Lufthansa Allegris Business Class on the A350: An Honest Review of the New Cabin
Lufthansa's Allegris business cabin splits J fare into seven different seats. The Suite Plus is world-class, the Standard is middle of the pack. Here's how to tell.
Lufthansa's new Allegris business cabin on the A350-900 splits the same J fare-class letter into seven different seat types, ranging from a private suite with a sliding door down to a standard-footprint window. Same fare bucket, very different flight. The version of Allegris you book matters more than the cabin class on your boarding pass. Here's how to find the good seats and skip the misses.
I sat in three different Allegris seats over a month of flights from MUC and ORD this spring. The honest answer is this is both the best business product Lufthansa has ever flown and one of the more frustrating ones, depending on row.
What Allegris actually is
Allegris is Lufthansa's new long-haul cabin generation, rolling out first on the A350-900s based at Munich and expanding to the 787-9 and the long-delayed 777-9 over the next two years. It includes:
- A genuine first-class private suite (the closed Allegris First Suite)
- Seven business class seat variants in a 1-2-1 layout
- A premium economy refresh
- A redesigned economy with larger IFE screens and adjustable headrests
The headline change for most travelers is business. The old Lufthansa long-haul business product, the 2-2-2 cabin with angled-flat or shallow lie-flat seats on the 747-8 and most A340s, was the worst business class flown by a major European carrier. Allegris isn't just a fix. It's a leapfrog, but only if you book the right seat.
The seven seats: which to book and which to avoid
Inside the Allegris business cabin, the seat letter on your boarding pass determines your experience. The variants:
| Seat type | Where it sits | What you get | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suite Plus | First two rows, center pair | Closed sliding door, 27-inch wide seat, dedicated wardrobe | Cash upcharge or top-tier status |
| Extra-Long Bed | Window rows | Lie-flat with extended footwell, full window line | Free with status, cash upcharge otherwise |
| Extra-Wide | Center pair behind Suite Plus | Wider seat, no door | Sometimes free, sometimes upcharge |
| Standard window | Window rows | Standard 1-2-1 lie-flat, 22-inch wide | Free at booking |
| Standard center | Center pairs | Standard 1-2-1 lie-flat, 22-inch wide | Free at booking |
| Honeymoon center | Center, select rows | Two seats with no console between | Couples-friendly, usually free |
| Bulkhead | First row aisle | Bassinet positions, smaller storage | Free, families assigned first |
The trap: Lufthansa charges a paid upgrade fee for Suite Plus and Extra-Long Bed seats. If you pay full J and skip the seat upcharge, you can end up in a Standard seat that's similar to what Air France or KLM offers, not the Allegris experience the marketing suggests.
I paid 195 EUR each way for a Suite Plus on a MUC to ORD segment. Worth it. Skipped the upcharge on the return and got a Standard center seat. Fine but unremarkable. Same fare class, very different flight.
The hard product: Suite Plus vs Extra-Long Bed vs the rest
The Suite Plus is the highlight of the cabin. A sliding door, a 27-inch wide seat that reclines into a roughly 78-inch flat bed, a 27-inch 4K IFE screen, wireless charging at the side console, and storage that fits a roll-aboard at your feet without blocking the bed. The hanging wardrobe at the side is the touch I didn't know I missed.
The Extra-Long Bed window seats are the second-best value. You give up the door, but the bed length matches the Suite Plus and the window line is the full one-third of the cabin instead of one window per suite. For solo travelers who like to look out, I'd often pick this over the Suite Plus.
Standard seats (window or center) are functional 1-2-1 lie-flats but feel cramped relative to the Allegris highlights. Storage is tight, the IFE screen is smaller (around 18 inches), and the seat is a few inches narrower. They're competitive with Air France, KLM, and BA Club Suite. Not better.
The Honeymoon center seats are excellent for couples: no console between the two seats, just a low retractable divider for privacy when one of you wants to sleep.
