Premium Push: The US Airlines Introducing First Class Cabins In 2027

The general status quo in the US (and largely within the global airline industry) is that the low-cost carrier business model involves selling only economy seats, while premium cabins are reserved for full-service airlines. In the US, however, there have been some interesting developments, as domestic first class cabins have been announced by Allegiant Air and Frontier to arrive in 2027.

Meanwhile, JetBlue will introduce its own first class cabin in December 2026. These carriers are not the first airlines in the United States to do so either. The budget airline model is traditionally centered around cost-cutting, volume, and efficiency. Onboard, this means tight seats in an all-economy layout.

Premium seats earn significantly more revenue, but budget airlines usually don't try to charge such high fare premiums when the seats take up so much floor space. In the US, however, low-cost carriers have generally struggled post-COVID as demand for premium seats continues to rise, so we're seeing more low-cost premium products enter the market.

The Airlines Selling Domestic Premium Cabins

Traditionally, domestic first class was sold by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, along with their merger partners in the past and Hawaiian Airlines. In addition, AirTran and Alaska Airlines long sold domestic first class, although Alaska has become more of a hybrid carrier than a low-cost airline, and the same was also true of Virgin America.

In 2007, meanwhile, Spirit Airlines introduced 'Big Front Seat', which essentially gave passengers the same onboard experience as before but with a large recliner. In 2014, JetBlue introduced a unique product as it began selling 'Mint', a highly competitive lie-flat business class seat for premium transcontinental routes, and this has even been extended to other markets in North America.

After Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran in 2010 and Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in 2016, passengers seeking a domestic premium cabin could fly American, Delta, United, Alaska, Hawaiian, or Spirit, and JetBlue Mint was also available on select routes. This was the status quo leading up to COVID, while Allegiant Air, Frontier, Southwest Airlines, and Sun Country only sold economy.

Post-COVID, Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines launched operations with all-economy planes, but then in 2022, Breeze started flying new Airbus A220s with first class. Frontier began selling extra-legroom economy seats with a blocked middle seat in 2024, while Southwest began selling extra-legroom seats in January 2026. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines went out of business in May.

The New Frontier First Class

Frontier's launch of 'UpFront Plus' seating in early 2024 was somewhat unexpected. The airline had not offered premium seating options at the time, and the product more closely resembles intra-European business class than US seating options. However, this was mainly a stopgap solution, as Frontier announced later that year that it would also introduce a new first class product to better compete for premium passengers.

Years after being announced, it will finally launch in 2027. Frontier Airlines selected the Geven Comoda platform, which is similar to the large recliner seats offered by other US airlines for first class, and will be configured four-abreast while offering more legroom. In addition, Frontier will also install power ports in these seats, although it's unclear what types will be available.

One notable omission, however, is recline, as these seats will instead be 'pre-reclined'. In terms of the soft product, first class tickets don't include complimentary drinks or snacks, so passengers pay only for the seat. It's believed that Frontier will begin retrofitting planes very soon, and there will be two rows for a total of eight seats per aircraft.

Initially, these seats will be sold as Upfront Plus until early March 2027, which is when the airline expects to complete retrofitting its fleet and officially launch the product. Beyond the seat, Frontier is also retrofitting Starlink WiFi, which is almost as impactful as the new first class seats for passengers, given that its aircraft currently lack any kind of WiFi system.

The New Allegiant Air First Class

Allegiant Air formerly offered the 'Giant Seat' on its Boeing 757-200 fleet from 2014 to 2017, but this was a limited product that was only present on a handful of aircraft. In recent years, the airline has found success with its extra-legroom seats, and in July 2026, Allegiant Air formally announced that it would introduce a new 'Allegiant First' cabin in March 2027, the same month when Frontier will introduce first class.

Tickets went on sale in August, so you can buy an Allegiant First ticket now. The seat mode isn't confirmed, but the airline has said passengers can expect a seat pitch of 37 inches (93.98 centimeters), five inches (12.7 cm) of recline, an adjustable headrest, and an extendable calf rest.

In addition, customers will receive complimentary beverages, while Allways Rewards Visa cardholders get additional beverage options. Passengers also receive priority airport treatment, board early, and receive enhanced onboard service. Allegiant plans to install eight seats on the 737 MAX 200, and the cabin will be available on newly delivered aircraft, with Allegiant planning an initial fleet of 23 aircraft.

Initially, the airline also plans to offer the cabin mainly out of Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) in Southwest Florida. With limited network deployment and a relatively small subfleet, this won't be a widespread product initially, but Allegiant appears to have created a competitive offering while still positioning it as a lower-cost alternative to premium products offered by the legacies.

The Upcoming JetBlue First Class

JetBlue has long offered Mint on a select number of Airbus A321-200s, while its second-generation Mint suites are offered on an A321neo subfleet and on all A321LRs, which operate transatlantic services. In addition, JetBlue has traditionally offered a large number of what are now named 'EvenMore' extra legroom seats.

However, despite offering a leading business class and economy product, along with its presence in major business markets, JetBlue has never offered a standard domestic first class until now. After years of rumors, JetBlue formally announced 'BlueFirst' in September 2026. This complements Mint and is meant for essentially all markets that don't justify a lie-flat seat.

Data from aeroLOPA

This product debuts in December and will initially be offered on the airline's route from Boston to Fort Lauderdale. JetBlue plans to retrofit its entire non-Mint fleet with BlueFirst, with its A220-300s and A320-200s being retrofitted with 12 BlueFirst seats, while the A321-200s/A321neos will feature 16 seats. JetBlue has selected the Collins Aerospace MiQ, which will offer more pitch, added recline, in-seat power ports, and seatback entertainment.

In addition, the carrier is upgrading the meal and beverage selections. However, the planes set to receive BlueFirst lack ovens, so there will be no hot meals. Overall, the product is a serious effort to compete for premium passengers, but the downside is that JetBlue is cutting economy legroom to make room for these seats, keeping overall capacity the same as today.

Why The New Premium Push In The US

Demand for premium products has been growing in the US, and US legacy airlines are absorbing much of it. Compared with pre-COVID, many of the US's budget airlines have performed poorly financially, and Spirit Airlines is perhaps the most striking example.

Carriers like Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit were formidable before the pandemic, but the pendulum has swung, and low-cost airlines are adapting. Premium seats already command much higher yields than economy seats, and with rising demand in the US, operating all-economy narrowbodies simply leaves money on the table today.

What's more, offering premium seats also increases relevance with these airlines' potential customer bases, boosting loyalty far more than before. This includes the likelihood of rebooking, as well as frequent flyer program sign-ups, where the largest airlines have been earning their real money. As of today, the only major US airlines that do not offer, or have not announced, a domestic first class cabin are Avelo Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Avelo Airlines is a new, fairly small airline, and it's unclear what its future intentions are with regard to product. Southwest Airlines, on the other hand, has yet to formally announce a true first class cabin, but it has rolled out extra-legroom seats across its entire fleet, and it's been rumored that first class is being studied. For Southwest, it appears to be a question of when, not if.