It was a 40-minute flight that airline insiders had been anticipating for seven years: the official launch of Lufthansa’s Allegris, the German flag carrier’s state-of-the-art cabin overhaul that was first announced in 2017 and finally confirmed last year.
On Friday, April 26, the first Lufthansa aircraft equipped with Allegris—an A350-900 delivered only two weeks prior—completed a nonrevenue flight from Munich to Frankfurt. The flight offered a sneak peek of what’s to come as the airline rolls the product out across its entire long-haul fleet over the coming months and years.
The official launch came more than a year past schedule due to supply chain and other delays—a topic Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter addressed directly during a preview event at Munich International airport on Thursday, April 25.
“They say good things come to those who wait, but I probably speak for all of us when I say everyone’s patience is a little bit stretched over the last months and years,” Ritter said.
The following day, Allegris officially took flight for the first time with passengers aboard. I was among the aviation journalists invited to join, along with special guests and Lufthansa executives including Ritter, who handed out meal kits prior to boarding and cruised the aisles mingling with passengers during the flight.
Here, a few highlights of Allegris first and business class—as well as what passengers can expect on long-haul routes featuring the new cabins. The first of those takes off on May 1 from Munich to Vancouver, with additional routes from Munich this year, including Toronto, Chicago O’Hare, Montreal, and San Francisco, as the carrier receives more aircraft outfitted with the new seats, Ritter said.
Allegris first-class suites
Allegris is part of the largest product and service overhaul in the history of Lufthansa Group, representing an investment of about $2.67 billion through 2025. The product upgrade will cover all four service classes—economy, premium economy, business, and first. Not surprisingly, some of its splashiest aspects are in the front of the plane, as Lufthansa aims to attract high-paying passengers who have more choice than ever when it comes to amenities like privacy doors, state-of-the-art entertainment systems, and customizable spaces.
Still to come are Allegris first-class cabins outfitted with the suites that feature double beds.
Courtesy of Lufthansa
But the wait isn’t over just yet for the really good stuff. Because of manufacturing and certification delays, Lufthansa expects to receive its first A350 equipped with the first-class seats in August or September. With that arrival, Lufthansa will debut its most over-the-top, first-class offering yet: three fully enclosed suites with sliding doors, one of which, the Suite Plus, will be able to accommodate two passengers, with two wide seats that can be combined into a double bed. In addition, all first-class suites will feature a dining table, a 32-inch or 43-inch 4K monitor, and a personal wardrobe area.
Allegris business class
With its Allegris upgrade, Lufthansa has elevated its business-class cabin into an entirely new experience. Passengers can choose from five seat types (originally, there were seven choices), including suites in the first row of each business-class cabin; seats with “extra long” beds measuring more than seven feet (ideal for taller travelers); and even a seat with a baby bassinet. The other two types are window seats and what the airline calls a Classic Business Class Seat, the latter of which are in the center row and on both sides of the aisles, angled slightly away from the window; as such, they don’t come with a view and are closer to foot traffic.
In the new Allegris business class, passengers can choose among five different seat options.
Courtesy of Lufthansa
For the inaugural flight, I was assigned seat 3A, a prime window seat right behind the single-person suite in 2A. With two windows and more privacy than the “classic” seat positioned behind (and slightly alongside) me, it’s an excellent spot, as are the K window seats across the cabin.
When the seat was adjusted to lay-flat mode, I had plenty of space to stretch out fully. I was also impressed with the entertainment system: a remarkably sharp picture on the 4K screen and excellent sound quality on the included noise-canceling headphones (which, however, weren’t as cushy as I would have liked; I could imagine them feeling uncomfortable after a while). Another nice feature: Passengers can individually adjust the actual seat temperature to either be hotter or cooler. Those who are sensitive to warm or chilly cabins (like me) will especially appreciate this amenity.
The Allegris food and beverage program
Because the preview flight was such a short one, no meal or drink service was offered. However, samples from the new first- and business-class menus were provided at an event the day before the flight. Everything I tasted—panzanella salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, truffle meatballs with whipped potatoes, and wild garlic ravioli with asparagus foam—was delicious.
Lufthansa gave airline reporters a taste of the fresh bread and a new signature cocktail for passengers.
Photos by Blane Bachelor
Other menu standouts include the newly debuted Avionic Apéritif, a signature cocktail created by the Ziegler distillery, one of the most famous in Germany, and mini artisan bread loaves created exclusively for Lufthansa by award-winning German baker Axel Schmitt, served with butter and olive oil. A new type of bread will be served every three months.
Even with no meal service on the short flight, I took note of the tray table, which extended with an easy push and was one of the longest I’ve seen. I appreciated the extra room it offers: no Tetrising plates around while enjoying a meal.
More Allegris-equipped cabins to come
Passengers interested in experiencing Allegris for themselves will have more opportunities as Lufthansa ramps up its rollout of the product as more aircraft are delivered. It aims to install 27,000 new Allegris seats across its entire long-haul fleet by the end of 2027. That will include the addition of 80 new aircraft (Boeing 787-9s and 777-9s, as well as Airbus A350s), while aircraft already in service, such as the Boeing 747-8, will be retrofitted. Currently, passengers can see which flights are equipped with the Allegris cabin by checking the seat map.
In addition, Lufthansa plans to install a version of the Allegris seats in long-haul flights operated by other carriers within the Lufthansa Group, including Swiss International Air Lines. In 2022, the carrier added Allegris Premium Economy seats, which have a fixed-shell design, and will introduce its own cabin upgrade, called Swiss Senses, in 2025.
My verdict: Less than an hour wasn’t anywhere near enough time to adequately experience all Allegris has to offer. I’m based in Amsterdam, so I don’t fly Lufthansa often, but after my recent Allegris flight, I’ll definitely keep the carrier in mind the next time I need to book a flight to the United States.
