The time has finally come: Lufthansa brand new Allegris Business Class on their A350 is being put through its paces – from seating comfort and service to entertainment and food, everything is included! Find out whether the long wait was worth it and what surprises there are on board in this detailed review.
Review #60
| Departure – planned (actual) | 16.12.2024 – 22:20 (22:23) |
| Arrival – planned (actual) | 17.12.2024 – 15:50 (15:45) |
| Flight time – planned (actual) | 11:30 (11:22) |
| Delay | 3 minutes at departure 5 minutes early at arrival |
| Aircraft Type (Callsign) | A350 – 900 – Allegris (D-AIXW) |
| Class | Business Class |
| Seat | 11 F |
Content
Arrival
This time I travelled by train and arrived at Frankfurt Airport’s long-distance train station. From there, you can walk to the ticket hall via a bridge taking a good 5 minutes. Everything is clearly labelled and easy to find. However, please bear in mind the long distances at the airport when travelling!
Departure airport
Frankfurt Airport is Germany’s largest airport and the home of Lufthansa German Airlines. From here you can travel to all parts of the world on short, medium and long-haul flights with almost 100 different airlines.
Check-in
At Frankfurt Airport, the Business Class check-in area is located to the right of the iconic departure board at Terminal 1 A. To the left of the board there is also an area with self-check-in counters, which also has its own separate area for premium guests – if you don’t fancy queuing at the counters this is your choice. I find this very pleasant as an easy going alternative to the regular counter.
Security check
After check-in, you can go through security at various points at Frankfurt Airport. We actually always prefer the station in Terminal 1 A. It’s just straight to the back from the check-in counters and the area is well organised. There have also been the new scanners here for quite some time now. So at this station all electronic devices and liquids can remain inside your hand baggage.
Lounge Frankfurt
As a Business Class guest, you can of course also choose from a big variety of lounges at Frankfurt Airport. For me, on this flight I unfortunately didn’t make it to the lounge. I have described the Senator Lounge in Munich in more detail below though.
Feeder flight
Our short 40 minutes feeder flight LH 118 from Frankfurt to Munich was checked in at gate A60 and boarded as usual according to called groups. The process went relatively smooth and I was one of the first to board.
After a brief hello and welcome at the door, I went straight to my seat 3A and we took off on time. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, service began and we were served a small loaf of bread and a dessert on a tray along with the main dish roast beef. The first round of drinks was also served immediately and after another quarter of an hour the second round of drinks was served just before it was already time to prepare for landing.
All in all, the flight was short and pleasantly uneventful. Just as it supposed to be.
Lounge Munich
After I arrived on Munich Airport, I went up one floor to the H gates in the non-Schengen area to visit the Lufthansa lounge. Lufthansa operates a Business and a Senator Lounge here.
As I had a Business Class ticket, I was able to visit the Senator Lounge thanks to my American Express Platinum card. With an Economy Class (also Premium Economy) you can still visit the Business Lounge in combination with the AmEx Platinum.
The Senator Lounge here at the H gates in Munich is not too big and offers the same facilities as the neighbouring Business Lounge, just a little more choice when it comes to food. The selection of drinks is the same – only the space available is better and therefore the general quietness is naturally more pleasant.
Of course, you can also take a shower here and make yourself comfortable before hopping on your long-haul flight and going to bed on the plane.
Boarding
And after the lounge, our flight LH 726 is ready to board at gate H02. The boarding process started on time and the gate offers the opportunity to check boarding passes and pass through the gate towards the aircraft on both sides of the counter.
We started on the left-hand side with both boarding groups 1 & 2 at the same time – meaning all status members and Business Class guests. At the same time, families with small children up to the age of 3 and passengers who need help boarding were asked to board on the right-hand side. They then continued in stages with groups 3, 4, 5 & 6.
As is often the case on such flights, the boarding process is actually very well structured and usually well prepared, but unfortunately there is usually a problem with the execution – which was also the case here. Guests queued in the wrong line or wanted to go through the gate even though they had not yet been called up with their boarding group. I can certainly understand that many passengers are not that experienced in traveling and are often stressed, but unfortunately I can’t help but find it annoying when such unnecessary chaos occurs.
After the gate, you go down a flight of stairs, then along a short corridor where you will arrive at two boarding bridges. The left-hand entrance is reserved for First and Business Class passengers and the right-hand entrance is for Premium Economy and Economy passengers.
