Lufthansa planes are getting a major upgrade. By the end of 2023, the German airline will start rolling out its new Allegris cabins, featuring smart seat designs in economy, premium economy, business, and first class that are among the most innovative in the sky.
On Tuesday, the airline officially unveiled the seat designs, which include spacious suites in first and business class—a first for Lufthansa. As part of the sweeping project, Lufthansa will launch a total of 27,000 of the new seats on board its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350 planes.
“The demand of our passengers is quite clear. They don’t ask for luxury items; we are not a luxury airline,” says Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter. “They ask us for more privacy; or to be able to travel with their partners; or they would like to work; or they would like to sleep. The individual demands of our passengers are changing. That’s the reason why we need to change our product.”
In that vein, each of the four new cabins offer tons of features that add comfort and allow passengers to individualize their flight experiences. Stand-out perks include personal seat heaters and coolers, a premium economy seat with a pod-like hard shell, and a large double suite in first class.
But even though the seats offer unrivaled space and amenities, the airline’s goal was to make the seats feel intuitive, smart, and easy to personalize, rather than luxurious. “[Our competitors] are more in the luxury way, like Qatar or Etihad,” Ritter says. But that’s not what fits our culture and Germanness. Our product is more comfortable, individual, and smart. I think we have one of the smartest products.”
Empowering passengers to customize their flight experience was also a major goal. “We believe that personalized experience is the next level of premium," says Bjorn Becker, Lufthansa's head of future intercontinental experience. "We want to give our customers the choice with the seats, but also with services, like selecting your food. We want to make it more individual, and we want to make it easy.”
Each cabin concept was developed together with passengers, according to Becker. “We have a number of passengers that we invite to our workshops in order to look at the seats, select the seats, and give us feedback,” he says. Plus, crew members were asked for input about certain onboard services.
The result is some of the smartest airline seats in the industry, whether you’re flying in a middle seat in regular economy or a private first-class suite. Here are some of the new perks travelers will find in each cabin.
An upgraded economy seat
Regular economy is getting a host of upgrades that will make the in-flight experience more comfortable and seamless.
Every economy seat will have a 13.3-inch 4K entertainment monitor that pivots out to provide a better angle if the seat in front is reclined. They’ll come with USB-C and A power outlets, and bluetooth headphone connectivity. There’s also more areas for storage with extra pouches on the seatback pocket for smaller items and a mobile device holder below the entertainment screen. Mood lighting—Lufthansa calls it “human-centric lighting”—will change throughout the cabin to help passengers battle jet lag.
There will also be a couple rows of extra legroom seats that offer three more inches of pitch, and passengers will have the option of booking a “neighbor-free” seat, which allows fliers to block the seat next to them for more personal space.
Premium economy with design worthy of business-class
Many airlines have recently been focused on launching ever-more plush premium economy cabins. “I think for nearly every airline, premium economy is one of the major, important classes,” Ritter says. “Our customers really demand and ask for the premium economy seat.”
And Lufthansa delivered: Its new premium economy seat will have a business-class feel, thanks to its pod-like, hard-shell backing that allows customers to recline their seats without encroaching into the space of the passenger behind them. It’s a perk that until now has been found almost exclusively in business-class cabins.
The premium economy seats are also equipped with a 15.6-inch 4K monitor, wireless charging stations, leg rests, a separate cocktail table, a personal reading light, a coat hook, and a water bottle holder. There’s also a small storage compartment in the arm rest, and noise-canceling headphones with their own stowage hook.
A seat option for every type of traveler in business class
The widest array of seat options will be available in the new business class, which has seven different seat types to choose from.
In the front of the cabin will be a row of suites that come with closing doors, as well as more storage spaces like a personal wardrobe and shelving, and a personal mini bar stocked with drinks and snacks.
There’s also a variety of different non-suite-style seats, including one with more work surfaces (called the Extra Space seat), and one with an extra-long bed that’s nearly eight inches longer than the others in the cabin.
Every business-class seat has access to the aisle, lie-flat beds measuring 6.5 feet, and wireless charging stations. The seats are also full of ergonomic perks to make passengers as comfortable as possible. The standout feature is the built-in seat heater and cooler. An industry first that operates similar to a seat warmer in a car, the seat heaters and coolers will offer each business-class flier the opportunity to customize their temperature at a click of a button. This will no doubt be invaluable to people who like a certain temperature when they sleep.
Another design feature that’s focused on improving sleep quality is the seat’s “shoulder sink-in” concept. Designed to be more comfortable for those who sleep on their sides, the seat’s foam is softer in the shoulder area, allowing more give to keep the passenger’s back better aligned while they sleep.
A truly private first-class experience
The first-class suites are the true showstoppers of the Allegris cabins. They’re four ultra-spacious and fully enclosed suites with partitions and sliding doors that are six feet high, reaching almost all the way to the ceiling and creating one of the most private spaces in the sky. Each seat also has a do-not-disturb light, and the same built-in heating and cooling technology, wireless charging, and shoulder sink-in as business class. On top of that, there's a large dining table, massive 32-inch entertainment screens, and a sizeable personal wardrobe, allowing passengers to change clothes in the privacy of their suite.
Also on offer is an even bigger First Class Suite Plus that has two seats next to each other to accommodate travel companions. It can be booked by one passenger who wants even more space just for themselves or two passengers who are flying together. The Suite Plus has an extra large monitor that’s 43 inches wide. Passengers can sit on the couch formed by the double seat and watch a movie together. The suite can also be configured for face-to-face dining for an intimate restaurant-like experience.
“Our customers, especially from Germany, they’ve really asked for first class,” Ritter says. “We see a clear market for first class. So I think this is a very competitive product and our customers will love this.”