Lufthansa

Lufthansa is one of Europe's largest airlines and the hub operator for Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), with secondary bases in Berlin and Cologne. Fleet and passenger totals published under the Lufthansa name usually count the whole Lufthansa Group, which also includes SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, rather than Lufthansa itself. Frankfurt is one of Europe's busiest airports, and Lufthansa's presence there shapes how the continent connects.

Allegris is Lufthansa's new cabin concept, and where it actually flies is narrower than the marketing implies. It launched on the A350-900 from Munich in the summer of 2024 and reached the 787-9 from Frankfurt in October 2025. Those two types are the whole list. Retrofits for other aircraft are announced rather than flying, so booking Allegris really means booking one of those two aircraft. The business cabin is the part most travellers care about: a sliding door on every suite, direct aisle access, and a bed of about 6'6". Star Alliance founding membership connects Lufthansa to United, ANA and 25+ other carriers, and the other Lufthansa Group airlines (SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines) fly as separate operators with their own cabins. The Senator Lounge at Frankfurt is a hub landmark, and the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, a standalone building, is one of the world's most exclusive premium airport facilities.

The A350-900 is the Allegris flagship. It launched the cabin from Munich in the summer of 2024 and flies it to North America, Asia and the longer European routes. Business is a 1-2-1 layout with a sliding door on every suite and direct aisle access, and the seat is 6'6" long and 28 inches wide, fully lie-flat, with a motorised tray table and a 12.1-inch screen. The 787-9 followed in October 2025, flying Allegris from Frankfurt, and it is the only other aircraft in the fleet carrying the cabin.

Everything else is still the older long-haul product, which is a lie-flat business class without the sliding doors and noticeably older in design. The A380 continues on Frankfurt to New York, London and the premium Asian routes with traditional first-class suites and business-class lie-flats. The A320neo family is the backbone of the short-haul and intra-European flying. Frankfurt's First Class Terminal is the ground half of the premium experience: a separate building with private check-in, a lounge, and a dedicated dining area. It serves first-class passengers, and not every Lufthansa aircraft carries a first-class cabin, so confirm your access at check-in rather than assuming it.

Allegris Business on the A350 is genuinely competitive with any global carrier's business class. The suite has a sliding door for complete privacy, a fully lie-flat bed at 6'6" length, and direct aisle access from every seat. The cabin is arranged in two sections (forward and aft) with lavatories and galleys between them, so you can retreat to your suite without navigating through a crowded main deck. The meal service is à la carte with options chosen from a menu (not pre-selected by Lufthansa), and the wine list is competitive. The amenity kit is premium-branded. The cabin pressure on the A350 is equivalent to 6,000 feet, and Lufthansa's cabin humidity on the A350 is also notably higher than on its older widebodies.

Where a first-class cabin is fitted, it is a small forward suite section with enhanced space, double-width beds (if you travel as a couple and book adjacent suites), and exclusive dining. Not every long-haul aircraft carries one, so read the layout for your flight before you shop for it. The cabin crew for first-class is specially trained and noticeably more attentive. Economy on the A350 is 31.3 inches pitch, which is tight but within modern widebody standard. Business class on the aircraft that haven't had Allegris fitted is still lie-flat but without the sliding doors, so the cabin you get depends on which aircraft operates your flight rather than which fare you bought. The First Class Terminal at Frankfurt offers a separate dining room, a private lounge, and ground transportation services, and it is a genuinely first-class airport experience.

On Allegris Business on the A350, the forward cabin (rows 1-5) boards and deplanes first. The aft cabin (rows 6-8) is quieter and more private. Since all Allegris Business seats have direct aisle access and sliding doors, the choice is between proximity to galleys (forward) versus tranquillity (aft). If you have a tight connection on arrival, the forward cabin gets you off first. If you want to sleep through the flight, aft is superior.

If your aircraft carries a first-class cabin, couples should request adjacent suites with connecting doors when booking, which allows opening the dividing door for a double-bed configuration. On the A380, business-class window seats face the windows directly in the older configuration, so aisle seats might feel less exposed despite having less personal elbow room. On any of the older widebody cabins, ask for an aft section if you want quiet: forward cabins on widebodies are noisier because of galley activity. Terminal access at Frankfurt follows the first-class cabin on the aircraft you're actually flying, so confirm it at check-in rather than assuming your fare carries it.