Last year, Lufthansa launched its new Allegris first class offering, which premiered on newly delivered Airbus A350-900s. This offering marks a significant upgrade from Lufthansa’s previous first class, albeit there’s a notable peculiarity regarding its monetization that I found puzzling. Lufthansa has now tackled that issue, arguably transitioning from one extreme to another.
The First Class Suite Plus concept from Lufthansa was illogical. The A350 Allegris first class cabin features three to four seats, based on perspective. In essence, the two window seats are presented as the First Class Single Suite, which are already quite spacious, aligning with typical expectations for a first class suite.
However, there’s an unusual seat located in the center section, touted as the First Class Suite Plus. While the idea of a double suite sounds appealing, as many airlines overlook the needs of couples or families in their first class designs, the actual experience is that it lacks the space of a true double suite, thereby restricting flexibility. For instance, the seat includes only one main tray table, making it tricky if the two passengers traveling together have slightly differing schedules.
The crux is, it would be worthwhile to consider this product if the airline offered a discount relative to the standard fare. Yet, it’s hard to imagine paying two full first class fares merely to occupy that somewhat cramped suite.
Thus, the problem lies in the previous monetization system:
– When booking two first class tickets at the regular price, the airline was willing to seat a duo in those central seats; this was a win for Lufthansa, as they could then sell an additional first class seat.
– A solo traveler wishing to book the double suite would incur an additional fee of approximately $2,500-3,000 on top of the standard first class fare.
– Since there appeared to be limited interest in either option, these seats were frequently allocated to “standard” first class passengers, as this was easy to exploit (simply refrain from selecting a seat assignment, and if the cabin is at capacity, you would then automatically be assigned to the center suite upon check-in).
Lufthansa has removed all assignment fees for first class seats. They are thoroughly overhauling the monetization of their First Class Suite Plus offering:
– For bookings effective immediately, and for travel commencing July 1, 2026, any first class passenger will be able to choose the double suite in advance at no additional charge.
– Couples looking to book the double suite will receive a 50% discount on the first class fare for the second traveler.
In fact, if you examine seat maps for travel starting July 1, you will observe that the First Class Suite Plus can be selected without any fee.
Several thoughts occur to me:
– The double suite hard product is outstanding, making the prospect of securing it with a “standard” first class fare notably enticing without any added premium; this undoubtedly encourages early bookings.
– The second passenger discount in Allegris first class is a sensible approach, something I suggested last year during my flight experience, and I’m pleased to see the airline heading in that direction.
– Frankly, the complete removal of fees for the center suite seems somewhat excessive; one would assume the airline would still impose a more reasonable fee ($250-500) for advance assignment, reserve the seating for HON Circle members, and only make it available to others within 24 hours of departure, etc.
In conclusion, Lufthansa is fundamentally altering the monetization strategy for its Allegris First Class Suite Plus product. The double suite concept hasn’t been logically priced, requiring either the purchase of two standard first class fares or a premium fee of $2,500-3,000 for solo travelers. These two extreme choices meant the double suite typically became available to someone during online check-in at no added charge.
Lufthansa is now revising how it monetizes this product. All first class passengers can now select the double suite during booking, on a first-come, first-served basis. If a couple wishes to jointly book the suite, the second passenger will receive a 50% discount.