Lufthansa is in the process of introducing its new Allegris cabin concept, which includes an all-new first class and all-new business class. The new Allegris cabins debuted on newly delivered Airbus A350-900s, and we’re now also seeing them installed on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s (though those planes don’t have first class, and not all business class seats are usable yet… oy).
Lufthansa has now started the process of installing Allegris seats on a third aircraft type, and the first plane should enter service in the coming months. We now have more details as to what this project will look like, and it’s a bizarre two-part plan.
In this post:
Some Lufthansa planes won’t get Allegris cabins
For some background, at least officially, Lufthansa doesn’t have plans to introduce its new Allegris cabin concept on many of its existing aircraft:
- Lufthansa has brought back A340-600s temporarily due to the carrier’s aircraft shortage, but these planes will be retired again in 2026, and won’t get the new Allegris cabins
- Lufthansa has brought back eight A380s, which will be sticking around; these planes are expected to get a different new business class product, but they won’t get the new Allegris cabins
- Lufthansa A340-300s will be retired by 2027, while A330-300s have no specific retirement timeline as of now, but aren’t expected to stick around for that long; the A330-300s could very well go to other Lufthansa Group carriers, like Discover Airlines
- Lufthansa has only a small subfleet of 747-400s remaining, and they’re expected to be retired in 2026, so won’t be reconfigured
However, Lufthansa does plan to reconfigure existing A350-900s with the new Allegris cabins, and that’s a project that should start as of 2027.
How Lufthansa Boeing 747-8s will get Allegris seats
Lufthansa has plans to retrofit its Boeing 747-8 fleet with the new Allegris seats in all cabins. Lufthansa has 19 of these jets, and they’re an average of roughly 12 years old. While other airlines are largely retiring 747s, Lufthansa was one of the few airlines to order the updated 747-8, and the carrier is committed to keeping these planes around.
Lufthansa has started the project of reconfiguring 747s. The first of these planes with the registration code D-ABYA is now undergoing a cabin retrofit in Xiamen, China (XMN). The plane has been there since November 14, 2025, and the expectation is that this project will take until at least February 2026 (it’s common for the first plane to take a little longer to be reconfigured). Here’s what we can expect:
- Initially, Lufthansa plans to install its Allegris business class seats on the lower deck of the 747-8; there will be a total of 48 of these business class seats there, which is the same number of business class seats that you’ll currently find
- However, for the time being, the airline will maintain the old business class seats on the upper deck, so you’ll continue to find 32 business class seats there, in a 2-2 configuration
- On top of that, the bones of the first class cabin won’t be updated for the time being, and the cabin will remain in the nose
But that’s only step one of this project. Then at some point in 2027 or 2028, the airline plans to update first class and upper deck business class. The upper deck will eventually get the new Allegris business class seats, and on top of that, there will be updates to first class, but it might not actually be the standard Allegris first class product.
This is kind of a wild plan, no? I can’t think of another airline that has ever kept both an old and new business class product on a plane. My understanding is that Lufthansa will make the upper deck seats the standard ones when booking business class, while the lower deck Allegris seats will be bookable for a surcharge of around €300 per segment. However, with 60% of the seats being Allegris, I have to imagine that many people will be “upgraded” to the lower deck at no cost
aeroLOPA has seemingly gotten its hands on the new cabin layout, and has published the new seat map here. With the first round of the plane being reconfigured, we’ll see overall capacity decrease from 364 seats to 348 seats. First class will maintain eight seats, business class will maintain 80 seats (with a slightly larger footprint), premium economy will increase from 32 seats to 40 seats, and economy will decrease from 244 seats to 220 seats.
One thing that’s interesting is that the Allegris layout on the 747 will actually be different than on other aircraft types, given the wider fuselage on the lower deck. Instead of there being seven (or whatever) different seating types, the layout will alternate every other row. As a matter of fact, the layout looks very similar to United Polaris business class.
Why Allegris is complicated on the Boeing 747-8
Why would Lufthansa reconfigure its Boeing 747-8s in a two-step process? The 747 can be a challenging plane for installing premium cabins, given the curvature of the nose, plus the narrower upper deck. This is kind of a recipe for disaster when combined with Lufthansa’s overly engineered Allegris concept.
Installing the Allegris business class seats on the lower deck is super easy, since the 747 lower deck cabin is even wider than the A350 or 787 cabin, so there’s room to spare (which is why the airline is choosing a more logical layout than on other planes for that).
The much more challenging thing is installing this on the upper deck, which is somewhere between a wide body and narrow body in terms of width, and you have a single aisle. I would have to imagine that Lufthansa’s plan is to simply install the Allegris seats on the upper deck in a 1-1 configuration. Essentially with the below seat map, just picture the cabin without the center section. This will no doubt represent a significant capacity reduction over what’s offered now.
