Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class seats will be debuting soon. Just ahead of that, the airline has announced a series of minor improvements to its long haul business class soft product, which will be rolled out in the coming months.
While I don’t think any of these changes will individually be a game changer, I’m delighted to see some thoughtful improvements to catering…
In this post:
Lufthansa’s new business class service offerings
Lufthansa is making a variety of small changes to the long haul business class experience, involving onboard food and drinks. You’ll notice these changes throughout the flight, from the time that you board, until shortly before you deplane. Here are the changes, in the order in which guests will experience them:
- A new signature Avionic apéritif will be served as an option for pre-departure drinks, alongside water and sparkling wine; the drink is a special creation by the Ziegler distillery, and is “based on peach notes and wild meadow herbs,” mixed on ice with tonic
- Pre-departure drinks will be served with a package of nuts
- After takeoff, Lufthansa will offer passengers a vegetarian amuse bouche, ranging from antipasti to sushi, as a prelude to the first service
- Lufthansa is rolling out a new bread selection on flights departing Germany, which will change quarterly
- Fresh fruit will be added to the dessert menu
- There will be a new, modular snack menu, varying based on the length of the route and time of day; this will include things like fresh fruit, tomato and mozzarella skewers, and wraps with pastrami
- Every passenger will be given a small box of Lindt chocolates in an exclusive Lufthansa design as a farewell gift
Here’s how Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa’s Chief Commercial Officer, describes these service improvements:
“The entire Lufthansa team is proud to present our new Business Class experience. Our culinary highlights, the celebration of German bread culture and the collaboration with traditional brands such as Ziegler for the new Lufthansa Aperitif Avionic underline the timeless elegance of our brand. The other new products that we will soon be introducing in various travel classes are further steps towards our goal of creating a whole new level of excitement for our guests.”
I can’t help but giggle at the emphasis placed on bread here, which is explained in great detail:
Bread is one of the Germans’ favorite foods. There are more than 3,000 different types of bread in Germany, and bread culture has been part of the German UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage for ten years. Lufthansa guests in Business Class on long-haul flights from Germany can now enjoy special bread developed exclusively for Lufthansa by baker-sommelier and World Baker of the Year 2022 Axel Schmitt. The handmade breads, which are only available on board Lufthansa flights from Germany, are baked fresh daily from natural ingredients, do not contain any additives and are served with handmade butter and high-quality olive oil as an appetizer.
The obsession with bread is no exaggeration, as I can attest to every time I visit my family in Germany. The only thing missing is a slice of cake and coffee in the afternoon.
This is a step in the right direction
Lufthansa is largely consistent to a fault. I feel like with both first and business class, very little has changed about the soft product in the nearly 20 years I’ve been flying regularly with the airline. So I’m pleased to see this series of changes, minor as they might be individually.
Of course this pales in comparison to the excitement surrounding Lufthansa Allegris, though realistically it will likely be years before a majority of business class passengers get the new hard product.
I do wish we’d see Lufthansa completely overhaul its business class soft product, rather than just making some minor improvements. I’d love to see new bedding in business class, and the meal service updated completely, rather than just adding some cute little features.
Bottom line
Lufthansa is making updates to its long haul business class catering. The core of the service is remaining the same, as we’re just seeing new features added to the experience, ranging from pre-departure nuts, to an amuse bouche, to better bread, to more snacks, to a chocolate gift. I’m happy to see Lufthansa make some improvements to its soft product, as I feel like the airline changes very little.
What do you make of these Lufthansa business class catering updates?
I'm back from Osaka (I did LH742 and 743 with my family, 2 adutls, 3 kids). Flights were ok, I had the chance to fly 7 times in First Class so I was a little anxious but for me and my family it was really nice. Food on the way to Japan was so so, better on the way back. All in it's really not the reason why you fly LH.... when you think you...
I'm back from Osaka (I did LH742 and 743 with my family, 2 adutls, 3 kids). Flights were ok, I had the chance to fly 7 times in First Class so I was a little anxious but for me and my family it was really nice. Food on the way to Japan was so so, better on the way back. All in it's really not the reason why you fly LH.... when you think you pay more or less 8000 euros per ticket and they serve you winr at 10-15 euros, you can understand that their "improvement" (that I had) is a real joke. I have no choice but LH before and after the flight is probably the worst company. NO client services. ZERO. But again, flight was really nice. Business (old one) A350-900 is great when you are a family.
Germany does have the best bread in the world. And it's not even close.
We had the "pleasure" of a long haul torture SFO-MUN in January. We didn't get sick but I ended up with a 12 inch bruise shoulder to elbow from crappy business seat.
No FA's after the "exquisite dinner" was served. They were instant vapor ware. God help the passengers if there was an emergency.
This announcement is "lipstick on a pig", and no more!
Nothing will change in favour of the average LH J pax until Spohr is long gone. Until then, it will simply be business as usual at Lufty… ♂️
Very true, unfortunately.
The fish always stinks from the head first.
Incredible. I believe Lufthansa have firmly earned their status as the worlds only 7 star airline, maybe even 8
Sarcasm duly noted ;-)
Lufthansa is still a shit airline no matter how much Ben likes to kiss their ass!
Besides Air France, do they really have any competition over the Atlantic? BA can be great some days, but my experience with BA is that it will either be an amazing experience, or a downright awful one and you never know which one you will get. IMO Lufthansa is a consistently okay airline in J, and a consistently good airline in F. I would never go out of my way to fly them, but also never go out of my way to avoid them either
Love Lufthansa !
