Lufthansa has announced that it will be introducing new First and Business Class seats on long-haul routes under the name “Allegris”. This will also include new Premium Economy and Economy Class seats. “Allegris” has been developed exclusively for the Lufthansa Group.
New First Class Suites
For the first time, Lufthansa will offer First Class suites that offer nearly ceiling-high walls that can be closed for privacy. The seat, which is almost one meter wide, can be converted into a large, comfortable bed. In addition to many other storage options, there is a large, personal wardrobe in every suite. Passengers inhabiting this new First Class can even remain in their suite as they prepare for sleep and change into their pajamas. All seats and beds are positioned in the direction of flight.
Just like other similar first class cabins, if preferred, eating together will be possible for the guests at a large dining table, whereby one can sit across from their partner or fellow traveler, just as one does in a restaurant. Gourmet menus will be available, along with the airline’s unique caviar service. Entertainment will be provided by screens that extend across the full width of the suite, with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones.
The German flag carrier says that it will unveil new details of the suite, as well as a “further innovation” in First Class, at the beginning of 2023.
New Business Class seats
The first row of Lufthansa’s new Business Class will feature sliding doors and higher walls for increased privacy. In these seats, passengers will have extended personal space, a 27-inch screen for personal inflight entertainment and ample storage space, including a personal wardrobe.
The Lufthansa Business Class of the “Allegris” generation will offer six more seating options. All passengers will have direct aisle access. The seat walls, which will be at least 114 centimeters high, with “generous space in the shoulder area”, will ensure greater privacy. The seats will convert into a two-meter bed and will feature a 17-inch inflight entertainment screen. Wireless charging, noise-canceling headphones and the ability to connect one’s own devices, such as a PC, tablet, smartphone, or headphones, to the entertainment system, via Bluetooth, are also part of the new Allegris Business Class experience.
Just like the First Class cabin, Lufthansa will unveil more details of the Business Class cabin next spring.
Plans for “Sleeper’s Row 2.0”
With the “Allegris” product generation, Lufthansa will also offer more choices in Economy Class. For example, in the future, passengers will have the option of booking seats in the first rows, which have a greater seat pitch and offer additional comfort.
Following the success of the “Sleeper’s Row”, which offered Economy Class passengers greater relaxation on long-haul flights since August 2021, Lufthansa now plans to introduce a “Sleeper’s Row 2.0” on all new long-haul aircraft, as part of “Allegris.” In the “Sleeper’s Row 2.0”, one will simply have to fold up a leg rest and utilize the additional mattress on offer, for rest and relaxation on a reclining surface that is 40% larger compared to the original “Sleeper’s Row”.
Also in the future, Economy Class passengers will also have the option of booking a vacant neighbor seat. This will give travelers more choice, even in the most economic travel class.
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Upgraded Premium Economy seats
The new Lufthansa Group Premium Economy Class was already introduced at SWISS Airways in the spring of 2022. Lufthansa will also install the exact same type of seats in its aircraft. The comfortable seat is integrated into a hard shell and can be adjusted effortlessly, without affecting fellow passengers in the row behind as the seat has a fixed shell. The seats feature a fold-out leg rest and a personal 15.6-inch personal inflight entertainment screens.
Lufthansa’s plan for the “Allegris” seats
Lufthansa plans to install these seats on more than 100 aircraft, such as Airbus A350s, Boeing B787-9s and Boeing B777-9s. Aircraft already in service such as the Boeing B747-8s will also be retrofitted with Allegris seats. By 2025, the Lufthansa Group will invest a total of 2.5 billion euros in product and service alone to further improve the passenger experience at every stage of the journey – from initial booking, throughout the airport, lounge and border experience, to customer requests even after the flight.
Lufthansa will take delivery of more than 180 short- and long-haul aircraft will be delivered to the Lufthansa group. On average, the Group will take delivery of a new aircraft every two weeks, whether Boeing B787s, Airbus A350s, Boeing B777-9s on long-haul routes or new Airbus A320neos for short-haul flights. This will enable the Lufthansa Group to significantly reduce the average CO2 emissions of its fleet. The ultra-modern “Dreamliner” (B787s) long-haul aircraft, for example, consumes on average only about 2.5 liters of kerosene per passenger and 100 kilometers of flight. That is up to 30% less than its predecessor. Between 2022 and 2027, the Lufthansa Group will receive a total of 32 Boeing Dreamliners.
My thoughts on the new seats
We all can agree on the fact that Lufthansa is in a dire need of new generation seats, particularly in the premium category.
As for the First Class seats, they are evolutionary, not revolutionary. There’s nothing new in the seats, although from Lufthansa’s point of view, this is a big step up from its current First Class product that is present on A380s, B747-8s and A340s.
One thing to note here is that Lufthansa has not said anything about A380s, A340s and B747-400s, whether these aircraft will be retrofitted or not. The airline has just said that aircraft already in service “such as” B747-8s will be retrofitted so this remains a question. I guess we will have to wait until early next year to know more about Lufthansa’s plan for the new First Class product.
Regarding the new Business Class product, it certainly is a step up from the Business Class product that the airline is currently offering. The first row seats will be more spacious and will have sliding doors for increased privacy, just like Virgin Atlantic’s A330neos.
The rows will have alternate seat configurations, like 1-1-1 and 1-2-1. There will be “throne” seats in alternate middle rows and that sure will be a treat. What I am thinking of is that how much will be the privacy that these seats will be offering. Looking at the renderings, I think that these seats will not be that much private. It’s sad to see that Lufthansa is not adding sliding doors to all the seats, given that it has been working on these seats for so many years now.
It’s not like Lufthansa will keep changing the onboard product again in the next decade or so. These seats will become the flagship product of the group and making it a outstanding product is a must, in my opinion. I am not saying that not adding doors is a bad thing. It’s just that Lufthansa is in a market where it faces competition from some of the best in the world, and to stay ahead from them is a must for Lufthansa if it wants to compete with them.
As aforementioned, Lufthansa says that more details of the seats will be unveiled at a later stage so it will be interesting to see what the final outcome will be.
Lufthansa says that it already has a new “upgraded” Business Class product on some of its aircraft. Lufthansa recently took delivery of former Philippines Airlines’ A350s and it has not changed the hard products on those aircraft, meaning that it has just changed the branding and the colour scheme of the seats. The seats are the exact same as those that were on Philippine’s Airlines’ A350s. It’s not clear whether these A350s will eventually be retrofitted with Allegris seats.
All-in-all, it’s good to see Lufthansa finally improving its onboard hard products and let’s hope that it improves its soft product too simultaneously.
Featured image by Lufthansa
All the other images by Lufthansa
What do you think of Lufthansa’s new Allegris seats? Let me know in the comments section below.
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