Soft product: catering, service, amenities
Lufthansa's soft product on Allegris is improved but not transformed. Catering on long-haul business is multi-course German and international, with a dine-on-demand option for sleepers. Quality is on par with Air France and BA, well below Singapore Airlines or Qatar.
Service is professional and German-direct. If you want the warm-fuzzy feel of an Asian carrier crew, this isn't it. If you want efficient, on-time meal service with little chitchat, Lufthansa delivers.
Amenities: Loewe-branded pajamas on flights over 10 hours, a refreshed amenity kit, a real duvet on the bed, and Bose noise-cancelling headphones in the Suite Plus. Mid-tier for premium European business.
For more on how this stacks up against other business class flights on transatlantic and Europe-Asia routes, the Allegris Suite Plus puts Lufthansa back in the top tier for the first time in over a decade.
How to actually book the right seat
The booking workflow that matters:
- Find an Allegris-equipped flight. Right now, that's Lufthansa A350-900s based at MUC. The aircraft type shows on lufthansa.com at booking and on most third-party search engines. Confirm the A350, not the 747-8 or A340 (those still fly the old product).
- Book your fare. Standard J or D (saver) class at booking time will not assign Suite Plus or Extra-Long Bed unless you have HON Circle status.
- Pay the seat upcharge. Inside Manage Booking, Suite Plus and Extra-Long Bed selections show the upcharge in EUR. Typically 100 to 250 EUR each way for Suite Plus, 50 to 150 for Extra-Long Bed.
- If you have status, claim free. HON Circle gets free Suite Plus when available. Star Alliance Gold (which includes United Premier Gold and above) gets free Extra-Long Bed at check-in.
The single biggest mistake travelers make is paying full J fare and skipping the seat upcharge. You then sit in a seat that's competitively-priced business at best, well below what the Allegris brand promises.
We had a saying on the consolidator desk: the cheapest J seat on a fancy plane is still a J seat on a fancy plane only if the airline lets it sit there. Lufthansa doesn't.
The verdict vs the rest of European business
Allegris in Suite Plus configuration is now the best business class flown to North America by a European carrier. It outperforms Air France's current business, BA's Club Suite, KLM's World Business Class, and Swiss's existing 2-2-1 product. Standard Allegris seats are middle of the pack.
Compared to the Asian heavyweights (Qatar Qsuite, ANA The Room, Cathay Aria, Singapore Business), the Suite Plus is competitive on hard product and behind on soft. For flights to Europe, Allegris is the new benchmark on Lufthansa metal. Just pay the upcharge.
For a broader look at what other European carriers offer in business class right now, the airlines directory has the current cabin lineups for the major flag carriers.
Call our booking team if you want a fare quote that builds in seat-upcharge pricing and Allegris availability checks, request a callback and we'll call you back within 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lufthansa Allegris?
Allegris is Lufthansa's new long-haul cabin product, debuting on the A350-900 from Munich and rolling out fleet-wide over the next two years. It includes a true first-class suite, seven business class seat variants, refreshed premium economy, and updated economy.
Which Allegris business seat should I book?
Suite Plus first if you can pay the upcharge or use HON status. Extra-Long Bed for solo window travelers. Avoid Standard center seats unless they're free, since they're competitive with most European J products but not better.
Does Allegris fly on every Lufthansa long-haul plane?
Not yet. Allegris is currently on the Munich-based A350-900 fleet. Frankfurt A350s, the 787-9, and the upcoming 777-9 will get the cabin in 2026 and 2027. The 747-8 and most A340s still fly the older 2-2-2 product.
Do I have to pay extra for Allegris business class seats?
Sometimes. Standard J or D fares assign Standard seats for free. Suite Plus and Extra-Long Bed selections cost 50 to 250 EUR each way unless you have HON Circle (Suite Plus) or Star Alliance Gold (Extra-Long Bed at check-in).
Is Allegris better than Qatar Qsuite or ANA The Room?
The Suite Plus is competitive on hard product but behind on soft, especially catering and service warmth. Qsuite and The Room remain the gold standards in business class. Suite Plus is the best European-flown business class to North America.