Flying in first class may sound like a once-in-a-lifetime luxury, but it’s more attainable than many travelers realize.

American Airlines, once among the few US carriers to offer a true international first-class product, is in the process of retiring Flagship First in favor of a new generation of business class suites.

While it is too soon to say that the first-class cabin faces extinction, it's clearly in a state of collapse. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of first-class seats fell by 40%, while other classes, ...