers, and ultra premium cabins are resetting expectations, the best airlines in the world risk being remembered for everything except their premium experience. Because in luxury travel, competence alone doesn\u2019t cut it. <\/p><p>You have to make people feel something, and no Google Sheets spreadsheet can teach that.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All the money in the world and their premium product still sucks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":532919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[237],"tags":[],"coauthors":[146525],"class_list":{"0":"post-535831","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535831"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":535841,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535831\/revisions\/535841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/532919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535831"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=535831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}