During the second phase of the cabin retrofit, Lufthansa reportedly plans to install six new first class seats in the nose of the 747. However, this is once again expected to be a modified product, so it won’t be the standard Allegris first class.
Either way, it’ll be 2027 or 2028 before we see how that plays out…
Bottom line
Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8s will be getting the new Allegris cabins, which is exciting. The good news is that this project is underway, and the first plane is currently being reconfigured.
The bad news is that this is a two-step process. Lufthansa is initially installing Allegris business class seats on the lower deck. Then in 2027 or 2028, the airline will install Allegris business class on the upper deck, and some sort of a new first class product in the nose.
As a Boeing 747 lover, I am very happy to see Lufthansa keeping the jet around in the long run. However, the plan for reconfiguring these planes has to be one of the strangest we’ve ever seen. I don’t think the industry has ever witnessed a new seating concept with as many logistical challenges as this one. The sad thing is that all of these issues could’ve been avoided. Oh well…
What do you make of Lufthansa’s plans to reconfigure Boeing 747-8s?
BA tested its then new club world flat bed on the upper deck only of some 747-400s in early 2000. It was a test but it did mean two business seat products on those too. (For a short while).
By the way, Lufthansa SEN get the run of most Allegris seat options for free.
So, just to be clear, having introduced a business class product with 7 different types of seats already, all separately chargeable, only a minority of which look appealing... LH is seriously proposing to then sell their old J class seats as standard on 748 aircraft, and expect people who get stuck on that type of aircraft to pay a premium even for the most basic, cramped aisle seats in Allegris?
Why on earth would any...
So, just to be clear, having introduced a business class product with 7 different types of seats already, all separately chargeable, only a minority of which look appealing... LH is seriously proposing to then sell their old J class seats as standard on 748 aircraft, and expect people who get stuck on that type of aircraft to pay a premium even for the most basic, cramped aisle seats in Allegris?
Why on earth would any frequent traveler in premium cabins ever subject themselves to this obnoxious lottery? I was already so deeply unimpressed with LH and this now pretty much ensures I would never pay for a premium ticket on this airline. What would be the point?
Frankly, for a number of years, I've regarded the Allegris saga as an amusing drama to watch. I've only recently realised it was merely symptomatic of how far this airline has fallen under Spohr, the complete rot of the culture and planning on every level. LH itself has fallen off a cliff, in terms of the disconnect between what passengers (especially in premium cabins) want and what they try to offer. It's truly the absolute...
Frankly, for a number of years, I've regarded the Allegris saga as an amusing drama to watch. I've only recently realised it was merely symptomatic of how far this airline has fallen under Spohr, the complete rot of the culture and planning on every level. LH itself has fallen off a cliff, in terms of the disconnect between what passengers (especially in premium cabins) want and what they try to offer. It's truly the absolute last choice amongst major European carriers now for premium travel - the one people book when they can't get anything better.
You are correct, Kerry. Big time. It's as if LuftKafka is an allegedly inattentive driver and we, the passengers, are just a nice babysitter trying to cross the road before being struck.
And when you think it cannot get any more unhinged with Lufthansa you read about this very, very brilliant plan. This is Carsten Spohr at his finest.
Correctamundo!
Feel like just putting FC and PE upstairs is way better than having some stupid random business class there.
If anything, it would be „either … or“
Lufthansa’s current first class is just so wretched.
The extra width really improves the layout. The stupid middle coffin is gone—way more options for couples and families.
Carsten Spohr will always replace one bad idea with a worse idea. Then he'll blame someone else and talk as if he is an observer.
What I find even more amusing is that the J+ suites (would there be 4 or 8 of those?) on the lower deck are going to be materially better than the actual F seats for sale, ha!
I don't think anyone would choose the new J+ over the current F. But I get your point.
I would!
This will no doubt be excellent. Lufthansa is the best, not like all the sky team trash
Exactly, brudi. The best at:
Revenue optimization - Pursuing €414 from HON Circle passengers during family medical emergencies, then losing in court and creating precedent that costs millions
Product innovation - Taking seven years to deliver Allegris, then installing two different business class products on the same aircraft because over-engineering wasn't complicated enough
Customer relations - Training flight attendants to inform on passengers, collectively punishing 128 Jewish passengers based on religious appearance, attempting to ban...
