New Lufthansa Allegris First Class: Routes, Pricing, Awards, And More

Nice assessment and unfortunately most likely gloomily accurate.

Suite Plus is not remotely appealing for an adult couple. But it is perfect for a parent flying with a young child who will disturb the other first-class passengers.

The days of trusty ol' Lufthansa F awards between US & Europe look like they're going away. I guess our only hope is that Lufthansa's epically incompetent leadership continues to mismanage the rollout and it ends up taking them another 7 years to complete the shift from the old F to the new F.

Is this an actual reduction in systemwide F capacity though, or are those seats actually additional to whatever they're flying from FRA? If the latter, this could actually improve availability of A/O class on the FRA routes for quite some time.

This sentence doesn’t make sense.

“ I’d be willing to bet good money that that center suite will most often just have someone upgraded to it for free, since I imagine the cabin will almost always be sold out.”

Either the cabin is sold out or someone gets upgraded for free. It cannot be both at the same time.

“Sold out” as in three sears sold. At which point someone is upgraded to the double suite for free.

Not sure what you disagree with there?

"If I were traveling as a pair in Allegris first class, I just wouldn’t assign seats, and I’d hope that I end up with a first class seat and the double suite."

And then these two passengers will be able to enjoy 1 suite plus 1 "living room" at the price of "just" 2 suites. Otherwise, whoever pays 2 full fares and accepts the middle suite is simply being ripped off by LH.

Like other commenters below, one finds that the centre pair of seats to be most unappealing for a couple. LH have certainly missed a trick with this design approach by not providing isle access from both sides of the ‘double bed’.
The French bed was not popular with European caravan or motorhome buyers last century.

LH should sell the middle suite at fare + 2400EUR regardless of whether it's one or two people. That might actually incentivize a couple to take it.

Im asking me if the person in charge off this new business and first class seat generation is still in his/her job position? Is the most ridiculous seats somebody made them.
Absolutely horrendous

Like many commenting here, I have traveled at the front of the plane for the last 30 years. The double suite simply holds no appeal. If the person close to the door is sleeping, how do you get over them? Cute concept. Zero practicality. Call me old school, but I’d rather be in 1a and 1k on a 747-8

Ugh, what a clusterfk of an idea. Even when I'm traveling with my husband I don't want to be stuck watching his inflight entertainment choices, when all I use it for is the route map. Climbing over him to get out of the 'suite' is a minor inconvenience, but if we were 20 years older and less mobile it might be a deal-breaker. Like you said, this is a cute idea that's totally impractical for anyone but a single traveler. At least Etihad's 'Residence' has a separate bedroom to retreat to.

This is exactly what I was thinking/wondering—e.g. there will now be 11 daily seats in LH F from SFO vs. previously only 8 to FRA, gotta be a good thing right?

There are two window seats + 1 XL center seat. If the cabin is sold out, then that means 3 seats are sold (2 window seats + XL center seat). So someone is going to be upgraded from business class sitting cheek to cheek with the paid First class stranger in the center who bought that seat?

That is correct, the Residence does have two separate rooms. However, the double bed is only a French bed, hence only one side easily accessible.
In my experience the SQ A380, offers a much better ‘double bed’ solution. Seats 1A and 2A plus 1F and 2F, are separate suites, however, lowering the central partition between the beds add intimacy. It has worked well on our Far Eastern flights.

Expecting two full priced F tickets for two people in that middle suite is bananas. One ticket plus the up charge (as suggested by another poster) would be plausible, given just the one tv and one bed. Otherwise, absolutely not.

Beyond the other flaws in this whole setup, having to call LH up to assign yourself the double suite seems a bit ridiculous when that’s how the suite is *supposed* to be used.

No, one of the first class people will be upgraded from the single suite, presumably based on status.

As daft as LH are acting, i don’t think they’re going to put a total stranger in a double bed with you.

I don't think you would end up with a suite and the double suite, not if F is fully booked with 4 people. If you are travelling with someone and both are in the same PNR while the other two pax are sole travellers, the probability is greater that LH would assign the two sole pax to the two window seats and assign the couple, the double suite.

But how will they know it's a couple and that the unfortunate traveller who has paid a fortune to fly in F (e.g. because they're obese) won't end up sharing a bed with their friend/father/cousin/mother-in-law?

