Just a few days in the past Lufthansa revealed its new “Allegris” product technology, whereby we’re seeing refreshed seats in all cabins. Specifically, this features a new top quality suite, in addition to a brand new enterprise class product.
The Allegris expertise will debut on Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787-9s in mid-2023, and can ultimately be put in on present plane from these fleets. Moreover, the product will probably be put in on Lufthansa’s Boeing 777-9s, on account of be delivered in 2025 and past. Nonetheless, what occurs to Lufthansa’s different plane?
Many Lufthansa planes gained’t get new first & enterprise class
First let’s begin with the dangerous information. Amongst Lufthansa’s present lengthy haul plane, there aren’t plans to introduce the brand new product on Airbus A330s, Airbus A340s, Airbus A380s, or Boeing 747-400s:
- A340-600s have solely been introduced again briefly, to function flights out of Munich with top quality till Lufthansa’s A350-900s with top quality are delivered
- Lufthansa will carry again A380s in 2023, however the plan is just for it to be momentary, so don’t count on an enormous cabin funding
- A330-300s and A340-300s will seemingly ultimately be retired, so there aren’t plans to put money into these cabins past the present technology enterprise class
- Lufthansa has solely a small subfleet of 747-400s remaining, and we shouldn’t count on the planes to be round for various years, so that they actually gained’t be reconfigured
Lufthansa 747-8s will get new first & enterprise class
The excellent news is that Lufthansa has plans to retrofit its Boeing 747-8 fleet with all-new cabins. Lufthansa has 19 of those jets, they usually’re a median of nicely below 10 years outdated.
Whereas different airways are largely retiring Boeing 747s, Lufthansa was one of many few airways to order the up to date 747-8, and it appears the service is dedicated to preserving these planes round. They’re a median of nicely below 10 years outdated, so that they’re nonetheless fairly younger.
Additionally needless to say Lufthansa is clearly dedicated to those jets as a result of they’re all based mostly in Frankfurt, they usually’re the one planes based mostly on the airport to function top quality. Lufthansa additionally plans to base its Boeing 777-9s in Frankfurt (if/when supply occurs), however these planes gained’t function top quality (I can’t assist however surprise if Lufthansa may rethink that call).
What stays to be seen is with what timeline 747-8s will probably be reconfigured, as that hasn’t but been revealed. Based mostly on the truth that it has been 5 years since Lufthansa first introduced its new enterprise class, I really feel prefer it’s a race between these planes being reconfigured, and me being eligible for Social Safety. 😉
How will Lufthansa’s revised Boeing 747-8 configuration work?
Whereas we all know Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8s are getting new cabins, what we don’t know is strictly how they’ll be reconfigured. The 747 is a tough aircraft in relation to putting in cabins, given the curvature of the “nostril,” plus the higher deck, which is considerably narrower than the decrease deck.
I’d assume that top quality will proceed to be within the nostril. Lufthansa at the moment has eight top quality seats on the 747-8, with three seats alongside the home windows on both sides, plus two seats within the middle.
Lufthansa’s new top quality seems to be like an enormous improve over the outdated product, so I can’t assist however surprise if the airline can preserve the identical variety of seats, or what precisely a brand new cabin configuration would appear to be? Admittedly the present renderings of the brand new top quality are restricted, however I can’t think about the airline may set up the identical variety of seats.
For context, Korean Air additionally flies the 747-8, and has simply six seats in top quality, in a 1-1 configuration (there are not any middle seats).
I suppose the opposite risk is that top quality strikes to the higher deck and could be in a 1-1 configuration, however I additionally don’t see that taking place, provided that it might be even much less sensible for enterprise class to be within the nostril.
Then that brings us to enterprise class, which appears equally difficult. Putting in it on the decrease deck is tremendous simple, for the reason that 747 decrease deck cabin is even wider than the A350 or 787 cabin, so there will probably be room to spare.
Nonetheless, how on earth do you put in this on the higher deck of the 747-8? The higher deck is someplace between a large physique and slim physique when it comes to width, and you’ve got a single aisle. There’s merely no option to introduce a staggered product with direct aisle entry for every passenger right here.
The one factor I can consider is that Lufthansa strikes premium economic system to the higher deck, and as a substitute installs enterprise class solely on the decrease deck. Nonetheless, this must characterize an enormous enhance within the footprint of premium economic system.
Lufthansa has 32 enterprise class seats on the higher deck, whereas Lufthansa at the moment has 32 premium economic system seats on the decrease deck. Lufthansa would presumably have to almost double the dimensions of the premium economic system cabin for that to work. In any other case, I suppose the airline may set up a mixture of premium economic system and economic system on the higher deck, however sooner or later this all appears overly difficult.
Backside line
Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8s will probably be getting the brand new Allegris cabins, which is thrilling. Nonetheless, we don’t know the timeline with which that may occur.
Moreover, I can’t assist however surprise in regards to the logistics of this challenge. Will top quality proceed to be within the nostril? Will enterprise class proceed to partially be on the higher deck, if that even doable? How will seat counts change?
There are much more questions than solutions as of now, although as a Boeing 747 lover, I can’t wait to see the jumbo get new interiors!
What’s your tackle the logistics of Lufthansa reconfiguring Boeing 747-8s with new cabins?
