Lufthansa introduces suites, double bed and throne

DClose the door and sit alone in a mini-suite, that’s what German passengers are supposed to do Lufthansa in the future – at least if they pay a four-digit amount for a first-class ticket. The group is investing 2.5 billion euros in more comfort. More than 30,000 new seats – 27,000 of them for the long-haul fleet of the core brand Lufthansa – should be a core component of the quality offensive. And according to information from the FAZ, an order for new aircraft is imminent.

On Tuesday, Lufthansa presented the new seats, of which only photos had previously been circulated. The importance attached to the new furniture was evident from the fact that Lufthansa had rented the Berlin event hall “Kraftwerk” for an appointment with loud music, a light show and fog effects. Although the fifth star in the Skytrax ranking was lost, they still want “one of the leading premium airlines”, according to Jens Ritter, head of the Lufthansa brand. “There has never been so much choice at Lufthansa,” he said.

premiered this year

The time of standard chairs should be over. In the future, a fully equipped long-haul aircraft will have 14 different seat types. Vacationers want to relax on board, business people want to work, tall travelers want a bed up to 2.20 meters long, and those flying with small children want a place near the changing table. He experienced that himself when traveling with his family, said Ritter.

The first Boeing 787 aircraft with the “Allegris” interior concept are scheduled to take off before the end of this year. The first-class suites will not premiere in the new A350 jets until 2024. This is followed by the polishing of other series. For suppliers, this means large orders. Most of the seats are supplied by the German manufacturer Recaro, which equips the mass economy class, while business and first class are ordered from manufacturers in Great Britain, France and the USA.

However, the very large variety of seats is reserved for wealthy passengers. Eight of the new seat types can be found in business class. There, the seats – whose upholstery can be heated or cooled – are arranged in a staggered manner, each guest can step directly into the aisle. A seat with a higher partition can be booked for an additional charge, or the variant that is internally called the “throne”. The traveler then sits in the middle between two shelves.

There are sliding doors in First Class, and market research has shown that travelers want more privacy than in the previous open facility. Two of the mini-suites can be connected to create a double bed.

Long planned investment

Refurnishing has a long history. Lufthansa wanted this with the new 777X aircraft from Boeing start, the delivery of which should start sometime in 2019. Manufacturing problems intervened, Boeing is now talking about 2025. During the Corona crisis, Lufthansa had to use government aid and postpone major investments. Now things are being made up for: Because Emirates has had doors in First Class for a long time, Singapore Airlines implemented the double bed idea years ago.

In the economy class, meanwhile, there is less variety, passengers get larger screens in their seats. A few centimeters more legroom is praised internally as an innovation, although the distances between the rows of seats remain unchanged. This is made possible by a new suspension for the folding table.