Welcome
At the door, the excited crowd of passengers was greeted in a friendly manner and directed to their seats in the correct aisles. Like most of the guests, I took photos of everything straight away and hadn’t really settled in at my seat yet not even even unpacked anything when a hot towel arrived to welcome me on board and I could also choose from water, orange juice, champagne and Lufthansa’s own drink Avionic. To accompany the drink, there was also a small bag of salted nuts.
Start & Routing
After a fairly punctual pushbak, we set off eastwards via Hungary and Romania, across the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Then in a wide arc around Uzbekistan across Kazakhstan and south of Mongolia crossing through China towards Beijing and after a 90 degree right turn in an arc into Shanghai.
source: flightradar24.com
Cabin & Seat
Many of the passengers were super excited as soon as they boarded and could hardly wait to finally see and test the new Allegris seating – especially in Business Class, of course.
In its new A350-900 aircraft, Lufthansa offers a special exclusive First Class with just 3 seats, whereby the middle seat can either be used by two guests travelling together as a larger suite or can be booked as a particularly large double seat for only one guest! This is travelling in ultimate luxury.
The airline also offers a total of 38 seats in Business Class, divided into two cabins. Directly behind this are 24 seats in Premium Economy in a 2 – 3 – 2 arrangement and in the rear half of the aircraft 201 seats in a 3 – 3 – 3 configuration, which equates to a total of 263 seats.
In Business Class, the seat type is roughly the same at all seats, but differs in the details. Lufthansa has in parts remained true to previous seat configurations (and current Swiss). The seat configuration alternates between 1 – 2 – 1 and 1 – 1 – 1, with the seats directly at the window alternating with those at the aisle on the sides and double seats with single seats in the centre.
The seat type itself is fairly the same everywhere and differs only in the respective locations, i.e. Privacy Seats by the window, Suites with doors, Classic Seats by the aisle, Extra Long Bed Seat and also Extra Space Seat. The latter is which I grabbed siting in the middle of this 1 – 1 – 1 seat configuration. All seats can be reserved in advance for a fee or selected free of charge at check-in.
The seats directly next to the windows are called Privacy Seats because they are the furthest away from the aisle and really offer the most privacy. The aisle seats are almost all normal Standard Seats with the exception of the seats located behind the larger centre seat shelf. A particularly long foot cubicle area is installed there resulting in an Extra Long Bed Seat. The centre seats, formerly known as the throne, are now called Extra Space Seats.
However, all seats in the new Allegris Business Class cabin have one thing in common. Lufthansa has launched a Group-wide innovation with these seats: all-aisle access! This has long been normal for most other airlines – but this is a small sensation!
Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the old Lufthansa Business Class cabin was particularly great for couples, as you could sit next to each other on all seats. In the new seating arrangement, however, there are actually only two pairs of seats in which you can travel sitting kind of next to each other. This is the rather expensive suite at the very front of the cabin and the two seats at the last row. The two seats next to each other in the middle of the cabin are separated from each other by an additional structure in the centre.
source: aeroLOPA
However, with the introduction of the Allegris seats in the fleet, Lufthansa has also considered making seat reservations subject to a charge at the time of booking and has only omitted the Classic Seat. In other words, the seat that comes closest to being a standard seat and has no special features. In the graphic below you can see how the different seat types are arranged.
However, if you have not yet selected a seat during your booking process and only do so at check-in, all seats except the suites are selectable free of charge. So it might even be worth waiting. With a bit of luck, you might even be able to get a good seat free of charge.
Quelle: travel-deals.de
You can see the pricing in the list below. However, I don’t quite understand when the prices for short and medium-haul flights will be introduced. For the time being and as far as I know, all aircrafts with Allegris seating will only be used on long-haul routes.
source: Lufthansa.de
When it comes to reserving Allegris Business Class seats, there is obviously still a bit of trial and error going on as the prices are apparently still variable at the moment. So always check directly when making your reservation to see whether you might be able to select any seats other than the Classic Seat for free, or possibly for a small fee.
source: Lufthansa.de
Senators and HON Circle Members obviously have even more special advantages when reserving Allegris seats.
source: Lufthansa.de
Lufthansa has remained true to its colours within the cabin. With lots of grey, lots of blue and a little brown, the new Allegris Business Class is very elegant but cosy.
