P&C Global Practices: Corporate Performance, Organization & Human Capital, Strategy & Innovation
Crafting the World’s Most Elegant Airline Experience
A national flag carrier known for its rich heritage and refined service set out to reimagine its position in global aviation. In preparation for major world events in its home country and facing increasing competitive pressure from Middle Eastern and Asian rivals, the airline committed to a sweeping transformation of its premium products and overall passenger experience. The goal: to deliver a level of service, design, and comfort that would cement its reputation as one of the world’s most elegant and customer-centric airlines.
Meeting the Moment: Seizing Leadership in Luxury Travel
From Vision to Voyage: The Multi-Pillar Transformation Strategy
Elevating First-Class to Artform
A national flag carrier known for its rich heritage and refined service set out to reimagine its position in global aviation. In preparation for major world events in its home country and facing increasing competitive pressure from Middle Eastern and Asian rivals, the airline committed to a sweeping transformation of its premium products and overall passenger experience. The goal: to deliver a level of service, design, and comfort that would cement its reputation as one of the world’s most elegant and customer-centric airlines.
Ground Experience: Seamless, Private, Exceptional
A national flag carrier known for its rich heritage and refined service set out to reimagine its position in global aviation. In preparation for major world events in its home country and facing increasing competitive pressure from Middle Eastern and Asian rivals, the airline committed to a sweeping transformation of its premium products and overall passenger experience. The goal: to deliver a level of service, design, and comfort that would cement its reputation as one of the world’s most elegant and customer-centric airlines.
Business and Economy Class Enhancements
P&C Global helped the airline execute a comprehensive tip-to-tail retrofit of its flagship widebody aircraft. Business class was transformed with individual suites featuring lie-flat beds with a plush mattress topper, privacy doors, and elevated personalization options, including Bluetooth connectivity, noise-cancelling headsets, customizable lighting, and large 17-inch 4K entertainment screens.
Each Business Class suite was designed using a sophisticated palette of wool, brushed aluminum, and full-grain leather in the carrier’s color palette, to create an ambiance of understated luxury. A subtle backlit emblem embedded into each suite added a symbolic nod to the brand’s heritage. The result was a business class experience that balanced privacy, technology, and quiet luxury.
The upgraded Business Class product is now widely regarded among the world’s best—frequently ranked alongside five-star competitors and celebrated by travelers for its privacy, bedding comfort, and thoughtful design. Built to deliver zero-compromise comfort, it has earned recognition in its own right as one of the top global business class offerings. Alongside gourmet menus by Michelin-starred chefs and an award-winning wine selection in Business class, these changes blur the line between Business and First, ensuring the carrier’s premium flyers have a truly first-class experience even when flying business.
Premium Economy and Economy also saw meaningful upgrades that extended this design ethos across all passenger classes. In Premium Economy, newly designed recliner seats offered up to 121 degrees of recline, enhanced privacy wings, and up to shoulder-height seat cushions for improved ergonomic support.
Features included 4-way adjustable headrests, expanded storage, individual reading lights and integrated power solutions including universal AC outlets, USB-A, and USB-C ports. In Economy, the airline introduced new-generation slimline seating for added comfort, featuring a wider 46 cm seat pan and reinforced lateral support.
Each seat included a personal device holder and large 13.3-inch 4K screen with Bluetooth audio pairing, enabling passengers to use their own wireless headphones or mobile devices as controllers. An ‘Economy Comfort’ section was introduced at the front of each long-haul Economy cabin, offering additional legroom and deeper recline—delivering a tiered upgrade without requiring a full class change.
These enhancements ensured that every cabin delivered elevated comfort, intuitive technology, and thoughtful amenities—redefining expectations at every tier of service.
Cultural Enablement and Brand Partnerships
Measurable Impact at Altitude and Beyond
Skytrax Award Sweep
A national flag carrier known for its rich heritage and refined service set out to reimagine its position in global aviation. In preparation for major world events in its home country and facing increasing competitive pressure from Middle Eastern and Asian rivals, the airline committed to a sweeping transformation of its premium products and overall passenger experience. The goal: to deliver a level of service, design, and comfort that would cement its reputation as one of the world’s most elegant and customer-centric airlines.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Premium cabin load factors and customer satisfaction scores rose sharply post-launch. First Class experienced robust demand from loyal and new luxury travelers. In some cases, ultra-high-net-worth passengers reserved all four suites for their families or executive teams—signaling a shift in perception toward private-jet caliber exclusivity. Business Class also received widespread acclaim for its comfort, privacy, and dining. In Economy and Premium Economy, passengers provided positive feedback regarding key factors such as cabin comfort and the in-flight entertainment system. Improved NPS as well as increased frequent flyer enrollment and retention figures highlighted the broad success of the transformation.
Operational and Financial Impact
On its flagship widebody aircraft, the retrofit increased capacity from 296 to 312 seats through optimized layouts and reduced galley and lavatory footprints. The final configuration added two Business Class suites and 16 Premium Economy seats with minimal Economy reduction, driving higher-yield bookings and improved revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK). Technological upgrades like modular seating and Starlink-compatible Wi-Fi aligned with evolving expectations while maintaining flexibility.
Strategic Differentiation
- Strengthened brand perception among global travelers
- Cited as a model of luxury reinvention at aviation summits
- Inspired industry recognition for heritage-driven innovation
Partner with P&C Global to Elevate Your Passenger Experience
Award-winning transformation begins with bold vision and precise execution. From first-class suites to streamlined operations, P&C Global helps transportation leaders deliver measurable impact—earning Skytrax top honors and positioning brands among the world’s most admired carriers. Enhance your passenger experience, drive operational efficiency, and secure your place among the world’s best.