Exactly, brudi. The best at:
Revenue optimization - Pursuing €414 from HON Circle passengers during family medical emergencies, then losing in court and creating precedent that costs millions
Product innovation - Taking seven years to deliver Allegris, then installing two different business class products on the same aircraft because over-engineering wasn't complicated enough
Customer relations - Training flight attendants to inform on passengers, collectively punishing 128 Jewish passengers based on religious appearance, attempting to ban AirTags when customers documented lost luggage
Leadership excellence - A CEO who travels with bodyguards, sends security after 21-year-old fans requesting selfies, calls his own airline the "problem child" while taking pay raises, and whose wife killed a pedestrian then fled the country
Loyalty program management - "Exciting" dynamic award pricing tied to cash fares while maintaining saver-level availability restrictions
Operational efficiency - €350M lost to strikes in 2024, major IT failures forcing pen-and-paper check-ins, 787s with uncertified seats sitting idle
Truly raising the bar for what premium aviation can achieve. SkyTeam could never match this level of commitment to passenger surveillance and systematic incompetence.
A 5-star airline indeed...
Will seats and bulkheads be replaced by new ones in premium economy and economy for the 1st retrofit?
It‘s Not complicated at all. Book a flight, take a Seat (or not) and fly. What‘s so complicated?
You're right - flying shouldn't be complicated. Yet somehow Lufthansa has managed to overcomplicate every aspect: seven years to deliver Allegris, multiple seat variants requiring separate certifications, 787s with unusable business class seats, and now installing two different business class products on the same 747.
The complication isn't flying. It's Spohr's Lufthansa turning straightforward operations into bureaucratic nightmares while simultaneously training crew to inform on passengers and pursuing top-tier customers for €414 during family emergencies.
...You're right - flying shouldn't be complicated. Yet somehow Lufthansa has managed to overcomplicate every aspect: seven years to deliver Allegris, multiple seat variants requiring separate certifications, 787s with unusable business class seats, and now installing two different business class products on the same 747.
The complication isn't flying. It's Spohr's Lufthansa turning straightforward operations into bureaucratic nightmares while simultaneously training crew to inform on passengers and pursuing top-tier customers for €414 during family emergencies.
Book a flight, take a seat, fly - unless you're on Lufthansa, where you might get reported to revenue enforcement, collectively punished based on ethnicity, or play seat roulette between old and new business class on the same aircraft.
This is absolute insanity - who in their right mind came up with this plan...
I concur. Spohr has run his airline in something of a hit-and-run fashion. But perhaps he hasn't noticed what he's done yet and will stop to reassess now that this has been brought to his attention. Though it is more likely that he'll just flee the country shortly after LufthKafka succumbs to its injuries. That seems to be the Spohr way.
@AJ, agreed. It's like they're playing a game of, "What can we do to screw things up even more?" The rollout of Allegris, FRA F/SEN/*G check-in, this, etc., all suck.
I give it about 3 weeks before this leads to so many complaints they reclassify the cabin and start selling it to premium economy passengers for an extra €250-300. Possibly the most stupid plan I’ve heard from an airline since Beond
That mini Allegris cabin (Row 14-16) looks great especially if you can get the front row suite. As for the Y and PY and then Y layout, it’s what they have now and it definitely feels weird. Air China has a similar layout out on their 747-8 but for F and J. The J cabin is in the nose and then it goes First in the front mid section, then Y.
Because CA F suites are simply too large to fit in the nose (they're the unified with 77W F suites). And, taking into account that the number of suites is 12 (1.5 times larger than LH F and 2 times larger than KE F), probably it gives much better weight balance for 748 compared to the location of F in the nose.
Because CA F suites are simply too large to fit in the nose (they're unified with 77W F suites). And, taking into account that the number of suites is 12 (1.5 times larger than LH F and 2 times larger than KE F), probably it gives much better weight balance for 748 compared to the location of F in the nose.
"Lufthansa" and "bizzare" go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Whoever is in charge of the Allegris premium products should be fired by now. This is not going to work. Can you imagine how angry business class passengers will be, when they entered the plane seeing the nice Allegris business class cabin, and then find those awful pathetic business class seats in the upper deck? Not everyone is an AvGeek and many of them will not be understanding. The crews will have to bear the...
Whoever is in charge of the Allegris premium products should be fired by now. This is not going to work. Can you imagine how angry business class passengers will be, when they entered the plane seeing the nice Allegris business class cabin, and then find those awful pathetic business class seats in the upper deck? Not everyone is an AvGeek and many of them will not be understanding. The crews will have to bear the blunt of disgruntled premium passengers. Lufthansa is going to get so much complaints that they have to somehow stop selling the upper deck business class seats!
Whoever approve this 747-8 fix should never work in the industry again. It makes no sense.
By 2027, these Allegris seats will be outdated and Qatar will have more Q-Suite 2.0 rolled out.
I avoid Lufthansa long haul flights and once Austrian transforms into a full 787-9 fleet, and ITA fully joins Star Alliance, I will only consider flying those two airlines in premium cabin. The Allegris cabin is just too complicated and is underwhelming.
