Air New Zealand, Malaysian Airlines, South African Airways, Asiana Airlines, Turkish Airlines and LATAM are just some that no longer offer the highest level of airline travel. Qantas offers first class only aboard its Airbus A380 superjumbo flights.

Many modern airlines have moved away from a traditional "First Class" cabin in favor of an enhanced Business Class or a high-end "all-business" or "premium-heavy" configuration. Low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit, and Allegiant notoriously lack a traditional First Class, though JetBlue offers a premium "Mint" service on select routes. Internationally, many major carriers have removed First Class from their short-haul and medium-haul fleets; for instance, Ryanair and EasyJet in Europe are strictly "single-class" economy operations. Even legacy carriers like Delta, United, and American Airlines often only offer "First Class" on domestic narrow-body flights, while their international long-haul "flagship" service is branded as Business Class (e.g., Delta One or United Polaris). Other airlines like Air New Zealand and Turkish Airlines generally do not offer a First Class cabin, focusing instead on providing a world-class Business Class experience that bridges the gap for luxury travelers.