Seat
I managed to get hold of an Extra Space Seat in the centre at check-in and will spend this flight to Shanghai in seat 11F. When I arrive at my seat, the mattress topper is already hanging on the hook, which, like the pillows and blanket, is in the new Allegris design. There are also slippers and the Lufthansa amenity kit in the winter edition.
As with many airlines, Lufthansa has also installed a three-point seat belt in the Allegris Business Class seats, which must be fully fastened for take-off and landing. When travelling at cruising altitude, the upper part can be unhooked so that only the lap belt remains fastened for safety.
Headphones and water is already stowed in a side compartment that can be closed with a sliding door. There is also space here for small items such as your mobile phone, passport or similar.
The headphone connection, a USB-A, USB-C and of course a power connection are also installed underneath the shelf.
A tablet is integrated into the side wall right next to the storage compartment and can be used to control all seat functions. This innovative new way is intuitive, easy to use and works really well! There is also a very simple button panel directly underneath that can be used to adjust the seat and control the lamp in the cabin ceiling. In addition, the seat, all lights and all settings can also be controlled via the monitor. Also for the first time at Lufthansa, the seat temperature can be controlled on request! How cool is that?!
The materials used are, in my opinion, quite decent, even if there are still some visible problems popping up in some corners, which are clearly teething problems of the seats that will certainly be fixed in future seats.
The really very large table is hidden under the enormous side shelf. It can be extended with a push on the side and wow, isn’t it really big?! You can fit a lot on it and is also great for working. Incidentally, there is an option to charge your electronic devices inductively on the shelf below the storage compartment. This is finally a really great and sensible innovation!
Bed
Of course, the new seat can also be reclined to a complete lie-flat bed at the touch of a button. The armrests can also be lowered, so that there is even more space around the shoulder area. The footwell is also quite large and gives the whole seat a spacious feel, really honouring the name Extra Space Seat!
The bed is really comfortable with the mattress topper and the temperature setting worked really well for me. I had a great night’s sleep and the surrounding partitions made me feel very cosy in my own little realm and completely undisturbed.
Suite
But at the very front of the two Business Class cabins there are a total of 8 seats, which I consider to be real game changers. The Business Suites are arranged in a 1 – 2 – 1 configuration and boast their own door, a wider reclining area, their own ottoman and a larger screen. That’s a real first class feeling, don’t you think?
Entertainment
As always, the entertainment system in the new Lufthansa Allegris Business Class cabin is centred on the monitor. Compared to its predecessor models, it is huge and can be operated via touchscreen. This works wonderfully smoothly and simply.
The system itself offers you everything you can imagine – from films, series, music and podcasts to games and information about the airline.
Of course, the entertainment system also has a moving map in its repertoire and because the aircraft is the A350 – 900, there are also external cameras on offer that film forwards, downwards, left and right, giving you the opportunity to follow live how the aircraft is moving or what the surroundings look like – even if you are not sitting at the window.
Amenities
If you read the review to our flight on Lufthansas A330 – 300 Business Class to Nairobi, you already know this amenity kit. The special Christmas edition is the same every year and consists of a Christmas bag filled with a toothbrush and toothpaste, sleeping mask, earplugs, hand cream, lip balm, socks, mints and hygienic covers for the headphones (which unfortunately never last on the headphones!).
Even before the first service, everyone was given a pjama top to choose from the two sizes S/M and L/XL.
Food, drinks & snacks
Before the first service, everyone was given a hot towel to refresh themselves and then they started straight away with an amuse bouche, champagne and a sparkling water for me. As you know – we all need to always stay hydrated!
If we take a look at the menu, you will see that Lufthansa also offers three choices for starters on this flight:
- Sous vide cooked corn-fed poulard with radish and cucumber salad
- Cold-smoked salmon fillet
- Marinated beetroot with grainy cream cheese.
The new Lufthansa bread has been around for a while now, and to be honest I’m not a particular fan of it. I just think it has a rubbery mouthfeel and is just way too much in terms of food quantity – who is supposed to eat that much for a starter and still stay hungry for the rest of the remaining dinner?!
I opted for the corn poulard as a starter and was not disappointed. The salad with the pre-made dressing was also very tasty.
