Lufthansa Unveils New First Class and Business Class Seats
Lufthansa First Class is one the world’s most decadent First Class experiences in the sky, complete with an entire terminal dedicated to First Class passengers, a Porsche transfer across the tarmac to the plane, and a generous serving of caviar.
Despite its overall opulence, however, the seat itself has begun to show its age – especially since other airlines have released First Class suites with sliding doors, 42″ entertainment screens, and other glitzy features.
Lufthansa has just revealed its brand-new “Allegris” generation First Class product, with sliding doors that are nearly as high as the ceiling, a metre-wide seat, and a personal wardrobe.
This is the first update to Lufthansa First Class in nearly a decade, and one that the Miles & Points world awaits with bated breath.
New Lufthansa First Class
There are a few major changes to look forward to with the new Lufthansa “Allegris” First Class, including:
- High sliding doors for privacy
- A personal wardrobe
- All seats being forward-facing
- A metre-wide bed
- Face-to-face dining using the suite’s ottoman
- An entertainment monitor that extends the full width of the suite
- Bluetooth connectivity
Specifically, Lufthansa also mentions:
Passengers inhabiting this new First Class can even remain in their suite as they prepare for sleep and change into Lufthansa First Class pajamas.
While it’s a bit strange for a marketing statement, it goes to show the privacy the new First Class suite offers.
There’s no mention of wireless charging in the First Class section, but as the new business class (more on this below) will have wireless charging, it would be a strange omission if the same feature weren’t available in First Class.
Indeed, a smartphone appears in one of the renderings, suggesting that wireless charging will be available in First Class, as well.
Signature Lufthansa First Class motifs remain, such as the red rose on the side table. Furthermore, there’s likely a tray table that emerges from the side that can be slid forwards and backwards, allowing you to seamlessly move about during the meal service.
I can’t be the only one brimming with excitement about the new Lufthansa First Class, as the airline’s onboard seat and hard product were the only things holding them back from being amongst the world’s best First Class experiences.
With an updated First Class suite adorned in a rich and royal deep blue colour, paired with the impeccable ground experience in Frankfurt, I imagine that Lufthansa First Class will very much be in a position to compete with Air France La Première as the leading transatlantic forward cabin.
More details are expected to come in early 2023, and we should expect this seat to be introduced later on in 2023, as well.
New Lufthansa Business Class
Lufthansa’s business class product is also receiving an enormous upgrade, as their current 2-2-2 business class configuration leaves much to be desired.
Currently, window passengers on Lufthansa business class do not have direct aisle access, and their feet are also mere inches from touching your neighbour’s in lie-flat mode.
The new Lufthansa business class (which was actually first announced in 2017, but is now launching shortly) features forward-facing seats that alternate between window seats being closer to the window and closer to the aisle.
The middle seats are most exciting, featuring either one or two seats per row.
The single seats will feature two side tables, which is more surface area than any of the seats in the cabin, and are reminiscent of “throne” seats featured on Swiss, Aer Lingus, TAP Air Portugal, and more.
Moreover, the front row of business class promises to be step above all the other seats, and will feature doors, a 27″ monitor, and increased storage in the form of a personal wardrobe.
This new kind of “First Class in business class” concept has been growing in popularity, as we’ve seen similar products launched by JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic in recent years. As with those two airlines, expect Lufthansa to charge a premium for these first-row “suites”.
The standard business class monitors will be 17″, and all will feature Bluetooth connectivity for headphones. Notably, passengers will also be able to connect their own PC, tablet, or smartphone to take advantage of the crisp new entertainment screen for their own content.
Lufthansa Business Class Inconsistency
While Lufthansa’s orders for the Boeing 777-9 continue to be delayed, Lufthansa has been on a buying spree recently for other airlines’ Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s. The fallout from this has created quite a bit of inconsistency in their business class product.
For example, Lufthansa has select Airbus A350s that previously belonged to Philippine Airlines, which feature a 1-2-1 staggered business class product with direct aisle access from every seat.
Furthermore, Lufthansa also has Boeing 787s that were originally meant for Hainan Airlines, which feature a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone format, also with direct aisle access from every seat.
In both of these scenarios, the hard product is a significant improvement over Lufthansa’s usual 2-2-2 business class, so I’d recommend trying to snag one of these for your next transatlantic crossing. Be sure to check out the configuration on ExpertFlyer prior to booking.
New Lufthansa Premium Economy and Economy Class
Lufthansa’s new “Allegris” generation of airline seats also includes changes to premium economy and economy class.
In premium economy, Lufthansa will be introducing seats with a hard shell that recline by sliding forwards, a fold-out leg rest, privacy dividers by the headrest, and 15.6″ entertainment monitors.
This is the standard premium economy seat for Lufthansa Group going forward, and has already been introduced on Swiss.
In economy class, Lufthansa will be introducing “Sleeper’s Row 2.0”, which will consist of a row of three or four seats with fold-up leg rests to create a wider sleeping space, featuring a mattress topper, pillow, and blanket.
The “2.0” moniker refers to the fact that Lufthansa has already rolled out “Sleeper’s Row” on long-haul flights, but without the fold-up leg rest, so it’s just a row of economy class seats being sold together.
Sleeper’s Row 2.0 will likely closely resemble Air New Zealand’s Skycouch, offering economy class passengers a more comfortable option for getting some rest in the back of the cabin.
Conclusion
Lufthansa will be launching a new generation of “Allegris” seats in the near future, the most exciting of which are the new First Class suites and business class seats.
Lufthansa First Class will soon feature sliding doors that nearly span from the floor to the ceiling, an entertainment monitor that occupies the full width of the suite, a personal wardrobe, and face-to-face dining.
Lufthansa’s business class, first announced in 2017, will also be launching soon, featuring direct aisle access for every seat, a 15.6″ entertainment screen, and larger privacy dividers.
Some middle seats will be “throne” seats with two side tables, and most excitingly, seats in the front row will feature doors, a larger 27″ entertainment screen, and a personal wardrobe.
Details beyond the announcement itself remain scarce, but we can look forward to more information in early 2023. We’d expect all the new seats to debut in 2023 as well, meaning that it won’t be long until we can give these new products a try when redeeming points!
