A new dimension in First Class

These are the new Allegris First Class suites

Lufthansa has equipped its first Airbus A350 jets with the new Allegris First Class suites. Connoisseur Circle was one of the first to test the new top offer from Munich to New York.

After a four-year delay, the long-awaited Lufthansa Allegris cabin was finally launched in the latest Airbus A350 jets in May 2024. Albeit without the new First Class suites, which arrived even later due to delivery and approval problems. They have now been installed in five aircraft since the end of January 2025 and can be booked for the first time. Ten A350-900s and ten A350-1000s with the new First are confirmed from fall 2026. It is also certain that all 19 Boeing 747-8s will not feature the new Allegris First until 2027. The eight Airbus A380s will continue to fly with the existing First cabin.

In Munich, I walk across a "red carpet" taped to the floor to the First Class check-in with its own security check and am already through passport control just a few minutes later. As a First passenger (the only one), I am actually allowed to board first, but some impatient HONs make it on board before me, but everything is relaxed. We have to be de-iced and take off 40 minutes late. The first thing the flight attendants explain to me: "You decide today what you want and when." The so-called "Dine on Demand" is now the gold standard for in-flight service , even in Business Class on some other top airlines. Unfortunately, Lufthansa only offers this in First. The menu offers many options, as befits our status, and as the entire First catering is only for me on board today, I am also given plenty to try. The huge folding table is sumptuous.

It starts with caviar , a key First differentiator. There are no caviar spoons and no blinis. However, according to many suggestions, this is set to change in the summer. The three starters that follow are exquisite, especially the vegetarian one: roasted carrot with Cajun spice, nectarine and cashew . I sample two of the four main courses: the duet of zander and Norway lobster with potato and leek puree and mini fennel is one of the best fish dishes I've ever had above the clouds. The braised veal cheeks with truffle ravioli are unfortunately not as flavorful. The wines vary greatly in quality - from the South African Muratie Chardonnay (12 euros retail) to the 2016 Bordeaux La Tour Figeac (100 euros). All very decent, but still not an offer in First Class that gourmets would fly long distances for.

The biggest disappointment is the in-flight entertainment. Yes, there are wireless Sennheiser Bluetooth headphones - but what you can hear and see with them is very limited everywhere on board. Unlike many competitors, there is no live TV on board and no current premium movies and audio. I always like to listen to the latest rock and pop
pop albums from the charts and get inspired. Not even Taylor Swift on Lufthansa. I counted the entire range of music programs - there are 187. By comparison: Emirates alone has over 3,500 music albums and playlists on board.

With cozy pyjamas and plenty of space, First offers the best sleeping accommodation. The sensation is the double suite, in which either one or two beds with mattress toppers and bedding can be created . I take my midday nap on the made-up double bed, which is 1.26 m wide - probably the biggest in the sky. There's not even a crack between the two beds, phenomenal. With no windows and the high walls, it's easy to forget where you are because you can't see or hear anyone. In the afternoon sun, we fly over the Hamptons towards JFK, where we land exactly eight and a half hours later. And a small miracle happens - there is absolutely no one at passport control in Terminal 1, I am in within minutes and on my way to Manhattan. Thanks to the better cabin air in the A350 and the generosity of the Allegris First, I am definitely more relaxed than after other transatlantic flights.

My conclusion: Lufthansa has succeeded in creating a coherent, high-quality product with Allegris First, but it is very late to the party. Singapore Airlines has been offering something similar in its A380 since 2017 and will be launching the next generation as early as 2027. Unfortunately, it will also take years, probably until 2028, before Allegris First is available on all Lufthansa's designated aircraft.





LUFTHANSA ALLEGRIS FIRST CLASS

■ LOUNGE

In the elegant First Class Lounge in the satellite terminal with a wide view over the apron at the rear of the building, extremely courteous staff look after every guest personally. After arriving here without breakfast, I enjoy delicacies from the buffet and à la carte in the lounge restaurant. The avocado and black bread toast with scrambled eggs is particularly delicious. What's missing here, however, are cozy retreat corners.

■ SEATING

The new Lufthansa suites are lavishly spacious. For the first time, Lufthansa First Class now offers suites with 1.80 meter high sliding doors and equally high outer walls - and thus almost complete privacy on request. I find this new seclusion wonderful, even if it can get a little lonely for some on long day flights. Each suite has a seat (or two in the middle) plus an ottoman opposite, where the backrest can be reclined for the first time. One guest can sit here, and if a partner or colleague is traveling in Business, they can probably sit here too. The single suites have 89 cm wide seats that become a 2.05 m long bed. The HD screen measures 32 inches
(43 in the double suite) - all very generous. The color tones are subtle: grey carpet, black seat leather, grey-blue sliding doors and walls, covered inside with sound-absorbing Alcantara. Each seat has its own wardrobe and a hand luggage compartment on the floor, so you have easy access to everything during the flight. The stowage compartment under the armrest is minimal, so there are also few storage options for daily items such as work papers or even a book. The biggest omission and one that I find incomprehensible: there is nowhere to stow your laptop safely but within easy reach. The main seat functions are operated using the buttons above the armrest. Or all the finer details via the tablet on the wall, from where the seats can be heated and cooled, for example.

WLAN

Fast Internet on board (at least on the flight to New York) is free in First Class - and unfortunately only there. Since the current summer timetable, messenger services can be used free of charge in all classes.

■ AVAILABILITY

In spring 2025, the new Allegris First will be available on A350 flights from Munich to Mumbai,
Bangalore, New York JFK, Chicago, San Francisco and Shanghai. There are no upgrade options for the new First, neither with money nor with miles, not even for HON Circle members. A ticket Munich - New York and back costs exactly 13,163 euros on an example date at the beginning of March 2025, almost double the Business Class fare.

www.lufthansa.com