Lufthansa Ponders First Class Inside Business Class
FlyerTalk January 22, 2020
The Throne Seat in the Center Aisle
At FlyerTalk, we love a new seat concept, whether it’s theoretical and laughably small, now comes with wings or should be prosecuted for crimes against comfort. But Lufthansa’s new idea for Premium Business Class is a new one even on us.
There’s a lot going on at Lufthansa. It remains one of the few European airlines that still offers a First Class cabin. But, like most airlines, Lufthansa is finding itself filling its newer planes with fewer premium seats as demand for first and business class travel on long-haul flights continues to decline. Its new Boeing 777X plane, for example, will be delivered in early 2021 with no First Class at all and a unique Business Class product.
The Throne Seat in Business Class’ Center Aisle
Premium Business Class
The seats, we’ll start by saying, offer a big improvement by offering passengers direct aisle access from every seat. Lufthansa has managed this by doing some major seat shuffling in Business Class to create a 1-1-1/1-2-1 configuration. Another byproduct of that reshuffling is what’s being called “the throne” because of the copious amounts of space on either side of this seat and the added privacy it offers. The result is sort of a First Class seat in a Business Class cabin.
Or, as Lufthansa may categorize it, a “Premium Business Class” seat. We say “may,” because while this seating plan has been confirmed by Lufthansa, “no final decisions have yet been made” on the new fare class.
The Aisle Seats in Business Class
However, a spokesperson for the airline did go on to say that, if Premium Business Class does come into fruition, it will be paired with better dining options, specialty coffee, premium bedding, and preferential service. Which, presumably, will be carried out right next to your neighbor who is only getting Business Class service.
The new products would be rolled out across the entire Lufthansa Group including at Austrian Airlines and SWISS.
Premium Economy
In this new cabin, Economy could also get a redesign by way of a few rows with extra legroom. And, if both of these classes are present, SWISS will have six classes: First Class, Premium Business, Business, Premium Economy, Economy Plus and Economy.
Is it just me or do more and more of these articles do not quite make sense ? What is first class in business class? If it's in business class it cannot be first class? If the idea is to provide a premium business class product- well isn't that what first class essentially is?
@jwhopp777, Huh ??..... he/she was not generalizing or insulting anybody. Toughen up, the world has problems a million times worse than someone's general (not even strong) opinion.
This is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. We're going to sell what is essentially the middle seat in the J cabin as some kind of premium business class product? Where do they even come up with this nonsense?
"SWISS will have six classes" That is a ludicrous extrapolation. Currently Swiss operates an intl. First, an obsolete Biz, and a sh!thole Economy on their 777 services. I am absolutely certain that we will not simultaneously see Economy Plus and Premium Economy and Premium Business and First. Heck Swiss has to develop a PE first at all ....
Bad idea throughout. Premium seats without access to a window...