As with the starters, there are also three options for the main course:
- Classic roast goose with red cabbage and potato dumplings
- Char marinated with oyster sauce and rice
- Melanzane pasta with aubergine, cauliflower and butter sauce
Incidentally, I wanted to play it safe and make sure I got the roast goose, so I pre-ordered it. If you also want to do so, simply check the meal options online in ‘my booking’ from one month to 24 hours before departure and simply order your desired meal. Sometimes you can even select exclusive meals that would otherwise not have been available on the flight. This way you can also make sure that you get your favourite meal, even if you are sitting at the back of the cabin and might otherwise run the risk of your choice no longer being available.
Finally, as always, there was a dessert choice between cheese, fruit and a sweet option. If you’re still hungry, they’ll be happy to serve you all three! 😉
In any case, I had the really delicious chocolate and raspberry slice with blueberry and raspberry compote and almond cream.
The whole thing is rounded off with two Lindt pralines in a Christmas design – traditionally I have simply left out the cheese.
Breakfast
To make sure you have a good start to the morning, Lufthansa offers a selection of baked goods and sweet spreads as well as a total of three options Рtwo of them hot and one cold. I had the cr̩pe with apple compote and vanilla sauce, which tasted rather so-so to me. The yoghurt with berries and granola, on the other hand, was really delicious.
In my case, the breakfast service started just 90 minutes before landing, which optimised the time for resting quite well.
Washrooms
The washrooms in the new Lufthansa Allegris cabin have also been given a fresh, modern, elegant and more spacious look. Of course, the essentials are the same and there is a washbasin and a toilet, but the furnishings have been kept really smart and the toilet doubles up as a seat when closed, which makes changing before and after resting much easier and also a lot more comfortable.
In addition to liquid soap, the Business Class lavatory offers hand and body lotion from L’Occitane and, in addition to the amenity kit provided, sleep masks, earplugs, refreshing tissues and mouthwash.
Service
I thought the service on this flight was great again. You probably know – I’m a fan of Lufthansa. The airline has struggled with its rather old Business Class seat for a long time in the past, but has actually always managed to make the whole flight experience positive due to its great service.
The flight attendant responsible for my seat managed to be cheerful, friendly, personally approachable, up for a chat, professional and efficient at the same time. Something not every crew is capable of!
Arrival
Half an hour before landing, there was a greeting from the cockpit and the arrival cards for China were handed out. After preparing the cabin for landing, we touched down rather quickly and after an eternal taxi we arrived at the passenger bridge and were able to disembark quite quickly.
Arrival airport
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) is the larger of the two in the city. The ultra-modern airport handles around 70 million passengers a year and is the only airport in the world connected to the global metropolis of Shanghai by a maglev railway.
Costs
For this long-haul flight from Munich to Shanghai, including the feeder flight from Frankfurt, I booked a mileage ticket and paid 71,000 miles and more miles plus a fee of 383,83 euros. For a full-blown business class flight with a feeder flight and on Lufthansas brand new Allegris cabin. That’s a fair price, isn’t it! What do you think?
Conclusion
If you think with us about where this premium promise started – at the end of the 2010s with their new logo, the new brand image, the new lounges in Berlin, New York and London and also now finally the new product on their aircrafts itself. That really shows how much Lufthansa has developed.
Of course, not everything is perfect, you have certainly seen one or two little things that can still be improved and I also think that the teething troubles will be eliminated in the very near future. If the new service is then launched from April 2025 on (i.e. virtually now!), the whole concept will all have a solid basis and really appeal to me.
For me, the brown colour doesn’t fit particularly well in the cabin, but that’s just my personal taste. From a visual and functional point of view, Allegris is definitely right up there at the front aligning with the best in business. And at least for my taste: with this seat, I don’t particularly need a door because I feel like I’m a metre away from the aisle anyway.
Points
I grant this Lufthansa flight on their brand new Allegris Business Class a well-deserved full score of 10 out of 10 possible points. Everything was simply perfect on this flight!
Recommendation
We can really recommend this flight to everyone. But certainly much more to business and solo travellers. The seats are mostly very private and only very few of them are located next to each other. Accordingly, couples and especially families should be able to cope with the fact that they tend to travel separately on flights in this Allegris Business Class cabin. If that’s not a problem, then the product can be perfect.
Airline Homepage
YouTube Review
Still haven’t had enough of the new Allegris cabin and want to see more? Why don’t you also take a look at our YouTube review? Have fun!
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