The group is working on a new intermediate class. It will offer more comfort and privacy. Innovations are also planned in the economy at Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian.
This throne is not golden, it is not decorated with ornate carvings and it is not set with diamonds. But he is also very special. With the floatation of the Boeing 777X leads Lufthansa a new business class one with seats in the middle row with a lot of privacy. When the airline showed the first pictures of the new interior, this detail in particular caused a sensation.
This apparently gave Lufthansa an idea. The group is currently working on a new intermediate class, which should become a kind of Premium Business or Business Plus, as three sources independently confirm aeroTELEGRAPH. It should be at the forefront of business class. The seats will differ significantly from those in the rest of the business travel class. Above all, they should offer even more comfort and privacy and, like other airlines, offer a kind of suite.
Round up the offer
Not only the seat should be better in the Premium Business. Lufthansa also wants to offer passengers a better service for the higher price. How exactly the offer will look like has not yet been finally defined. Her first Boeing 777X awaits the German airline according to current planning in early 2021.
A Lufthansa spokesman confirms the considerations. However, he emphasizes: “No final decisions have yet been made.” What is clear, however, is that the German airline can round off its offering with the Premium Business. There will be no first class in the 777X. In addition, it can adapt it even better to different customer groups and thus generate additional income.
Also a new economy product
Since the group is now developing products for the entire group, the new intermediate class will not only be found in the Boeing 777X from Lufthansa. It will also be introduced at other network airlines. For example, it will be built into the 20 Boeing 787s ordered, of which it is not yet known whether they will go to Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines or Swiss. However, it is also installed whenever the airlines have to convert cabins.
However, innovations are not only planned in Business Class. The Lufthansa Group also plans economy rows of seats with greater legroom, a kind of Economy Plus – not to be confused with the Premium Economy, which has its own seats. Various airlines already offer such. So on KLM there are so-called Economy Comfort seats on long-haul flights, which offer 10 centimeters more seat spacing and a backrest that can be adjusted further back. This is also about generating additional revenue.
Swiss with almost six classes
An interesting side effect of the plans: If Swiss introduces all planned innovations, the Swiss Lufthansa subsidiary will eventually have six classes. In addition to the First, 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 should be supplemented by a premium business.
–