But are there ANY business class seats left available ?
Trying to book from west coast for May
No sign
There are seats available every single day in May from the west coast.
You just know Lufty is a crap airline when even a small 'enhancement' gets flamed by 99.99% of responders here. And they're not wrong..
LH biz seat and food should all burn in hell.
As a LH HON Circle member I come to "enjoy" the LH business class pretty frequently. Also having platinum status on a few other airlines I think I am able to compare. What sucks about LH is not some pre flight catering or the catering in general. That is not any better or worse than most airline. It's airline food and there is no good airline food - nowhere!
What sucks about LH is...
As a LH HON Circle member I come to "enjoy" the LH business class pretty frequently. Also having platinum status on a few other airlines I think I am able to compare. What sucks about LH is not some pre flight catering or the catering in general. That is not any better or worse than most airline. It's airline food and there is no good airline food - nowhere!
What sucks about LH is their seats in business class. I know that they have announced Allegris - was it seven years ago? How long will it take until not just newly delivered aircraft but also old planes are fitted with those over-hyped seats? Another 10 years?
That's what sucks about LH!
If I want to have decent food I go to a Michelin starred restaurant - and I do that often - but I do not expect anything from airline food. Not even in business or first class.
You're fully right that bringing their hard product to 2020s (or even 2010s) standards is the highest priority from the late 2000s they currently live in. And of course this will take years, even if the planned beta-testing of Allegris from May onwards goes well (imagine if it doesn't and they need to go back to the drawing board).
But that's not to say there aren't differences in quality in airplane food too. Yes, reheated...
You're fully right that bringing their hard product to 2020s (or even 2010s) standards is the highest priority from the late 2000s they currently live in. And of course this will take years, even if the planned beta-testing of Allegris from May onwards goes well (imagine if it doesn't and they need to go back to the drawing board).
But that's not to say there aren't differences in quality in airplane food too. Yes, reheated food will never be "earth restaurant" quality, but then there's better reheated food and there's worse, and in this rating LH stand marginally at "OK" (maybe slightly better than more Spartan US offerings, but certainly behind Asian/Middle-Eastern carriers and probably some European ones like AF or even BA). They need to improve here too, and there's nothing stopping them from doing this immediately other than their stinginess (plus knowing they have a massive clientele from Germany/DACH and business contracts that won't go away even if they serve water only, so little motive to actually bother competing).
Recently i traveled in J class on a transatlantic LH flight. I thought the food service was subpar.
Than on the return journey I was in a UA flight. And after encountering that food, i was longing for Lufthansa food.
Although UA has much better wine game.
For a 4-ounce serving of beef, to go from USDA Choice to USDA Prime, the material cost is roughly $2 or $3. That's it. So, raise the $3000 ticket to $3010 and give the customer a true quality experience. But, the airlines don't see it that way. Because the same customer has a poop-fit over the once-every-five-year TSA Pre-Check fee going up $20. It is a sad state of affairs.
Every improvement in current LH food service is welcome, of course if it is to be believed. As many have stated, the words are one thing, the actions another.
I wish LH service on short haul flights and business lounge meals would improve as well. If they cannot make it tastier, at least some healthier options, perhaps? Swiss have shown some improvement in the last years here. Nowadays in ZRH lounges I can actually find something to snack on.
Never know that it's 2024 and Allegris is still in PPT
Whenever Lufthansa mentiones enhancements or improvements in catering, you just know the opposite is true as it is a cost-saving measure. Nothing to celebrate.
Was flying first on LH402 last night 4/11 the plane was delayed two hours due to catering issue. Then we were diverted due to an issue, landed at Boston Logan instead of Newark, and we were left stranded. They offered no rebooking, and no hotels. LH dealt with this very badly customer service on the ground was dreadful. Older pacs and people with kids just left there!
A person could argue that your experience is one-off. But, it's not. Time after time after time, LH has fallen short in customer service. And, *if* LH attempts to apologize, it does so in an insincere manner. Since my last flight with them about 10 years ago, I've been able to avoid LH. For others who have good luck with LH, blessings to you.
Lufthansa’s slow transition to a more modern business class is definitely needed. I fear that once the last plane is converted, it will be time to introduce a new business class concept. Did I say slow?
Buddy . . . LH is *already* a full generation behind on its *current* upgrade. By the time it's finished, LH will be two generations behind.
"and the meal service updated completely"
Any suggestions for that? I don't mind the meal service in business class, I like the choice of 3 appetizers and then 3 mains. It would be good to maybe have the quality increased if possible, but honestly, the food while not great is decent enough.
We pre-ordered a Sea Bass meal out of SFO that was the worst disaster that I have ever experienced (oops - had an Aeroflot meal out of SIN in the 80's that was worse - burned black chicken). The only saving grace was that the other on-board options were worse.
Flew LH J from Europe to Asia after being downgraded from F due to aircraft change. While the service was well intentioned, the food was terrible. Fish was absolutely inedible. They did load a bottle of Laurent Perrier for me from the F lounge though, which was a nice touch.
vegetarian sushi?
No thanks.
The Avionic cocktail is actually quite nice. Recently had that one in Lufthansa First. Caters to the German love of butter aperitifs.