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Lufthansa announces upgrades to business and first class
I always regarded Lufthansa business class as rather behind the times with its 2-2-2 seating and average food. However, in recent years Lufthansa seem determined to upgrade the passengers experience with new business and first class seats as well as new business class on Swiss as well.
Now, the airline has announced further upgrades to the onboard experience.
For the summer 2025 timetable, the new Allegris First Class cabin can be experienced on flights from Munich to San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Shanghai and Bengaluru. Travelers can additionally enjoy the new cabin product in Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class on flights to New York-Newark (from mid-April), and from the beginning of August, also to Charlotte.
Since February, nine A350-900s with the new cabin interior have already been flying for Lufthansa, eight of them with the new First Class. This year, the retrofitting of the existing fleet with Lufthansa Allegris will commence, beginning with the Boeing 747-8. Being a huge B747 fan, this is definitely on my list to do once the B747 is completed.
“We are completely reinventing the Lufthansa First Class travel experience with Allegris and making it even more exclusive,” said Jens Ritter, Chief Executive Officer Lufthansa Airlines. “Our new First Class, with its unique suites, defines the concept of privacy like never before and is unrivaled worldwide. We are also investing in exclusivity and comfort on the ground by completely redesigning our First Class check-in areas and lounges in Munich and Frankfurt.”
Three exclusive suites in the Allegris First Class
First Class has two individual suites and the Suite Plus: guests can heat or cool their almost one-meter-wide seats in the individual suites, according to their personal needs. The separate cabins feature ceiling-high walls and a lockable door, large table and wide seat, an up to 43-inch-wide screen and wireless “over-ear” headphones. Generous storage space is provided by a personal wardrobe in the suite, so that travelers can comfortably change and have all their personal items at hand.
The distinctive double cabin, Suite Plus, has two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required. If you are feeling particularly flush, you can book the Suite PLus just for yourself or you can book it as a couple.
The new First Class is part of a major Lufthansa premium offensive. Among other things, First Class guests can also look forward to renovated First Class check-in areas in Frankfurt and Munich and the redesigned First Class Lounge at Munich Airport. The first class terminal at Frankfurt is truly impressive with one of the largest ranges of alcohol I have seen.
Service improvements for all Lufthansa passengers
Lufthansa is now offering all passengers departing from Frankfurt a new, innovative baggage collection and check-in service. Since last year, travelers have been able to use the Apple AirTag location function to provide the location of their AirTag via the familiar digital channels of Lufthansa baggage tracing. From the summer, Lufthansa will also offer unlimited free chatting on its intercontinental flights. Passengers will be able to send and receive any number of messages, including photos, on their own smartphone or tablet via the familiar apps during the flight, regardless of their travel class.
Under the project name “Future Onboard Experience”, Lufthansa is additionally revising all service components on long-haul flights in all classes: the entire culinary offering, tableware, pillows, blankets, amenity kits and the onboard service. The introduction of the upgraded service is due to start in time for Lufthansa’s 100th birthday next year.
There are also many new features, especially for Business Class guests and frequent flyers: Since the end of February, a new catering concept on short and medium-haul flights in Business Class has not only offered travelers more choice of hot and cold dishes, but also completely new menus. The lounges in Newark and London Heathrow have been completely redesigned, and the renovation of a further 30 lounges will follow this year.
1 comment
The new gates are meant to expand capacity – the bus gates are not going to go away. Actually the construction work that started in 2018 delivered a significant number of new bus gates. And if you look at how many bus gates there are, and how busy they are at peak, the new gates aren’t going to make a significant dent in the bus gate operations.
There may be a short term dip, in bus gate usage but as Qatar Airways keep expanding (yet another new plane arrived in recent days) we’ll see bus gate usage slowly creep back up.