Lufthansa shakes up business class with 7 seat categories

The hierarchy of seat configurations on airplanes is usually no mystery: First class comes first, wherever it exists, followed by business, premium economy and, finally, coach. Now German carrier Lufthansa is really changing things up. As part of its 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) Allegris redesign, which has been officially retrofit into the airline’s long-haul fleet, Deutsche Lufthansa AG is upgrading not just its seats but also the number of seat types it offers — to 14 categories. The upgraded seats have been a very long time coming — they were announced in 2017 — and mark one of the carrier’s largest cabin overhauls ever. In the interim, other airlines have upped the ante for luxury in the skies: Look no further than Qatar Airways’ two-person Qsuites, which morph from a pair of seats into full-size beds, or Cathay Pacific’s Aria suites, which include access to an airborne art gallery. That’s left Lufthansa playing catch-up. Whereas Qatar was voted as the best business class airline by Skytrax in 2024, Lufthansa didn’t even manage to crack the top 20. Choice or confusion? The challenge of 7 business-class options Allegris’ differentiator may also become a liability: By offering so many seat categories to cater to passenger preferences, the airline has created a good bit of confusion. In business class alone, there are seven types of seats, some with more privacy or legroom. There’s even a central “throne” seat. To complicate matters further, they all come at different price points, which vary depending on the route. Airline executives say the goal is to offer “maximum individuality and exclusivity,” reflecting a growing trend in which travelers like to micromanage their environment. And there’s precedent for airlines creating “business-class-plus” concepts with ancillary fees attached to the already-high premium fares; among them, British Airways charges extra fees to select your seat, even if you’re sitting in the front on the plane. All the seat variations caused most of Lufthansa’s delays in rolling out Allegris: As it turns out, creating so many different products is a recipe for supply-chain headaches and approval bottlenecks. Although most of the fleet will have the updated seats by the end of this month, some 10% of Lufthansa’s fleet will remain unchanged until at least 2028. Here’s a cheat sheet to Lufthansa’s unconventional new business- and first-class designs and how to choose among all of the premium options. What each Allegris business-class seat offers Cabins with doors and personal wardrobes have been installed into all business-class seats; the seats also have a heating and cooling system that can be controlled via a tablet. There are officially five models to choose from, with two subcategories. Apart from the regular seat, each one commands an upcharge. 1. First-row suites: Similar to other airlines, the front-row suites have been designed to have more space and storage. Higher partitions also offer more privacy and an added sense of exclusivity. Expect to pay 400 euros more than the standard business fare for these seats on short-haul routes of under 3,000 miles, 500 euros on medium-haul routes, usually around 4,000 miles, and 600 euros on longer flights (1). 2. Centered seats with extra space: Also known as the “throne” seats, they’re located in the center section of the plane, with extra space and larger tables. They’re great for spreading out with a laptop to get work done, but the way they’re laid out on the plane makes the seats a little narrower around the shoulders and at your feet. They command an upcharge of 130 euros on short-haul routes, 170 euros on medium-hauls and 230 euros on longer flights. 3. Extra-long bed: These seats can fold out to a 2.2-meter-long bed instead of 2 meters, benefitting taller guests. That’s a generous length compared with other airlines; Qatar and United, which are both beloved by tall passengers and top out at Lufthansa’s shorter 6.5-foot length. Expect to pay 100 euros on short-haul routes, 140 euros on medium-hauls and 170 euros on longer flights. 4. Window seat: These seats have two alternating layouts that put you right next to the window or slightly closer to the aisle, depending on where the table and personal minibar are relative to the seat itself. (The storage areas can go either on the left or right side of the seat and are staggered for greater privacy and space.) On short-hauls this will cost you an extra 100 euros; on medium-hauls it’s 140 euros; and on long-hauls, you’ll pay 170 euros. 5. Regular seat: Just your standard seat by the aisle, so nothing particularly special — and no extra charge added. First class goes fully private For the first time, suites have been brought into Lufthansa’s first class. Instead of small privacy dividers, there are ceiling-high walls and a closable door. There are two varieties to choose from in the three-suite cabin — two individual suites or one suited for double occupancy — though neither one quite stacks up to Skytrax’s best-in-class Singapore Airlines, whose first-class seats have a swiveling leather armchair and a full separate bed. In Lufthansa’s first class, basic suites offer seats about 1-meter wide, compared with 35 inches (0.89 meter) at Singapore Airlines, with individual temperature controls for both the cabin and the seatbacks. There’s also a 32-inch 4K television screen, a large dining table, a personal wardrobe and wireless device charging with Bluetooth connectivity. “Suite Plus” seats add a few extra bells and whistles. They’re designed for two people traveling together, though it’s possible to book the whole thing for just one guest. Couples can sit side by side or across from each other in seats that fold out to become a 4.6-foot-wide double bed. The TV is also larger, at 43 inches. Unlike in business class, there’s no ancillary fee for this seat type for two passengers who are already booking into first. But like at some hotels, there’s an add-on for solo occupancy: 1,900 euros on short-hauls, 2,400 euros for medium-hauls and 2,900 euros on the longest trips. China takes center stage in Allegris debut As of March 30, Lufthansa’s Allegris seats will be flying from Munich to Shanghai, Chicago and San Francisco. More destinations are expected to be added in the following weeks and months, including routes that connect Bangalore, Mumbai, Beijing, New York and Cape Town. As for the cost? A first-class return flight from Munich to Shanghai can set you back about 7,400 euros to 9,250 euros. Only Air China flies the same direct route; Cathay connecting via London goes for 10,200 euros to 13,000 euros, for comparison. (1) Using Munich as the starting point, short-haul destinations include Doha, Riyadh and even Equatorial Guinea (usually a 5.5-hour flight). Medium-haul destinations include New York City and Toronto in North America, Angola and Kenya (about 8 hours). Long-haul flights are mainly to Asia and South America (at least 11 hours). By Adrian Wong

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Lufthansa shakes up business class with 7 seat categories