Lufthansa has been showing off its new Allergis Concept in the flesh.
We’ve got some renders to look at and examine, as well as consider what it means for the wider Lufthansa Group, as well as how it could impact your wallet.
First Class and Suites Plus
The suite features in-seat heating/cooling for their personal preferences, with their nearly one-meter-wide seats in the suite according to their needs and connect their own mobile device to the entertainment system.
Lufthansa is expanding its premium First Class offering with the “Suite Plus,” a separate double cabin with ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, a large table and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required.
Storage space is provided by a suite wardrobe so that travellers can comfortably change and have all their personal belongings at hand.
In terms of onboard service, a dine-on-demand service will be offered. The meal can be enjoyed in the private suites at the large First Class table, similar to a restaurant.
Business Class and the variants inside it
Private suites are the in-thing with Allegris business class, with privacy due to chest-high walls and sliding doors. A 27″ IFE screen will be available along with a wardrobe and personal minibar. Inside, it is possible to connect the two suites so that business-class guests travelling together can enjoy a large degree of privacy.
Travellers can choose between six additional seat options, depending on whether they want an extra-long bed measuring 2.20 meters, extra space and work area, a seat with a baby bassinet, or simply an exclusive seat directly by the window. A double seat, in which the centre console can be retracted to transform it into a reclining surface for two, is also available.
Looking at the overhead shot of the cabin, the airline has gone for density in its seating layout.
Beds in the standard configuration will be 2metrers long, with dining tables, wireless charging, noise-cancelling headphones and Bluetooth connectivity. Seats also feature a shoulder sink-in, allowing the shoulder to sink into the seat, increasing sleeping comfort for side sleepers.
All seats are also equipped with a heating and cooling system, giving business class travellers the flexibility to set their own temperature in their zone. There will also be a tablet-sized control unit to provide access to all seating, lighting, heating/cooling and entertainment functions.
And yes – it seems that Lufthansa is joining the rest of the world and providing direct aisle access to their seats.
Going through the release, a manufacturer has finally been identified – with Stelia Aerospace, Thomspon seating and Collins Aerospace involved, indicating the in-service seats by Collins Aerospace and Thomspon will remain in the fleet.
Premium Economy
The seats are the ZIM Seating ZIMPrivacy seats, as rolled out on SWISS, which commenced its rollout in spring 2022.
The seat will offer more legroom, and a fold-out leg rest, and can be adjusted even further back than the current model. It features a hards-shell back, so it will have no effect on fellow passengers in the row behind. The table and monitor always remain in position.
For more comfort, Premium Economy Class passengers will also receive a travel amenity kit made of sustainable materials.
Economy Class
Lufthansa has turned to Recaro Aircraft Seating for their economy seats, going with the CL3810 as a base – the top-of-the-line economy seat offered by Recaro. We have our thoughts here.
In the future, travellers will have the option of booking additional seats in the first rows that offer more legroom, or a free seat next to them.
In Quotes
Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines said about the premium product:
“Every guest has their own understanding of premium, which is why we focus on maximum individuality and exclusivity. The First Class Suite Plus conveys the feeling of privacy and individuality similar to a hotel room – only at an altitude of eleven kilometers,”
“The Allegris range promises individuality, exclusivity, and premium service along the entire travel chain.”
Beyond Lufthansa? For sure
We are going to be getting more Allegris-style seats as time goes on – this is what happens when you can place massive orders and take advantage of Economies of Scale.
The next Lufthansa Group Airline to take advantage of the product will be SWISS, whose variant of the product I covered before.
Whilst Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings Discovery do not have first-class cabins, they do have business, premium economy and economy cabins installed.
These will need refreshing over time as the airlines get updated fleets or an interior refresh.
And with Allegris – they seem to have a platform to do copy and paste, then deploy into flight.
Deployment
The Allegris First Class product will be introduced in 2024, on the newly delivered Airbus A350. more than 80 brand-new Lufthansa aircraft, such as Boeing 787-9s, Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-9s.
Aircraft already in service with Lufthansa, such as the Boeing 747-8, will also be retrofitted. The simultaneous improvement of the travel experience in all classes and the replacement of more than 27,000 seats are unique in Lufthansa’s history.
Monetisation will be more important than ever
We’ve gone through a couple of releases now with Allegris, and Lufthansa is offering a choice. Which is wonderful.
However, with the airline offering choice, never expect that choice to come for nothing. The products all shown show possible upsells in nearly every single class, to customise the experience to how much the passenger is willing to pay.
And if it’s anything like Lufthansa’s seat assignments (and the way they like to charge for an advanced seat assignment), it is going to be interesting to see how much they can charge for all the extra to customise your onboard experience.
Branding is wonderful. Delivery is better.
Lufthansa has been promising these products for some time now, be it under the original promised business class seat in 2019 or the revised promise when Allegris was first announced.
And finally, we have had physical demonstration units when the airline showed off its new toys in Berlin this week.
However, we’re still at “promises” rather than “delivery”.
And Lufthansa is going to have to deliver on its promises at some point in the game.
2024 is not far away in aviation terms (1 year and nine months at this point of the game) when the first A350 with Allegris is due to join the fleet (although if we’re using the airline definition of a “year”, we could be waiting a very long time).
Ultimately, Lufthansa has been overpromising for some years – it is now time to deliver the “next generation product” before someone innovates in the seating space again and leapfrogs this generation.
And a lot can happen in two years in the aviation industry.
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