Double beds are available in Lufthansa’s new first class.
From in 2024, flights will have the brand-new Allegris first class suites.
With Lufthansa’s creative approach to first class, couples may create an in-flight experience more akin to a private room above the clouds by sharing a two-person suite that transforms into a 1.4m-wide double bed.
While a modified version will eventually be added to the Boeing 747-8 fleet, the all-new Allegris first class will make its premiere in 2024 on a fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft stationed in Munich.
Only three first class suites will be available on the A350s, with a twin-berth “Suite Plus” in the center and two other, more traditional first class suites arranged in a single 1-1-1 row.
But while the two-person ‘Suite Plus’ will of course cost more than those solo suites, “it might not be twice the price,” says Kai Peters, Lufthansa’s Director of Customer Experience, who talked with Executive Traveller on the sidelines of this week’s Allegris launch in Berlin. Peters anticipates that in addition to high-flying couples, some individuals seeking more space and solitude will select the expansive center suite, which has a 3.7 square meter footprint and a 117cm seating area compared to the 77cm of its window-adjacent siblings.
In order to give meals more of a restaurant-like feel, couples traveling together can seat next to or across from one other at an extra-large table. The ottoman travels forward “and the backrest pivots up and out,” Peters explains as Executive Traveller checks out a mock-model of the suite. The ottoman is situated just beneath the enormous 4K television screen. The mock-components up’s and finishing show how meticulous Lufthansa was with the design and its goal to replicate the first-class traveling experience.
Only the Suite Plus was on display at the Berlin launch, but we can confirm that it is spacious enough to comfortably seat four passengers—two on the main seating and two more perched on the ottomans—in case you want to invite other first class passengers over for a cocktail party or a game of cards.
In order to avoid having to put up with a cabin that is frequently too chilly or too hot, the Allegris A350 first class suites all share features like nearly ceiling-height walls, a large personal wardrobe, and individual heating and cooling systems.
This is accomplished using warming panels in the seat cushions, much like the heated seats in a car, while cold air is circulated from beneath the seat. The new Lufthansa first class suites have floor-to-ceiling sculpture, so there won’t be any overhead bins in the cabin. Instead, Lufthansa claims that each suite has space for a standard-sized cabin luggage (with space for two cabin bags in the middle Suite Plus).
As there is just one door in the Suite Plus and it opens to the left of the room rather than the aisle, the solo suite on the right side of the cabin will feel a little more private than the one on the left. There will be electrically operated blinds installed in the windows of the A and K suites.
construction of the new Allegris first class for Lufthansa
Before choosing this custom design created in-house by Lufthansa and London-based PriestmanGoode, which has worked with the Lufthansa Group since 1999, including the airline’s A380 first class and business class, the company considered four quite different concepts for the Allegris first class. The goal, in the words of PriestmanGoode, was to create “the atmosphere of the most comfortable luxury area at home, but in the air.”
The main goal was stated right away: privacy was top of the list, and it would undoubtedly give greater privacy than Lufthansa’s present “open concept” first class. Paul Estoppey, Head of Product Management Cabin for the Lufthansa Group, previously stated to Executive Traveller, “If you look into the market, of those (airlines) who are (continuing) first class or developing something new in first class, it’s all about privacy.
“Now, the sizes of the seats and beds are sufficient; however, it would be excellent to be a little bit larger. The point you want to make is about the privacy, though.
This in turn required a sliding door and tall walls, albeit because to safety standards – specifically those pertaining to “rapid decompression” occurrences and ventilation throughout the cabin – those walls don’t run all the way up to entirely surround each first class suite. Estoppey noted that the wall is around 1.8 meters (70 inches) tall because “we have to maintain a little room open.”
“Airbus also made sure that there is adequate ventilation. Airbus created a mockup so that we could see how well the ventilation is with closed doors and open doors. You probably wouldn’t think about that.
Furthermore, those doors are more like to sliding panels with a robust magnetic closing in the centre, a foam panel sandwiched between two layers of fabric in Lufthansa’s recognizable Maastricht blue. The European safety certification led to the development of this “curtain-like” sliding door, according to Estoppey.
Each Allegris first class suite has a single bed that is almost one meter wide, and a broad ottoman facing the passenger that may be used as a second seat with its own seatbelt for a companion when enjoying meals at the roomy table.
Also, in the near future, Lufthansa’s new first class will only be available on its Airbus A350s located in Munich; it will not be available on the Boeing 787 or even the much-delayed Boeing 777-9.
However, Peters informed Executive Traveller that the flagship Boeing 747-8 aircraft would be receiving a modified version of the A350 first class suite.
