It seems that Lufthansa is getting ready to show off its new generation of seating. And there is a family name – “Allegris”.
Let us dive in. The “Allegris” brand will be prevalent across all travel classes (i.e. Economy, Premium Economy, Business and First Class).
Lufthansa First Class
Starting with First Class, the seat is becoming a suite that offers 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.
All seats and beds are positioned in the direction of the flight. 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 Lufthansa First Class pyjamas.
Even dining will be an experience in the new First Class cabin. If preferred, eating together is possible for the guests at a large dining table, whereby one can sit across from their partner or fellow traveller, just as one does in a restaurant.
Gourmet menus are presented, along with the airline’s unique caviar service. Entertainment is provided by screens that extend across the full width of the suite, with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones.
Lufthansa will present details of the suite, as well as further innovations in First Class, at the beginning of next year.
Business Class
Lufthansa Business Class travellers can also look forward to their own suite, which offers even more comfort and privacy due to higher walls and sliding doors that completely close. Here, travellers can enjoy extended personal space, a monitor up to 27 inches in size and ample storage space, including a personal wardrobe.
This is again the seat that has been presented multiple times, but we have yet to see it in the air.
The Lufthansa Business Class of the “Allegris” generation offers six more seating options. Passengers have direct access to the aisle from all Business Class seats. The seat walls, which are at least 114 centimetres high, with space in the shoulder area, ensure greater privacy.
All seats can be converted into a two-meter-long bed. Passengers can enjoy the in-flight entertainment program on monitors measuring nearly 17 inches. Wireless charging, noise-cancelling 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.
The company will also present further details and innovations of the new Lufthansa Business Class next spring.
However, some “Allegris” products are flying now. With Lufthansa taking deliveries of aircraft that were due for other airlines, there will be a total of three new-generation seats out there
The latest addition to the fleet, the Boeing 787-9, and four Airbus A350s delivered to Lufthansa in recent months, feature an improved business class from the manufacturers Thompson Aerospace using the Vantage seat on the A350 and Collins Aerospace using a varient of the Super Diamond 787-9.
All seats are located directly on the aisle, can be easily and quickly converted into a two-meter-long bed and offer more storage space. In addition, travellers have significantly more space in the shoulder area.
A further four Boeing 787-9s with this Business Class will be delivered to Lufthansa in the coming weeks.
Premium Economy
The new Lufthansa Group Premium Economy Class was already introduced at SWISS in spring 2022, which is based on the ZIM Aircraft Seating ZIMPrivacy Seat. This is being rolled out onto Lufthansa.
The seat is integrated into a hard shell, so as not to impact the passenger in the row behind.
The seat offers space in the upper body and leg areas and is equipped with fold-out leg rest. Passengers can enjoy movies or music on their personal 15.6-inch monitor with noise-cancelling headphones.
Economy Class – introducing “Sleeper’s Row 2.0”
With the “Allegris” product generation, Lufthansa will more choices in Economy Class.
Examples given include greater seat pitch in the first rows of economy class (very much an economy space product).
Following the success of the “Sleeper’s Row” that rolled out, (offering Economy Class passengers greater relaxation on long-distance 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.”
As a sleeper row – via the Lufthansa reveal video.
In the “Sleeper’s Row 2.0”, one must simply fold up a leg rest and utilize the additional mattress on offer, for rest and relaxation on a reclining surface that is 40 per cent larger compared to the original “Sleeper’s Row”.
Also in the future, Economy Class passengers will have the option of booking a vacant neighbour seat.
Expect the various upsells to support this.
In Quotes
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.”
Coming to a lot of aircraft
The Lufthansa Allegris product will be rolled out to more than 100 new Lufthansa Group aircraft, such as Boeing 787-9s, Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-9s.
Additionally, aircraft already in service with Lufthansa, such as the Boeing 747-8, will be converted with the new seating product.
The simultaneous improvement of the travel experience in all classes, along with the Lufthansa Group-wide replacement of more than 30,000 seats is a major event in the company’s history
By 2025, the Lufthansa Group will invest a total of 2.5 billion euros in products and services alone to further improve the customer experience at every stage of the journey – from the initial booking, throughout the airport, lounge and border experience, to customer requests even after the flight.
Judgement held
That’s a lot of information for a release – and Lufthansa knows it, with a total reimaging of their product stack and details being held back.
Of note, we’ll learn more about the First Class and Business Class seating next year, whilst the real meat appears to be the confirmation of ZIMPrviacy in Premium Economy and the airline segmenting its Economy product into four sellable types at least.
- Extra legroom economy
- Reserved spare seat
- Sleeper 2.0
- and finally, the regular economy seat
The rollout of this will be key – and there are stumbles already as we’ll now have up to four business class configurations flying at some point:
- The current Lufthansa Business Class seat
- Thompson Vantage on the “brought in” Airbus A350-900
- Collins SuperDiamond on the “brought in” Boeing 787-9
- And the “new” business class seat
I’ll be interested to see how this is built out, how the rollout adjusts and how fast the rollout can be done to standardise the fleet – as standardisation brings economies of scale, rather than having dedicated sub fleets that are restricted due to seating installed.
All images – Lufthansa Group.
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