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Lufthansa’s decade-old premium cabins are finally getting a refresh — and it looks like the wait was worth it.
The German flag carrier on Friday unveiled renderings of its new first-class and business-class products. Both represent a significant upgrade from the existing offering: First class becomes an enclosed suite with a privacy door, and business class now features industry-standard direct aisle access.
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The new onboard product, called “Allegris” by the airline, is actually a nose-to-tail upgrade across all cabins. It will be introduced next year, starting with new delivery Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350-900s. The new product will also be found on the carrier’s Boeing 777-9s, which will be delivered in 2025 at the earliest. Lufthansa also plans Allegris refits — it specifically mentioned its Boeing 747-8 fleet — and in all will replace 30,000 seats across its fleet.
“We want to set new, unprecedented standards for our guests,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement. “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.”
Here’s what we know so far about Allegris.
Lufthansa’s new first-class suite
The door in the new first-class suites will be slightly more than three feet tall, and the seats will be nearly three feet wide. Each suite contains a personal wardrobe and, underscoring the amount of privacy afforded by the suite, Lufthansa says you can even change into your first-class pajamas while the door is closed. Like the existing first-class seats, the new ones convert into a flat bed.
More: The holy grail of award tickets: Flying Lufthansa first class on the Boeing 747-8
The seat will also feature a buddy seat with a seatbelt, allowing a companion to enjoy Lufthansa’s signature caviar service with you.
Lufthansa’s existing first-class seat. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Lufthansa’s current generation first-class product doesn’t officially allow for companion dining, though it is theoretically possible to have a face-to-face meeting or snack with a colleague or loved one by sitting on the small ottoman.
Lufthansa promises more details about the new suite early next year.
Lufthansa’s new business-class seat
The new business-class seats represent Lufthansa’s first homegrown direct-aisle access product. (Select 787s and A350s currently offer direct aisle access because they were originally destined for Hainan Airlines and Philippine Airlines, respectively.)
There will actually be two tiers of the new seat: a suite in the bulkhead row and a regular business-class seat.
More: So sweet: Review of Lufthansa business class on the 747-8 from New York to Frankfurt
The suites feature “extended personal space,” as well as a monitor that’s up to 27 inches. Like the first-class suite, the business-class suite will feature a personal wardrobe. These suites will feature a door.
Regular business-class seats feature walls that will be at least 45 inches high and convert into a bed that’s about 6.5 feet long. Inflight entertainment screens on the regular seats will be 17 inches and will allow for Bluetooth pairing with personal devices. The suites will also feature wireless charging and, as is already the case on Lufthansa flights, noise-canceling headphones.
The new product is a massive upgrade over Lufthansa’s dated business- class seat.
Lufthansa’s existing business class on the Airbus A330-300. ETHAN KLAPPER/THE POINTS GUY
Lufthansa promises more details about its Allegris business class in the spring.
Lufthansa’s new premium economy seat
If Lufthansa’s new premium economy seat looks familiar, that’s because it is: It was first unveiled last year with Lufthansa’s sister airline, Swiss.
The seats are based on a hard shell, allowing ergonomic adjustments to be made without affecting the passengers seated in the row behind you. The seats feature a fold-out leg rest and come with a 15.6-inch monitor.
More: High comfort, low fare: Lufthansa’s premium economy on the A330
Swiss premium economy features 39 inches of pitch. It’s unclear how Lufthansa will configure this seat on its fleet of widebody aircraft.
Lufthansa’s current premium economy product. BRENDAN DORSEY/THE POINTS GUY
As with the other cabins, the new seat is a big upgrade over the current offering.
Lufthansa’s new economy-class seat
Lufthansa’s new economy-class seat. LUFTHANSA
While Lufthansa offered few details about its Allegris economy-class seat, it noted two product upgrades.
The airline will be introducing “Sleeper’s Row 2.0” in economy class, which will be located in the first rows of the cabin and contain greater seat pitch. In an upgrade to the original Sleeper’s Row, Sleeper’s Row 2.0 features a fold-up leg rest, and a mattress is provided. While photos were not provided, the concept sounds similar to fellow Star Alliance member Air New Zealand’s Skycouch, which has gotten rave reviews over the years.
The second upgrade is that Lufthansa will now allow travelers to purchase a vacant seat next to them — giving passengers some much-desired additional space.
Bottom line
Lufthansa’s new Allegris hard product is a significant upgrade for the German airline and is many years in the making. The challenge is now to overcome the supply chain challenges that have plagued similar projects in recent months. Come back to TPG for more details on Lufthansa’s new cabins next year, once the airline reveals additional information.
Title: Lufthansa unveils stunning new first-class and business-class seats
Sourced From: thepointsguy.com/news/new-lufthansa-first-class-business-class-seats/
Published Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:40:13 +0000
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