Lufthansa has unveiled details of the new first and business class products which will be fitted to over 100 new A350 and B787-9 aircraft, as well as being retrofitted to existing planes including the B747-8.
The ‘Allegris’ concept will see Lufthansa offer suites with closing doors in both first and business class for the first time.
The first class product will feature “nearly ceiling-high walls that can be closed for privacy”, as well as a seat which is “almost one metre wide”, and a personal wardrobe in every suite.
All seats and beds in first class will face the direction of flight, and customers will have the option of having a meal with a guest in their suite, thanks to a large dining table and second seat.
Lufthansa said that further details of the suite would be unveiled at the beginning of 2023, but it confirmed that the product would offer IFE screens “that extend across the full width of the suite, with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones”.
Meanwhile in business class there will also be a suite option with sliding doors “that completely close” in the front row of the cabin. These will offer “extended personal space, a monitor up to 27 inches in size and ample storage space, including a personal wardrobe”.
There will then be a further six seating options in the business class cabin – exact details of how this will work will be confirmed next year, but the carrier said that all business class passengers will have direct aisle access, adding that the seat walls would be “at least 114 cm high, with generous space in the shoulder area”.
Features of the seat will include an IFE screen measuring “nearly 17 inches”, as well as wireless charging capabilities, and noise cancelling headphones with Bluetooth connectivity.
Meanwhile in economy customers will have the option of booking seats in the first rows of the cabin “which have a greater seat pitch and offer additional comfort”, and Lufthansa is also evolving the Sleeper’s Row product which has been trialled since late 2020, allowing passengers to book a row of economy seats which convert into a lie-flat bed.
The carrier said that Sleeper’s Row 2.0 will offer a reclining surface which is 40 per cent larger than the original product.
And in premium economy customers will benefit from a fixed shell seat with 15.6-inch IFE screen. This is understood to the Zim Privacy seat which German manufacturer Zim confirmed it had been chosen to supply for Lufthansa’s B747-8 aircraft earlier this year.
Lufthansa to fit Zim Privacy premium economy seats to B747-8s
The Allegris products are set to be line fitted to over 100 new Lufthansa Group aircraft, including B787-9s, A350s and the much-delayed B777-9s. Indeed back in 2017 Lufthansa published renderings of its B777-9 business class seating, which look remarkably similar to what has now been unveiled for Allegris.
Note that no mention has been made of the carrier’s A380 superjumbos, some of which are set to return to service next year. It also seems unlikely that Lufthansa’s A340 or B747-400 aircraft will be retrofitted with the new seating as both are set to be retired in the coming years.
Note also that Lufthansa has recently taken delivery of A350 and B787 aircraft with different business class products, as a result of the planes having been originally destined for other carriers.
Exact timelines for the rollout of the new products have yet to be confirmed, but Lufthansa Group said that by 2025 it would invest €2.5 billion in product and service, adding that a total of 30,000 seat are set to be replaced across the group.
Commenting on the news Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said:
“We want to set new, unprecedented standards for our guests. The largest investment in premium products in our company’s history underpins our claim to continue to be the leading Western premium airline in the future.”