It‘s Not complicated at all. Book a flight, take a Seat (or not) and fly. What‘s so complicated?
All it would take is for LH to make a "747 nose residence" (basically combine the row 1 FC seats and put a wall up, and then put 4-5 regular Allegris FC seats behind) for Avgeeks everywhere to forget the follies of Allegris and start drooling...
Allegris BC does look better in this config than on the 359 though.
‘Nose residence’? *sniff sniff* niccce.
I’m very skeptical of the AeroLOPA rendering. That layout looks just like the Safran Optima seat, already used for almost a decade on United, Air France, and Ethiopian (maybe others). It doesn’t look like the Allegris cabin on the A359.
@ WHS -- Right, it does look like those products. But I think the reason is that because the cabin on the 747-8 is wider, the airline can fit four seats in each row, so it's modifying the configuration somewhat. The reason for the three seats per row is presumably a space issue, due to how inefficient the Allegris layout is.
Ben, they already chose different seat suppliers for the B789 and A359, so why not go for a third supplier on the B748?
Because they couldn't find a third supplier willing to take on the project?
Would be much better to fill top deck with PE (seats no doubt fit better) and then not expecting Biz to trapse up narrow stairs.
Do a single Biz cabin with a single and better separated Economy behind that.
To be honest, I don't think biz or FC pax mind traipsing up narrow stairs; this is because of the additional privacy afforded on the upper deck - the only people passing through it are the FAs and other upper deck pax going to the lav.
Having FC upstairs on the 747-400 was a real selling point back in the day.
I agree, I absolutely loved it back in the day. Felt like flying private!
@ TimUK -- Yeah I agree in theory, though that would be a massive premium economy cabin to take up the entire upper deck, I'd think.
@Ben - LH could put regular economy seats behind PE on the upper deck. Maybe even make them extra legroom seats and charge extra for the privacy. I remember seeing that done on other airlines' 747 upper deck before. It honestly doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't do that (LH doesn't seem to have an issue with separate small Y cabins).
I reckon you you get 52 PE or 24 Allegris seats on top deck.
With Allegris on top deck, I get the layout at 72J 40W 220M
With PE on top deck, I get 72J 52W ~198M
So yes, with PE exclusively on top deck, you'd have to reduce Economy by ~2 rows to maintain the same Biz count
For First, could Row1 be 2x 'double' suites, with Row2 being 1-'2'-1 ?
Maybe if there's some space left right in the nose, a bathroom and/or shower suite!? Admittedly way too optimistic I think
aero.de is reporting that first class on the 748 is not going to be the Allegris product and it's going to be 6 seats:
https://www.aero.de/news-51264/Lufthansa-Boeing-747-8-Allegris.html
A business class ticket is expensive. I can't imagine paying that price and choosing an airline which will then require me to play seat roulette. I don't need to be wowed by my seat, and I certainly don't want to be irritated by losing a seating game. What I want is predictability, consistency, and rest; I'll save the adventure for after I land. I recognize that Allegris is an objective improvement, but buying choices are...
A business class ticket is expensive. I can't imagine paying that price and choosing an airline which will then require me to play seat roulette. I don't need to be wowed by my seat, and I certainly don't want to be irritated by losing a seating game. What I want is predictability, consistency, and rest; I'll save the adventure for after I land. I recognize that Allegris is an objective improvement, but buying choices are subjective, and all this chaotic weirdness actually makes me less likely than before to choose LH.
Precisely. You're paying premium fares for predictability, not to gamble on which version of business class you'll receive. Lufthansa has somehow turned a cabin upgrade into a lottery while simultaneously charging €300 surcharges for the "good" seats.
The real adventure with Lufthansa isn't after you land - it's wondering if your flight attendant will report you to revenue enforcement, if your bags will arrive, or if customer service will actually answer the phone when something...
Precisely. You're paying premium fares for predictability, not to gamble on which version of business class you'll receive. Lufthansa has somehow turned a cabin upgrade into a lottery while simultaneously charging €300 surcharges for the "good" seats.
The real adventure with Lufthansa isn't after you land - it's wondering if your flight attendant will report you to revenue enforcement, if your bags will arrive, or if customer service will actually answer the phone when something goes wrong.
Consistency and reliability used to be what premium carriers sold. Under Spohr, Lufthansa sells chaos at premium prices.
The last few times I flew PE on LH, there were lot of economy pax attempting to "self-upgrading" to PE, probably because there's nothing separating the two cabins whatsoever (and the FAs quickly gave up policing). If they actually put a PE cabin between two Econ cabins, imagine this will only be worse. Gosh, Allegris is a gift that keeps on giving...