You're missing the important part: how will someone be moved into the 1 center XL suite if the cabin is sold out? Someone is in that center suite, so how can another person be "upgraded" into it when it is occupied?

@David - I think what Ben intended to say is that if a couple traveling on the same ticket book both window seats and the center XL suite remains unsold (which is where he erroneously said the cabin is sold out, it is not sold out at this point because the center seat is available / unsold), they may be given (forced?) the option to "upgrade" to this center seat instead of occupying two single window seats.

Only someone with a big ego or who really values a large bed will pay for the center suite. Or maybe a couple wanting a larger bed to f*ck or a larger table to have dinner together but still be able to sleep properly ?

The best move assuming 3 F seats are booked and 2 of them are a couple is to wait for the single passenger to assign their seat, bet it would be a window seat and then access the center suite for free + a window seat. The center suite is cute as a dinner cubicle but that's it.

The stupidity is a lone passenger will most often want to assign 1A as it's a prestigious number so the couple will be "separated" as the suite opens to the left of the plane.

Honestly not a great experience. I believe Emirates did it better as the center seat opens to the right of the plane, giving more options for couples to chat from their respective suites. But then Emirates does try to convince you that the windowless center seat is better. And they even have "windows"....

Imagine not having direct aisle in first class LOL

Lufthansa Allegris is not only non-existent across 99% of its fleet, it's also a massive step backwards.

It doesn't look spacious at all. Allegris more like Regress.

No, i think you're missing it. Lufthansa sell three seats as standard.

Upon buying a ticket, you can assign a single suite for free or pay extra to assign the double suite.

Two people can buy tickets and call up to assign the double suite to them, increasing F capacity to 4.

If no one pays extra to assign the double suite, and no couples take it, then LH will just have to upgrade an unassigned single F ticket to the double suite… for free.

Ben is referring to that third case, which will probably be quite common.

I get that the logistics here seem a bit wonky. But the middle suite would certainly be what I would prefer if traveling with my wife, especially on a night flight. We’d be very happy with this set up. Lack of individual entertainment systems might get old though during a day flight.

And their rollout is the most ridiculous in-advance announcement ever in aviation history, and this blog buys on this kind of stupid stuff, just create the fricking thing in silence and launch it once it's made and ready to install, in a few words: shut the f- up and get to work b-, flaunt some s- when you accomplish something in life Lufthansa.

They could've gone the Qantas way and create 1x1x1 and call it a day, this must be the most ridiculous and pretencious release in aviation history, and their Allegris business already looks oudated, with no doors and those plastic materials, it look scheaer than Polaris, at least Emirates just put a basic business seat from the market and launched it without all that pomp and fanfare.

When Air France and Cathay launched their new first cabins, Lufthansa and Swiss' will look already 10 years behind.

I've had bad brain fog the past couple days and finally pieced it together. Thank you for your patience in explaining... I was missing a fundamental part: there is an up-charge to pick the center double suite no matter what. So if 3 people buy standard First Class tickets (cabin is sold out) and do not assign seats, then 1 of those people will be automatically assigned that seat in the end with no charge, thus being "upgraded".

Once again - I appreciate the polite internet discourse 🙂

That’s EUR 2400 one-way, EUR 4800 round trip. Would not be even remotely worth it. I’d much rather buy two J tickets where each traveller has a proper seat to themselves. This is such a poorly thought out product it blows my mind. Only a German could have conceived of something like this.

Exactly my thought, they cannot simply force all 2 pairs of passengers under the same PNR to use the middle suite unless they explicitly request it.

Why would it be a force? I'm confused... Isn't it usually the case that two pax in the same PNR want to/ expect to sit together? If seats are available, airline systems generally would reserve the two seats together for two people in a PNR.

Ben, I'm not sure you're getting the monetization of the middle seat(s) right.

Yeah, the price of reserving the middle seat is punitive. But this is what European companies sometimes do if they don't really want to sell you something.

Their plan is to sell this seat to couples using special pricing. Apparently, LH mentioned some numbers to HON circle members. The price for a couple going for these middle seats is supposed to be significantly lower than buying two single F tickets!

The oddity comes from something different in my estimation. The problem is they are incapable of feeding the special couple's pricing into the GDS. For now, you have to call Lufthansa to buy and reserve these seats. I assume, eventually, they will have a clean solution for people booking online through direct LH channels.

