Lufthansa will introduce premium business class

This throne is not golden, not decorated with splendid carvings and not studded with diamonds. But it is something special. With the introduction of the Boeing 777X, Lufthansa is introducing a new business class. It sports seats in the middle row offering a great deal of privacy. When the airline showed first pictures of the new interior, this detail in particular attracted a lot of attention.

This seems to have given Lufthansa an idea. The group is currently working on a new class that is to become a kind of premium business or business plus, as three sources independently confirm. It will be placed right at the front of business class. The seats will be significantly different from those in the rest of the business class. Above all, they are to offer even more comfort and privacy and will come as a kind of suite.

Better service

Lufthansa also wants to offer the premium business passengers better service for the higher price they will be paying. However, what exactly the offer will look like has not yet been conclusively defined. According to current plans, the German airline expects its first Boeing 777X at the beginning of 2021.

A Lufthansa spokesman confirms the plans. However, he emphasizes: «No final decisions have been made yet».It is clear, however, that the German airline can complement its offer with Premium Business at the top end. There will be no First Class in the 777X. In addition, it can tailor it even better to different customer groups and generate additional revenues.

Also a new Economy product

Since the German airline group has started to develop products for airlines of the entire group, the new class will not only be found in Lufthansa’s Boeing 777X. It will also be introduced at other network airlines. It will for instance be built into the 20 Boeing 787s ordered. It is not yet known whether they will go to Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines or Swiss. It will also be installed whenever the airlines have to convert cabins.

Innovations are not only planned in Business Class. Lufthansa Group is also planning rows in Economy that offer greater legroom, a kind of Economy Plus – not to be confused with the Premium Economy, which sports its own seats. Various airlines already offer such seats. KLM, for example, offers so-called Economy Comfort seats on long-haul flights, which offer 10 centimetres more legroom and a backrest that can be adjusted further.

Swiss with six classes

An interesting side effect of the plans: If Swiss introduces all the planned innovations, the Swiss Lufthansa subsidiary will at some point have six classes. In addition to First, there will be a Premium Business, a Business, a Premium Economy, an Economy Plus and the classic Economy.

In the picture gallery above you can see pictures of the new Business Class, which is to be supplemented by a Premium Business.