LH will only sell 3 seats in First Class. Only if someone calls the hotline to reserve the Suite Plus for 2 pax, another seat will become available. No one will be forced to sit in the middle suite with someone else.

I am not looking forward to 11hrs of Peppa Pig on route to SFO … also my son sleeps a lot more than me. So, I guess even traveling with him I‘d want for him to have his own suite - and if it‘s just for sleeping.

OMG, LH has outdone itself on this one. If even the experienced travellers aren't entirely sure about this new F confusion, how can a regular customer get a grip on it? It was helpful reading this thread though, thanks.
Now I got concerned about the usefulness of my upgrade vouchers...

Ben, you are writing “If you’re traveling with someone and want to assign the suite together, you should just book two seats, and then you can contact Lufthansa to book the double suite at no extra cost”
This is incorrect. If two passengers are travelling together and intend to book the suite, only one of them requires the full F fare ticket and for the other person an “individual offer” will be made by the hotline. Again, not exactly very efficient…

Even when travelling with my partner, I’d vastly prefer two J seats to the F centre suite. Will be much more comfortable and likely to be cheaper than any discounted F price LH will offer.

But then again, the Allegris J layout is so messed up that there are few good options for people travelling as a couple.

what is “punitive” about an airline selling out a premium cabin with fewer seats?

that is as long as 747 800 is still in service. what i get is that the jumbo will eventually be replaced by the new 777, which might have 3 or 6 F seats. the main point here is: still good for all who buy full fare tickets, bad news for all the customers who must book in C, sit on millions of miles or e vouchers, and can basically shove them up to where the sun doesn’t shine. it’s all about the money, fair enough, but with that LH destroys the miles and more illusion—good for the competition

I’m not sure how much private these suites are. But won’t be surprised if couples on their honeymoon prefer the middle suite. They won’t be doing a lot of sleeping or IFE watching on their journey. other than that I don’t see anybody wanting to spend a whole bunch of time in this suite with somebody else.

That is a heck of an assumption. What if you are a generous guy flying your Mom back to the old country? Would you like to share a cubicle with her?

Then again, maybe don’t answer that question

How would LH know that you are flying with your mom unless you had placed a SSR note that you were and did not want to sit next to her? Outside of that, if you and your mom were flying in any cabin and your PNR comprised you and your mom and you did not select your seats (as Ben claims he would not), if the seats were available, it is a great probability that the seating algorithms would assign you seats together- as is currently the case globally.

If you anyways want to fly C but could afford F, the C suites should be perfect for you, don’t get why it’s messed up for couples, C suites are in your case awesome

Not a chance would I do this with my partner — we've been married for 13 years and I *cherish* my alone time on a plane. 😉

But in all seriousness, I don't imagine a lot of couples wanting to put up with the hassle here. I DO see this becoming nicknamed the "Kiddo Klub," as this is going to be an ideal set-up for parents with kids too young to travel in their own seat. Cue the no-kids-in-first folks, cause NC headphones and earplugs WILL be required. haha

Ok this makes WAY more sense (not that it makes commercial sense...) - because who in their right mind would pay two full F fares, and then choose to squeeze into a single seat??

I'd still rather have two, full, separate seats if I can afford First class in the first place but the fact that an individual offer is paid to share the seat makes more sense if they hope to ever sell it in that fashion.

What's the source for this information?

“Lufthansa is completely banning awards and upgrades in its new Allegris first class”

Not true. I’m booked on MUC-BLR in J and am being offered an upgrade to F for EUR 1060.

Unfortunately, I suffer from claustrophobia and as a result I do not like the "dilbert" cubicles. I much prefer the open cabin with a degree of seclusion that most airlines have been offering.

I am intending to celebrate my 70th birthday this year by flying Lufthansa on B747 8i in First Class from LHR-FRA-LAX and return as I travel to Hawaii for the Holidays. I am told the 747 8i will not get the new suites this year so I am greatly relieved.

It may be a Calvinistic streak but I wonder what people get up to that they need to be locked away....

Just booked a last minute as in 18 hours prior via AirCanada Munich JFK 1st for 60k miles and $795 USD from Milan to Frankfurt prior to the actual long haul. Then a another flight from JFK to DEN. At least I had 12 hours in Frankfurt to sleep. Did JFK to MXP in 1st a few months ago for 100k & $103 in their A380.